Giovanni (Blood Brothers Book 6) (11 page)

“Remember when I hid that cane? He was furious.”

Giovanni chuckled. “Yes. I remember.”

“We had good times then.”

“We did.”

“We made a good team and it pains me that we find ourselves on different sides of this war.”

Giovanni lowered his head with a sigh. “It doesn’t have to be a war, Adonis. We can both be on the same side.”

“I’m glad you said that because I was thinking the same thing. Every time I make a move, you counter it and vice versa. It hurts. I don’t want to fight my best friend anymore.”

This is all Giovanni ever wanted to hear from his brother. These past several decades had not only been a physical trial but a mental and spiritual one as well. It was tearing him apart. Adonis’s words echoed Giovanni’s thoughts. He didn’t want to fight his brother. But what kept him going was the knowledge that he was doing the right thing. “It means a lot to me to hear you say that. Let’s put the past behind us and start fresh. We can have the life we always wanted, away from all the unnecessary chaos and away from Beatrice.”

Adonis stiffened at the mention of their mother’s name. “Why would we be away from her? She is our mother. The woman who sacrificed so much to raise us. Do you think it was easy for her when the Don kicked us out? Or how about when her youngest son abandoned us? You left us without a backward glance to go to
that
man.”

“That man is our father. He loves us.”

“He’s brainwashed you. He took advantage of our mother and forced himself on her. If it weren’t for that whore Maria then he would have died a long time ago. But I suppose she did me a favor because I had the honor of killing him myself for what he did to our mother.”

“You actually believe that story our mother told? You and I both know that no one can force Beatrice to do something she doesn’t want to. She seduced him.”

“She—” Adonis broke off and shook his head. “I didn’t come here to argue with you. I came to forgive you of your transgressions. Our mother is willing to do the same. If you combine your powers with ours, we’ll be an unstoppable force.”

Adonis felt his heart drop. “So this was it. You didn’t come because you missed me. You just want to use me to implement your plan for world domination.” Realizing that hurt Giovanni more than Adonis could ever know.

“No. I want you to join us because I care. I meant everything I said. I miss you and we should be fighting on the same side.”

“But what exactly are you fighting for, Adonis? To complete a vendetta that shouldn’t be? You’ve already killed our father and Maria. You killed GianMarco’s wife and child. And I regret that I couldn’t get to there in time to save any of them. But I vow that you will not hurt our brothers. I’ll make sure of it.” Giovanni glared at Adonis, feeling a mixture of anger, pain and regret.

Adonis slowly rose. His eyes started to change to a deep red. “So you choose them over me? They don’t even know you exist but you go against your own brother to protect them?”

Giovanni jumped to his feet to stand nose to nose with Adonis. “They’re our brothers too! And you’ve spent years tormenting them. And why? Because of the whims of a mad woman!”

Adonis’s face turned as red as his hair. “Don’t speak of our mother like that!”

“She is insane. The dark magic has warped her beyond the point of no return even though she barely had any redeeming qualities to begin with. What she did to you—”

“Shut up!” Adonis pushed Giovanni with a force that sent him stumbling backward but he managed to stay on his feet.

Giovanni wouldn’t back down from this because it needed to be said. “What she did to you was unnatural. She changed you. How else can you justify going after innocents? How can you go after our brothers when they’ve done nothing to you?”

Adonis advanced on him but Giovanni was ready. He deflected the blow that came his way and flashed across the room. “Stop this Adonis. This isn’t you!”

“Fuck you, Giovanni! You know nothing about me. I made a mistake coming here. I shouldn’t have expected you to see reason. You speak of insignificant beings as if I should feel some connection to them. When I think of those who you would call brother, I think of that man who betrayed our mother. It was because of him that we were discarded without a penny to our name. He did that to us and while we suffered he lived blissfully with his whore. I hate him ad everything that he stood for. I have no regrets for what I did. I want to wipe out everything he ever loved. I will burn his legacy to the ground. And if you continue to stand in my way, Giovanni, I won’t hesitate to take you out too. This will be the last time I come to you” And with that, Adonis flashed away.

It was then when Giovanni realized he was all alone.

As he made it back to the house he noticed an ambulance and a handful of police vehicles in the driveway. He ran up to the driveway just in time to see the paramedics wheel Sydney into the back of the vehicle.

Chapter Eleven

Sydney woke up in unfamiliar surroundings. This wasn’t her bed. It was way too hard. She reached out and encountered railings. There was a steady beeping noise. She struggled to sit up, but was pushed back down. “You need to rest. You gave us quite a scare, Sydney,” Ida said.

“Where am I?”

“At the hospital. You came to in the ambulance but then you went out again. I was so worried about you.”

“The hospital? Why am I here?”

“Don’t you remember anything, sweetheart?”

Sydney struggled to recall the events that would have led up to her being here. “I felt a stabbing pain in my head, like a migraine but way more intense. I couldn’t move. It felt like something was trying to take control of me. And now I’m here. How long have you been here?”

“I’ve been here the entire time. Someone had come by to get some papers signed while you were unconscious but you don’t have to worry about them. I took the liberty of signing them for you.”

“How were you able to do that?”

“I had to tell the administrators that you were my granddaughter so they could tell me what was going on with you. Something about HIPPA.”

“What did they say?”

“You had an irregular heartbeat and your blood pressure was sky high. You’re lucky you didn’t have a stroke. That probably explains why you suffered that pain in your head.”

“I’ve had headaches before but nothing like that.”

“The doctors were able to stabilize you and they can’t find anything else the matter but they want to run some more tests. You really had me worried, Sydney. One minute we were arguing and the next you’re passed out on the floor.”

She furrowed her brow. “We were arguing?”

“Yes, and I just wanted to say I’m sorry for what I said. You’re an adult capable of making your own decisions and I was out of line to butt my nose into your business.”

Sydney scratched her head. She had no idea what Ida was talking about. She tried to remember the argument in question but as she attempted to bring the memory back, her head began to hurt. The harder she tried to recall it, the worse the pain got. She clutched her head.

“Sydney! What’s wrong? Should I call the doctor?”

Sydney took several breaths to manage the pain. Only when she forced herself to relax did it subside. Finally when she was able to answer, she shook her head. “I’m fine, but I don’t remember us arguing.”

Ida patted her on the arm. “Then don’t worry about it. It wasn’t important anyway. Just concentrate on getting better. In the meantime, I’ll stay with you. I’m not going anywhere.”

“Thank you, Ida. You’re a good friend. But you don’t have to stay here with me. I don’t want to put you out.” Sydney sunk into her pillow with an uneasy feeling settling over her.

“Believe me, this is no trouble at all. I know we can butt heads sometimes but you’re not just a friend to me. You’re family and families look out for each other. Just know that no matter what I’ll always have your best interests at heart.”

Sydney found that last sentence odd but she didn’t dwell on it. She was still trying to figure out what was going on. Why couldn’t she remember what happened to her earlier? “Ida, how long have I been out?”

“Only for a few hours. It’s still a little after two now.”

“Who’s watching the house?”

“I told Dylan to keep an eye on things. I hope you don’t mind.”

“Dylan?” Sydney felt as if she should be upset about that but she couldn’t bring herself to worry about that.”

“It’s not a problem, is it?”

“Umm, no. It’s fine.”

“Are you feeling up to eating anything?”

“Honestly I don’t have much of an appetite. I don’t mean to sound ungrateful but I’d really like to be alone right now.”

Ida didn’t answer at first. “Just go to sleep. I won’t disturb you.”

“No. Please, Ida I’d rather be by myself right now.”

Ida took Sydney’s hand and rubbed the back of it. “Just relax. I’ll call the doctor so he can give you some painkillers that will help you sleep.” Ida released her hand and seemed to rummage around for something. “There. Someone will be on their way to check in on you.”

She wasn’t sure why Ida didn’t want to leave her side. Maybe it was guilt because of the argument Sydney still couldn’t remember.

Pulling her hand out of Ida’s, Sydney turned to her side, careful not to jostle the IV in her hand.

There was a knock on the door, indicating she had a visitor.

“Come in,” Ida answered.

“Ms. Lewis? Are you awake?”

Sydney opened her eyes and turned her head toward the sound of her visitor’s voice. “Yes, I’m up.”

“Good. You pressed the help button for a nurse but as I was on my way to your room I decided to find out what we can do for you. I’m Dr. Green, by the way.” He sounded friendly enough.

“I didn’t need anything actually but I do have some questions.”

“Of course.”

“What’s the matter with me?”

“Right now you’re just fine. When you were admitted I was worried about your blood pressure but we’ve got that under control. You had an irregular heartbeat as well but that too is back to normal. I’d like to do some further tests and if everything checks out, I’m recommending that you stay overnight for observation but in the morning we can discharge you.”

“Dr. Green, the kind of pain I experienced doesn’t seem like it would be caused by high blood pressure.”

“Believe me Ms. Lewis, high blood pressure can cause a various number of ailments, but I’ve ordered a CAT scan for you later today to make sure nothing else is going on with you. Someone will also be by to get a blood sample. Are you still feeling any pain?”

“I was a few minutes before you came in but I’m fine now.”

“I’ll have a nurse come with some pain meds. You can take them as needed. Do you have any other questions for me?”

Sydney wasn’t sure but an unsettling feeling took a hold of her that she couldn’t shake. “No. Thanks.”

“Good. I’ll be making my rounds again later this evening. Until then, take care.”

Once the doctor left, Sydney turned on her side. “I’m going to try to go back to sleep.”

“You go ahead. I’ll be right here.”

That statement should have made Sydney feel better but she just couldn’t rid herself of that uneasy sensation. What was wrong with her?

<><><><><>

Giovanni was frantic with worry by the time he made it to the hospital. Even though he’d vowed to stay away from Sydney, his resolve flew out the window the second he saw her being driven away by the ambulance; he had to see her if for nothing else than to reassure himself that she was okay. It felt as if his entire world was crumbling and he was helpless to do anything about it. He wondered if it was the dark force that was responsible for her need of medical assistance. Several scenarios raced through his mind and none of them were good.

Because ’John Chandler’ didn’t own a vehicle, he had to wait for a cab to take him to his destination. He made it to the hospital only to be denied entrance to Sydney’s room. According to the nurse, Sydney’s grandmother had said she was to have no visitors. As far as he knew, Sydney had no family. It was times like these when his former powers would have come in handy. He could have glamored the nurse to tell him what room Sydney was in. As luck would have it, however, he spotted Ida coming out of one of the rooms and it dawned on Giovanni that she must have told the staff that she was Sydney’s grandmother. Why she’d want to keep any visitors from seeing Sydney was beyond him but at least one mystery was solved.

He quickly ducked behind a column as Ida came toward him. Just as she was about to pass him, she paused and looked around her with a frown as if sensing she was being watched. Giovanni scooted away, making sure she didn’t see him. Finally when she began to walk again and was around the corner he released a deep sigh of relief. Sneaking past the nurse’s station, he hurried down the hallway to the room Ida had just vacated.

He quickly entered without knocking. Giovanni’s breath caught in his throat when he saw Sydney lying in the bed, hooked up to an IV, looking so helpless and small. Her eyes were closed and he assumed she was asleep. As he approached her bedside, his heart raced. Unable to help himself, he reached out and grazed her cheek with the back of his hand.

Her eyes slowly drifted open. “John?”

Giovanni yanked his hand back. “I thought you were sleeping.”

“No, I was just pretending. I thought you were Ida. She went to the cafeteria because I told her I wanted a soda. It was the only way I could think to get rid of her.”

“Why would you want to get rid of her?”

“She was smothering me. I know she means well, but I just wanted a few moments by myself.”

“Then maybe I should go too. I came because I wanted to see how you’re doing.”

As he backed away, she stretched her hand out to him but didn’t quite connect. “Please. Don’t go. I don’t mind if you stay for a bit.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yes. Please take a seat. I may not be able to see you hovering over me, but I can hear you fidgeting. You’re making me feel self-conscious.”

“Sorry.” He took the seat closest to her bed. “How are you feeling?”

“Fine now. It was a bit scary waking up in the hospital and not knowing what was going on. Ida explained to me that we were having an argument of some kind and I passed out. I don’t remember any of it. The doctor says my blood pressure skyrocketed. They’re going to run some more tests but he doesn’t seem to think they’ll find anything. It could be just one of those freak things. I did have a bit of a headache earlier but I’m okay now.”

Giovanni frowned not liking the sound of that. “What is the last thing you remembered before coming to?”

“Honestly? I remember us going for a walk. And I enjoyed it, probably a little too much.”'

He froze. She couldn’t be serious. “You remember nothing else? Not last night?”

She scrunched her face as if she was trying to concentrate before clutching her head. “Oh.”

“What’s the matter?” he asked in panic.

“The headache is coming back. Every time I try to remember what happened my head starts throbbing.”’

“Our walk is the last thing you remember?” he asked incredulously.

“Yes. You sound surprised.”

“I am because that happened last week.”

She moved to a sitting position, her mouth agape. “What? Are you sure?”

“I’m positive. You’re telling me you’ve lost the last several days?” He wasn’t sure if he was relieved or dismayed that she didn’t remember a thing about the night before. While it had probably meant more to him than anything he’d ever experienced, he was glad at the very least that she also lost the memory of him losing control. Briefly he wondered if this was a side effect of the Romanovs’ spell but immediately dispelled the idea. They were far too experienced to allow something like this to happen. Was it like Sydney’s doctor suggested, that it was a one-time incident, or was there more to it like the dark force that had been alluded to?

Her symptoms sounded vaguely familiar but he couldn’t think of where he’d seen them before.

“I don’t know how that could be. The doctor didn’t mention it…but then again, I didn’t know.”

“You should tell him about it when he comes to the room again. In the meantime you need to lie down and rest.”

She shook her head. “I’ve been resting since I’ve been here. Actually you and I should talk.”

Something in Sydney’s tone told Giovanni that he wouldn’t necessarily like what she had to say. “Okay? What did you want to talk about?”

“That kiss.”

“The kiss? I thought you didn’t rememb—oh, when we went for our walk.”

“Yes. I…I don’t know where to begin.” She let out a nervous giggle. “I’m not going to lie John. I enjoyed that kiss. Probably more than I should have. From the moment I met you, I felt this connection I couldn’t quite explain and in other circumstances, I wouldn’t be averse to exploring where things could go with us. But you’re my boarder and I don’t think it’s a good idea to get involved. Besides, I haven’t had much success in the love department. Knowing my luck even if something did happen between us it would end badly. I can’t take that risk. I mean, I am wildly attracted to you but this thing between us just can’t happen.”

Giovanni wasn’t in a position to act on his feelings for her until his transformation was complete and he figured out the danger that surrounded her. Still, her words were like a kick in his gut. Making love to her meant absolutely everything to him and it hurt his ego and heart that she didn’t remember, but perhaps it was for the best.

“John?”

He opened his mouth to speak but the words wouldn’t come. He wanted to pull her in his arms and fuck her senseless and make her remember their night together, but he managed to push that impulse away.

“Oh my God.” She lowered her head. “I’m so embarrassed. I read too much into that kiss, didn’t I?”

He realized that she’d misinterpreted his silence. “No. That’s not it at all. I enjoyed the kiss, Sydney. More than you could know. You’re a beautiful, accomplished woman. And I’d like nothing more than to pursue a relationship with you, but the timing is off. I’m going to have to go away for a while.”