Giovanni (Blood Brothers Book 6) (2 page)

The little bit of patience he had been holding on to was gone. He raised a brow. “Then I’m sure you heard me the first time.”

She eyed the bag he carried with him. It was a plain canvas duffle bag chosen because it was inconspicuous, unlike the expensive luggage he could easily afford. “I suppose you’re looking to stay.”

Giovanni had scouted this place from a distance and wasn’t familiar with this woman. She was a probably another boarder but she certainly possessed an air of a woman who claimed whatever domain she resided in. “This is a boarding house, isn’t it? I spoke to Miss Lewis on the phone and she’s expecting me.”

“I help her run this place. Can’t say I remember her mentioning a new person coming this week.”

He never realized how much he’d taken his powers for granted. In a former life, he would have
glamored
her. The old woman would be eating out the palm of his hands
but he was just an ordinary man. No special abilities and with an infinite amount of
frustration. Giovanni mentally counted down ten and released a sigh. “Perhaps it slipped her mind but I informed her I’d be here today.”

The woman narrowed her eyes. “I doubt it. Sydney tells me everything.”

“I’m sorry, Ms.—I didn’t catch your name.”

“Because I didn’t throw it.”

He bit his tongue to hold back a curse. Before he could think of a calm response, he heard the soft sounds of footsteps approaching. He turned to see a tall dark-skinned woman in a yellow sundress approach. His heart skipped several beats as his breath caught in his throat. It had been several months since he’d last seen her and never this close.

She was tall and curvaceous, reminding him of a Botticelli painting come to life. Her eyes were large, framed with long thick lashes while her lips were full and pouty. Proud cheek bones rested in a face that Giovanni believed was complete perfection. She wore her hair cropped closely to her scalp, but the look suited her. It brought the focus to her angelic face. Her dress, which wouldn’t be considered risqué on most bodies, was absolutely sinful on hers, particularly for the way it skimmed her generous hips and breasts.

He’d almost forgotten the way she’d made him feel the first time he’d seen her. But as she drew closer his ability to speak or even think had faded away. All he could see was her and how the sun glistened off of her beautiful brown skin that reminded him of silken sable.

As if his feet had a mind of their own, they began to move, propelling him toward her. He reached out when she was arm’s length in front of
hi
m and touched her arm. The beauty gasped, her gorgeous brown eyes widening in surprise as a jolt of electricity shot through his body.

Suddenly darkness consumed him as he experienced the sensation of falling.

Chapter Two

Sydney didn’t see the stranger fall, but she’d certainly heard the heavy drop of his body to the ground. She knelt down and reached out for him. It was ice cold! She yanked her hand away, fearing the worst. No, this couldn’t be happening. His body wouldn’t have lost heat so quickly. She reached out again and found his chest and then moved her hand along his solid frame until she found his neck. There was a pulse, but it was slow.

“Ida!” she called out, hoping her friend was on the porch or at least looking out from the kitchen window.

“No need to yell, I’m here, child.”

Sydney could hear the faint creaking of Ida’s favorite rocking chair in the background and assumed she’d been there all along. “I think we need to call an ambulance. He passed out.”

“Maybe he’s been out in the sun too long. Carolina summers are usually pretty mild but this year it’s been a beast.”

“I don’t think he’s suffering from heatstroke, he’s not warm. He’s the opposite, actually.” She pressed her head on his forehead which felt clammy. He hadn’t spoken before he’d touched her and he didn’t wear any identifying colognes which would have helped identify him, although he did have a clean, after-shower scent mingled with a masculine fragrance that was uniquely his.

When he’d made contact with her, she felt a jolt she couldn’t explain. It was the sensation of being shocked by someone who wore wool socks rubbing them against the carpet, but much more intense. She couldn’t quite explain it beyond that.

And now he lay at her feet, apparently passed out, and she didn’t understand what was happening. Her earlier visit to the doctor’s office was pushed to the back of her mind as she focused her attention on this stranger.

“I still think we should get him some medical attention. Could you make that call?” She spoke in Ida’s general direction.

“Why don’t you try to rouse him before getting anyone else involved? He doesn’t look that terribly sick to me. Maybe a little pale. Could be a junkie. We don’t need that kind of trouble around here.”

Sydney frowned. It wasn’t like Ida to be so unhelpful. “Why would you think that? Who is he anyway?”

“Someone claiming to be a new boarder. Said he talked to you on the phone.”

Sydney smacked her forehead. “Oh, no. I’ve been so worried about my appointment that I forgot to mention we’d be getting a new boarder this week. He said he’d be here tomorrow but there was a possibility that he would show up today. I can’t believe it slipped my mind. I had the agency run his information, of course, and everything seemed to check out. His name is John Chandler.”

“Hmph,” Ida grunted. “There’s something about this guy I don’t quite trust.”

Just then, John stirred with a groan. “Sydney,” he whispered her name like a soft caress, sending another wave of awareness shooting through her body. She could feel his gaze on her which seemed to burn a hole in her skin. She wasn’t sure why she would react to a stranger this way but it made her more than a little uncomfortable.

“Yes. Are you Mr. Chandler?”

“
Mi s
cusi
?”

“I’m sorry?”

“Umm, yes. I am he. But please, John will do.”

“You frightened me, passing out like that. Should we call you an ambulance? This sun has been a killer lately.”

“No. Please don’t.”

“Are you sure? You gave us a bit of a scare.”

“Trust me. I’ll be fine. Actually, I’m just exhausted. I’ve been awake for a while.”

“Hmm, well, if you’re sure.”

“I am.”

“Well in that case, you’re in luck, even though I didn’t think you’d show up until tomorrow, we have a room for you. Ida can show you to your room. We can discuss rules and what not after you’ve rested. You’ll have to accept my apologies because I’m just getting home from an appointment.” She realized she was babbling and laughed nervously.

Sydney scooted away from him and reached for her cane before wobbling to her feet.

“The only room that’s ready is Dylan’s room.” Ida huffed the words, seeming very put out that Sydney would dare offer the one room in the house that remained vacant.

“It’s the only room that’s clean and ready for a guest. Mr. Chandler—er, John can stay there for the night and we’ll prepare one for him for the remainder of his stay if that’s okay with you, Ida.” Sydney added that last part without bothering to disguise her annoyance. She couldn’t figure out what had gotten into her friend, who didn’t seem to like their new guest.

Mr. Chandler shuffled on the ground. Sydney figured he was attempting to get up. She would have offered him a hand for leverage but was too scared to make contact with him again. She could tell when he was on his feet again, because he had somehow invaded her space and the warmth of his breath gently flowed against her lips.

“Well, I suppose if you’re going to stay then I might as well show you to your room,” Ida grumbled ungraciously.

Sydney would definitely have to find out what was going on with the older woman when they got some time alone.

“Well, I look forward to talking to you later.” Mr. Chandler spoke.

“Likewise,” Sydney answered to be polite. She got along with most of her boarders, some whom she’d even become quite close to over the years, but there was something about this man that made her feel emotions she couldn’t quite understand and that made him dangerous.

It was only when he finally walked away from her did Sydney release the breath she didn’t realize she’d been holding. They’d spoken briefly on the phone and from what she gathered, he was basically a drifter who traveled a lot and wanted to spend a little time in the South and see some sights. He said he was willing to pay for three months stay upfront.

Since her accident, she hadn’t had much luck with dating so she’d given up on ever finding a love. For some reason she seemed to attract men who either fetishized her condition or the ones who babied her and wouldn’t let her do the most mundane of tasks. She could do without either types of men and was happy with her life without being fussed over all the time. Like most hot-blooded women, she did miss the companionship of a lover and there were times when she was lonely. She’d tried to just do the casual thing with a couple guys, hang out with no strings attached and fulfill each other’s needs. But both situations had turned out to be disasters with each of the men falling into the two category of guys she tried to avoid. Now it was just her and her trusted vibrator. And if she ever got lonely, she’d call a friend to hang out.

Sydney wondered what Mr. Chandler looked like. He seemed tall and his voice was deep and sexy. She detected a faint accent. She didn’t miss the fact that he’d slipped and spoke another language which sounded like Spanish or Italian. Maybe he was born in another country. She couldn’t be sure. She bet he looked as good as he sounded.

“Get it together, girl,” she muttered to herself. He was her boarder. Nothing more. All these thoughts of this new guy reminded her to replace the batteries in her dildo. She had a feeling it would be a long night.

Sydney started to wash the few dishes that still lingered in the sink. She didn’t want to dwell on her earlier appointment or her new housemate. Sydney heard Ida’s heavy sigh when she entered the kitchen.

Ida grumbled something Sydney didn’t quite catch before rummaging through the pots and pans. “Guess I might as well start dinner. Looks like I’m going to need to stretch the meal for an extra person.”

Sydney couldn’t figure out why her friend seemed to be so put out by the new boarder. Sure Ida had the type of personality that took some getting used
to, and
she could be gruff at times, but for the most part she was harmless. Ida also had a heart of gold. “Look, Ida, I’m sorry for not mentioning him earlier. I guess with everything going on, it clearly slipped my mind.”

“This is your house and who you invite in to it is none of my business.”

“Maybe so, but we both know you’re invaluable here and your opinion matters to me. Clearly there’s something about this situation you don’t like.”

There was a long pause as Ida seemed to busy herself with the tasks of preparing dinner. For a moment Sydney didn’t think the older woman would answer, but finally Ida sighed. “Perhaps I’m just being foolish and set in my ways but there’s something about that man I don’t trust. How much do you know about him?”

“About as much as I know about any of the other boarders. He passed the background check. Decent credit, no criminal history. And he was willing to pay for the first three months plus the deposit in advance. He’s already wired the money to the broker so I could hardly turn him away. Besides, the extra money won’t hurt. It could go to some of the much needed repairs.”

“We would have gotten by. But I guess it doesn’t matter. He’s here now and there’s not much I can do about it. I just wish you wouldn’t have offered him Dylan’s room. He’ll be coming back soon.”

A cold chill ran down Sydney’s spine at the mention of Ida’s grandson. He wasn’t exactly Sydney’s favorite person. He was arrogant, short-tempered and often rude to the other boarders. When he was around Sydney would bite her tongue to keep the peace. She mostly tolerated him for Ida’s sake, even going as far as letting him stay at the house whenever he was in town. He worked for a construction company that did a lot of work out of town, so fortunately he wasn’t around that much.

“You said he wouldn’t be back for a few more days so it shouldn’t be a problem for John to stay in Dylan’s room. And by tomorrow we’ll have another spot ready for him. I understand you’re a little wary about the new guy but if he causes any problems or violates the house rules, he’ll be evicted.”

“Well, it’s
your
house. I have no say in anything. It’s not like my input matters much.”

Sydney sighed, backing away from the sink and walking towards Ida’s voice. She reached out and felt for Ida’s shoulder. “Ida, you know I value your opinion. Your friendship means more to me than you know. I couldn’t run this place without you. So let’s not argue about this, okay? How about I help you with dinner when I finish the rest of the dishes?”

Ida patted Sydney on the cheek. “You’re a good girl, Sydney. I just worry about you is all. But if you are okay with this then so am I. And no, you don’t have to help me with dinner. It’s all under control. I already have a chicken marinating on the counter. I just need to pre-heat the oven first.”

“Okay.” Sydney went back to her task at the sink.

“You never told me how your appointment went.”

Sydney hunched over and willed herself not to get emotional. She’d already done enough crying in the doctor’s office. She refused to start up again. “I’d prepared myself for the worse but I’m still a little disappointed.”

“The operation wasn’t successful, I take it?”

“No. The thing is, I was so sure that my sight was coming back after the procedure. I could see shadows and could make out shapes. That’s the best I’d seen in years. But then nothing again. I don’t know what happened. Anyway, Dr. Wyncote seemed as surprised as I was that it wasn’t a success. He believed with the immediate progress after the surgery that it was a promising sign that I’d regain some or if not all of my vision back. But with the last setback, he doesn’t think there’s anything else that can be done.”

“Well, we did discuss all possibilities and you knew this was one of them. I know you’re disappointed, child, but you’re going to be okay. You navigate this world better than most sighted people. My old eyes aren’t much better.”

“But at least your old eyes can see. I get that you’re trying to comfort me, but can we change the subject? I don’t want to talk about this anymore.” Sydney snorted. It wasn’t her intention to be rude but the last thing she needed right now was to be patronized.

“Of course, but just know that you’re strong. You’ll get through this.”

“I’ll tell you what. I’ll finish these dishes and you go lay down. I’m sure you’re tired after the long day you’ve had.”

“That’s okay. I need something to do to keep me occupied.”

“If that’s what you think is best.”

Sydney returned her focus on her task and Ida seemed to do the same. They
worked in silence during which time, Sydney’s mind kept drifting to the mysterious John Chandler.