by Raye Morgan
“You told them it was me.”
“I…yeah, sort of. I couldn’t help it. They were torturing me.”
“Yeah, I’ll bet.” She didn’t see any marks on him. They’d probably threatened to withhold his video-game-playing time.
“And you told them I was at your apartment.”
“No.” On this he was adamant. “I wouldn’t tell them where you were. Honest.”
“Even though they tortured you?” she said sarcastically.
“No, see, what happened was, they followed me back to the apartment. I should have been more careful, I guess.”
She remembered that sick, horrible feeling of looking out and seeing that the secret police had surrounded the building.
“Rolo, why didn’t you tell Mykal? Why didn’t you let him know where I was?”
“Mykal?” He looked surprised. “I thought he was the one you were running from. I didn’t think you would want him to know.”
She closed her eyes and smiled bitterly. It was a trap, all right. But she was the one who fell into it.
“And anyway, I actually did tell him a couple of days later.”
“You did?”
“Yeah. He found out where I lived and he came over and…” He glanced at her furtively. “Well, he sort of made me tell him. He can be a real jerk sometimes.”
“And then what did he do?”
He shrugged. “And then he went off to find you and blew up on that motorcycle of his.”
Janis closed her eyes and folded her arms over her chest and rocked herself for a moment. He’d been looking for her. All that time she’d been so angry that he hadn’t lifted a finger to help her, he’d been looking for her, and then he’d been injured. It wasn’t that he hated her. He couldn’t help it. She was amazed at how much this changed things. A certain happiness that had died two months before had just sprouted new leaves. He tried to find her. Hallelujah.
She wanted to be alone, wanted to hold this new information to her and revel in it, but her brother was still here and he wouldn’t stop talking. She frowned at him, wishing he would go.
“So anyway,” he was saying, “all I need is for you to vouch for me. The guard is beginning to ask questions and I know what’s coming next. They’re going to want to kick me out of here. So if you could just tell the queen I’m okay.”
Tell the queen he was okay? Tell her he was her criminally inclined brother, a great example of what could come out of the Gorgonio family. Tell her just to trust him anyway. Yeah, the way she did.
It was hard. She turned and looked at him. He wasn’t a baby anymore but she could see those baby features hidden by the mustache and the unpleasant expression on his face. She was crying inside, crying for the loss of the sweet little boy he’d once been. It was painful.
“No,” she said sadly. “Sorry, Rolo. Not this time. The only thing I’ll tell the queen is that you’re untrustworthy.”
He didn’t believe her at first. “You…you can’t do that to me. We’re family.”
“We all make choices. You’ve chosen badly.”
“But…”
“I’m choosing to look ahead to a bright and honest future. You would rather look back at a disreputable past and copy it. We’re going to have to have a parting of the ways, I’m afraid. You’d better go.”
He pleaded for another few minutes, then got angry, but she was adamant. Mykal was a prince here now. She was just as protective of what happened inside these castle walls as anyone.
“Goodbye, Rolo. Maybe we’ll meet again some day, but I don’t think it will be soon.”
He cursed her as he left, but she hardly heard him. She needed to get back to Mykal. She needed to tell him about what he’d done. She also had to tell him about the Gorgonio family before someone else did. Although, if Kylos had been there, she might already be too late.
Mykal lay on his hospital bed, feeling frustrated and impatient. He knew it was going to take some time for recuperation, but he wanted it over with. It was time to get on with his life. He wanted to move.
But right now was not the time. He was exhausted. The physical therapist had arrived about an hour ago and had him up and walking laps in the hallways, no matter how hard he protested. And that was a good thing. He might complain, but he knew getting up and getting back to normal was the best thing he could be doing right now. He didn’t want to be babied. He wanted to heal so he could face his future.
But most of all, he wanted to understand his relationship with Janis. Waves of warmth swept through him when he thought of her. His mind might not remember her, but his heart and soul responded as though nothing was wrong.
He knew as strongly as he knew anything that he wanted her. He wanted her in his life, he wanted her in his bed, he wanted her in his corner. The past was over and gone. No matter what ugliness had come between them, all he had to do was look into her face to know they could overcome anything.
Looking at the IV pumping fluid into his arm, he contemplated yanking the needle out and getting up and going after Janis right now. But that was probably a bad idea. He’d been warned again and again that doing anything of the sort would only make his recuperation last longer, and probably do other damage as well. Besides, a half hour with the physical therapist had totally wiped him out. Trying to go off on his own would probably kill him. He grunted and lay back, angry all over again. He wanted to get out.
But right now, he needed some sleep. Surprisingly, despite his anger, he began to drift off quickly.
He heard a sound at the door and looked up, hoping to see Janis. But it was Kylos. Disappointment flared, but he nodded a welcome to his brother.
“Hey,” he said coolly. “What’s happening?”
“Not much.” Kylos looked nervous, his gaze jerking about from one part of the room to another as though he were looking for something. “You still don’t remember the last two years, right?”
Mykal frowned. “Right. So what?”
“Nothing.” He came all the way into the room. “So, how are you feeling?”
“Okay. Hey, I meant to write to Mom and Dad, but I didn’t get to it. Can you contact them for me? Can you tell them I love them and want to see them, but that they should stay in Florida until I tell them otherwise? Okay?”
Kylos stared at him for a minute, then jumped as though he’d just realized he was supposed to answer. “Oh. Sure. Listen, I’ll take care of that. No problem.”
“Good. I wouldn’t want them to worry.”
“No. Of course not.” He grimaced. “Okay, sorry to do this to you, Mykal, but I’ve got some bad news.”
Mykal groaned, not sure he could take any more right now. “You, too?”
“Yeah. I’m afraid you’re not going to like it.”
He shrugged. “Fire away.”
Kylos started, then stopped and fumbled in the pocket of his jacket. “Hey, listen. I forgot.” He pulled a little white pill cup out and handed it to his brother, then turned to pour him some water. “The nurse asked me to have you take these. Some kind of vitamins, supposed to make you heal faster.”
Distracted by all the confusion, Mykal downed the pills without a second thought. “And the bad news is?” he reminded him.
Kylos grinned, as though he’d suddenly heard good news himself. “Oh, yeah. Your little friend, Janis Davos? That’s not her real last name.”
Mykal looked at his brother and almost smiled. “No kidding?” he said, expecting to find out Kylos had heard that she was his wife.
“No. I know what her real last name is.”
“Marten?”
Kylos looked at him blankly. “Huh? No.” He made a face. “It’s Gorgonio. Max Gorgonio is her uncle. She’s a Gorgonio. What are the odds, huh? A name our family
has hated for fifteen years.”
Mykal stared at him. “What?” he said, not really believing it. “Kylos, if you’re just trying to pull my chain…”
“No, I swear. Leland, my lawyer, got the goods on her. Andre Gorgonio, Max’s brother, was her father. He died when she was a little girl and she was raised in Max’s house.”
“No.”
“I’m just telling you for your own good. I could tell you liked her a lot. So I thought you ought to know. I had my suspicions about her so I had Leland look into it. I’m surprised they didn’t pick up on it here at the castle. If they had, they never would have let her in the door.”
“No.” Mykal was shaking his head, feeling stunned. He couldn’t believe it. He didn’t want to believe it.
“Funny thing is, Leland knew the family. So when he was here to give me the info this morning, we met in the coffee shop and he identified her right away. She was meeting with her brother Rolo, who I guess is a well-known crook himself.” He shrugged. “You never know, do you?”
Mykal didn’t respond, and Kylos glanced at his watch. “Hey, gotta go. I’ll catch you later.” He started off and turned at the door. “Don’t feel bad, Mykal. You can see why she’s a lying little cheat. She was born to it.” And he was gone before Mykal could muster up his sluggish outrage.
And he was outraged. He was enraged at his weakness, enraged at his brother, enraged at Janis. He didn’t want to believe it and if it were true he was enraged that it was so. This was just too much. It was as though Janis had purposefully come into his amnesia-damaged life to ruin it further. What the hell!
CHAPTER TEN
JANIS had cleared out her room. Everything she owned was back in her satchel. She was wearing slacks and a jacket that Pellea had given her, but she had no choice. Her blue jumpsuit had disappeared. That was a good thing, she supposed. But she was leaving as lightly as she possibly could.
She had a plan. She put her hand over the slight bulge in her belly and smiled.
“Don’t worry, sweet thing,” she told her baby silently. “By the time they know we’re gone, we’ll be on a ferry to the continent. They’ll never find us.”
No one was manning the nurses’ station and she was glad. At some point soon, they would begin denying her entry to places like this. But she had one more lucky chance to see Mykal without interference. She slipped into his room. He was sound asleep, his free arm thrown over his eyes. She stood very still and watched him breathe, loving him so that her throat choked and tears swam into her eyes. It was hard to have to lose him again.
“Mykal.” She put a hand on his arm. She needed to tell him goodbye without actually saying it. “Mykal.” Bending down, she kissed his lips, then drew back, puzzled. He was sleeping very heavily. She’d never seen him so out of it before. “Mykal.” She shook him, beginning to feel a touch of panic, and he moved his arm. His eyes opened slightly.
“What?” he said, slurring the word. He didn’t look as though he’d recognized her.
She looked down, stunned. He was drugged.
“Mykal, are you okay?”
“What? Oh, sure. I’m okay.” He fought to keep his eyes open, his face contorted in the effort. “Why are you still giving me pain medication?” he asked.
“I’m not.”
“Someone is. I can barely keep my eyes open.”
“How long have you been like this?”
“I don’t know. Come back in about an hour. I should be okay by then.” He yawned widely and was back to sleep in no time at all.
She stared down at him for a moment, furious. Turning on her heel, she rushed out to the nurses’ station. It was still empty, but the log book was there and she turned it to see who had been in to see him most recently. Her own name was jotted down twice, and Queen Pellea’s. King Monte had come by earlier. And the only other name was that of Kylos. He’d been there almost two hours ago.
“Kylos,” she breathed, shaking her head as anger surged through her body. It had to be him. But why?
The nurse came in and didn’t smile. Janis tried to get her interested in checking Mykal, and she reluctantly agreed to go over his vitals, but at the same time she had a warning for Janis.
“A man from the palace guard came by just a little while ago,” she said. “He told me to let him know when you showed up. So I’m going to have to call him.”
“Oh.” So it had begun. Someone had told the authorities about her and suspicions were beginning to swirl. Her heart sank, but she had expected it. “I wish you wouldn’t. I want to come back and check on him in an hour or so to make sure whatever someone gave him is working its way out of his system.” Her gaze sharpened. “Did you give him the medication?”
“Me?” She looked horrified. “No. It wasn’t me.”
“Has any physician been by to see him today?”
“Only the surgeon, but that was early this morning. Oh, and the physical therapist.”
“But none of them gave him anything?”
“There’s nothing in the notations.”
She sighed and glanced at the young woman sideways. Would she call the guard? Maybe yes, maybe no. It would probably be wise not to be here if she did. “Fine,” she said at last. “I’ll just go then.”
She had to leave so as not to be kicked out, but she didn’t plan to go far. She found the most inconspicuous seat she could in the waiting area, situated right behind a large fig-leafed plant, where she could keep an eye on both entrances. And there she planned to stay, boiling with anger, until she caught Kylos going in again.
Kylos had been intent on keeping Mykal drugged from the first. She hadn’t been able to figure out why exactly, but she was pretty sure it had something to do with his trying to sell the Marten estate without Mykal knowing it was happening. Mykal couldn’t defend himself, so she was going to have to do it for him. And so, she sat.
Mykal was moving slow motion in a dream. He could see Janis and hear her, but he couldn’t seem to get through to her. It was as though a misty barrier stood between them and no matter how much he waved at her and called to her, she didn’t know he was there. She began walking and he ran after her, trying to make his way through the fog to get closer. Every now and then he could reach through and touch her silky hair or catch the hem of her shirt, but that was as close as he could get, and even then, things slipped away. Frustration was building in him. He wanted her to look over and see him but she just kept walking, her head in the clouds.
And then he saw the cliff ahead. She was walking right toward it. She wasn’t looking. He ran, he yelled, he threw himself against the misty barrier, but she just kept walking toward the abyss. Closer and closer. His breath burned in his throat from trying so hard to reach her. She was going to go over. One more step…
“No!” he screamed.
But she went over the edge of the cliff. Certain death!
But then he remembered—he could fly! He could still save her. All he had to do was jump after her and use his flying powers. He ran as hard as he could for the edge and leaped over. He could see her plummeting toward the rocks below. He spread out his arms and arched his back to fly. But it didn’t happen. He’d forgotten how to do it. Below, she hit the rocks. In a moment, he would, too. It was the end. No more happiness. Just…nothing.
It was after ten when Kylos finally showed up. Only a few stragglers were left in the halls. The coffee shop had closed. Most people on this floor had gone to their rooms. Janis heard him coming down the hall and shrank back even farther behind the plant that hid her from view. And there he was, looking furtively to right and left before ducking into the medical center. The moment he vanished into the offices, she jumped up and followed him.
Anger at Mykal’s brother threatened to surge in her but she forced it back. She didn’t want anythi
ng to shake her concentration from the job at hand. She was certain he was the one drugging Mykal, and she was determined to catch him in the act and stop him cold.
Once again there was no one manning the nurses’ station and she made a mental note to file a complaint against the lax security situation. But she couldn’t think about that now. Kylos had just disappeared into Mykal’s room and she had to stay focused. Stepping quietly up to the door, she stopped and listened to what was going on inside.
“Hey, buddy,” Kylos was saying. “How are you feeling?”
“What’s going on?” Mykal’s voice was bleary, startled. It was obvious he was mostly still asleep.
“Not a thing. Take it easy. I’m glad you’re still groggy. That’ll keep you quiet for a while.”
“What? I don’t get it.”
“No problem. Just stay cool.”
“Where’s Janis?”
“Janis? She’s gone. No one knows where she is.”
“What?”
“Listen, the nurse gave me a couple more of those vitamins she wants you to take. Let me get you a cup of water. Okay, here you go… .”
Janis thrust the door open, rage consuming her. “Drop the pills, Kylos. And get your hands off my husband.”
“Your what?” He stared at her, thunderstruck.
“Do what I say. Now.” She’d trained for months to give her voice this sort of authority and it was coming in handy now. Kylos looked downright terrified. “And give me those pills.” She grabbed them out of his hand while he was still off balance, glaring at him. “How could you do this?”
She leaned over Mykal and pressed the nurse’s call button. Glancing at him, she saw that his eyes were closed. Could he possibly be asleep again with all this going on?
“You don’t know what you’re talking about,” Kylos said, but he was backing toward the door. Then he stopped and a crafty look came over his face. “You may think Mykal is your husband,” he said. “But that won’t last long. I told him about your background, that you were a Gorgonio. He pretty much came right out and said that was the last straw as far as he was concerned.”