“Five percent and you consult.”
“Limit it to no more than ten hours a week and I think we have an agreement.”
Someone knocked on the door and opened it. Graham’s secretary poked her head in. “I’m sorry to interrupt, but I have an urgent call for Mr. Acardi from his driver on line one. He’s saying it’s an emergency.”
My heart skipped in my chest and I took the phone, belatedly remembering that I’d turned mine off when I boarded the plane. “What’s going on?”
“Carli and Antonio are on their way to the hospital. There was a fire. Antonio will be fine, but—”
“Where?”
“Carli’s house. It started in the kitchen. She got Antonio and Leonard out, but part of a support beam fell on her.”
“I’m on my way.”
I tossed the phone to Graham and shoved papers into my briefcase. “Call my PA to firm up the details. I don’t know when I’ll have a finalized contract for you.”
“What happened?”
“My brother’s caregiver was injured in a fire trying to rescue him. I need to get back to Temecula.”
His smile fading, he turned to his wide-eyed secretary. “Have a car waiting for Mr. Acardi downstairs. He needs to get to Kennedy as soon as possible.”
“Yes, sir,” she replied. “Do you want me to have the jet on standby?”
“Yes, but have the pilot come right back. I’ll need it later.”
“Thank you,” I said. “That will save me time.”
“Anything for family, right? Let me know how everything goes, and give your caregiver my best wishes. I hope she’s okay.”
Nodding, I gripped his hand, giving it a firm shake before I raced out. I was in the limo and halfway to the airport before I realized I’d left my briefcase, and I didn’t give a single fuck.
What had happened? Carlina’s house was old, but her kitchen was clean with multiple fire extinguishers and smoke detectors. Had there been a gas leak? I cursed and fumbled for my phone, tapping Clyde’s contact. He didn’t answer, sending my anxiety higher.
He’d said Antonio was okay, but what about Carlina? Her house was less important than either of their lives, but she was going to be devastated at the loss.
The car dropped me on the tarmac next to a sleek Gulfstream and I jogged up the stairs. Throwing myself into a seat, I buckled the seatbelt and said, “Get us in the air now.”
When I got to the hospital, I checked on Antonio first. He huddled on the hospital bed, knees drawn to his chest. Tear tracks ran through the ash and dirt on his face.
I tried to take his hand, but he shook his head and coughed, an ugly, tearing sound that made me wince. “What happened, Antonio? Was there an accident?”
“It’s Carli’s birthday,” he muttered, his voice scratchy and hoarse. “I wanted to make her breakfast and I ruined everything. I’m so stupid.”
“You’re not stupid. Where was she? Was she helping you?”
“I let her sleep. She likes to sleep in while I’m feeding the animals. She trusted me to help and I burned her house.”
The need to blame someone overwhelmed me, but I couldn’t. I’d never seen Antonio make an effort toward cooking on his own and I doubted Carlina considered the possibility.
Antonio was more than capable of caring for himself and I’d left him alone many times, trusting Julie to deal with his meals. After so many weeks visiting Carlina, I could definitely see her letting him do his job without supervision.
Yet that left me with a whole shitload of problems, not the least of which was the very real possibility of Carlina suing me for damages. She was still with the doctor, so I hadn’t had a chance to do more than walk by her room.
What I saw made me cringe. I’d gotten the bare bones of the story from Clyde before he’d returned to Carlina’s farm to assess the damages, but seeing her made my belly sour. I’d have to make this right with her.
“Don’t worry, Antonio. It was an accident that could have happened to anyone. People set fires in their kitchens all the time and I know Carlina isn’t blaming you.”
At least, I hoped she wasn’t. Even if she was thinking it, I doubted she’d say anything to Antonio. She liked him and I couldn’t see her being that cruel when it was clear he was blaming himself enough for both of them.
“That doesn’t bring her house back, does it?” He coughed again and took a sip of water before spitting into a cup.
“No, it doesn’t,” I said gently, squeezing his knee. “But we’ll build her a nicer one, okay? And she can live with us until it’s finished.”
Antonio laid on his side facing away from me. “Her pictures and all her stuff are gone.”
“I’m going to see her now. When you’re feeling better, I bet she’ll want you to visit her.”
“No, she won’t.”
“Antonio, I—”
“Go away. I don’t want to talk anymore.”
Letting out a sigh, I squeezed his shoulder. “I’ll be back to check on you soon.”
I pulled out my phone and scrolled through my contacts for Julie. When the call connected, I asked her to come sit with Antonio until I could get him home.
It was time to face the music and see Carlina. I just hoped she wasn’t too angry.
Chapter Eight
Carlina
Everything hurt and I couldn’t breathe. My throat ached from the heated smoke I inhaled while trying to get Antonio and Leonard away from the hungry fire. Thank God Mr. Dennison had still been around.
I’d be lucky if Giorgio didn’t have me arrested for neglect of his brother. What had I been thinking sleeping in? I should have known better, but Antonio had been doing so well. I couldn’t believe I’d been so careless. It hurt more knowing I’d put him at risk than it did knowing my family home was probably burned to the ground.
“Carlina, can you hear me?”
I looked down and waved the hand that wasn’t attached to an IV, then sucked oxygen from the mask over my face like water. A young doctor peered down at me, her expression worried.
“Good. You’re going to be fine, and so is Antonio. He’s being treated for mild smoke inhalation and will be released when his brother gets here.”
I nodded, still trying to breathe through the pain.
“Okay, you got very lucky and only have second degree burns on your upper thigh and hip. You also have a few broken ribs, which is why you’re having a hard time breathing. I’ll have a nurse give you something for the pain in a few minutes, but I wanted to tell you what was going on first.”
When I twitched a couple of fingers, she squeezed my free hand and smiled. “You’re going to be fine once we get your smoke inhalation under control. Do you have a next of kin?”
“Yes, she does. I’m her fiancé.” Giorgio strode into the triage room, his footsteps hard and purposeful as he looked down at me. I couldn’t read what was on his darkly handsome face, and my belly clenched with nerves.
Why had he said he was my fiancé? That didn’t make any sense, since we hadn’t said two words to each other in months. By all rights, he should be furious at me for putting his brother at risk.
An alarm sounded and the doctor pushed a button on a piece of equipment, increasing the flow of oxygen into my mask. My breathing quickened and I coughed. The pain in my chest flared and I couldn’t get enough air.
“Carlina, relax. Breathe with me.” The doctor inhaled, squeezing my hand as she turned my head to make me look at her. Her blue eyes were calm and encouraging. It helped to focus on her rather than on the man in the room with me and finally the tightness in my chest eased enough to let me think.
The doctor spared a glance at Giorgio and flushed, and I knew the moment she recognized him. Losing interest in me, she giggled and held out a hand to him. “Mr. Acardi, I’m thrilled to meet you.”
I closed my eyes, unwilling to watch the woman’s education leak from her ears. Now, aside from being homeless, he made me the target of gossip. I should
have known no good would come from being associated with Giorgio Acardi.
“If you’ll excuse me, I need to see to my fiancé,” he said, moving around her. He perched on the edge of the bed and took my hand, his dark gaze promising mischief.
I grunted and tried to pull away, but he tightened his grip. “I was so worried about you, darling, and I’ll take care of everything so you can concentrate on getting better. You’ll have my undivided attention and all the help you need.”
He ignored my squeak of protest, and I was in too much pain to listen to the sound of the alarm coming from the machine next to me.
“I know we hadn’t planned on moving in together until after the wedding, but you’ll heal much faster if you don’t have to worry.”
Shooting me a triumphant glare, he turned back to the doctor and gave her a toothy smile. “I’m confident that all my donations to this hospital have gone to good use and that you’ll give my fiancé the best care available.”
The doctor blinked, apparently remembering what she was supposed to be doing. “Yes, Mr. Acardi. I’ll have a nurse in to give her something to manage her pain.”
“Good. That leaves me only a few minutes alone with my lovely lady, so…” He jerked his head toward the door, sending the doctor running.
Giorgio
The doctor squeaked and trotted away, apparently wise enough to know when she’d been dismissed. I grimaced at the sound of Carlina’s wheezing breaths as she tried to suck air from the mask. Her eyes were wide and horrified over the plastic and I took her dirty hand and kissed her knuckles.
“Everything is going to be fine,” I murmured. “All you have to do is focus on getting better.”
She grunted and tried to pull her hand away, her breathing labored. Another alarm sounded and I slapped at it as a nurse walked in. She was older, in the prime of middle age with a no-nonsense expression in wide brown eyes. Her dark hair was piled in a messy bun, and she tapped the barrel of a syringe with her forefinger.
“My name is Madelaine and I’ll be your nurse.” She glanced at me and added, “Kiss your lady and get out of the way so I can help her with her pain.”
I stepped back when Madelaine kept walking, threatening to run me down on her way to Carlina.
Bending to look Carlina in the eye, she said, “This isn’t the good stuff, so you’re still going to be uncomfortable. We can’t give you anything stronger until we get your breathing under control, so I want you to try to relax for me, okay?”
Carlina nodded, and the nurse injected the medicine into the IV port. The lines of tension eased from her pretty face and she let out a relieved sigh as the drug took effect.
“That’s good,” Madelaine murmured. “I’d like you to suck on some ice chips. It’ll make your throat feel better.”
She lifted the mask a few inches and spooned a mouthful of ice into Carlina’s mouth before replacing it.
“All right.” Madelaine set the cup aside and turned to face me. Unlike the doctor, she didn’t appear to give a damn who I was. “Give her ice whenever she wants it, but no water.”
“Thanks.” I sat down on the edge of the bed and stroked Carlina’s messy curls away from her face. “I’m sorry for what Antonio did,” I said softly. “He says he was trying to make you breakfast for your birthday and I’m sure he didn’t mean to cause any harm.”
She lifted her mask and pointed at the ice. After I gave her a spoonful, she coughed and I gave her an empty cup to spit into.
Her voice raspy and barely above a whisper, she said, “My fault. I should have been awake.”
“You were awake enough to save his life.” Leaning down, I brushed my lips across her forehead, trying not to grimace at the smell of ash and burnt hair. “I know how much that house meant to you, but I promise to do everything in my power to make it right.”
“Why did you tell them we were engaged?”
“What? You don’t think I’m a good catch?” I asked, trying to make her smile. “I wanted to make sure you got the best care possible.”
Her nose wrinkled and she gestured for the empty cup so she could spit. “Someone already took a picture of us when I came in with Antonio. Fix it, tabloid bait.”
“You have my word,” I promised, trying to control my burgeoning anger. “I’m going to let you rest and take care of it right now.”
She nodded and closed her eyes as I settled the oxygen mask back into place. The tabloids usually left Antonio alone, but the thought of someone taking a picture of him in a hospital made me furious.
I was used to people snapping photos of me, but Carlina hadn’t signed up for the attention and had made her opinion very clear the day we’d met. My irritation growing, I strode away from her room to the administrative offices.
Someone was going to fix this, or they could kiss my donations goodbye.
Twenty minutes later, two nurses and an orderly had been fired, and I counted it a job well done. The pictures they’d taken would still go out, but it couldn’t be helped until someone tried to publish them. My lawyers would step in to make sure the photos didn’t go any further and would pull them from the internet if necessary.
Carlina’s attitude and the exposure of my brother to the unkind words of strangers made me think. Why was any of this necessary? Why should I be forced to live in a glass bubble for the amusement of others?
The differences between Carlina’s life and mine were striking and I didn’t come off well in the comparison.
Chapter Nine
Carlina
“You have a nice butt, tabloid bait, and I want to see what your hair looks like out of that man bun. It’s too bad you’re such a pain.” I laughed, making myself cough. It hurt like a bitch and I had to relax and slow my breathing. “I could call you TB, you know, like the disease.”
Madelaine tried to erase a smile and filled my pitcher while I glared at Giorgio. The man refused to leave.
The pain medication made me loopy as hell and I was afraid to open my mouth in case anything else stupid came out of it. After three days of getting over smoke inhalation, I was finally going to get out of here, and I’d be able to wave goodbye to Mr. Tall, Dark, and Annoying.
“You always said my ass was my best feature, darling.” He held up a diamond ring big enough to choke a horse and added, “I found this on my nightstand. I know how worried you were. You can have it back after you get out of the hospital.”
What the hell? He’d gotten me an engagement ring? How far did he intend to go with this charade? Unfortunately, I was too stoned to be mad that he’d basically told everyone in earshot that I was sleeping with him.
“TB is infectious, you know,” an accented male voice said. A doctor walked in, his hands shoved into the pockets of blue scrubs.
I blinked and my vision went fuzzy for a few seconds. For a second, I thought I was looking at a giraffe with tousled blonde hair. When my sight resolved, I took a second look and he gave me a grin that made my heart flutter.
“Damn, whatever I have wrong with me, double it, Dr. Dreamy.”
His laugh cheered my whole day and I had to smile back. “I’ve heard people call me that before, but my name is actually Dr. Hogue. The hospital is a bit shorthanded and I was in the vicinity, so I’m doing rounds until your regular doctor is back.”
He set a stethoscope to my chest, listening to my breathing.
“As hot as you are, I bet you’re gay. All the best ones are,” I replied, wondering when my diarrhea of the mouth was going to stop.
Shaking his head, he made some notes on my chart. “No, I’m not gay. Besides, I reckon the gentleman glaring holes in my back would object to me asking you out to prove it.”
“I think I’m going to shut up now.”
“Might be for the best.” He smiled again and gave my hand a squeeze. “You’ll be ready to go home tomorrow or the day after as long as your lungs sound clear.”
“Thanks.”
“Any time.” He walked out, nodding at G
iorgio as he left.
I squirmed around, trying to get comfortable. There were only a few positions I could use that didn’t make me want to cry. The pain meds were doing their job and I closed my eyes, firmly ignoring Giorgio’s presence. Unfortunately, I couldn’t stop my thoughts from returning to my house.
Thankfully, it wasn’t a total loss. The kitchen and part of the upstairs would have to be renovated, but it was a blessing in disguise. I’d wanted to remodel my kitchen for years and now my insurance company would foot most of the bill. I could use the money I saved from Giorgio’s payments for the rest and maybe even add in that hot tub I’d been wanting for the new deck. Mr. Dennison even promised to get me names of good contractors who wouldn’t overcharge me.
There were a few things I would miss. My great-grandmother’s china, brought over from Cuba before the height of the missile crisis, had been destroyed, along with her daguerreotype photographs of colonial Havana. I had digital copies stored on the cloud, but the originals had been priceless.
Her recipes survived in my head and on the laptop in my office, along with those of three generations of Pérez women. The house was solidly built and would come away from this setback stronger than before. I also wasn’t dead or disfigured and neither was Antonio or Mr. Dennison.
Leonard was getting over a few strained muscles and mild smoke inhalation under the care of Park Street’s vet, but he’d be fine too. Aubrey and Chance had him at their house and were spoiling him rotten.
Mr. Dennison and his wife were taking care of my other animals. Since it was winter, they didn’t have to deal with the garden. Once I healed up, I’d make them a nice supper to thank them.
Wait. I’d seen Mr. Dennison a few times, but why hadn’t Antonio come to visit?
“Where’s Antonio?” I asked.
Sexy Scoundrel: A Cocky Hero Club Novel Page 9