The Giuoco Piano

Chapter 17 - Degas e Disastro

***Trigger Warning***

This chapter deals in themes of physical assault and attempted sexual assault.  If those are an issue for you then please don't read this chapter.  You should be able to pick up the threads of what happens in the following chapter.  Alternatively, send me a message and I will give you a quick precis of what happens in this portion of the story.

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The following morning, in order to make Marlena's question to the hotel receptionist seem reasonably legitimate, and to kill some time and act as normally as they can, given the circumstances, Marlena and Roman play tourist and make a visit to the San Marco Basilica.

Marlena does her best to dress as unobtrusively as possible and hides behind an oversized pair of sunglasses as much as she can. The last thing she needs to do is alert Moretti or any of his associates to her presence in Venice.

She has told Roman as much as she dares of what the plan is for tonight and as much as she thinks he can handle of her previous confrontation with Moretti. In their conversation she had downplayed the graphic threats he had made as she knows prior to their rediscovery of each other yesterday she would have chosen not to tell him. And she doesn't want what will be an expression of genuine fear for her safety trigger a reaction in him that will be read correctly by Stefano.

No, it's best that Roman doesn't know exactly how unhinged Moretti is liable to become. With good management and a bit of luck, they can get in and out of Moretti's apartments without detection and be out of Italy before he even has an inkling that anything is amiss. The best-case scenario is that he will never know that anyone has taken back what is DiMera's.

When they return to the hotel from their morning's expedition, Marlena is greeted by the hotel concierge with an envelope, and informed that several packages have been delivered to their room.

Marlena opens the envelope as they ride the elevator up to their suite and pulls out a letter that is written in a distinctive hand. Stefano's handwriting.

Roman starts to say something but she shakes her head and then scans the letter.

Mia cara,

I trust Mikhail reminded you of our deal. I am concerned you might have forgotten our agreement already. Keep your distance from John Black. You understand the consequences if you fail in this one undertaking.

Be careful tonight. I don't need to tell you Moretti is dangerous.

I look forward to seeing you in your ball gown, my Queen. I am sure you will not disappoint.

Stefano

She folds the letter up and slips it inside her bag. Roman looks at her, but she bites her lips and shakes her head. Not here. She's not sure he should read it at all.

They exit the elevator car in silence and Roman follows her to the door of the suite. Once they are safely inside, she makes her way to the writing desk.

"I need a drink," she says cursorily. "Make mine a martini."

"Should you be drinking?" Roman asks, his voice brittle. If she didn't know this was an act, she might have been hurt by the coldness in his tone. "You need your wits about you tonight."

"Please don't tell me what I need," she takes a sheet of paper and scribbles a note on it. "Just pour me the damn drink, Roman."

He says nothing but does as she asks and mixes her a martini. He leaves it at the bar as he moves across to the space she has vacated and glances at her messy scrawl.