Page 12 of Amadeo (Dark Legends #4)

Gia

I followed him in and shut the door behind us.

A restroom wouldn’t usually be a place to meet for anyone, but this bathroom wasn’t built like most. It seemed to be more like a fancy large powder room or a lounge at a high end club.

And unlike the other rooms, there weren’t any cameras, at least I hoped not.

Looking upward, I glanced around at the ceiling.

“My father can be an asshole, but he’s not a sicko. So he wouldn’t put them in here,” Amadeo said as he shook his head.

I didn't reply as my cheeks heated up. He was right.

I suppose I acted a bit too neurotic. But ever since I arrived here, the stress had gotten worse and worse.

I admit that Amadeo had been pleasant and amusing when we took our walk out to the property.

But otherwise, I had an axe waiting over my head, held there by Stephano Descalia.

At least, I wouldn’t be uncomfortable in close proximity due to the size of this room.

I needed the extra space, because getting close to this man would be my downfall.

I wished it wasn’t true. I wish I understood what happened two years ago.

I thought I did understand. I believed he was the man who had messed up our lives.

But if he had done what I thought, he must have changed a lot since then.

This man just seemed so genuine and sweet.

I couldn’t see a lie coming from him at all.

He seemed to look everyone right in the eye and he never shifted away from any subject.

There were so many things to like about him.

I would admit that. A great sense of humor.

Wonderful manners and he treated people around him with kindness and consideration.

Even ones he didn’t have to notice. Like the maids or housekeepers.

I had watched him whenever they came into Deacon’s room to do their thing and he would even help them if they needed something.

He greeted them by using their first names, a smile and some jokes.

He even treated that strange butler Max with a joking manner, teasing him mercilessly while attempting to get him to smile.

It never worked but Amadeo tried anyway.

I’d been in the kitchen once to get something and he had been there helping the plumber of all things.

He got right down on the floor and helped with repairing a pipe underneath the double sink.

He never hesitated. The plumber seemed used to it as he even called him Deo.

He ended up getting all wet after the pipe burst, he laughed and helped the plumber up.

He made jokes about it being a dish sink pipe and not a sewer line.

He said the pipe had been giving them trouble but at least it gave them no shit.

The plumber nodded and agreed as he laughed too.

I do know that many of these estates didn’t have people in them as friendly as Amadeo.

Then just a minute ago, he made Nurse Jocelyn laugh… again .

Damnit, he made people happy.

It all just didn’t equal up to what I knew about him.

Then again, many vipers had that ability, didn’t they?

To hide their real face until they got what they wanted.

It had been a man like that who had destroyed my family.

Someone who’d been responsible for the ending of a life.

A man who’d taken my father’s peace and sanity away .

Staring at me, Amadeo said, “Ok, I’m ready.”

I stared back and asked, “For what?”

“My cussing out. Dressing down. You know, the usual.” He shrugged.

I slowly shook my head. “No, I wanted to…” I paused to think about what I needed to say. I stepped over and paced for a minute. Yes, the bathroom was as large as a spacious bedroom, so I could pace. After a minute, I halted and looked up at him.

His smile widened.

“What is so amusing?” I asked him.

“I admit, watching you pace is simply glorious.”

I paused. The flirtation in his voice and face…It never really let up. Even after the way I treated him. I stepped over to him and said, “I want to apologize for slapping you. I don’t know why I did that?”

He slowly shook his head at me. “I disagree. I think you know exactly why. You just refuse to tell me why you hate me. Why you believe I am poison, a bad guy, untrustable.”

I took a deep breath as I made a good attempt to ignore his remarks and went on, “Well, there was no excuse in slapping you. Especially for just asking a question.”

He chuckled. “But I do deserve slapping for whatever crime I committed in the past that you find detestable?”

I raised my hand up at him and again ignored his questions. “I simply took it wrong and slapping you was uncalled for. Do you forgive me?”

“Do you forgive me?” he retorted.

I raised my head to look at him.

“I’m not kidding,” he added in a serious tone as his face showed the same seriousness. “I want forgiveness for whatever sin I committed, whenever it was.”

Oh no, I could never give him that. There was no changing what had happened. No going back. God, how I wish it were that easy. Shaking my head, I turned to leave. “That was all I wanted to—”

He grabbed my arm and stepped up close to speak to me softly, “Even a murderer gets due process, doctor. Their day in court. I wasn’t insulted by the slap.

I deserved that for accusing you of aligning with the mafia the way I did.

However, I don’t feel like I deserve this constant distrust from you.

This actual resentment I currently see in those beautiful eyes of yours.

I need you to explain to me what I did in the past that keeps that angry glint in your gaze whenever you look at me. ”

I made a mistake and that was to look into his eyes as he spoke.

Before I even knew it, he had his arms wrapped around me, his mouth over mine.

Before I could retrieve my sanity, I was wrapping my arms around his neck and kissing him back.

I’d never felt so attracted to a man ever .

Not like this. Something in his scent, his eyes, his smile.

I felt a pull, like a magnet tugging at my very soul.

Telling me to taste him, get close to him and enjoy his presence.

The kiss we shared was just like before.

Astonishing in its wildness, its heat, its control over us both.

Our desperation to be as close as we could– had us pushing up against each other –as close as we could.

My breasts were pressing his hard chest. The world disappeared, reality left and I only knew this.

The room then seemed to spin around me as my knees actually went weak.

Amadeo finally broke the kiss as we were both breathless. He stared into my eyes. “We have something between us that we may never find again. Please reconsider your grudge and let me in on the reason why you cannot be with me.”

His words were like a bucket of ice cold water. Hitting me full on with a stunning reality check. I took a large step back and actually had to attempt to keep my balance.

Reaching over, he tried to steady me.

Raising my hands at him, I kept him back. Then reaching up, I softly grazed my fingers over my just kissed lips. His kisses would undo me and capitulate me into a lost world of fire. I slowly shook my head at him.

He took my hand and raised it up to his lips. Turning it over, he kissed my palm.

Damnit, if my body didn’t tremble at the heat of his mouth on my skin.

If I weren’t careful, this man could take my heart, take me, take it all.

The realization of this near possibility hit me hard.

I could easily be seduced by him and fall from the heavens to hell just like—I yanked my hand from his gentle grasp and turned to grab the door handle.

“Dr. Ribisi,” he called to me.

At his use of my formal name, I halted with the door slightly ajar.

“I can clearly see that you feel the same attraction as I do. So I need you to tell me the truth,” he implored. “I think a mistake has been made. Some mistaken identity. What if you are wrong about me and we missed out on a beautiful life together?”

Yes, it probably would be blazingly beautiful. He could also make me laugh. He told wonderful stories too. Never a dull moment, never a pause in his sincerity. I wished that we could try for this beautiful life…I turned around and asked, “You said you were in Italy two years ago, correct?”

He nodded. “I was there for my father.” Cocking his head, he looked curious. “So that is where this bad deed occurred?”

I nodded as I could clearly see he didn’t know what had happened in the timeframe I mentioned.

How could that be? Maybe he left Milan and never knew what had ended up happening?

Or he was so uncaring that he’d forgotten?

I looked into his warm gaze and knew that couldn’t be true.

I also couldn’t tell him everything as there were others involved.

People I had to protect. I just couldn’t chance it.

“Listen, I can see that perhaps I misjudged you. And yes, I am really attracted to you. I mean damn, just look at you. And I am flattered to no end that you think I’m…

” I shook my head as I realized I was babbling.

“But…” He cocked his head at me. “I can hear one coming.”

I slowly nodded my head at him. “ But I can see no future for us. Let us say that I am wrong about believing you had done it. Even if that were true, I still couldn’t date you.

I can’t date anyone. It is just a fact. One I cannot deny.

” I turned and quickly left the bathroom.

If I told the truth, running away would be what I was really doing.

Running from what seemed like a great guy, a great kisser but he was also a great danger to me.

Amadeo clearly didn’t understand the position I was in, I could see that. He wasn’t in on the deal I’d made either and I realized this yesterday. Even if he wasn’t the man I’d believed him to be, I still had to accept the fact that I couldn’t break that deal. My loved ones depended on it.

When I went over to the bed—all I could do was stare.

The bed was empty. No Deacon. How could that be?

Looking around, I also didn’t see my nurse. “Amadeo!” I shouted.

He came rushing out and immediately saw what I did. He reached for his phone and then looked down at it as he huffed out air. Raising his head, he asked me, “Let me use your cell?”

I dug it out of my pocket and handed it over.

“Damn…” Then he tapped in a number and spoke quickly, “Tito, Deacon is gone.” He winced as a loud voice came over the cell. “Yes, but I was in the restroom.” He listened, then replied, “No, my cell died earlier.” He then sighed and handed me the phone. “They’re going to look at the video footage.”

“And when they do, they are going to see us heading into the bathroom together,” I exclaimed in a bit of a panic.

“The hell am I gonna do?” My heart was hammering in my chest. Then I shook my head.

How could I worry about my circumstances?

“I should be worried about my patient and my nurse,” I grumbled aloud.

“Not myself.” I stomped my foot. “He shouldn't even be able to walk yet!”

“And he didn’t walk,” a voice came from the doorway.

We looked over to see an angry looking Stephano.

“The camera showed someone in a hood,” he explained. “This person unhooked him from the machines and simply tossed him over their shoulder.”

“What?” I asked in shock. “Deacon was ill but he is not a small man. And what happened to my nurse?”

“She helped this person get Deacon free.” Stephano growled.

My mouth popped open in shock. “Nurse Jocelyn helped him to escape?”

Nodding, he swung his glare over to Amadeo. “You were not present to prevent this.” It wasn’t a question.

Amadeo shook his head as he simply replied, “No sir, I was not.”

“I will not ask you why.” Stephano swung his angry gaze to me now. “You, on the other hand…I need to ask why have you betrayed us?”

Fear knotted in my chest as I hadn’t considered how this looked. “I didn’t—”

“No, non voglio sentirlo!” Stephano shouted at me as he cut my reply off. “I do not wish to hear it. You know what this means.”

I felt breathless. He wouldn’t… he couldn’t do that.

“Father, what are you saying?” Amadeo asked.

“She was using her wiles to lead you away, so that Deacon could escape.” He stared at me as he said it. “And she knows what price she will have to pay.”

I clasped my hands together and defended myself, “I did not help in this, Mr. Descalia. I did not!”

“She and I had something we needed to discuss,” Amadeo said. “She wouldn’t—”

“You do not know the situation, son. So please be quiet.” He tapped his cell phone and raised it to his ear.

“Rocky, I need you and the men to look everywhere for Deacon and this Nurse Jocelyn. They have a tall wide shouldered man with them. They couldn’t have gotten off the property.

Keep me informed.” He tapped his cell screen and glared at me.

“You will need to be guarded now. Until he is found at least. Then you will leave.”

“Father, you can’t just—”

“Amadeo, you have no idea what is happening here.” His father cut him off.

No, Amadeo didn’t know that my whole family was in great danger now. He had no idea that we were irrevocably on opposite sides. We were enemies and always had been. My future and the safety of my family had just gone up in smoke.