Revenge at Bella Terra Read online

  Table of Contents

  Title Page

  Copyright Page

  Dedication

  Acknowledgements

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  Chapter 22

  Chapter 23

  Chapter 24

  Chapter 25

  Chapter 26

  Chapter 27

  Chapter 28

  Chapter 29

  Chapter 30

  Chapter 31

  Chapter 32

  Chapter 33

  Chapter 34

  Chapter 35

  Chapter 36

  Chapter 37

  Chapter 38

  Chapter 39

  Chapter 40

  Chapter 41

  Chapter 42

  Chapter 43

  Chapter 44

  Chapter 45

  Chapter 46

  Chapter 47

  Chapter 48

  Chapter 49

  Chapter 50

  Chapter 51

  Chapter 52

  Teaser chapter

  Christina Dodd

  NOVELS BY CHRISTINA DODD

  PRAISE FOR THE NOVELS OF THE CHOSEN ONES

  CHAINS OF FIRE

  “The best of the series so far . . . unique—and edge-of-seat thrilling.”

  —Romance Reviews Today

  “The urgency of plot ratchets up the emotional drama, giving the story an exhilarating edge.”

  —Romantic Times (4½ stars)

  CHAINS OF ICE

  “High-stakes action and high-adrenaline adventure provide the literary fuel for the latest addictive addition to Dodd’s scorchingly sensual the Chosen Ones series.”

  —Chicago Tribune

  STORM OF SHADOWS

  “Christina Dodd has a knack for tense, heart-pounding action with a dash of quirky humor.”

  —Errant Dreams Reviews

  “A well-rounded cast, an exciting story line, and a romance that’s as sweet as it is steamy. This book offers something for everyone who enjoys paranormal romance and is a must read for fans of the series.”

  —Darque Reviews

  “A riveting new series . . . The action and romance are hot! I have no idea what is next in this series, but . . . the suspense is killing me.”

  —The Romance Readers Connection

  “Fabulous urban romantic fantasy . . . a stupendous thriller.”

  —Midwest Book Review

  STORM OF VISIONS

  “The taut, suspenseful plot, intriguing characters, and a smooth, natural style show that Dodd has earned her place on the bestseller list.”

  —Publishers Weekly

  “Ms. Dodd plunges readers into a fast-paced tale with intriguing paranormal elements and treats them to a deliciously steamy romance that’s sure to grab the reader’s attention . . . suspenseful, packed with danger-filled action, and never slows as the story unfolds.”

  —Darque Reviews

  “Definitely hooked me . . . quirky, unusual, fun, tense, surprising, sexy, and wild!”

  —Errant Dreams Reviews

  FURTHER PRAISE FOR CHRISTINA DODD’S NOVELS

  IN BED WITH THE DUKE

  “In bestselling Dodd’s triumphant return to historical romance, she offers all of the elements her fans crave: deliciously clever writing, sexy romance, and a swashbuckling plot worthy of The Prisoner of Zenda.”

  —Booklist (starred review)

  INTO THE FLAME

  “Alluring and intriguing.”

  —Fresh Fiction

  “Sizzling sensuality and dark emotions. A book by Dodd is always worth reading, but here’s hoping she ventures into the paranormal again.”

  —Romantic Times

  “[A]n explosive page-turner.”

  —Eye on Romance

  “Once again Christina Dodd weaves her spell . . . real and sexy . . . full of suspense and adventure.”

  —Fallen Angel Reviews

  “[A] stunning tale of love, of sin and redemption, of exciting adventure.”

  —Romance Reviews Today

  INTO THE SHADOW

  “Ms. Dodd has once again created an amazing novel.”

  —Eye on Romance

  “Another stellar book from a most talented author!”

  —Romantic Times

  “I was literally sitting on the edge of my seat . . . a gorgeous book.”

  —Errant Dreams Reviews

  “Sexy and . . . darkly appealing.”

  —Rendezvous

  THIGH HIGH

  “Offbeat characters and undeniable charm . . . a joy to experience!”

  —Romantic Times (4½ stars, top pick)

  “[C]harming and likable characters . . . an enjoyable read.”

  —Fresh Fiction

  “Christina Dodd is a master. . . . Thigh High is a winner I highly recommend.”

  —Romance Reviews Today

  “A MASTER ROMANTIC STORYTELLER.”

  —Kristin Hannah

  TOUCH OF DARKNESS

  “A sweeping saga of good and evil . . . this latest promises to be one of her best to date.”

  —Library Journal

  “Enthralling, intense.”

  —The State (Columbia, SC)

  “Christina Dodd demonstrates why she is such a popular writer, in any genre. . . . Readers will be riveted until the final page.”

  —A Romance Review

  SCENT OF DARKNESS

  “The first in a devilishly clever, scintillatingly sexy new paranormal series by Christina Dodd.”

  —Chicago Tribune

  “[A] satisfying series kickoff . . . [a] fast-paced, well-written paranormal with a full, engaging mythology and a handful of memorable characters.”

  —Publishers Weekly

  “Multigenre genius Dodd dives headfirst into the paranormal realm with . . . a scintillating and superb novel!”

  —Romantic Times (4½ stars, top pick)

  . . . AND HER OTHER NOVELS

  “Dodd delivers a high-octane, blow-out finale.... This romantic suspense novel is a delicious concoction that readers will be hard-pressed not to consume in one gulp.”

  —Publishers Weekly

  “Warm characterizations and [a] caperlike plot make Dodd’s hot contemporary romance a delight, and the cliff-hanger ending will leave readers eager for the sequel.”

  —Booklist

  “Dodd adds humor, sizzling sensuality, and a cast of truly delightful secondary characters to produce a story that will not disappoint.”

  —Library Journal

  “Sexy and witty, daring and delightful.”

  —Teresa Medeiros, New York Times bestselling author of After Midnight

  NOVELS BY CHRISTINA DODD

  Danger in a Red Dress

  Thigh High

  Tongue in Chic

  Trouble in High Heels

  In Bed with the Duke

  Taken by the Prince

  THE SCARLET DECEPTION SERIES

  Secrets of Bella Terra

  THE DARKNESS CHOSEN SERIES

  Scent of Darkness

  Touch of Darkness

  Into the Shadow

  Into the Flame

  THE CHOSEN ONES SERIES

  Sto
rm of Visions

  Storm of Shadows

  Chains of Ice

  Chains of Fire

  SIGNET SELECT

  Published by New American Library, a division of

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  First published by Signet, an imprint of New American Library,

  a division of Penguin Group (USA) Inc.

  First Printing, September 2011

  Copyright © Christina Dodd, 2011

  Excerpt from Storm of Shadows copyright © Christina Dodd, 2009

  All rights reserved

  SIGNET SELECT and logo are trademarks of Penguin Group (USA) Inc.

  Without limiting the rights under copyright reserved above, no part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in or introduced into a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form, or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise), without the prior written permission of both the copyright owner and the above publisher of this book.

  PUBLISHER’S NOTE

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

  The publisher does not have any control over and does not assume any responsibility for author or third-party Web sites or their content.

  ISBN : 978-1-101-54394-8

  The scanning, uploading, and distribution of this book via the Internet or via any other means without the permission of the publisher is illegal and punishable by law. Please purchase only authorized electronic editions, and do not participate in or encourage electronic piracy of copyrighted materials. Your support of the author’s rights is appreciated.

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  For Lillian Gilmore,

  ninety-six years young,

  who knew me before I was born,

  who lived next door and tells me stories about me when I

  was a toddler,

  who welcomed my husband and children into her

  constantly expanding family,

  who helped us when we were in need,

  who remembers everyone’s birthday, everybody’s name,

  and everyone who is dear to her.

  Thank you for showing us how to live.

  When it comes to kindness, attitude and love,

  you’re the gold standard.

  And to Lillian’s daughter,

  Marilyn Johnson.

  We miss you.

  ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

  Leslie Gelbman, Kara Welsh, and Kerry Donovan, my appreciation for your constant support. The covers for the Scarlet Deception series are absolutely fabulous; thank you to NAL’s art department, led by Anthony Ramondo. To Rick Pascocello, head of marketing, and the publicity department with my special people, Craig Burke and Jodi Rosoff, thank you. My thanks to the production department, and of course, a special thank-you to the spectacular Penguin sales department: Norman Lidofsky, Don Redpath, Sharon Gamboa, Don Rieck, and Trish Weyenberg. You are the best!

  Thank you to Ted Seghesio for so generously taking the time to answer my questions about the winery in spring, to David Messerli for steering the questions in the right direction, to Peter and Cathy Seghesio for guiding us in the nuances of wine tasting, to Jim Neumiller for kindly demonstrating to this city girl the rudiments of growing grapes. Last but not least, thank you to everyone in the Seghesio Family Vineyards tasting room for their hospitality and knowledge.

  Chapter 1

  Eli Di Luca walked into his grandmother’s nineteenth-century farmhouse in the foothills above Bella Valley, carrying a case of wine, handpicked for a loving family celebration.

  Every light in the house was on, the television was blaring, and six women were standing in the front room holding bottles of water and shouting at the big screen hung on the wall. “Catch it!” they yelled. “Catch it! Catch it! Catchitcatchitcatchit!”

  He stopped. He stared.

  Nonna’s nurse, Olivia Kelly, so wide-eyed she always looked slightly astonished, stood apart from the group.

  “Australian football?” he asked.

  Olivia nodded shyly.

  What an odd girl she was, part of the group, yet apart.

  She reminded him of him.

  The football player must have caughtitcaughtitcaughtit , because the other women high-fived one another, then saw him and waved cheerful greetings.

  They were fascinating company.

  His grandmother, his Nonna, was a young eighty years, stylish, cheerful, and so alive she frightened him with her energy. He’d never seen anything slow her down until almost three weeks ago, when she’d been attacked in her own home. This woman who had raised him, who had tamed the wild fourteen-year-old he had been when he returned from Chile, had been injured in a slow-boiling vendetta that had its roots deep in the past.

  For years Eli had dwelled always on the brink of savagery; savagery was bred into him, and in his youth, during those six years when all the world was bleak and lonely, only savagery had kept him alive.

  The assault on his grandmother had almost taken him over the edge. If she had been killed . . . the consequences would have made him a fugitive once more, for he would have hunted down the culprit and destroyed him slowly, broken bone by broken bone, until all that was left was consciousness, pain, and understanding of the wrong he had committed.

  But Nonna had survived without permanent damage. Her arm was in a cast and she’d suffered a concussion, but she was home now, safe.

  And so was Eli . . . for the moment.

  In a normal voice, as if she hadn’t just been jumping up and down, Nonna said, “Hello, dear, how was your trip?”

  “Interesting.” To put it mildly.

  “I love San Francisco. I love the St. Francis. I wish I could have gone with you!” Nonna’s eyes shone.

  The venerable St. Francis hotel had survived the 1906 earthquake, World War I and World War II and all the wars after, the roaring twenties and the Depression, protests and prosperity and recession. The loud, joyful, boisterous winegrowers’ tasting and auction had also left the hotel unscathed.

  If only Eli could say the same of himself.

  The memory of meeting the Italian Tamosso Conte during the event and hearing his outrageous business proposal haunted Eli’s mind and heart.

  The plan was absurd, insulting, and . . . tempting beyond all belief.

  “Everyone missed you,” he told Nonna. “Everybody asked about you, and asked why I had no beautiful, fascinating lady on my arm.”

  She laughed out loud. “You need to find a beautiful, fascinating lady to be your wife. Like Rafe did!”

  His brother’s recent marriage had put a sparkle in his grandmother’s eyes and, he feared, would lead to a frenzy of attempted matchmaking.

  Matchmaking was the one thing he did not need.

  Tak
ing advantage of the break in the action, Nonna’s bodyguard, Bao Le, moved to the window and looked out. Diminutive, tough, and suspicious, she worked for Rafe, for his security firm, and from the beginning she had taken her job seriously. But a few weeks of caring for Nonna had turned the tables, because Nonna cared for everyone, and now Bao was part of their family.

  It always happened. Eli was used to it.

  Walking in, he shifted the box of wine to one hip and kissed Nonna’s cheek. “How do you feel? How’s the arm?”

  “I feel fine. The cast is so much trouble, but not as much as this damned walker.” Nonna pushed petulantly at the chrome cage around her. “I am thoroughly tired of it.”

  Olivia appeared immediately at her side. “The doctor said another couple of weeks, and if there have been no complications from your concussion, you can ditch the walker.”

  “I know. I know. The sooner, the better. But I’ve complained enough.” Nonna patted Eli’s cheek. “Did you get a lot of kudos for your wines at the dinner?”

  “Pretty much.”

  Glowing with pride, Nonna looked around at her friends and relatives. “That’s my boy!”

  Brooke laughed. “There, Nonna—you sounded just like an Italian grandmother.”

  “And why shouldn’t she?” Brooke’s mom, Kathy Petersson, also stood with the help of a walker, but she was younger, so much younger than Nonna, in her fifties, Eli would guess. With her straight black hair, striking blue eyes, and curvaceous figure, she was an attractive woman. But she suffered from rheumatoid arthritis: It had taken the spring from her step, forced her from her position in the U.S. Air Force and into retirement in Bella Terra. But nothing tamed her fierce, fighting spirit. Now, with Brooke’s marriage to Eli’s brother Rafe, she had gone from Di Luca family friend to honored relative, and from the glow that lit her eyes, Eli suspected she hoped to be a grandmother herself soon.