T A Chase Revealing the Past

EVEALING

AST

…A scraping sound interrupted their conversation. Geoff frowned

and started to set Enzio aside. The Italian clung to him.

“Don’t go out there,” Enzio whispered, tremors shaking his cold

hands.

“Someone might be here,” he whispered.
Enzio shook his head. “No one comes here. Only crazy Americani

who have something to prove.”

“Listen, I’m not one of those paranormal hunters looking to prove

or disprove the existence of ghosts, but I’m also not someone who
cowers at strange noises.”

Geoff reached out to grab the zipper for the tent. Enzio tackled and

pinned him, pressing Geoff’s body to the ground with his own.

“What are you doing?”
He barely managed to ask the question before Enzio covered his

lips and kissed him. The first sweep of Enzio’s tongue into his mouth
halted any protest Geoff might have made.

Hell, what man in his right mind would choose chasing after

strange noises over making out, and possibly fucking a hot sexy Italian
stud? Of course, no one ever claimed Geoff was in his right mind, but
he wasn’t stupid either. He’d take Enzio any day of the week.

With a gentle heave, he reversed their positions, and Enzio’s thighs

fell open to accommodate Geoff’s body. He rocked their groins
together and the hard length of Enzio’s cock drew a low moan from
Geoff.

A thud hit the side of the tent like someone, or something, had

thrown a rock at it. Geoff paused, but Enzio palmed Geoff’s ass and
squeezed, massaging his firm muscles with single-minded purpose…

LSO

T. A. C

HASE

Allergies

Bastet

Be The Air For You

Bitter Creek’s Redemption

Duncan’s World

Freaks In Love

Nick Of Time

Nowhere Diner: Finding Love

Soothe The Burn

REVEALING

THE PAST

T. A. CHASE

MBER

UILL

RESS

, LLC

http://www.AmberQuill.com

EVEALING

AST

MBER

UILL

RESS

OOK

This book is a work of fiction.

All names, characters, locations, and incidents are products of the

author’s imagination, or have been used fictitiously.

Any resemblance to actual persons living or dead, locales,

or events is entirely coincidental.

Amber Quill Press, LLC

http://www.AmberQuill.com

No portion of this book may be transmitted or

reproduced in any form, or by any means, without permission in

writing from the publisher, with the exception of brief

excerpts used for the purposes of review.

ISBN 978-1-60272-718-2

Layout and Formatting provided by: Elemental Alchemy

PUBLISHED IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

Thank you to all the authors in the PAX, and all

the readers who always encourage me.

REVEALING THE PAST

PROLOGUE

Night settled on the island and all the world seemed to hush.

Not even a breeze blew to ruffle the leaves of the trees scattered
around the grounds.

It had been years since anyone visited. The island’s reputation

created fear in the hearts of locals and inspired curiosity in people
crazy enough to tempt fate. Poveglia Island held horrors from
centuries of lives lost, whether from disease or murder. Restless
spirits haunted the ruins of the hospital, and vague screams drifted
across the field where plague victims were burned.

Moonlight slipped from behind the clouds and highlighted the

tallest structure on the island. A bell tower in disrepair, yet solid in
the dark sky. A shadow stood in one of the openings, and if one
stared at it long enough, features appeared.

REVEALING THE PAST

A young woman—long dark hair, porcelain skin, and blank

eyes—stood at the edge of the stone parapet, clutching desperately
to the rock, yet leaning forward as if she yearned to throw herself
from the ground. Maybe she wished to learn how to fly.

He stood at the bottom of the tower, horror gripping his throat

tightly, not allowing him to scream or beg her not to. God, he’d
seen this event repeat over and over in his dreams and it never
changed.

She fell from the heights, like a ragdoll dropped by a careless

child. He threw his arms out, hoping this time he’d catch her, but it
wasn’t meant to be. A bone-crushing thud echoed in his ears, and
he sank to his knees, tearing at his hair.

“Not again.” He moaned. “Not again.”
A cold hand touched his shoulder, and he whirled around. A

white apparition greeted his terrified gaze.

Dio mio!
They had found him and were coming to drag him into the pit

where she had disappeared. He slapped the spectral hand from his
shoulder, struggling to gain his feet, but something held him down.

As the spirit leaned close, he heard it whisper, “Sonno, il mio

bambino, sonno.”

Fighting with every atom of his body, he tried to stay awake,

tried to stay lucid. Anything to keep from slipping into the
darkness and letting the spirits steal him away like they did her.
His eyes closed and cold fingers stroked across his brow.

“Buon. Le cose sembreranno migliori di mattina.”
Nothing would ever be the same. The morning wouldn’t make

things better. His heart knew it and his soul understood.

REVEALING THE PAST

CHAPTER 1

The bustle of Venice caught Geoff’s attention as he wandered

the streets. He probably should have grabbed a gondola to take him
to the café where he was meeting his guide, but Geoff liked
mingling with the crowds and getting to know a city by its people.

So far, the Venetians seemed like most big city people: busy

with their lives and uninterested in the stranger amongst them. Not
to say any of them were rude or anything like that. They just had
other things to worry about in their lives.

He glanced down at the map in his hand and spied the street he

wanted. After tucking the paper in his backpack, he strolled down
the sidewalk, excitement building with each step. Italy. The
birthplace of Leonardo da Vinci and Michelangelo. Where Galileo
studied the universe. God, Geoff had wanted to visit forever, but he

REVEALING THE PAST

was on official university business. Someday, though, he would
come back to be a tourist and spend days wandering the canals of
Venice and the streets of Rome.

As he approached the café, he spotted a man sitting alone at

one of the outdoor tables. His shoulder-length hair hung loose
around his face, framing a visage as elegant and classical as
Michelangelo’s David. Dark sunglasses hid his eyes from view,
but a slight frown turned down the corners of the man’s lips as he
glanced at his watch.

Geoff turned away to stare at the canal next to the café before

the man noticed him staring. The Italian men he’d met seemed
confident enough not to mind being checked out by another guy,
but he wasn’t going to risk it. Reaching down, he discreetly
adjusted his erection, trying to give it some more breathing room in
his pants. That slightly bored, slightly annoyed air the man wore
turned Geoff on. He wanted to figure out how to make the man
smile or moan, for that matter.

Waiting for someone, but who? Was he waiting for his wife

while she shopped some of the small stores along the street?
Maybe a lover he would sweep off her feet to a clandestine romp in
one of the hotels a few streets over?

Geoff laughed silently. He was always good at making shit up.

Maybe that’s why he took to archaeology so fast. In a certain way,
it was very much like creating a story out of the pieces of artifacts
he dug up. Yet he tried to stick as close to the truth as possible
while writing up reports on his dig sites.

Maybe the man waited for a male lover to sweep him off his

feet. There was nothing wrong in fantasizing about being the man
the Italian waited for.

“Professore Dupuis?”

REVEALING THE PAST

A deep voice holding barely an accent caught his attention and

he looked up from the canal he’d been staring at while weaving his
story. Oh, God, a real live David stood before him, a smirk on his
face. The man he’d been fantasizing about from the café.

“Yes. You’re my guide?”
“Sì. Doctor Enzio di Salvatore.”
Enzio didn’t offer his hand, and Geoff got the uncomfortable

feeling the man wasn’t happy at all about this whole assignment.

“Nice to meet you, Doctor. I’m grateful you’re willing to take

time out of your schedule to be my guide.” Geoff slapped the taller
man’s shoulder and grinned up at him. “I need to grab some
espresso, then we can head out.”

“Being willing has nothing to do with this. If I don’t want to

lose my teaching position at the university, I must do this
extremely stupid thing.”

“Dude, you’re a history professor, aren’t you?”
Enzio nodded.
“Then how can looking for evidence about an encampment on

Poveglia from 412 CE, be a stupid thing? I would think you’d
jump at the chance to do this. Help flesh out some of your facts.”

He headed into the café, not wanting to hear Enzio complain

about going out to the island. After ordering his espresso and
paying the barista behind the counter, he slung his pack over his
shoulder and went back outside. Enzio stood, arms folded over his
chest, seemingly studying a gondola as it floated past.

“I have so got to ride one of those things before I head home.”
“How soon will that be?”
Geoff shot an amused grin over at the man standing next to

him. “I just flew in yesterday, so it’ll be at least a week, if not two,
before I head back out.”

REVEALING THE PAST

“How did you manage to…” Enzio waved his hand, like he

tried to figure out the right word to use. “Talk your way onto the
island without being here before?”

Geoff dropped into a seat at a table, not willing to head out

quite yet. Soaking up some of the atmosphere that was Venice hit
him as a better plan, plus getting to stare at Enzio for a while was
an unexpected bonus.

“The dean of my department went to bat for me and arranged a

permit to do some shovel tests on the island. I want to see if I can
find any likely spots where a dig would be productive.” He
gestured to the other chair. “Take a seat. Our boat isn’t going to
sail without us.”

“We should leave,” Enzio protested, but sat.
Geoff leaned back in his chair and stared at him. “So, you

married?”

Enzio frowned. “What does that have to do with anything?”
“Just making conversation, man.” He sipped his espresso and

blinked innocently as Enzio eyed him.

“No. I have never been married.”
Excitement shot through him. “Got a girlfriend? Boyfriend?”
Okay, so that was probably way nosier than he should be.
All of a sudden, Enzio relaxed, a genuine smile on his chiseled

face. “I think I know where this is going.”

Great. He hadn’t been subtle at all. Rolling his eyes, Geoff

ducked his head. He almost jumped out of his chair when Enzio’s
foot bumped his.

“You’re wondering if I like men.”
“I wouldn’t have come right out and asked you. I can be more

polite than that, but yeah, I wondered.”

Heat flooded his cheeks when Enzio leaned across the table and

REVEALING THE PAST

brushed a kiss over Geoff’s cheek.

“Sì. I do love men, especially blond, brash Americano men.”
Suddenly Geoff’s two-week work trip heated up and he could

imagine rolling around his hotel bed with Enzio, sweating and
fucking. His cock ached and he swore under his breath. Enzio
chuckled and sat back, not trying to hide the bulge in his jeans.

After finishing the rest of his drink, Geoff pushed to his feet.
“Maybe we can continue this conversation over dinner tonight?

We really do need to get to Poveglia.”

It was like Geoff had shot Enzio. The Italian stiffened and a

blank expression slid over his face, replacing the warm, lusty look
Geoff had hoped to see all day.

“Let’s get this over with then.”
After getting to his feet, Enzio stalked away, leaving Geoff

scrambling to catch up.

“Did I say something wrong? Is it the island or the fact I want

to dig there that’s pissing you off?”

Enzio snorted, but stayed silent as they pushed their way

through the crowded streets on their way to the harbor.

“Hey, what’s it like around here during Carnival? I bet it’s

wild. I’d give anything to experience it.”

“Nothing except drunk tourists fondling each other in the

dark,” Enzio muttered.

“Oh, come on, it can’t be all that bad. I bet the masks and

costumes can get crazy.”

“I don’t know. I haven’t attended Carnevale in years.”
“Really? Why not? I’d think it would be the place to be before

Lent hits.”

“Our boat is right there. I’m surprised the city council found

someone who would take you over to the island. Most locals stay

REVEALING THE PAST

far away from Poveglia.”

Geoff winked. “Guess money talks, even in Italian.”
The Italian rolled his eyes and climbed aboard the small skiff.

Geoff had dropped off his digging equipment earlier before he
went looking for his assistant or whatever the hell Enzio was. He
double-checked his gear and gave the boat’s captain, Marco, the
thumbs-up.

They pulled out of the boat slip and starting chugging down the

marina’s causeway leading to the lake where Poveglia sat, like an
aging grand-dame slipping into decay from neglect and fear.
Acting as if he wasn’t paying any attention, Geoff kept an eye on
Enzio. The tension built in the man’s body until he had to be strung
tighter than a barbed wire fence. Geoff wondered what it would
take to make the man snap.

When he did, would he scream and rage, or would he be cold

and controlled? Could Geoff tempt him enough for the man to
overcome his seeming annoyance about going to the island?

“Your boss demand that you come with me?” he asked over the

breeze blowing around them.

Enzio glared at him, or Geoff assumed the man did, since he

hadn’t removed his sunglasses yet.

“Sì, he did, bastardo. He knows how I feel about this whole

situation, yet I think he sent me to pay me back.”

“Pay you back for what?” Geoff leaned against the rail of the

boat, enjoying the air and movement of the boat cutting through
water. He’d always loved being on the water, though he wasn’t
much of a fisherman. Just floating around, going where the whims
of the current took him, was what he loved best. He closed his eyes
and lifted his face to the weak morning sun.

“Dr. Panteria has always been jealous of my success. This is

REVEALING THE PAST

his way of exerting his superior position over me.”

“Over you?”
Geoff coughed as his mind imagined another superior position

he’d like to take with Enzio. His cheeks heated and he shifted as
his cock hardened again. Shit. He really needed to get control of
that. Enzio wouldn’t mind if he saw Geoff’s arousal, but it wasn’t
going to help his investigation to wander around being distracted
by Enzio.

“Sì. He claims I got my position at the university because of

my family ties. Also, that my personal past deems me unfit for
teaching students.” Enzio scowled.

Should he ask about that? He pursed his lips and decided they

didn’t know each other well enough for Enzio to be telling him his
personal history, or at least whatever history made the dean of
history at the university think Enzio was unfit for teaching.

“Well, that sucks, man. I hate when the boss thinks he’s got the

right to mess with you.”

Enzio gave a very Italian shrug, whether in agreement or not,

Geoff didn’t know. Sighing, Enzio adjusted his glasses and
glanced at him.

“What are we doing on Poveglia?”
The tone of the man’s voice actually said why the hell were

they going to the island in the first place. Geoff ignored the sub-
conscious question.

“Your boss really does seem like a dick, especially if he didn’t

tell you what I’m doing.”

“To be honest, the moment he said we were going to Poveglia,

I tuned him out.”

Again, Geoff avoided asking the question.
“You do realize that finding any local people to help with the

REVEALING THE PAST

dig will be impossible? No one wants to come to the island. The
legends and rumors are enough to scare them away.”

“I’ll bring over some American students with me. They’ll love

being in Venice and the whole ‘ghost’ story aspect. We Americans
are suckers for a good scary story.”

Enzio shook his head and his disapproval rolled off him like

sweat. Geoff didn’t understand the Italian’s reluctance, but he
didn’t let it dampen his enthusiasm. He was used to being the only
one excited about something. He eased closer to Enzio, tempted to
rest his hand on the man’s shoulder.

“There are other things at work on the island,” the captain of

the boat spoke up, his voice hushed as he stared at the approaching
island.

Geoff rolled his eyes at Enzio before looking over at the other

man. “Are you talking about ghosts?”

Marco nodded. “Bad things happened on that island and the

fantasmi are angry. They cry for revenge.”

Enzio’s shoulders tensed, and Geoff could tell that Marco’s talk

made Enzio uncomfortable.

“Whatever. We’ll be fine. It’s not dark out, so the spirits won’t

be walking about. We’ll get off the island before night fall and no
one will be bothered by them.”

He wanted to reach out and offer comfort to Enzio, but

everything about the man said “don’t touch.” So he settled for
letting the rocking of the boat bump him into Enzio. He took a
deep breath and almost gasped as Enzio’s dark, musky scent filled
his nose. Holy shit! The man smelled amazing. What would he
taste like?

Surprise rippled through him when Enzio didn’t move away.

The man actually seemed to lean into him. That was encouraging,

REVEALING THE PAST

though it didn’t mean anything. Silence fell around them while
they watched the forbidding island grow bigger as they got closer.

REVEALING THE PAST

CHAPTER 2

They unloaded all of Geoff’s equipment after they docked, and

he chuckled as Marco barely let them get off the boat before he
pulled away and headed back to the mainland.

“Guess Marco believes all those legends,” he muttered.
Enzio didn’t comment, just picked up one of Geoff’s packs and

headed off. “We’ll go to the other side of the island. I doubt the
settlement would have been around here.”

Geoff swept up his other stuff and followed, glancing around

eagerly. The buildings straight ahead were crumbling and
overgrown. The metal fence around them rusted and falling down
in spots. There were abandoned scaffoldings and buckets, like
someone had been working on restoring the building and just
walked away. An odd chill swept over his body and he shivered.

REVEALING THE PAST

“Did anyone ever try to fix this place up?”
“At one time, but as you can see, the workers left before

completing any significant amount.” Enzio pushed past the brush
hanging over the path.

“I suppose they got scared, huh?”
“They said that they heard and saw things, even during the day.

Sometimes when dark and evil things happen, the fantasmi don’t
need night time to voice their displeasure.”

“The workers in Egypt would get spooked while we were

digging at certain sites,” Geoff mentioned. “Those with vivid
imaginations can let them run wild.”

Enzio shot him a look over his shoulder. “You don’t believe in

the spirit world?”

Geoff shrugged. “I admit I’ve seen and felt things that I

couldn’t really explain, but I never really believed they were
supernatural. For the most part, anything can be explained, if you
take the time to figure it out.”

“I pray you never have to spend the night on this island. You’d

learn the error of your thinking rapidamente.” Enzio gestured
ahead of him. “We are here.”

They walked over a bridge into a wide clearing. Geoff looked

around, not certain the spot was the best place to dig, but he was
willing to give it a shot. It wasn’t like they didn’t have all day to
search the island. He might be able to wrangle another day out here
if he needed it.

As he dug, he could feel the weight of someone’s gaze rest on

him. When he looked around, Enzio was at the other end of the
field, his back to him, studying something. There wasn’t supposed
to be anyone else on the island. As Enzio had said, the locals
avoided the place like it still held plague victims. Shaking his head,

REVEALING THE PAST

he laughed silently. It was just that active imagination of his
working.

Enzio wasn’t much help, but then Geoff never thought he

would be. A professor of history didn’t always make a good
archaeologist. It was nice having another person out there with
him, though. Enzio didn’t talk much, just wandered around,
muttering to himself mostly. Yet, having another living, breathing
person helped keep Geoff’s own wild imagination in check. He
could explain away the odd noise or two as Enzio’s muttering or
footsteps as he approached.

“Why is the soil so ashy around here? I wouldn’t think it

should be.”

He shoveled up some more dirt and slipped it into one of the

bags. He would take them back to his borrowed lab at the
university and see if he found anything.

“Some historians say that this clearing is where they buried or

burned the plague victims brought to the island. They were tossed
into pits.” Enzio looked off into the distance. “Some weren’t even
dead yet when they did it.”

It was gruesome, but Geoff knew of several epidemics where

things like that happened and maybe spirits haunted those places as
well.

“I think the settlement would be more likely to have been on

the banks of the island, not here.”

Enzio wrapped his arms around his waist, intriguing Geoff with

such a vulnerable pose. “If you go near the bell tower or the
buildings, I’ll wait by the dock for you.”

From all the biting Geoff did, he’d permanently injure his

tongue by the time they got off the island. God, his curiosity ran
wild. He wanted to know what happened to Enzio that this island

REVEALING THE PAST

would freak out such an intelligent man.

The silence crept along, until only the sound of the water

hitting the shore of the island and the faint noise of boat motors
drifted by on passing breezes. No birds sang in the brush or
perched on the buildings. It was as if even the animals avoided this
place. Geoff kept digging, not wanting to waste the opportunity.
He didn’t know if the government would even let him do any
official digging on the island.

The day slipped by quickly and at some point, Enzio got over

whatever was bothering him and started helping Geoff with his
shovel tests. However, Geoff was sure Enzio’s helpfulness
stemmed more from the man’s urge to get off Poveglia as quickly
as possible before night fell.

“We should pack up and head back to the dock. Marco will be

here soon to pick us up.” Enzio checked his watch.

Geoff huffed in annoyance, but knew he couldn’t convince

Enzio to stay any later. Something told him the man would avoid
spending any time in the dark on the island. Enzio practically raced
in the direction of the docks, with Geoff trailing behind, barely
keeping up.

They reached the other side of the island where the hospital

stood and Geoff dropped his set of bags before bending and
dragging in air.

“We’re not running a race, you know. Marco’s not supposed to

be here for a few more minutes.”

The slap of the waves hitting the dock filled the air, but that

was the only sound aside from the occasional disgruntled snort
from Geoff’s companion. Enzio checked his watch, pacing along
the dock as the sun sank lower.

“This was a crazy idea. I can’t believe the city council is

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allowing you to dig on the island.”

Geoff turned to his reluctant assistant and hid his smile as the

man continued to mumble.

“There’s nothing on Poveglia Island except ash and fantasmi .

Nothing good lives here. Only evil and despair.”

“You’re so dramatic, Doctor. Are you trying to scare me?”

Geoff bumped his shoulder against Enzio. “We’ve been here all
day and nothing bad has happened to us.”

“It isn’t the daytime that scares me. Where is he?” Enzio glared

over the canal, searching for the boat coming to take them off the
island.

“I’m not sure. He should’ve been here by now.” Geoff dug

through one of his bags and found the radio. Turning it on, he
waited until he got static before pushing the button. “Hey, Marco,
where the hell are you, man?”

Static followed his entreaty, then he heard Marco’s voice.
“…boat won’t start…can’t get out to pick you up.

You’ll…spend the night.”

“Oh, no. Dell’inferno.” Enzio jumped to his feet, waving his

hands around. “I will swim back to Venezia before I spend the
night here.”

Geoff shook his head and brought the radio back to his lips.

“Isn’t there another boat that can come and get us?”

“Negative, signore. No one…near the island at night.”
Enzio jerked the radio out of Geoff’s hands and started

screaming into it. “You get your ass out here, voi bastardo. I won’t
spend one more minute on this island.”

Geoff stepped back as Enzio continued yelling.
“Hire another boat to come and get us, Marco. Sciocco

incompetente. Se gli fantasmi lo ottengono, la mia anima verrà

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frequentarla fino a che non moriate e vi decomporre nella terra.”

“You may threaten to haunt me all you want, Signore di

Salvatore, but it won’t change the fact the boat won’t start.”
Marco’s voice came through much clearer this time.

“Well, that sucks.” Geoff took the radio from Enzio, who let it

slip from his grasp.

“Sorry, signore. I’m working on fixing it. Someone will pick

you up tomorrow morning.”

Before Geoff could protest or say anything, the radio went

dead. He shook it, but couldn’t get a signal or anything from it. He
glanced up at the setting sun and the approaching night took on an
oppressive feel to it. He’d never had this amount of reluctance to
spend the night in an abandoned area before, but the reactions he’d
gotten from the locals about the island seemed to have sunk into
his subconscious.

“Nothing to do but find a good place to set up our tent and get

ready for a chilly night.”

Enzio stared at him. “You Americani are so brash and foolish.

You rush in where not even God himself would go.” He gestured
with his hands, using a hand sign Geoff was pretty sure was
obscene.

As silly as Geoff thought Enzio’s dire words were, a chill

swept down his spine at them. Whether the legends of Poveglia
were true or not, there seemed to be a presence to the island. It was
something he’d felt when they arrived earlier that morning to do
shovel tests.

“It’s only for a night,” he pointed out, grabbing two bags.
The Italian professor shot him an incredulous look. “It is bad

enough we had to come here at all, but we tempt fate by treading
on this place after sundown.”

REVEALING THE PAST

Geoff made sure his back to Enzio before rolling his eyes.

Tonight was going to be a barrel of laughs.

“You’re a man of intelligence, Dr. di Salvatore. I wouldn’t

think you could be swayed by rumors and superstitions created
from misinformation.”

Not bothering to wait for a reply, he headed away from the

water in the direction of the old hospital. Some of the old
structures still stood and he hoped to use them as shelter for their
camp.

When he didn’t hear footsteps behind him, he turned to see

Enzio staring transfixed upward. Spinning slowly, he followed
Enzio’s line of sight and saw the top of what he assumed was the
bell tower. He peered intently up, trying to figure out what Enzio
stared at.

A black shadow moved in the opening between the parapets.
He frowned, knowing no one else was supposed to be on the

island. The shape moved again, and Enzio gasped. Glancing over
his shoulder, Geoff saw Enzio reach out as if to stop someone.

“No,” the man whispered.
A faint sound caressed Geoff’s ears and he looked back at the

tower. Nothing. Even the shadow was gone.

“What was that noise?”
Enzio wouldn’t meet his gaze as he brushed past. “Noise can

carry a great distance over water.”

Geoff nodded as he followed Enzio farther into the brush

surrounding the buildings. The soft scream he’d heard was more
than likely from someone on one of the boats traveling on the
canals or a bird. The shadow he saw was probably the same bird.
He ignored the small voice in the back of his mind that pointed out
there weren’t many birds on Poveglia and most of them seemed to

REVEALING THE PAST

avoid the tower. Poveglia seemed devoid of anything living except
Enzio and him.

Enzio set some of the bags down inside the first building they

came to that had some kind of roof and four walls.

“I want to go a little farther in,” Geoff commented.
“You may do so, but I’ll stay here.” Enzio crouched, starting to

unpack his stuff.

Geoff set his equipment down and folded his arms over his

chest. “You know, I thought Italian men prided themselves on
being all macho and shit. You’ve done nothing but whine since
we’ve gotten on this island. Who’d have thought you’d be scared
of a rundown building and some silly legends?”

Enzio was on his feet and moving before Geoff’s mind

registered the man stood. Long elegant fingers pinned him against
the wall as he stared into Enzio’s burning hazel eyes.

“I’m no coward. I’m simply an intelligent man who knows

there are more things in the world than humans perceive. You
shouldn’t mock things you don’t understand, il mio amico.
Disrespect has a way of backfiring on a person.” Enzio snarled.

Geoff struggled to free himself. Fear mingled with lust at the

way he felt helpless while being held captive by Enzio. He bit his
lip, hoping like hell that Enzio didn’t look down and spot Geoff’s
erection pressed hard against his zipper.

“S-sorry,” he forced out.
As Enzio blinked, all the anger drained from his eyes. He

removed his hand from Geoff’s chest like it was on fire, stepping
back with an expression of desire flaring in his gaze, before being
replaced by a worried look.

“I’m sorry, Professore DuPuis. I shouldn’t have laid my hands

on you.” Enzio inched farther back.

REVEALING THE PAST

Rubbing his bruised flesh, Geoff studied the slender Italian in

front of him. Enzio was thin, almost to the point of being gaunt, yet
muscular in a marathon runner way. His hazel eyes were deep set
and framed by thick lashes. Enzio’s thin lips drew in at the corners
like he was trying to keep from talking.

“If you hate this place so much, why are you here? I’m sure if

you told the dean how you felt, he would’ve found someone else to
escort me.”

Geoff knelt and pulled out the tent he always carried with his

equipment. Never knew when he’d be stranded somewhere or
when a rainstorm would appear. They worked in silence for a
while and he figured Enzio wasn’t going to answer him.

“We’ll have to share my tent.”
“I want to keep my job, and the dean would have fired me if I

refused.” Enzio’s voice drifted over to Geoff, breaking the heavy
quiet. There was no protest about sharing.

“That’s a bit extreme.” Geoff shoved his sleeping bag inside

the tent before piling his equipment against the wall, out of the
way. “He really couldn’t fire you, could he?”

“I don’t have tenure, and the dean hates me. I have the prestige

and acclaim he wishes he had.” Enzio unpacked a lantern and set it
up in front of the tent.

“I’m going to look around some of the other buildings.” Geoff

stood, waiting for Enzio to argue with him.

“Keep track of where you are. I won’t come to find you if you

get lost.”

Enzio settled on a blanket Geoff tossed him and tugged out a

book Geoff had forgotten was in with the equipment.

“Looks like you’re in for the night.” Geoff picked up his

flashlight and headed toward the empty doorway leading into an

REVEALING THE PAST

equally empty corridor.

“Why not just stay put, Professore DuPuis? There’s nothing

here you would find interesting.” Enzio flashed him a flirtatious
grin. “I’m sure we could come up with a better diversion than you
wandering around a ramshackle building.”

He grinned and shrugged. “Can’t help it. I’ve always wanted to

visit this place. Not just for the historical value it holds, but also to
see if it’s as scary as everyone believes it is.”

Enzio closed his book, leaving a finger to mark his page. “This

place isn’t some amusement park where you go into the house of
horrors for five minutes to be scared by fake mummies and
vampires. They should erect a sign at the dock that says, ‘All hope
abandon ye who enter here.’”

“A Dante reference. Very impressive, Doctor.” Geoff chuckled.

“Don’t worry. I won’t come screaming for you to save me.”

Turning, he chose a direction to head in and strolled off,

humming under his breath.

“Professore.”
A strange tone in Enzio’s voice froze Geoff where he stood. He

twisted at the waist to meet the other man’s gaze. Enzio’s worried
eyes stared at him.

“Be careful. There are things in the shadows you should fear.”
The fear hidden deep in Enzio’s eyes drew a shudder from

Geoff.

“Thanks for the advice.” Nodding, he looked away and moved

out.

REVEALING THE PAST

CHAPTER 3

Geoff’s footsteps barely disturbed the eerie stillness of the

rooms he investigated. Dirt and dust covered the floors while
plaster flaked from the walls.

“I can see why people would find this place depressing,” he

mumbled as he picked his way through the debris.

“Ciao.”
He jerked as someone shouted from one of the rooms farther

down the hall he’d been wandering. A room he hadn’t gotten to
yet.

“Hello! Is someone there?” he called.
The darkness in front of him thickened and sucked all light into

it. As he stared, it roiled and seethed like it breathed.

“Anyone down there?”

REVEALING THE PAST

“Sì.”
The hiss startled him enough that he fumbled with his flashlight

and managed to barely hang on to it.

“What the fuck?” he muttered, not looking away from the

blackness.

The mass slipped closer and closer, devouring the faint rays of

light in its path. The hair at the nape of Geoff’s neck stood up and
goose bumps covered his body.

It was a relatively warm night, yet each of Geoff’s breaths

emerged as visible vapor. What the hell was going on?

Noises came from the rooms on either side of the hallway.

Sounds that if he let his imagination take off, he’d think were
screams or moans. He shivered as the cloud crept toward him and
hints of footsteps drifted by him.

Just as his courage considered breaking and his knees

threatened to buckle, a hand landed on his shoulder, driving a yell
from him. Geoff whirled, knocking the hand from his shoulder
with the flashlight in his grip.

Enzio eyed him for a moment before gazing behind Geoff

down the corridor. “What’s wrong with you?”

“Nothing.” He collapsed against the wall closest to him, trying

to calm his pulse and control his breathing.

“It doesn’t seem like nothing. You look scared.” Enzio reached

out and cupped Geoff’s face. “Maybe you should come back with
me to our camp. I told you this place is not meant to be wandered
around.”

Enzio’s hands trembled slightly and they were cold where they

rested against Geoff’s skin. Even though he acted rather
nonchalant about the whole thing, Geoff could tell Enzio was
worried. He reached up and ran his fingers through Enzio’s dark

REVEALING THE PAST

hair.

“I let my imagination get the best of me. It was probably just

some animals scavenging for food.”

Both of them conveniently chose not to mention that there

weren’t any animals on the island.

“I didn’t think you’d leave the comfort of your book and

blanket. You seemed content there.” Geoff shot a glance toward
the end of the corridor where the black mass originated. There was
nothing there. It looked like every other rundown or abandoned
place. The surrounding air grew warmer, and Geoff stopped
shivering.

“I’m sorry, but I admit, I started to worry that you might have

been hurt. You’ve been gone for an hour, Professore DuPuis.”

“Call me Geoff,” he muttered before shaking his head. “You’re

wrong. It’s only been ten minutes or so since I left you.”

“Check your watch. I’m not wrong.” Enzio stiffened like he

heard or saw something. “We should return to our tent. We don’t
want to be wandering around when true night falls.”

At that second, something slammed into Geoff’s leg. He

grabbed his thigh and flicked on the flashlight.

“Who the fuck threw that?”
The beam of light landed on a chunk of plaster resting next to

his foot. Looking up, he spotted Enzio studying him with fierce
concentration coupled with distress. Enzio balanced on the edge of
breaking down, and Geoff didn’t want the man to do it while they
were stuck on Poveglia.

“I didn’t throw it, Geoff,” Enzio mumbled, waving a shaking

hand back behind Geoff in the direction the plaster came from.

“Bullshit,” he muttered, pushing past Enzio back toward their

camp. “Probably just fell from the ceiling.”

REVEALING THE PAST

At times, he could ignore problems as well as the next

delusional person.

His gaze stayed forward, but he strained to ensure that Enzio

followed him. Only the sound of his own footsteps echoed around
him. When he couldn’t take it anymore, Geoff swung around, and
Enzio ran into him.

Arms encircled waists while they struggled to keep standing

upright. Geoff tried not to think about the way Enzio felt wrapped
in his embrace. He held his breath, not wanting Enzio’s earthy
male scent tempting him to bury his nose in the crook of Enzio’s
neck where shoulder and throat met.

His cock stirred, reasserting the fact that his body wanted to

fuck Enzio. Enzio whispered something, but so caught up in
controlling his desire, Geoff missed whatever his companion said.

“What?”
“Let go of me. Why did you stop?”
Dropping his arms, he took a step back. “I wasn’t sure you

were following me.”

Enzio snorted. “It’s not me you have to worry about wandering

off on this island. Too many other things call the darkness home.”

Rolling his eyes, Geoff strolled off, tired of the cryptic

warnings Enzio issued and his own over-active imagination.

He stepped through the archway and froze, staring at the

destruction of their camp. Enzio stalked past him, and Geoff
grabbed the man’s arm.

“Okay. What’s your deal? If you’re mad at me for dragging

your skinny ass over here, you should’ve said it. Trashing my stuff
is a little childish, don’t you think?”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” Enzio met his glare

with honest confusion.

REVEALING THE PAST

“Look, man.”
Geoff waved the light around, highlighting the fact his stuff

had been scattered and torn.

“Shit. Where am I going to sleep?” He wandered over to where

his tent lay in a pile. Luckily, it had only been knocked down, and
not destroyed. He couldn’t say the same for the radio. It lay
smashed against the wall.

Enzio blinked, shock widening his eyes, and Geoff glimpsed

the anxiety growing in them as well.

“I didn’t do this. Everything was fine when I left to find you.”
Geoff looked at him. “You’ve been an asshole to me since I

picked you up at the café. Why don’t you want to be here?”

Holding up his hand, he stopped Enzio from talking. “Don’t

bullshit me about the ghosts. I don’t believe in them and I think
your problems stem from something else.”

He dropped his flashlight and grabbed Enzio’s arms, shaking

the man briefly. “There aren’t any ghosts. They don’t exist and you
need to get a grip on whatever else is wrong in your head.
Throwing a tantrum and trashing my shit isn’t the way to do it.”

“Geoff, I didn’t touch your things. Giuro.”
Staring up into Enzio’s earnest gaze, Geoff had a twinge of

doubt at the man’s swearing he didn’t do it. Could he be telling the
truth? He let go of Enzio’s arms and stepped back, goose bumps
rising on his own skin as he took in how cold the air around them
was. Again, the feeling of someone else watching them hit him and
he glanced around, not liking how the shadows gathered in the
corners. Little noises drifted to his ears as if something moved just
beyond his vision.

“I’ll help you clean this up and put the tent back up.”
He watched the other man scurry around, piling the ruined

REVEALING THE PAST

items close to the wall. The only things not touched, besides
Enzio’s personal stuff, was Geoff’s equipment. Thank God for
that. He doubted the people he reported to would be thrilled to hear
some unknown person fucked his stuff up. Geoff growled silently,
but went to help Enzio. There wasn’t any way he was going to let a
non-existent being scare him.

They finished in silence and after taking care of business out in

the brush, they squeezed into Geoff’s tent, pulling the lantern in
last. It wasn’t meant for two men and ended up being a tight fit.
Geoff stayed dressed, except for his boots.

There was only the noise of their settling into their blankets. No

night sounds. Even while out in the deserts of Egypt, Geoff had
heard things, animals scampering around or bugs chirping. Yet on
the island, silence reigned as if predators waited for the best
moment to attack. Almost like the night held its breath, knowing
something would happen.

Geoff reached to turn off the lantern, but Enzio grabbed his

arm. “Leave it on.”

“But I can’t sleep with the light on.”
Enzio picked up the lantern and turned it down so only a soft

glow filled the tent. “Bueno?”

Geoff nodded. Peering up at the top of the tent, Geoff filled in

the silence. “I came to Poveglia to find evidence of the people who
fled to the island in 412 CE.”

“Why?”
Enzio’s question broke the wall they had built between them

while they cleaned up the mess.

“It’s important to me to find artifacts that will help us and other

generations to understand what they were like. We need to know
how they lived, what they did, and how we can learn from them.”

REVEALING THE PAST

Geoff laid his head on his arms while he talked. “It’s those people I
want to find out about. I don’t care who came after them or what
happened on this island since they disappeared.”

Rustling and a swelling of heat informed him Enzio had moved

closer. He longed to turn his head and kiss the man like Enzio had
done to him earlier, but he didn’t have the same amount of
confidence Enzio did. Hell, Geoff was a plain nerdy guy more
comfortable with the past than with living, breathing people.

“I admire your pursuit, Geoff. Not many would play the

council’s games to get access to this place.” Enzio rested his hand
on Geoff’s chest. “I wish we were someplace else because I find
that I would truly like to kiss you.”

Geoff’s breath caught in his throat when he wanted to beg for

Enzio’s touch. Something hit the side of the tent. A rock more than
likely, but whatever it was caused Enzio to inch away from Geoff
and turn from him.

Rolling over, he stared at the back of Enzio’s head. What was

the guy’s deal? Why trash Geoff’s stuff and act all creepy? What
did that accomplish? Geoff wasn’t going to run away. He’d fought
too hard to get permission to come to Poveglia and turning his
back on his chance wasn’t an option.

One would think a professor of history at the university would

want to learn more about the island’s past. Yet all Enzio wanted
was to get off the island, and Geoff didn’t think it had anything to
do with Enzio not wanting to know the history of Poveglia.
Something told Geoff the man had a deeper connection to the
island than he admitted.

Geoff fell asleep, mulling over the complications that were

Enzio di Salavtore.

REVEALING THE PAST

* * *

Strong arms encircled Geoff’s waist and he snuggled closer to

the smooth chest behind him. Lips nuzzled the soft spot behind his
ear, drawing a low moan from him.

“Roll on your back, inamorato,” a deep voice whispered in his

ear.

He complied, rolling on his back and spreading his legs to

accommodate the body pushing between them. Someone popped
open the button on his jeans and pulled down his zipper. His prick
sprang free and warm moistness enveloped Geoff’s cock, drawing
a groan from him. He ran his hand down to grip the head of
whoever was blowing him. When his hand encountered soft long
hair, his eyes popped open and he shot up straight, pushing at the
person who had his face buried in his lap.

Enzio pulled away a few inches and looked up at him. His thin

lips were wet and swollen.

“What the hell are you doing?” Geoff gaped at the other man.
Swiping the back of his hand over his mouth, Enzio frowned.

“I thought you’d like it.”

“Hell, I like a blow job as much as the next guy, but you hate

me.” He fought the urge to cover his erection, which hadn’t gone
away.

“I don’t hate you.” Enzio curled his legs under him and brushed

strands of hair off his face.

“You’re doing a great imitation of hating me. I mean all that

shit in the corridor and not talking to me until we got here.” He
nodded toward the front of the tent. “Plus fucking my stuff up.”

“I didn’t do any of that, Geoff. It was fine when I came to find

you.”

REVEALING THE PAST

“Yeah, right.”
Silence filled the air between them. He peered through the

darkness at Enzio who studied the floor of the tent. Something in
the droop of Enzio’s shoulders touched Geoff and he reached out
to tuck a lock of hair behind Enzio’s ear.

“Why does this place bother you so much?”
Enzio stiffened slightly, but he didn’t draw away. “When I was

twenty, my sister and I snuck over here to spend the night. We
scoffed at all the legends and dire warnings about Poveglia.”

“How old was your sister?”
Geoff trailed his hand down Enzio’s cheek over his shoulder to

grasp the man’s hand. Tugging gently, he encouraged Enzio to lie
down. With a sigh, Enzio settled next to him, resting his head on
Geoff’s chest.

“She was seventeen and beautiful. Already had men lined up to

date her.”

He noticed the past tense, but chose not to pursue it. The

smallness of the tent drew them together and broke down barriers
that had stood during the day.

“Was it as quiet that night as it is now?” he asked, running his

hand up and down Enzio’s back.

“It’s always silent on Poveglia. Nothing living has the courage

to settle here. Only the spirits claim the island.” Enzio shuddered
in Geoff’s arms as he spoke.

Questions raced through Geoff’s brain, but he couldn’t bring

himself to ask them.

“It was during Carnival and my sister, Isabella, thought it

would be fun to spend the night here, to see what spirits might be
around. I couldn’t let her go on her own, whether there were ghosts
or not. It wasn’t safe for anyone to be there.”

REVEALING THE PAST

“Any brother would have done the same,” he murmured,

running his fingers through Enzio’s hair, trying to soothe him.

“I’m a joke.” Enzio stiffened and started to roll away, but

Geoff tightened his embrace.

“What happened?”
Enzio’s breathing hitched and again Geoff wondered if Enzio

would answer him.

“We had set up a base camp farther inside the buildings.

Isabella wanted to explore, and I admit, I thought it would be fun
to see if we could experience anything that was said to happen
here.”

He paused, and Geoff gripped the man closer, letting him know

someone was there for him.

“We started hearing footsteps and voices. Objects moved or

tossed at us. Something pushed Isabella violently to her knees. We
decided it was too dangerous inside, so we went out to wander the
grounds. After crossing a bridge, we came upon a field. It was one
where plague victims were burned and buried. Some were even
alive when the others left them here.”

Geoff couldn’t stop the shivers wracking his body. Being a

victim of the Black Death hadn’t been fun, but how horrific to
suffer that fate.

“It wasn’t any better. There were faint screams and

unexplained sounds. Again, something attacked Isabella with more
violence this time, and I begged her to let me radio for a boat. Our
friend who dropped us off said he’d come get us if we wanted to
leave.”

“Good friend. I was told no one would come to the island at

night, unless was life or death.”

“I think he was in love with Isabella and would have done

REVEALING THE PAST

anything for her, like all of us who knew her.”

Enzio’s silence this time seemed full of good memories.
“If she looked anything like you, I bet she was stunning.”
An embarrassed-sounding chuckle escaped Enzio’s lips.

“Thank you. Many people said we looked like twins.”

A scraping sound interrupted their conversation. Geoff frowned

and started to set Enzio aside. The Italian clung to him.

“Don’t go out there,” Enzio whispered, tremors shaking his

cold hands.

“Someone might be here,” he whispered.
Enzio shook his head. “No one comes here. Only crazy

Americani who have something to prove.”

“Listen, I’m not one of those paranormal hunters looking to

prove or disprove the existence of ghosts, but I’m also not
someone who cowers at strange noises.”

Geoff reached out to grab the zipper for the tent. Enzio tackled

and pinned him, pressing Geoff’s body to the ground with his own.

“What are you doing?”
He barely managed to ask the question before Enzio covered

his lips and kissed him. The first sweep of Enzio’s tongue into his
mouth halted any protest Geoff might have made.

Hell, what man in his right mind would choose chasing after

strange noises over making out, and possibly fucking a hot sexy
Italian stud? Of course, no one ever claimed Geoff was in his right
mind, but he wasn’t stupid either. He’d take Enzio any day of the
week.

With a gentle heave, he reversed their positions, and Enzio’s

thighs fell open to accommodate Geoff’s body. He rocked their
groins together and the hard length of Enzio’s cock drew a low
moan from Geoff.

REVEALING THE PAST

A thud hit the side of the tent like someone, or something, had

thrown a rock at it. Geoff paused, but Enzio palmed Geoff’s ass
and squeezed, massaging his firm muscles with single-minded
purpose.

“I want you to fuck me,” Enzio pleaded in a harsh voice.
Hands fumbled and fingers tangled as they struggled to open

belts and zippers. Geoff yanked Enzio’s pants, along with his
underwear, down and off his body. Enzio pushed down Geoff’s
clothes until his cock sprang free again.

Gripping Geoff’s hips, Enzio encouraged him to move up.

Obviously, he liked the small taste he’d had of Geoff’s prick
earlier.

“Not yet. We need to get you ready.”
Geoff dug through his pockets, searching for his wallet. He

crowed in triumph as he held it aloft. “Here we go. Lube and
rubber.” He tossed both packets on Enzio’s chest.

“Were you a Boy Scout?”
“Odd question,” Geoff pointed out.
“I simply mean you seem prepared for anything.”
Shrugging, Geoff grinned. “Never know when I’ll get a chance

to fuck someone like you. Don’t want to miss the experience
because I didn’t have stuff with me.”

Enzio hummed, but didn’t comment. He handed the foil

package containing the condom to Geoff.

“Get suited up. I’ll stretch myself.”
Kneeling, Enzio braced one hand on the ground while he

fingered his hole with slick-covered digits. The close quarters
helped Geoff watch as Enzio started fucking himself, pushing in
lube and stretching his puckered opening.

“Holy shit!”

REVEALING THE PAST

Geoff’s breathing sped up and his hands shook as he tore open

the packet. He rolled on the condom without taking his gaze away
from Enzio.

“Now, Geoff. I need you in me.” Enzio wiggled his butt.
“Don’t have to tell me twice.”
After coating himself with the rest of the lube, he positioned

the head of his cock at Enzio’s hole. Holding Enzio’s slender hips,
he breached the ring of muscles. He pushed in until his balls
slapped the back of Enzio’s thighs.

“Dio mio,” Enzio breathed, resting his forehead on his arms

and shoving back.

Geoff drew in a breath to settle his nerves. Tight heat cradled

his prick and he remembered why he loved sex.

They moved together slowly at first, but within minutes, grunts

filled the tent, drowning out any noise from outside, as if neither of
them wanted to hear it.

“Harder. Faster,” Enzio demanded, and Geoff was happy to

oblige.

Sweat beaded on his face, trickling down to drip on Enzio’s

back. Skin hitting skin was music to Geoff’s ears. Tingling raced
down to pool at the base of his spine and his balls drew tight to his
body. Each stroke nailed Enzio’s gland, driving out a cry every
time.

“Gonna,” he warned his lover.
“Per favore,” Enzio begged.
Geoff’s thrusts were stronger and deeper, slamming hard

against Enzio, who met him without shrinking away.

“Come on, baby.”
“Merda!” Enzio shouted as his inner channel clamped down on

Geoff’s cock.

REVEALING THE PAST

Geoff rammed in as deep as he could and froze, filling the

condom with his cum. As Enzio collapsed to the ground, Geoff
folded with him. They lay together for several minutes until he’d
gathered enough strength to roll off Enzio and take care of the
rubber. He cleaned up as best he could. Enzio buried his face in the
one pillow and mumbled something as Geoff wiped him down as
well.

Settling down behind Enzio, he wrapped an arm around the

Italian’s waist, pulling him tight, back to chest. As his eyes drifted
shut and his body relaxed, Geoff barely noticed the sounds of
walking and other movements going on outside the flimsy tent. His
subconscious registered the low growl and the words hissed in his
ears.

“Go away. This one is mine.”
Tightening his embrace, he tugged Enzio closer, unwilling to

let go of his lover, not even for an imaginary voice.

REVEALING THE PAST

CHAPTER 4

Cold crept along Geoff’s body, starting at his feet and traveling

up to where even the hair on his head stood up. Sitting up, he
glanced wildly around, hardly noticing his breath hanging in the air
like on the coldest night he’d endured in Alaska.

::Help him.::
“Who said that?”
In his second look around, he realized Enzio was no longer in

the tent with him.

::Help him.:: The speaker was female and Italian. She had the

same accent Enzio had.

“Help who?”
Geoff struggled amidst the sleeping bags to rearrange his

clothes and fasten them. After grabbing the remaining flashlight,

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he slipped from the flimsy protection of the tent. Crouching, he
panned the light around the area and grimaced at the sight of his
stuff scattered all over the floor again. This time, even his digging
equipment had suffered damage.

“Enzio, when I find you, I’m going to beat your ass,” he vowed

quietly.

::Not him. Them.::
The voice was clear without the nylon of the tent walls

blocking it. “Them? Who are you? Show yourself.”

Something moved, and he caught a flicker out of the corner of

his eye. Swinging the flashlight around, he spotted nothing. Just a
trick of the mind.

::They who live here and claim this place as theirs.::
“Right. Are you saying ghosts did this?” He waved a hand at

the trashed site.

A wave of affirmation rolled over him. Shit. He had to be

dreaming. No way was he awake and talking to some spirit. He
pinched himself and pain radiated from the injury. That didn’t
mean anything. People could feel pain in their dreams.

Something tugged on the back of his shirt. Whatever talked to

him wanted him to follow it, so he would. People didn’t die in their
dreams. He should be safe. When he woke up, he’d be snuggled up
to Enzio with his prick poking the man’s ass.

::Come. Help him.::
Another white flicker in front of him, and Geoff followed,

using his light to ensure he didn’t run into a tree or fall down a pit.

“Is Enzio in trouble?”
Of course, aside from unseen pits and trees, there really wasn’t

anything else dangerous on the island.

::Sì. They want him. He should never have returned.:: Fear

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thickened her accent.

What did a spirit have to fear? If she was indeed a spirit and not

some figment of his imagination.

“Where are you?”
A woman appeared in front of him. She was transparent and

her edges were blurry. Yet he could make out enough details to tell
she had long black hair and she actually looked similar to the man
Geoff had fucked earlier in the night.

“Wow. Wait a minute. Are you Isabella?”
She gestured for him to follow her. :: Per favore, he’s in

trouble.::

God, had Enzio slipped him a hallucinogen? He would never

make this shit up on his own. All those legends seriously had
messed with his mind. While all that might have been true, Geoff
kept pace with Isabella’s ghost, just on the off chance something
was happening.

They reached the bell tower. Geoff glanced around before

entering into the room at the base. He searched the area with the
flashlight, avoiding stepping on the rubble of wood and broken
plaster.

::Over here::
Isabella’s voice echoed in his head and he saw a burst of light

in the far corner where a flight of stairs ended a few feet above the
floor. Enzio cowered there, hands clenched in his hair, rocking and
mumbling.

Kneeling next to him, Geoff rested his hand on the man’s

shoulder and leaned forward, trying to catch what Enzio muttered.

Damn, he spoke in Italian, which wasn’t one of Geoff’s

strongest languages. He frowned, concentrating on translating the
words in his mind.

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::It’s the fantasmi.::
“Are they talking to him?”
Enzio froze under Geoff’s hand before his dark eyes met

Geoff’s. Terror bubbled in them and fought with the same odd
intense stare Enzio had given him in the corridor. Was Enzio
praying Geoff believed all of this was real?

::Sì. They are trying to convince him to kill himself::
Her words were faint like she wasn’t as close or as strong as

she had been. Were the other spirits pushing her away from her
brother?

“Enzio, do you recognize me? It’s Geoff. We need to get out of

here.”

Enzio gripped his hand tightly.
::He’s ours. You must leave him here.::
A deep and violent voice echoed in Geoff’s head. Jerking

away, Geoff caught himself before he fell on his ass.

“He’s not yours. He’s mine, and I’m not leaving without him.”

Geoff entangled his fingers with Enzio’s.

A burst of hot air rushed at him, and this time he did fall over,

slamming his head on the floor and his shoulder against a piece of
wood or something.

“Fuck, you bastard.” Geoff eased up into a sitting position. His

fingers came back sticky from the injury on his head.

Enzio rose to his feet in stops and starts like someone else

controlled his body. Geoff grabbed Enzio’s leg, but the man shook
him off like he was a bug.

Shit, that couldn’t be good. As he stood, pain shot from his

neck and shoulder, meeting in the middle and exploding through
the rest of his body. Holy fuck! Did that hurt. The floor he’d
landed on did a number on him. Geoff bit his bottom lip to keep

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from crying out.

When his vision cleared, he spied Enzio walking, stumbling

actually, toward the exit archway.

“Where the hell are you going?”
Geoff made his way over to his lover without tripping, even

though things slid across the floor from every direction trying to
stop him. As he approached, Enzio whirled around and threw a
punch. He didn’t have time or the strength to dodge, so he took the
hit square on the chin, dropping to his knees from the super-human
power behind it. Something else controlled Enzio, and Geoff didn’t
know how to stop it.

“This sucks. I didn’t sign up for this shit,” Geoff muttered to

himself while trying to follow Enzio.

All he’d wanted was to search the island for artifacts and

maybe do a dig for the ancient village said to have been on
Poveglia. He cared nothing about ghosts or crazy doctors torturing
patients. All of those people were dead. Their spirits shouldn’t
linger beyond the expiration of their bodies. He’d never believed in
ghosts. Mostly because he didn’t have any proof.

How much more proof did he need? Somehow, he doubted

Enzio would be wandering the island in the dark, trying to off
himself without paranormal influence. The way Enzio had reacted
to everything since they’d landed on Poveglia should have clued
Geoff in on the fact that something unusual existed there. He
needed to help Enzio, or save him from whatever spirit controlled
him.

Enzio disappeared into the brush in front of him, pushing down

the trail Geoff realized led to the field where people swore the
bodies of plague victims were burned all those centuries ago.
There was a bridge there and it wasn’t as if Enzio couldn’t throw

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himself into the canal cutting through the middle of the island.

Geoff never believed in love at first sight, but the way his heart

pounded at the thought of never seeing Enzio again told him he’d
developed strong feelings for the man. Letting something happen
to Enzio went against every protective instinct Geoff had.

Could this be a dream created by his subconscious to show him

how much he liked Enzio?

“Damn. I’m going to be pissed if this was just a dream.”
He jogged down the path, hoping he’d catch up with Enzio

before the man managed to do what the spirits wanted him to do. It
seemed like nature conspired against him. He tripped over sticks in
the middle of the path and ducked under branches hanging over the
trail.

The crashing ahead of him kept him updated on where Enzio

was. They headed toward the clearing. He clattered onto the bridge
just as Enzio dropped to his knees in the middle of it.

White fog swirled around the crouching man. It seemed to play

with Enzio’s hair, lifting strands like a gentle breeze. Geoff stood
at the end of the bridge, frozen and stunned as voices filled the air.

Enzio covered his ears, rocking back and forth. Geoff hesitated,

not knowing what to do.

::You must help him.::
“How?” He gestured out to where Enzio was. “There’s nothing

there.”

::Go to him. Help him. Hold him and don’t let him go. They

will try to kill him.::

“I can’t fucking believe I’m doing this,” he muttered, but he

went. The desperation in the woman’s voice convinced him things
were happening, even if no one was there.

He lurched to a halt next to Enzio and knelt, wrapping his arms

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around the man and hugging him tight. Enzio buried his face in the
crook of Geoff’s shoulder, shivering and moaning softly.

“Hush. It’ll be okay. I won’t let them hurt you. You’re going to

stay with me. We’ll get through tonight, and you’ll never have to
come back to this island again. I promise.”

Geoff kept whispering and tightening his embrace, figuring

Enzio would be bruised in the morning from his fingers, but he’d
have matching bruises from the grip Enzio had on him.

Dirt and screams swirled around them, surrounding and pelting

them with stinging rocks. Burning sensations raced over his body
like someone ran a sharp blade down his skin. Christ, he was going
to look like he’d been through a war when the morning came.

“Don’t let them take me. Don’t let me disappear like Isabella

did.”

Enzio’s voice held anguish and fear. Geoff ran his hands up

and down Enzio’s back, trying to soothe the man without words.
He didn’t think he could talk because his teeth chattered so hard
his head rattled. The temperature around them dropped until he
saw his breath each time he exhaled.

“What the fuck is going on?” he forced out between clenched

teeth.

“They’re trying to take me. I escaped from them last time, but

they want what is due them.”

Enzio looked up at him, and Geoff gasped at the haunted

anguish breaking the surface of those dark eyes.

“I won’t let them harm you, Enzio. You’re mine, and I’m not

going to give you up.”

He doubted Enzio would remember what he said, but his words

seemed to ease Enzio’s anxiety slightly. They curled closer
together, Geoff protecting Enzio with his own body. Any time the

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other man tried to break free, Geoff grabbed him closer. Hunkering
down, he closed his eyes, determined to ride out the storm.

REVEALING THE PAST

CHAPTER 5

“Professore DuPuis! Signore di Salvatore! Where are you?”
Geoff jerked as the loud voice practically echoed in his ear.

Stretching, he winced as his hand encountered a warm body next to
him. He forced his eyes opened and glanced to his right. Enzio lay
curled up beside him, with his cheek resting on his hand.

“Professore DuPuis!”
What the hell? He looked down and his clothes were wrinkled,

but not dirty. They were lying inside the tent, instead of out in the
middle of the clearing. He checked the back of his head. No bump
or blood.

“Enzio, wake up.” He reached over and shook the man’s

shoulder. “Marco’s here to pick us up.”

Enzio rolled over on his back and sighed. “Did I dream last

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night?”

“Which part?”
“The part where you fucked me.” Enzio’s grin was sexy and

sleepy, making Geoff want to plunder the man’s mouth again.

“God, I hope not.”
The blush coloring Enzio’s cheeks alerted Geoff to the fact that

he’d said those words aloud.

“I hope not either.” Enzio trailed his fingers over Geoff’s

cheek. “We should probably get up and make sure our stuff is
packed since Marco is here.”

They crawled out from the tent and stretched. Geoff’s

equipment wasn’t destroyed, but it lay scattered around the area
like someone had tossed it about.

“You must have gotten hit by that freak storm that blew in last

night. Good thing you had your tent.” Marco’s eyes sparkled. “Or
did the spirits show their displeasure at your presence?”

Geoff stiffened, but Enzio didn’t seem bothered by Marco’s

teasing. They packed up the tent and grabbed the rest of the stuff to
carry out to Marco’s boat. The silence between Geoff and Enzio
remained comfortable, yet Geoff couldn’t stop thinking about what
happened the night before and not just the part where he’d reamed
Enzio’s ass.

Had the voices and wicked wind been a dream? Had Enzio

tried to kill himself because of the spirits or was it all a nightmare
brewed in Geoff’s subconscious because of the legends of the
island?

He wanted to ask Enzio, but wasn’t sure he wanted to risk

seeing a blank stare on the man’s face when he mentioned the
night before. Geoff stood at the railing, watching Poveglia retreat
into the distance as the boat moved away from it. Enzio joined him

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and rubbed their shoulders together.

“Nothing good comes from looking back,” Enzio murmured,

his eyes again hidden by his sunglasses.

“Yet isn’t that what we do for a living? Look into the past to

find explanations for the future?” He didn’t look away from the
water, but, in his peripheral vision, he saw Enzio shrug.

“Some things don’t bear looking deeper into. There are some

parts of the past you should just let fade away.”

“Voice of experience, huh?”
The set of Enzio’s lips held sadness and a terrible knowledge.

“Sì.”

Suddenly, Geoff wanted to know what happened the night

Isabella disappeared. Did she really disappear or did something
else happen that night? Something involving the same elements he
encountered last night.

The boat reached the docks, and Geoff arranged for Marco to

get his equipment and shovel tests back to the university. He
turned to where Enzio stood, arms folded, letting the crowds drift
around him.

“Would you be interested in meeting me for dinner tonight?”

He took the chance that Enzio wished to spend more time with
him.

“Certamente. Shall I meet you at your hotel?”
Enzio’s sexy smile held a promise that Geoff couldn’t wait for

the man to keep.

“Great. Say about eight?”
“I’ll be there.”
He held his hand out, but Enzio ignored it. He embraced Geoff

and pressed their lips together. Geoff’s gasp gave Enzio entrance
and he swept his tongue in, playing with Geoff’s. Geoff rocked his

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hips, grinding their erections together. Enzio groaned and pulled
away.

“Until tonight, uomo caro.”
Geoff ignored the people around him while he stood and

watched the man he’d fallen in love with walk away. Faded denim
showcased Enzio’s ass, but Geoff remembered how it felt to sink
his cock into it. He bit back a moan and adjusted his erection.
Shouldn’t have thought about that. There were other things he
needed to check out.

After stopping at a café and picking up a latte, Geoff headed

back to his hotel. He tossed his backpack on one of the chairs and
his empty cup in the trash. Stripping, he pondered the events of last
night.

What the hell had really happened out there? Had it all been a

nightmare or some weird time warp thing? How did they get back
to their tent without knowing about it? All of his equipment was
back to normal. Did he get carried away by his imagination,
making him think it had been destroyed?

He padded into the bathroom and started the water running. As

he turned to grab a washcloth, he caught something in the mirror.
He twisted, trying to see his back. There, running the length of his
spine was an angry red welt, like he’d been hit with a thin whip or
stick.

“What the fuck?”
In his memories of last night, he remembered the burning

sensation that jolted him at one point during the “attack” by
whatever was there. So he didn’t just imagine it. Something did
happen on that island, but would Enzio admit to it or had the man
blocked it out of his head?

Geoff showered quickly, hissing when the hot water hit his

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wound. He cleaned up and got dressed before pulling out his
laptop. He plugged it in and while it booted up, he ordered
breakfast from room service. He had to type up his observations
from yesterday, but his mind wouldn’t let go of Enzio, so doing a
little research on his acquaintance seemed like top priority at the
moment.

While he was all for fucking the “mysterious foreign man,” he

wasn’t interested in messing around with a guy who might be a
little crazy.

He called up his search engine and typed in Enzio’s name. The

man’s bio and picture came up on the university’s site. Also,
several society pages featured photos of him with an assortment of
gorgeous men and women on his arm. Shit, after seeing some of
those, Geoff figured Enzio must have been hard-up to want Geoff
to fuck him.

A newspaper article caught his eye and he clicked on the link.

A bold headline read…

Socialite Missing

Brother Suspect in Disappearance

A black-and-white photo of a woman placed under the headline

drew Geoff’s attention. He gasped and enlarged it. It was the
spitting image of the woman he’d seen last night. The caption
identified her as Isabella di Salvatore, Enzio’s sister.

Shivers wracked Geoff as he read the article telling of Enzio

being found on Poveglia Island, scratched and catatonic; Isabella
nowhere to be found, not even her body. Enzio started out as a
suspect, but as he continued not to talk or be available, the police
dropped the investigation and they cleared Enzio of any suspicion.

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A later article told of Enzio’s release from a mental institution and
his return to society.

The di Salvatore family was an old one, having been in Italy

since what seemed to be Roman times in some form or another. So,
when Enzio said that his boss’s hatred stemmed from jealousy
about Enzio’s family’s wealth, the man wasn’t kidding. The di
Salvatores seemed to have more money than Bill Gates and that
was saying something.

He clicked off the net and settled back in his chair. Poveglia

Island claimed more than Enzio’s sister that long ago night; it had
claimed Enzio’s mind for a while as well. Had returning to the
island set off another episode? If so, it still didn’t explain what had
happened to Geoff? He’d never had mental problems with
delusions or hallucinations, plus the welt on his back was proof
something happened.

A knock on the door informed him that his breakfast had

arrived. He’d eat before working on his notes. After that, he’d head
over to the university and see if he could do some work on the
shovel tests he’d brought back. No matter how confused he might
be about everything else, he needed to do his job.

* * *

Geoff stepped off the elevator as Enzio walked into the hotel

lobby. He smiled at the double takes from the women and some
men as Enzio strolled his way.

Wearing black slacks and a white linen shirt, Enzio oozed sex

appeal with every step. Geoff shifted slightly, wishing he’d worn
looser pants because his cock pressed tight against his zipper,
begging for release. Maybe later that night he would get another

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shot at that ass, or maybe Enzio would want to fuck him. Either
way worked for Geoff.

“Enzio.” He held out his hand.
Enzio skipped his hand and drew him in a tight hug, kissing

both cheeks before landing a hard one to his lips. “Geoff, it is good
to see you again. Shall we go to dinner?”

“Um-m…sure.”
“I took the liberty of making us reservations at a wonderful

restaurant a few blocks from here. We can walk over there if
you’re up to it.”

“Sure.”
Enzio led the way out of the hotel, and Geoff managed not to

run into anyone as he focused more on Enzio’s butt than where he
walked.

“Did you have a productive afternoon?” Enzio fell into step

with Geoff.

“Yeah. Got my site notes written up and went through some of

the shovel test bags we collected.”

He shivered as Enzio moved closer to him, their hands

brushing with each step. Enzio’s cologne wafted over to Geoff and
he breathed deeply of the woodsy scent. He’d get an erection
whenever he smelled that scent from now on.

“How about you?”
“I went home, and took un pelo before heading over to the

university as well. I had some papers that needed grading.”

They stopped in front of a nondescript building with a green-

and-white striped awning. There were a few chairs set up outside,
but Enzio gestured for Geoff to follow him inside. The smells
assaulting Geoff’s nose as they entered caused drool to gather in
his mouth and he paused, inhaling the spicy aromas of spaghetti

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sauce and garlic bread.

“Wow.”
“Enzio, mio bambino.”
Geoff glanced around to see a tiny, round woman bowling over

customers on her way to Enzio with her arms held out. Enzio
embraced her with a tight hug and whispered in her ear. She broke
away from him and turned her bright-eyed gaze on Geoff.

“So you are Enzio’s new friend?”
Shooting a glance at Enzio, Geoff received a slight nod from

the man. He met the woman’s knowing smile with a shy one of his
own. “Yes, I’m Geoff DuPuis.”

He took her hand and kissed the back of it. She giggled and

slapped his arm.

“Such a charmer, you are. I can see why Enzio would like

you.”

Like might be too strong a word for what Enzio felt for him,

but Geoff wasn’t going to say that to the lady.

“Geoff, this is Signora Giordano. She and her husband are the

best cooks in Italy.”

Signora Giordano shook her head. “You flatter as well. Come,

your table is ready and I’ll get your wine.”

Enzio let the older lady tug him over to a table tucked into a

secluded corner of the room. They sat, and Geoff studied the man
across from him. Candlelight bathed Enzio’s face in an odd
kaleidoscope of shadows and light, reminding Geoff of the way
Enzio had looked in the tent. Shivers skated down his spine as the
flame created a sinister shine in Enzio’s dark eyes.

“You’re staring,” Enzio commented, his voice so low Geoff

strained to hear it over the murmurs of the other diners.

Geoff dropped his gaze to the table, not sure how to deal with

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the friendly Enzio. He hadn’t really believed the man’s attitude
would change that much, even after what went on between them in
their tent.

“Did it all really happen last night?” he blurted out and

immediately wanted to smack himself for saying anything.

“What are you talking about?” Enzio shifted slightly. “If you

mean the sex, sì, it did happen. I can still feel you.”

A wine bottle and two glasses landed on the table. Geoff

blushed, hoping Signora Giordano hadn’t heard what Enzio said.
She poured out the wine and left without saying anything.

Enzio reached out and touched Geoff’s hand with his

fingertips. “Don’t be embarrassed. Signora Giordano knows all
about me. She doesn’t judge.”

Taking a sip of wine to fortify his courage, Geoff shrugged. “It

wasn’t just the sex I was asking about, and you know it. Did the
other things happen or did I dream them? If I dreamed them, then
how did I end up with a freaking long scratch on my back?”

“You were scratched?” Enzio stiffened. “You’re sure I didn’t

do it when we made love?”

Geoff shook his head. “I’ve been scratched by lovers before

and this isn’t that kind of welt. This is red and angry, almost like
the person who did it hated me.”

He twirled the glass in his fingers, not wanting to look up and

see derision in Enzio’s eyes. He knew how his words sounded, but
when he saw the wound, he could feel the rage and hate in each
inch of the scratch.

Enzio stared out into the dark restaurant. “I’m not sure how you

would have gotten it. We didn’t leave the tent, once we got in
there.”

“You’re saying I imagined everything that happened last night,

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except for the sex.”

Though Enzio nodded, Geoff didn’t believe him. Something in

the set of Enzio’s shoulders and head convinced Geoff the other
man wasn’t telling the truth.

Geoff leaned over the table and whispered, “I don’t believe

you, but I’m not going to push the topic until after dinner. You’ll
be joining me in my room afterward for a nightcap.”

“I have no choice, do I?” Enzio looked up through his

eyelashes at Geoff.

“No.”
“Then let us enjoy dinner before we ruin the rest of the night.”
Not eager to face the truth, Geoff silently agreed to Enzio’s

wishes. They ate what had to be the best ravioli Geoff had ever
had, along with bread. For dessert, Signora Giordano brought them
tiramisu, claiming it was Enzio’s favorite sweet.

“Do you like sweets, Enzio?” Geoff settled in his chair, the

dessert and the wine working its magic on relaxing him.

Enzio chuckled. “Sì, I confess. I love chocolate. I’ve been

known to drizzle it over my lovers and lick it off their skin.”

“Fuck,” Geoff swore under his breath and his cock hardened as

an image danced through his mind of him spread eagle on his bed,
covered in chocolate with Enzio kneeling between his legs, licking
and sucking every drop of sweet goodness off him.

“I think you like that idea.” Enzio winked. “Should I ask

Signora Giordano for a container of chocolate to go?”

“Ummm…”
He wasn’t opposed to the chocolate or anything else that might

happen later that night, but he wasn’t sure if Enzio would be up to
playing once they were done talking. Geoff wasn’t about to let the
man blow off all the weird shit that occurred on the island. Also,

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he wanted to know about Isabella’s disappearance.

Enzio laughed. “I was kidding, Geoff, but if you want to give it

a try, I’m more than willing. I think the taste of your salty skin
mixed with the sweetness of the chocolate would be a marvelous
combination.”

Geoff shifted, trying to relieve the pressure of his prick

pressing against his zipper.

“Here. Take this.” Signora Giordano held out a carton of

something to Enzio. “Dinner is on us.”

“Grazie, Signora Giordano. Tell Signore Giordano dinner was

delicious as usual.” Enzio kissed both the lady’s cheeks and
hugged her as well.

“Yes, please let him know it was the best dinner I’ve had in a

very long time.” Geoff kissed her hand again.

“You must bring your man again, Enzio. He’s a very polite

young man. And so handsome.” Smiling, Signora Giordano patted
Enzio’s cheek.

“I’ll try.”
Once outside, Enzio opened the container and burst out

laughing. Geoff grabbed it before Enzio could drop it and peeked
inside.

“Shit.”
“She must have overheard our conversation.”
Enzio slipped his arm around Geoff’s waist, and they both

stared down into the half-full bowl of chocolate sauce. Before he
could think, Geoff stuck his finger in the chocolate and pulled it
out, coating his lips with it.

“Why don’t you take a taste now?”
Enzio growled and dragged him into an alley between the

buildings. All the air rushed out of Geoff when his back slammed

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against the brick wall and Enzio pinned him there with his body.

REVEALING THE PAST

CHAPTER 6

Enzio attacked Geoff’s mouth like a thirsty man finding an

oasis of fresh water. Enzio licked and sucked every inch of his lips,
making sure not a drop of chocolate remained on them. By the
time he finished, they rocked together, grinding their pelvises and
panting.

“Enzio, shit, we have to stop.” Geoff clenched his hand,

remembering just in time that he held the sauce in his other hand.

“Why?” Enzio nuzzled along Geoff’s jaw.
“Because I don’t want to cream my pants and have to walk

back to the hotel with a wet spot.”

“Merda.” Enzio pulled away and rested his forehead against

Geoff’s. “You’re right. It would be rather undignified to walk
around the streets with sticky pants, though it could be considered

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indecent for them to see how much I desire you.” His lover
gestured to his own groin.

He looked down at the large bulge in Enzio’s pants before

grinning up at the other man. “Well, we’ll be indecent together.
Let’s go before I forget myself and fuck you here in the alley.”

A muffled moan told him what Enzio thought of that idea.

They stumbled out of the alley and back onto the sidewalk.
Somehow, they managed to keep their eagerness under control and
not sprint back to Geoff’s hotel.

Geoff’s inner voice tried to convince him sleeping with Enzio

again wasn’t a good idea, especially since he didn’t know anything
about the man. Their experiences on Poveglia lurked at the back of
Geoff’s mind, yet he wouldn’t allow his doubts and worries cause
him to miss out on another chance at Enzio.

They got into the hotel without causing an incident. Geoff’s

hands shook so much Enzio took the key card from him and
opened the door to his room. They tumbled into the room and
Geoff got the chocolate down on the table next to the bed, even
though Enzio managed to get Geoff’s pants undone and tugged
down to his knees by that time.

Falling to the bed, they stripped each other quickly, ignoring

where their clothes ended up. Enzio swallowed Geoff’s cock
down, while Geoff wet his fingers to start stretching Enzio’s hole.
There wasn’t going to be any slow foreplay or gentle lovemaking.
He wanted to shove his prick deep inside Enzio’s warm body until
the man cried out. In and out, he did his best to get Enzio ready.

Enzio must have decided he was relaxed enough because he

pulled off Geoff and swung around, straddling Geoff’s hips. A
moment of clarity hit Geoff and he gripped Enzio’s hips, stopping
the man from impaling himself on Geoff’s shaft.

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“Wait. Condom.” He waved a hand toward his duffle bag with

his clothes in them.

“Cazzo!” Enzio climbed off him and stalked over to the bag,

digging through Geoff’s stuff to find the rubbers. “Got it.” He held
up a foil packet in triumph.

“Then get that ass back here.” Geoff stroked his dick, leering at

Enzio. “I have something to fill it with.”

Enzio rolled his eyes, but rushed to the bed anyway. He knelt

between Geoff’s legs, tore open the wrapper and rolled the rubber
down over Geoff. Again, he took Geoff into his mouth, getting him
good and wet.

“Come on, Enzio. I want to come in your ass, not your mouth.”
Crawling over him, Enzio placed a quick kiss on his lips before

squatting and reaching back to position the head of Geoff’s cock at
his opening. Geoff held onto his hips, lending support so Enzio
could take it at the pace he wanted, even though Geoff wanted to
bury his cock in as fast and hard as possible.

He bit his lip as he breached Enzio slowly. Enzio didn’t seem

to be in a hurry, but the man’s tight inner channel squeezed Geoff
inch by inch as he slipped in. He almost lost his mind before
Enzio’s ass connected with his groin.

“Finally.” He groaned and surged, flipping them over.
After hooking Enzio’s legs with his arms, he spread the man’s

thighs wider and drove into him. Enzio braced his hands against
the wall behind him, making sure Geoff didn’t bang his head on
the headboard. He angled Enzio’s hips and thrust in, driving a cry
from Enzio.

“Geoff, there. That’s it.”
Each stroke in nailed Enzio’s gland, and Enzio massaged

Geoff’s dick with his muscles. His climax built and his balls drew

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tight to his body.

“Enzio, I’m gonna…”
“Sì. I’m with you.”
One last slam in and Geoff shouted, his cum filling his rubber,

and Enzio clamped down around him. The man’s climax milked
every drop from Geoff’s cock. White ropey liquid coated Enzio’s
stomach and chest.

Geoff allowed Enzio’s legs to drop and he wrapped his fingers

around the base of the condom as he pulled out, making sure
nothing escaped. He made his way to the bathroom and took care
of the rubber before cleaning up. Wetting a cloth, he looked at his
reflection in the mirror.

His cheeks flushed and sweaty, he looked like he’d spent a

pleasurable few minutes buried deep in someone’s ass. A
debauched boy-next-door. Yet had it been a good idea to fuck
Enzio before asking him to explain what had gone on? Shrugging,
he turned away. Too late now to second-guess his decision.

When he entered the room, he spied Enzio standing at the desk,

staring down at his laptop.

“Here you go.” Geoff tossed the cloth to the man.
Enzio caught it and wiped off his stomach while studying

Geoff. “Did you research my background?”

Geoff snatched up a pair of sweats and dressed. He didn’t want

to have this conversation naked.

“Yeah, I did.” He closed his laptop and stood by the window.
“Why?” Enzio washed off, tossed the cloth in the bathroom

sink, and pulled on his pants.

He waited until Enzio sat down on the bed and looked at him.
“Because no matter how much you try to convince me that I

imagined everything that went on last night, I know you’re lying.

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Whatever attacked you was real, or as real as a spirit can be.”

The Italian sighed and turned his gaze to the floor, seemingly

working out whether or not to trust Geoff. “I didn’t think you
believed in fantasmi.”

“I didn’t. But the scratch on my back tells me something was

out there last night. The voices we heard and all that shit flying
around us when we huddled in the middle of the clearing.” Geoff
turned his back, so Enzio could see the welt.

“You could have scratched it when you were wandering the

halls of the hospital.” Enzio hadn’t looked up. “There are many
things in there to cut yourself on.”

“What really happened the night your sister disappeared?” He

leaned back against the windowsill and crossed his arms, staring at
the man he’d just fucked.

Enzio waved a hand toward Geoff’s laptop. “You must have

read the articles.”

Geoff had read all the articles he could find about Isabella’s

disappearance and the entire di Salvatore family, but he knew
better than to believe everything he read. “I have, but I want to
hear the truth from you.”

“How do you know I won’t walk away? You’re still very much

a stranger to me. Why should I rip open an old wound and bleed
my soul out for you?”

Good question. Geoff scrubbed his chin with his hand while he

thought of an answer. Coming to his own conclusion, he went and
crouched in front of Enzio. He rested his hands on the man’s
knees, looking up into Enzio’s dark eyes.

“We just met, and you have no way of knowing if you should

trust me or not. I get that, but what I experienced on Poveglia has
shaken my perspectives. I need you to help me bring them into

REVEALING THE PAST

focus.”

Enzio surged to his feet, knocking Geoff back before pacing

the room, hands stuffed in his pockets and chest gleaming in the
moonlight filtering through the glass. Geoff tried to forget how that
dark skin felt under his own fingers. He shouldn’t be wondering
how soon he could get Enzio back in bed. He needed to learn what
went on all those years ago.

Head bowed, Enzio stopped and his shoulders slumped. “My

sister was beautiful, but she had problems.”

Geoff frowned. He hadn’t read about those in what he found.

“What kind of problems?”

“Depression, though I think she was bi-polar. She would have

violent mood swings. One moment, laughing and enjoying herself.
The next, she would be crying and raging about something. We
never knew when she would cycle through.”

“I never read any mention of that.”
Enzio shot him a haughty look. “Do you really think the di

Salvatore family would admit to such mental health issues? We
have a position in society to protect.”

“Mental health problems aren’t a stigma anymore. Thousands

of people deal with them every day. You shouldn’t be embarrassed
by it.”

“I had a nervous breakdown.” Enzio shrugged. “I can’t deny it

since the journalists documented every minute of it in their
newspapers.”

“Yeah, but you dealt with it. You got help and are better.”

Geoff climbed to his feet, fighting the urge to reach out and touch
Enzio’s arm. Enzio might not welcome comfort at the moment.

“Yet I feel like I deal with it every day.”
“Your breakdown is why the dean thinks you’re not fit to

REVEALING THE PAST

teach,” Geoff guessed.

“Sì. He would use it to get me fired if he could, but my family

has donated too much money to the university for the regents to
take his criticisms too seriously.”

“It doesn’t stop you from thinking he might be right

sometimes.”

It wasn’t a crazy guess. Something told Geoff that Enzio

believed he was crazy at times, and those doubts bothered the man
more than he wanted to say.

A brief nod before Enzio returned to pacing. “Like I told you

last night, we went over to the island because she thought it would
be great fun. I went because there wasn’t any way I would let her
go by herself or with one of her boyfriends.”

Geoff remembered that part. “What happened?”
“Once darkness fell, the voices started. Things moved and we

were chased into the field by a darkness that dogged our every
step. I tried to find a rational reason for it. I yelled at her for having
her friends pull this prank on us.” He shoved a hand through his
dark hair. “She denied having anything to do with what went on.”

“You experienced exactly what we did last night. The wind, the

voices, and flying objects.”

Enzio opened his mouth, probably to deny it, but he snapped it

shut when Geoff glared at him.

“Don’t tell me it didn’t happen, Enzio. I know exactly what I

went through. I’m just a little hazy on how we ended back in our
tent, with everything put back right.”

“I have no idea. The last time something like that happened to

me, I didn’t remember anything until I recovered my senses a year
later.”

Geoff watched as Enzio wandered over to the window and

REVEALING THE PAST

stared out for a few minutes.

“They say I was found curled in a ball by the docks. No one

was sure how I got there, though I must have walked, right?”

“Don’t ask me. Hell, you could’ve been teleported there.

Maybe that’s how we ended up back in our tent.”

The other man snorted. “Teleportation is impossible.”
“Seriously? You’re pulling that card? None of that shit is

supposed to be possible. What’s a little out-of-body experience?”

“True.”
Silence drifted through the room, and for some reason, Geoff

didn’t feel like breaking it. He understood the topic of his sister
was hard difficult for Enzio to talk about. If Geoff’s older brother
had disappeared while Geoff was supposed to be looking out for
him, Geoff would probably be a little slow to talk about it as well.

“They never found Isabella’s body,” Enzio murmured, his

voice low enough Geoff had to move close to hear him.

“Why did they suspect you? If you were catatonic, what made

them think you had anything to do with it?” Geoff paused. “Did
you have a history of mental problems?”

“Not until that incident, and I’ve been fine since I left the

hospital.” Enzio rested his forehead against the glass. “I still have
nightmares.”

This time Geoff didn’t ignore his urges. He wrapped his arms

around Enzio’s waist from behind, letting Enzio lean back on him.

“I imagine you do. What do you see while you dream?”

REVEALING THE PAST

CHAPTER 7

As Enzio relaxed, Geoff took more of the man’s weight. Enzio

laid his hands over top of Geoff’s and entwined their fingers.

“In my dreams, I kneel at the base of the bell tower looking up.

Isabella perches in the parapet, staring down at me. The wind
blows and it’s almost like nature is trying to tear itself apart.”

Geoff nuzzled the soft spot behind Enzio’s ear, trying to let him

know he wasn’t alone.

“The odd thing about that night is people talk about the freak

storm that seemed to blow up out of nowhere and only lasted an
hour before it disappeared as if it never happened. There wasn’t
any rain, just strong winds and lightning.”

“Is it possible your nightmare is your mind’s way of separating

you from what occurred that night?” Geoff kept his question low,

REVEALING THE PAST

not wanting to startle Enzio or cause the man to close him out.

“It’s possible.” Enzio tilted his head to one side, granting Geoff

access to more of his neck. “I think Isabella committed suicide that
night.”

He bit back the gasp Enzio’s confession threatened to draw

from him. He closed his eyes and breathed deeply, not wanting to
make Enzio uncomfortable. “Did you tell anyone what you
thought?”

“When I came back to myself, I told my parents what I thought

happened that night. They weren’t very accepting of that theory.”

“They’d rather believed their son killed his sister?”
“No.” Enzio shook his head, his soft hair caressing Geoff’s

chin. “They allowed a rumor to surface that Isabella ran away with
a lover. That’s why her body was never found. They were willing
to let everyone think I had a breakdown, instead of her killing
herself.”

“But I heard voices last night. In fact, I think I saw Isabella.

She wanted me to help you.”

Enzio turned in Geoff’s arms and gazed at him. “You saw

her?”

“Not clearly. She was slightly transparent, which makes sense

if she was a ghost.” He brushed a kiss over Enzio’s puzzled face.

“If you saw her, then are you crazy as well?”
Geoff laughed. “I’ve been accused of being bat-shit crazy, but

as far as I know, I’m as normal as any other person.”

“Really?” Enzio snorted and raised an eyebrow. “I would never

have thought to call you crazy.”

“Bastard.”
He brought their lips together again, this time a little longer and

deeper. Enzio didn’t fight him, so he slid his hands down to cup

REVEALING THE PAST

Enzio’s ass. Their moans mingled and their erections rubbed
together.

Easing a few inches apart, he stared at Enzio. “Poveglia is

haunted, isn’t it?”

“I told you, there are more evil spirits in the world than we

know, and some of them reside on the island. They search for
revenge among the innocent, crying out for blood and death to
avenge their own horrible ends.”

He didn’t laugh at Enzio’s serious pronouncement. All that

he’d dealt with on Poveglia convinced him Enzio knew what he
was talking about. He’d also been to the tombs in Egypt, where
curses hung in the stale air like cobwebs. Deep inside, though he
had never admitted it to himself before this, he believed in spirits
and ghosts.

“But there are good spirits there. Your sister got me to come

after you, or I’m afraid you’d have done something to yourself.”
He cradled Enzio’s face in his hands. “And it would’ve been a
terrible waste of life. Also, it gives me a chance to get to know you
better.”

Enzio’s eyes widened. “You want to know me?”
“Hell, yes. I mean, fucking you is great and everything, don’t

get me wrong, but there’s something else between us. Or am I
reading the signs differently than you?”

A frown appeared on Enzio’s forehead as he tried to process

what Geoff said. “You’re right. There could be a deeper
connection between us, given time.”

“How much time?” Geoff grinned when Enzio seemed to think

about it.

“Oh, I think it’ll take several years to learn all we want to know

about each other.”

REVEALING THE PAST

“Good thing my dig could take that long, if I convince them to

let me set up a site there.”

Before Geoff dragged Enzio back to bed, he met the man’s

gaze and said, “No matter what happened to your sister, it wasn’t
your fault. Like you said, there are more things at work on
Poveglia Island than we can ever imagine. I’m sure you tried to
stop her, yet it seems the island wanted her. It would have had you,
but I wasn’t going to let you go.”

“Thank you.”
Enzio buried his fingers in Geoff’s hair and brought their lips

closer together. Before he kissed him, Enzio whispered, “I’ll never
go back to that island.”

“I won’t ask you to,” Geoff promised.
They stumbled over to the bed and proceeded to learn more

about each other.

REVEALING THE PAST

EPILOGUE

Geoff stood on the deck of the boat, staring at the crumbling,

abandoned hospital on Poveglia Island and drew in a deep breath.
Somehow, he found himself reluctant to go back to where the most
frightening experience of his life had happened a month ago.

A hand touched his arm and brought his attention over to where

Enzio leaned against the railing. “You don’t have to go back. You
can let the dead rest, even if the information you dig up from the
site could shed more light on the people who first lived on the
island.”

He smiled and brushed a quick kiss over Enzio’s cheek. “I’m

not going to let ghosts drive me away from one of the biggest digs
of my career. Besides, I don’t plan on staying around after dark.
I’ll only be here today, making sure the dig gets set up right. After

REVEALING THE PAST

that, I’ll be staying at the university, sorting through whatever the
others bring me.”

Enzio chuckled. “Good plan, mio amore. I made reservations

with Signora Giordano for dinner tonight, so you better get back to
my place by seven.”

“Just make sure the boat comes back for us before dark.”
“Even if I have to force the captain, the boat will be here to

pick you up.”

“We’ll be at the dock waiting,” Geoff promised. “I’ll be there

at five and you can help me rinse off the dirt.”

Geoff saw the wicked gleam in Enzio’s eyes that he’d come to

love.

“The water will be hot when you get back.”
The boat slid to a stop in the island dock, and they unloaded the

dig equipment and all the grad students who’d come to help him
with the site. After waving good-bye to Enzio, he turned back to
study the building in front of him.

A dark shadow at the top of the bell tower chilled him to the

bone. He blinked, and it was gone. Shaking his head, he gestured
for his fellow diggers to grab their stuff. Geoff didn’t plan on
remaining on Poveglia any longer than necessary, even if it
knocked his reputation down a rung or two on the prestige ladder.
Enzio’s statement about letting the dead rest made sense, even
though what he looked for was proof of life before the terrible
events that scarred Poveglia forever.

Turning around, he watched Enzio grow smaller as the boat

headed back to the docks in the city. One last time on the island,
then he would begin to replace the bad memories with good ones
by loving Enzio with all his heart.

T. A. C

HASE

T. A. Chase lives a life without boundaries. Being fascinated by
life and how different we all are, he writes about the things that
make us unique. He finds beauty in all kinds of love and enjoys
sharing those insights. He lives in the Midwest with his partner of
twelve years. When he isn’t writing, he’s watching movies, reading
and living life to the fullest.

* * *

Don’t miss Freaks In Love

by T. A. Chase,

available at AmberAllure.com!

James lives in Triad City, working for the West Side Crime
Association and hiding a secret that could get him killed. When his
boss and the other associations’ leaders are assassinated, James
has no choice but to return to the one place he never wanted to see
again—Freak Town. Yet saving the life of the one friend he has in
Triad City might be worth risking it all.

Magpie can’t believe he’s been shot and his boss assassinated.
Waking up shortly afterward, he discovers he’s in Freak Town
where all the mutants live. Nuclear radiation from the war has

changed some people into creatures. Wigging out because his
friend, James, is one of the Freaks seems sensible to Magpie.
Falling in love doesn’t.

Together, the two men must find a way to survive the revolution
being planned by the Freaks. Getting out of Triad City is the only
way, but will Magpie stand beside James to save himself? Or will
he lose his heart to a Freak, proving that the heart loves where it
wants instead of where it’s wise?

Simon decides to investigate, but when he finally tracks down Alan,
he learns that hell is breaking loose in Georgia, and the Devil
deals it hard.

What’s the true value of a soul? And how much is Simon willing to
risk in order to win Alan’s freedom?

MBER

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