Violet Addiction by Kirsty Dallas

daughter of Henry’s illegitimate son. At the tender age of twelve, she married Alfonso Piccolomini, Duke of Amalfi who left her widowed, the mother of two, and at the reign of an empire that was in financial ruin at the time. The poor woman fell into the arms of her butler, much to the disgrace of the dead husband’s brothers, so they did what any decent brothers-in-law would do; they imprisoned her in Torre dello Ziro. Here, she and her children starved to death, or if you believe more bloodthirsty accounts, they were slaughtered.
    “Why is history shrouded with such awful stories,” I sighed.
    “Times were different then, a beheading here and little torture there was quite acceptable. I guess we must be thankful we were born in less difficult times. Now our worries are consumed with crashed computers and lost mobile phones.” Peiro chuckled.
    “Hey, if I lost my cell phone, I’d be a shell of a woman,” I argued playfully.
    “I would like very much to see you again,” Peiro purred as he stopped at the door to my villa. Now he knew where I lived. I guess I was as good as done for. Harry would be so mad at the lack of safety for myself. “But, I will leave that up to you. If you wish to see me again, you can find me at the hotel down by the beach where we met, just ask for me at the front desk.” Peiro didn’t offer a kiss, not even a hug. “Sleep well, Tesoro,” he murmured before walking away.
    I pushed open the door to the quiet villa, and once inside, I quietly clicked the door shut and turned to lean against the cool wooden frame. Now that I was alone, I was able to allow my thoughts to quietly settle. Unfortunately, they settled into the familiar melancholy that seemed to sit like a heavy cloud on my shoulders. Being alone in this kind of silence reminded me all too well that Cain was gone, and that I was, in fact, alone. Peiro had a way of making me laugh and a roguish smile that made my heart flutter. Thoughts of Cain were few and far between while I had been in Peiro’s company. My own struggles over the past several months somehow seemed lighter, easier to accept, or perhaps easier to ignore; I wasn’t sure which. For some reason, finding friendship with Peiro also made me feel guilty. I felt like I was betraying Cain, but there was nothing to betray. My mind could easily rationalize that it was an absurd reaction, but my heart demanded my loyalty to the only man I had ever truly cared for. Then there was the underlying perception that a man like Peiro was far too good for a damaged girl like me. He was sophisticated; his designer clothing, careful grooming, and his sturdy confidence exuded wealth. He would never befriend an ex-junkie who had accidentally almost offed herself. The ringing of my cell phone sitting on the kitchen table broke my tumultuous thoughts.
    “Damn it, Violet, I’ve been trying to call you all day,” snapped Harry.
    “I’m on vacation, Harry, leave me alone.” I sighed as I collapsed into the leather sofa.
    “Well, I had to go through someone telling me how you had died several months ago; that kind of shock never leaves a person.” I immediately felt bad for having worried him. “I just wanted to let you know the villa is available for another four weeks now. My sister decided to take the kids to Disneyland instead. Why the fuck she would want to punish herself, I do not know, but, whatever. If you want to stay a little longer, you are more than welcome.”
    I had already been in Atrani for three weeks, and I was supposed to be leaving two weeks from tomorrow. I opened my mouth to say I’d keep my current flight and see Harry in two weeks, but something made the words halt. A thought of Peiro flashed through my mind, and the idea of leaving so soon actually made me a little sad. I had only just met him. He meant nothing to me, we barely constituted a friendship, but I thought I might have wanted one with him.
    “A little more time would be wonderful, thank you,”