Chapter 23

“Buon giorno,” Karl could just hear the voice on the other end of the call. “Ciò è voi sveglia la chiamata. Il vostro giro va per Venezia a dieci in punto.”

As usual, unless it was Tonio speaking to him, Karl couldn’t understand the Italian.

Karl saw him nod. “Grazie. Arrivederci.”

Tonio hung up the phone, and stretched out again on top of the older man. The action caused Karl to slip from the confines of his lover’s body. He sighed at the feeling of loss.

“Who was that?”

“The man that wakes us up. He says to be ready to go to Venice by ten o’clock.”

Karl looked at the bedside clock: 7:01 A.M. He wrapped his arms around his lover. “I don’t want to go to Venice. I’m afraid that if we do, you’ll disappear again. We’re not coming back this time. The tour goes from Venice to Rome.” He buried his face in Tonio’s luxurious black curls.

Tonio rose up, kissed Karl, and rolled to one side, lying to face him. He stroked Karl’s chest lightly. “What will we do?”