“Why isn’t she waking up?”
And just like that, something snapped in my head. Getting to my feet, I carried her to the back of the plane where I knew Gio had a room outfitted for long flights. Laying her on the bed, I turned to find my brother and cousins all watching.
“Marko, get my med-kit. Gio, I need a bowl or trash can and some towels,” I ordered, removing my suit jacket as Marko quickly got what I needed while Gio stood rooted in his spot and asked, “What is going on, Lo?”
“She was drugged. I need to get it out of her system.”
“Who drugged her?”
“Luca. I killed him.”
Silence.
What was there to say. I never lied to my family and I wasn’t going to start now. The faster they realized and comprehended what I just said, the easier it would be for them to dismiss me. I fully expected it. My whole life I was a fuck up and tonight’s events just proved that.
I was a murderer.
Nothing would ever change that fact now.
“Lo,” Gio carefully began, as Marko returned with my med-kit, “What happened tonight?”
“She went to the party without me. I tried to stop her, then she kicked me in the balls. When I could walk again, I went after her. She was already on the yacht. Luca spotted me just as I found her. Fucker gave her a flute of champagne. She drank it. I don’t know why I didn’t stop her. I wasn’t thinking. I just wanted to leave and get her back to the hotel. She had to go to the bathroom. She was out of my sight for just a few minutes. I went looking for her and that’s when I saw Luca’s goons. I could hear someone behind the door. I fought them. That’s when I found her. He was over her naked body. He was about to…but I stopped him. She wasn’t moving. There was so much blood.”
“Breathe Lorenzo. She is safe now. So are you,” Giovanni said, stepping closer to me. I took a step back and shook my head as tears rolled down my face. “I didn’t mean to kill them. I just wanted to leave with her and they wouldn’t let me. When I saw him over her, I lost it. I couldn’t stop myself, Gio. I didn’t want to.”
“I know. It’s okay brother. Just breathe.”
“What drug did he give her?” Marko asked going through the med-kit. Like me he was trained in first aid. Being my brother’s bodyguard came with all kinds of responsibilities and the main one was keeping Gio alive.
Shaking my head, I replied, “I don’t know.”
“Okay,” Gio sighed, running his hand through his hair as he added, “Marko you know what to do. Lorenzo, come with me.”
“No!” I shouted, moving to stop Marko from getting close to her. “She is mine. No one touches her. I promised him. She is mine to protect.”
Nobody moved.
“I will do it.”
Marko carefully handed me the syringe and an alcohol pad. Turning to Donatella who still lay unconscious on the bed, I carefully sat down next to her and took her bare arm in my hands. Cleaning the area at the juncture of her elbow, I inserted the needle and pushed the plunger. Placing the now empty syringe on the small table next to the bed, I turned to Gio. “It will take a few seconds for it to work. She is about to get sick.”
Marko rushed to the bathroom and returned with a small trash can just as Donatella moaned, then rolled to her side, vomiting into the trash can. I stayed at her side, never leaving until I knew whatever that fucker had given her was out of her stomach. What made it into her system was going to take longer to get rid of. I didn’t know how long I sat there holding her hair as she emptied her stomach but when I knew she was done, I helped her to roll back over. Reaching for a blanket, I covered her and watched as she drifted off to sleep.
By the time I moved, I only found Giovanni in the room with me. The others left us alone. My brother looked worried and angry. I knew he wasn’t concerned about me. I expected his anger. It was what I was used to. I really fucked up this time. I almost caused a woman in our family’s care to die. That was on me. There was nothing I could say or do to change that fact.
“I’m sorry, Gio.”
God, just saying those words I knew meant nothing. I’ve said them so many times over my life. Even now, I knew those words were useless.
“I know you are Lorenzo. I know.”
“But you don’t believe me do you.”
“Can you blame me? I know you and Donatella went through something horrible tonight. I get that and I’m not angry about that. I am angry that you once again disregarded my orders and because of that, Donatella was almost raped. As for you, I never wanted this life for you. Not for any of you but when you killed Luca and his men,” Giovanni sighed, then looked up at me and added, “Lorenzo, I just don’t see how you can go back to your life. Tonight, you changed everything.”
“I know. The guy who helped me said as much. He wanted me to give you something. A large yellow manila envelope. Where is it?” I asked, looking around the room for it.
“You mean this?” Giovanni said, leaning over and pulling the large envelope from under the chair he was sitting on.