“I have my connections, as well,” Johnny replied, and walking inside, he approached the bed. “Christina, I’m so sorry. I was worried sick about you,” he said and took her in his arms.
Out of the corner of her eyes, Christina saw Dan tense up. “Johnny, I’m so glad you’re okay,” she replied and pulled back. “But I still don’t understand.”
“I have a lot of explaining to do,” Johnny admitted and glanced from Christina to Dan. “Maybe I should start by introducing myself… Special Agent John Meyers,” he said. “I’m so sorry, Christina that I lied to you, but I couldn’t possibly use my real name.”
Dan coughed and walked to the door. “I’m going to grab a cup a coffee,” he said and left the room, probably realizing they wanted to be left alone for a while.
Christina stared at Dan leaving and then turned to Johnny, who shifted uncomfortably. She kept quiet, waiting for him to go on.
“I’ve been working on the Rosetti case for a long time,” he said. “At first, I didn’t know how involved you were.”
Christina stared at him surprised. “Involved? Me?”
“Yes,” he admitted and lowered his eyes.
“So you did know!” she said, more to herself than him.
“Yes, Christina, I knew your real identity,” he admitted.
“You were following me. You were after me in Birmingham, and then you followed me to Atlanta.”
“I wasn’t after you,” he clarified. “I was just keeping an eye on you to see if you had any connections with those people.”
Christina felt betrayed and lowered her eyes, fighting back the tears.
“Christina I’m so sorry I doubted you,” he said and caressed her cheek.
Christina drew back.
“Please…” he pleaded, “I know it’s hard for you to understand, but I had a job to do.”
“You should have told me.”
“I couldn’t,” he insisted. “At first, I had to make sure that you weren’t involved, and afterwards, when I was sure you had nothing to do with them, I was trying to protect you. I’m so sorry that I got you into all this mess.”
“Well, at least it’s over,” she said. “I was so scared. That guy, Adriano, hated me.”
“I know,” Johnny admitted, and Christina stared at him.
“So you know about him?” she asked.
“Yes, I know that Adriano Reynolds was the illegitimate son of Paolo Rosetti with his mistress, Maria Reynolds. He hated you and your mother for all that he and his mother had to go through. Paolo had kept Adriano’s identity secret from everybody, even his brother. Adriano had grown up away from his father and the Rosetti family and was deprived of their power and fortune that he believed were rightfully his. His mother died when he was sixteen years old, and Adriano held Paolo responsible for her death. It seems that his mother adored Paolo, and it killed her that he kept her hidden away from his life. All they had together were some stolen moments in the apartment he kept for them.”
“So sad…” Christina mumbled. “I believe that Paolo is responsible for Adriano growing up to be such a mean and hateful person.”
“I believe so, too,” Meyers said and continued with the story.
“After your mother had left, Paolo became obsessed with finding her, and he didn’t pay attention to Maria anymore. When Adriano grew up, he went to work for the Rosetti family. Paolo didn’t object but didn’t do anything to help him either or treat him any differently than the rest. On the contrary, he was very hard on Adriano. But Adriano didn’t give up. He managed to climb the ladder and become Antonio’s right hand. It seems that through the years, he had decided to take his revenge and Rosetti’s fortune at the same time; everything, that, according to him, was rightfully his would eventually come into his hands. He found the opportunity to kill Paolo and blamed his death on Paolo’s enemies.”
Christina lay there, listening to him, even though she already knew most of that information. “I guess they had a lot of enemies,” she said, more to herself than to Johnny, thinking of all the hate and vengeance that poisoned the Rosetti family throughout the years.
“Yes, they did,” Johnny agreed.
Christina was lost in her thoughts. She thought about her father’s family and all she had found out during the last few days. What a shame. With all the money and the power in the world, they still couldn’t be happy. At least, it was over. They were all dead; Paolo, Adriano, Antonio, all the Rosettis were dead. And she was free; she could put all this behind her and go on with her life. Then again, she had this weird feeling that it wasn’t over yet.
Chapter Fifteen
JOHNNY WAS SITTING on the edge of Christina’s bed, staring at her straight in the eyes. “Christina, I’m sorry,” he said, and she could tell that he was pretty upset. “I’m sorry about everything and about showing up like this here. But I had to come… I had to see you and apologize for lying to you.”
She reached and touched his hand. He squeezed her hand in his and reached over and gave her a kiss on the forehead.
“I hope that someday you’ll be able to forgive me,” he said.
“Johnny,” Christina replied and stared at him straight in the eyes. “You’re my friend, and I forgive you. I just wish you had told me about all this earlier.”
“You think you could ever trust me again?” he asked and searched her face.
Christina lowered her eyes. Trust was something very difficult for her. Ever since she had found out about her real identity, it had been hard to trust anyone. She hadn’t even told her brother about all this. It was for his protection, she had told herself. But deep down inside, she knew it wasn’t only that. She didn’t want anyone to know. Johnny had been her friend for a couple of years. But still, she hadn’t trusted him with her secret, either. Come to think of it, the only person she had trusted was Dan.
Realizing that Johnny was expecting an answer, she stared at him silently; she couldn’t lie about something like that.
Johnny must have read her thoughts because he didn’t insist. He sprung to his feet and strode to the window. “I heard you’re been released tomorrow,” he said, gazing outside.
“Yes,” Christina responded. “I wish I could leave today.”
“I can understand that. I felt the same way when I was in the hospital,” he replied.
Silence stretched in the room for a while as if there was nothing more to say.
A few minutes later, Johnny turned to her. “Well, I’ll let you rest. I’ll be back tomorrow,” he promised and left the room.
***
Dan was waiting outside. As soon as Johnny left, he walked back inside. He saw Christina lost in her thoughts and walked over and sat on the chair next to her bed. She turned and looked at him, giving him a warm smile.
“Everything all right?” he asked.
“Yes,” Christina responded, simply.
He peered at her, expecting to hear more, but Christina kept quiet.
How did it go with Meyers? he wondered. What did he tell her, and how does she feel about him? Worried thoughts whirled around in his mind while the bitter sting of jealousy tormented him.
“What about Giovanni Perdini? Is he dead?” Christina asked suddenly, startling him.
“Who?” Dan asked surprised.
“There was a man on the yacht called Perdini,” Christina explained. “I saw him lying on the floor, bleeding, after the raid. What happened to him? Is he dead?”
“I’m not sure,” Dan replied. “But I can check on it. Why? Who is he?” he asked.
“Someone who saved my life,” Christina replied and explained about Giovanni having seen her at the top of the stairs after the massacre at the mansion and keeping quiet about it. If he had said something, they might have shot her right then and there. She also told him about the things she had found out from Giovanni about her mother.
Dan listened to her quietly. “If he’s arrested, I’ll arrange for you to see him if you want,” he promised Chri
stina.
“Yes,” Christina replied. “I would like to see him again.”
“Well,” Dan said and rose to his feet. “I have to go now. I have to meet with Alexis.”
“Who is Alexis?” she asked, puzzled.
“Alexis Psarianos is a very good friend of mine here in Greece who took over this case and helped wrap things up.”
“Is she with the police, as well?”
“Alexis is the Commissioner at the General Police Directorate of Ionian Islands. The local police department is under their supervision. And it’s a he not a she,” he added smiling.
“Oh, I see. Well, I’m glad he helped us then because if it was up to local police, I’d be in Italy by now.”
“What do you mean?” Dan asked her puzzled.
“I met the local police chief, Marcos Deligiannis,” she said.
“You met him? Where?”
“At Antonio Rosetti’s mansion. He was there when Adriano and I arrived. Antonio introduced me to him.”
Dan stared at her, stunned. All of a sudden, he remembered Alexis commenting that he was surprised the local police didn’t know about Antonio Rosetti living on the island. “I have to go,” he said. He had to inform Alexis immediately that the local chief was probably working for Rosetti, as well. And he had to arrange for police protection for Christina. Deligiannis might make an attempt against her to prevent her from testifying against him.
Not wanting to worry Christina, he waited until he stepped outside before he called Alexis.
***
The moment Dan stepped out the door, Christina tried to climb out of bed. Tired of hospitals and being confined, she was determined to leave this place as soon as possible. On the third try, she managed to stand on her feet. Taking a few shaky steps, she felt dizzy and sat back down on the edge of the bed. Damn! I have to wait until tomorrow. She drew a deep breath and let it out slowly, clenching her fists together.
Time seemed to stand still, and Christina was ready to climb the walls when finally Dan came back in the afternoon.
“Everything okay?” she asked seeing the frowning on his face.
“Yes, everything is fine.”
“Then why that look?”
“Don’t worry; everything is fine,” he insisted and changed the subject. “Janet called, and they’re all thrilled you’re safe and will be heading back home soon.”
“Are they okay?”
“Yes, they’re fine. Janet is going to cook moussaka for you when we get back… I didn’t know you liked Greek cuisine.”
“Yes, I do,” she admitted and left it at that. “Am I going to be able to leave the hospital tomorrow?”
“I believe so. I have booked you a room in my hotel—”
“No,” Christina interrupted him. “I’m not staying at a hotel.”
“What do you mean?”
“I’ll stay at the mansion. It belongs to me, so why stay at a hotel when I have a beautiful place like that?”
“I thought that you might not want to go back there after what you went through.”
“No, I’m going back. It’s the house where my mother grew up, and I want to be there for as long as we stay in Greece.”
“Okay,” Dan agreed. “I have to go now, but I’ll be back in the morning. There is a guard outside your door in case you need anything.”
“Here we go again.” Her lips pressed into a thin line.
“I know you’re sick and tired of all this, but we have to be careful. I explained to Alexis about Deligiannis, and he immediately assigned a guard to your door. By the way, Deligiannis is here, in the hospital.”
“He’s what? What is he doing here? I don’t want to talk to him.”
“I doubt he’s in a position to talk to anyone. You see, he had a heart attack last night.”
Christina’s eyes flew wide opened. “It’s probably because of worrying about me testifying against him.”
“It’s not your fault he got involved with Antonio Rosetti. When you’re dealing with people like that, you know the risk. Anyway, I found out about Giovanni Perdini. He was wounded during the raid, and he’s in the hospital, as well.”
“How is he?”
“I’m afraid he’s not doing too well. If you still want to see him, I’ll see what I can do tomorrow.”
“Okay,” she agreed. “Now, go on. Go get some rest.”
“I’ll be back first thing in the morning to pick you up, and then we’ll drive to the police station.”
“Why?”
“You have to give a statement. Alexis was going to come to the hospital today, but he thought that you might not be up to it yet. So we decided to wait until tomorrow.”
“Okay,” Christina agreed. “I’ll see you in the morning, then,” she added and hugged him tightly as he bent over to kiss her good night.
“I’ve missed you,” he whispered in her ear.
“I’ve missed you, too,” she replied and gave him a warm smile.
***
Dan went back to his hotel room, took a shower, and lay down. Flashbacks of everything that had happened swirled around in his mind, especially his intimate moments with Christina. He felt so content around her; he wanted her in his life and was glad that her nightmare was over. They could finally have a normal relationship without being chased and shot at, every step of the way. Well, as normal as a policeman’s life can be, a little voice echoed in his mind.
Relieved and relaxed, he slept like a log. Next morning, he woke up early, feeling totally refreshed. Dressed in his jeans and a white short-sleeve shirt, he arrived at the hospital holding a bouquet of red roses. Filled with anticipation to see her again, he strode down the hospital corridor and stopped dead in his tracks. Meyers was entering her room with a huge flower basket.
Squeezing the bouquet in his hands to the point where he almost ruined the stalks, he rushed to the cafeteria. Ordering a cup of coffee—black—he crumpled on a chair like a sack of flour. Relax, she loves me...not Meyers. Then again, she never said that. What if she doesn’t? What if she’s in love with him? After all, they’ve been friends for years...long before she met me.
Gloomy thoughts and doubts tortured him. He couldn’t believe Christina could be in love with someone who lied to her and put her life in danger. But then again, love was blind. No one could control the yearning of his heart—Dan couldn’t, either. He wanted her, and he was going to fight for her.
Determined, he sprang to his feet, grabbed the roses, and marched to her room.
The door was open, and Dan stepped inside to find Christina in Meyers’s arms. Hot boiling blood rushed to his head, throbbing at his temples. Speechless, he turned on his heel and stormed out of the room.
He heard her calling his name but didn’t look back. Rushing through the reception area, he threw the bouquet on the counter, leaving the nurse speechless.
***
Christina withdrew from Johnny’s arms and called after Dan over and over again.
Johnny stared at her and stood up, sticking his hands in his pockets. “I’m sorry about that.”
“It’s okay,” Christina said, but it wasn’t okay, at all. Her heart was aching for Dan to come back.
“I’m such a fool!” Johnny cursed out loud.
“What are you talking about?” she asked, puzzled.
“I never talked to you about my feelings and now it’s too late...you’re in love with Mallory.”
“I’m not,” she lied, unwilling to admit her feelings for Dan to anyone, not even herself.
“Christina,” Johnny said, sitting on the bed next to her and taking her hands in his. “I’ve been in love with you ever since I first laid eyes on you in Birmingham. But in the beginning, not knowing how involved you were, I had to keep my distance. And afterwards, when I realized that you had nothing to do with the Rosettis, I wanted to wrap up the case before I revealed my identity and how I felt about you…”
Christina stared at him silently. She’d been aware of hi
s feelings for a while but never saw him as more than a friend. And now that he had confided in her, she felt a little awkward and wasn’t sure how to handle it.
“I didn’t mean to make you feel uncomfortable,” he said, guessing her thoughts. “I just wanted you to know how I feel. I should have said something a long time ago.”
“Johnny…”
“Don’t say anything,” he silenced her. “I know you don’t feel the same way. I just wanted to tell you.”
“I’m not in a position to deal with anything like this, right now,” she said truthfully. “I’ve been through a lot and I need time to recuperate.”
“I know,” he replied and caressed the back of her hands with his.
“I want to get out of here,” Christina whispered, her voice vibrating with emotion.
“I’ll take you to my hotel if you want,” he offered.
“No, no hotels. I want to go home.”
“Home? You’re in no position to fly home right now. Besides, I’m not sure we can leave right yet. Not before the local police wrap up the case.”
“I mean my home here—”
“The Rosetti’s mansion?” Johnny seemed dumbfounded. “Am I missing something?”
“It’s not the Rosetti’s mansion; it’s my grandparents’ home—the house my mother grew up in. It belongs to me now, and I have every right to be there.”
Johnny looked at her puzzled. “If you want to go the mansion, then I’ll take you there,” he said after a moment of silence. “Hell, I’ll take you to the moon if you asked me to…” he added, leaving her speechless.
Chapter Sixteen
CHRISTINA STOOD UNDECIDED at the front steps. Her eyes wandered over the impressive building, which belonged to her. What am I doing? Hesitating, she drew a deep breath and closed her eyes. Mommy! I wish you were here with me, she thought, not sure which mother she was referring to—her maternal or her adoptive one. It didn’t make any difference at that point, however.
The sound of the front door opening startled her. A young woman appeared at the doorway, wearing a starched white maid’s uniform.
“May I help you?”