The Enemy in My Bed by L.K. Shaw

Chapter 16

Pierce

I hatethe smell of hospitals. The antiseptic scent that always manages to linger for hours after you leave. I make my way into the elevator and up to the fourth floor where they finally moved Giovanni after he’d gotten out of ICU.

Given her—caution—around men, I’m a little surprised by the fact that Francesca has been here every day checking on him. Especially after it had been clear that he was going to pull through surgery.

The elevator opens, and I stride down the hallway, glancing at the room numbers until I get to four sixteen. The door is partially open. Faint voices filter through the crack. I rap my knuckles on the wood and push it the rest of the way. Lying on the bed is a distinctly unhappy looking Giovanni. Francesca and Brenna, who seems to be fussing over him, hover at his side. Jacob stands near the window.

Everyone glances up at my arrival. My sister sends me a smile while my cousin’s wife narrows her eyes at me. Jacob moves away from his spot, and I follow him back out into the hallway.

“How’s he doing?” I ask.

“Gio’s fine. He’s antsy and irritated and more than ready to get out of this place.”

I can’t blame him. It’s why we pay Dr. Marino a fortune to take care of all the men in the syndicate.

“Brenna showed up at your little house today,” he adds drily. “Apparently she threatened Lazarro if he didn’t take her.”

Fuck. “Did she go inside?”

Jacob huffs out a breath. “Of course she did. By the time I was able to make my way over, she and your little pet project were already having a nice cozy chat.”

“Don’t call her that,” I snap.

My cousin sends me a knowing glare. “I knew this was a bad idea,” Jacob says.

“Everything is still going according to my plan. Every day, I’m learning more.”

He eyes me critically. “You’re getting emotionally involved with this woman, Pierce. Even if you can’t admit that to yourself. There’s something between you.”

I blow out a breath and rub my hand down my face. Jacob isn’t wrong. There is something. There shouldn’t be. She’s Russian. Jesus.

“Do you care about her?”

My gaze jerks to meet his. “Of course not. She’s the enemy.”

“Is she, though?” he asks quietly. “Look at what she did for Brenna. Hell, even today she tried to protect my wife. Outright lied and said she was staying in that house of her own free will. Would she have done that if she were the enemy?”

I don’t have an answer. Or rather not one I’m willing to admit to.

“I think she’s just a woman who has done whatever she’s needed to to survive,” he adds.

“When we found Francesca all those years ago, I vowed to destroy the Russians. I swore that even if it took the rest of my life, I would annihilate every single one of them,” I say. “I never told you, but she was pregnant.”

Jacob’s whole body freezes. He doesn’t even blink.

“I don’t know if it was an act of God or just fucking luck, but about two months into it, Francesca had a miscarriage.”

“That’s the business you had to come back and take care of after we first arrived in North Carolina,” he says with pity.

“Yes. You didn’t see her back then, Jacob. She wouldn’t let me touch her. Hell, she barely let Theresa touch her. My sister was eighteen years old and pregnant by our enemies. Enemies who took pleasure in raping her.” My voice rises in volume, and the nursing staff stares at us before continuing on their business. I snap my mouth shut to try and calm my growing anger. “You’re asking me to forget about all that. To disregard the fact that our enemies took something from my sister she will never get back.”

“What are you two talking about?”

Francesca is standing outside the door, her face pale, her body shaking. Her expression is one of betrayal.

“Chess,” I step toward her, but she holds up her hand. I freeze.

“Why were you talking about me? About that?” Her voice trembles.

Just then Brenna steps out of the room. Her gaze bounces between the three of us. “What’s going on out here?”

“Why don’t we all go somewhere a little more private?” Jacob suggests.

Francesca shakes her head. “No. I think you all should leave.”

“Fran—“ I begin.

“No,” she snaps, wrapping her arms around her middle. She refuses to look at any of us. “Leave. Please.”

That same helpless feeling washes over me as it had seven years ago. I hate that she’s hurting. That, this time, I’m the one who hurt her. I sigh in defeat, and gesture with my chin to Jacob and Brenna, who continues looking confused. Then she meets my gaze and her expression slowly shifts to anger. She carefully approaches Francesca and whispers something to her before walking away. Jacob and I follow her.

I glance over my shoulder, but my sister has already gone back inside Giovanni’s room and closed the door. My cousin and his wife reach the elevator, and I head toward them. Neither speak, but I can sense both their emotions. I wait for Brenna to rail at me, but she continues to seethe in silence. The ride down to the lobby is heavy and the air around us is tense.

We reach the ground level, the elevator pings, and the metal door slides open. She’s the first to exit. Why I’m still following behind them is beyond me. Their driver, Aurelio, who stands outside their town car, hurries around to the back door and opens it. Brenna stops and turns toward me.

“You terrified me from the moment I first met you. I thought you were cold. Emotionless. But I’ve gotten to know you. Or rather, I thought I did,” she says with scorn. “I know what it’s like to be a pawn. To be used for money and power. It’s something I would expect from my grandfather. I never would have imagined you’d be just like him.”

She doesn’t wait for a reply before she disappears into the back seat, slides to the opposite side, and sits facing forward with her hands in her lap. Jacob glances in my direction and then climbs in beside her. Aurelio encloses them inside while I stand there, my distorted reflection in the dark-tinted glass staring back at me, until the town car pulls away from the curb.

I need a fucking drink.