Scandalous Heroes Box Set (145 page)

No more than 15 minutes later, Michael heard the chiming of his doorbell. No doubt it was Kyle. Kendra hadn’t stirred since he’d given her the Benadryl. He left his seat and went to answer the door. Looking through his peephole to confirm that it was Kyle, Michael quickly unlocked and opened the door for him.

“Michael,” Kyle said with a nod. “Where’s the patient?”

“This way,” Michael replied, leading Kyle down the hall toward his bedroom. “She’s been fairly quiet since I gave her the pills.”

“To be expected. Benadryl has the same effect as a sleeping aid.”

Michael didn’t respond. He just led Kyle to where Kendra lay on the bed.

“Hmm, why I do I feel as if I know her from somewhere?” Kyle said.

“Because you do. You met her at Piero’s wedding. She’s Adanna’s sister,” Michael responded tersely.

Kyle gave a long, succinct whistle through his teeth. “Does Piero know?” he asked, before sitting on the corner of the bed next to Kendra and taking her wrist into his hand.

“Yes, and he’s driving me crazy. It boggles my mind. We are trying to keep Adanna from finding out what has happened, but if Piero keeps calling me every fifteen minutes, how does he expect his wife not to know something is up?”

“Her pulse is a little weak but not dangerously so. Let me take a look at the hives,” Kyle said.

“No!” Michael shouted.

“What do you mean, no? Is there something else going on that I don’t know about, Michael?” Kyle asked with a frown.

“She doesn’t have any clothes on. You can’t look at her,” Michael roared.

“You do realize that I am a doctor,” Kyle said, lifting an eyebrow. “I see naked people all the time.”

“Not her,” Michael said.

“Are you for real?” Kyle asked, looking at Michael with disbelieving eyes.

“Yes, I am,” Michael responded, eyeing Kyle.

“Listen, my friend, I have no idea what kind of relationship she has with you, but I assure you that my interest is purely professional. I have to see if the hives are going away, examine her, and take blood samples. You called
me
, remember? So stand back and let me do my job, or I will call an ambulance and have her transported to the nearest hospital. Your choice,” Kyle said.

Michael knew that Kyle was right. Still, he didn’t like the fact that Kyle would have to see Kendra’s almost naked body. “Okay, but don’t look,” Michael snapped.

“Just how do you propose I do that?” Kyle laughed. “Michael, give me a break. If you’re more comfortable, just stand next to me and watch everything that I do.”

“Just get on with it, Kyle,” Michael snarled.

“Why, thank you,” was Kyle’s sarcastic reply.

Michael watched as Kyle went about checking Kendra over and taking blood.

“She appears to be okay,” Kyle said at last. “I would suggest you keep a close eye on her for the remainder of the night. I will get these samples off to the lab in the morning and call you with the results. When she awakens, give her a few glasses of milk and plenty of water to flush out the remainder of the drug from her system. I will try to put a rush on the results.

“I’m assuming you want to keep this incident quiet,” Kyle said, packing up his things, and storing the used needle, tourniquet, and tubes containing the blood in his physician’s bag.

“You assume correctly. Thank you so much for coming, Kyle. I appreciate it,” Michael said, stretching out his hand to shake that of his friend and doctor.

“No thanks necessary. I will see myself out,” Kyle said with a smirk.  “Stop worrying. She will be fine. I take it you will handle the parasite that did this?”

Michael gave him a knowing glare. He wouldn’t audibly confirm or deny what his intentions were.

“Understood,” Kyle said as he left the room.

Michael sat back down in the chair that Kyle had vacated and watched Kendra as she slept.

Chapter Six

Kendra awoke slowly. Through sleep-reddened eyes, she took in her surroundings, her eyes wandering across the expansive room, beautifully decorated with large furniture which looked very expensive. It took only a moment to realize that she was on a bed in a bedroom. Whose bed and whose bedroom, she had no idea. There was an empty chair sitting next to the bed close to her, as if someone had been sitting there, watching her sleep.

“What the hell?” she voiced roughly. Her mouth was unbelievably dry. She smacked her lips as if that would rid her of her dry mouth; panic began to set in as she realized that she was indeed in someone’s bedroom.

Kendra moved her legs to jump up and quickly realized that she didn’t have on any clothes. On her arm was a small piece of gauze with a band aide covering it. Had someone drugged her? Was that why she felt so disoriented?

“You’re finally awake,” said a voice next to her.

Kendra started, jerked her head around, and came face-to-face with Michael Alesi. Her eyes widened in disbelief. “Michael,” she cried. “Where am I and why am I…wherever…with you? In bed. Together. Oh Lord,” she grabbed her head to which was throbbing.

“I will explain in a moment,” Michael said, swinging his muscled legs off the side of the bed. Walking in just his silk boxers over to the night table, he poured Kendra a glass of water from the decanter he’d filled with ice water during the night. “Drink,” he said, handing her the glass.

Kendra took a long sip of water. It felt good going down her parched throat.
What the hell?
Her mouth felt like sandpaper.

“Explain,” she whispered hoarsely.

“What? No, what did you do to me, Michael?’” he inquired with a smirk.

“Please. From the little that I know of you, you wouldn’t have to force a woman to have sex with you. Piero holds you in high regard. He wouldn’t if you were some crazy psychopath who preyed on women. So again, explain.” She moaned. “I feel out of it, and my head is pounding something awful.”

“Thank you for that. Make no mistake, Kendra. I am no psychopath, however, I can be crazy as hell when it comes to my family and
true
friends,” Michael said, eyeing her intently.

Kendra stared at him for a few seconds. Yes, she could see it in his eyes. He would kill for his family. Michael just had an aura about him that screamed
I will eat at your table and kill you at that very same table if you fuck with me
.

“I believe you,” she said “Now, explain how I got here. The last thing I remember I was sitting at the bar.” She stopped and looked into his eyes. He didn’t have to say anything. She could tell her worst fears had come true from the look in his eyes. She’d been slipped something.

“Marcello,” he said finally. “I was there on a date when I saw you walk in with Nicco. He left you at the bar. I wondered what was taking Nicco so long to return when I noticed Marcello chatting you up. You were not having it. Smart girl. Then he had the bartender chat you up while he slipped something into your drink. Unfortunately, I was too far across the room to get to you in time, and you’d already taken a healthy swallow of the liquid. By the time I got to you, whatever it was that he slipped you had already started to work.” Michael was getting angry all over again, just thinking about what had happened.

“Ohmygoodness! Why would he do something like that? Isn’t he supposed to be Nicco’s friend?” Kendra cried. “Did he really think Nicco was going to let him walk out of there with me in a coma or something?”

“Kendra, he probably thought, Nicco would do what he always does, leave and not come back. He has been known to do that. I don’t know what Marcello thought. However, his intentions were apparent. For that, he will pay dearly,” Michael barked.

The look he gave her sent chills down her spine. Michael was serious. Very serious.

Kendra let out a deep sigh. “Lord, please tell me you didn’t tell my sister and brother-in-law?” She groaned.

“Piero knows. Adanna does not. Piero and I thought it best not to tell her. No need to worry her. Piero knew that you were safe with me,” Michael said nonchalantly.

“Thank you. Adanna would have flipped out.
Damn
it almost happened again,” she whispered.

“What do you mean
again
?” Michael snapped.

“What are you talking about?” Kendra asked.

“You said
again
. Explain,” Michael snarled.

“You must be hearing things. I never said that. So why do I have a bandage on my arm?” Kendra asked, changing the subject. Apparently, she had spoken her private thoughts out loud. Didn’t matter. Her business was her business, and she didn’t know Michael well enough to tell him anything about herself.

“I know what I heard, Kendra,” Michael said, eyeing her intensely.

“Why does my arm have gauze and a band aid on it, Michael?” Kendra asked sharply. “Did someone shoot me up with a needle?”

“I had a doctor friend of mine come over to take a look at you. He took some blood samples. We needed to know exactly what you were given. He’s having the blood tested and will call me back with the results. Apparently, whatever Marcello slipped you gave you an allergic reaction. I had to give you Benadryl. That is probably why you are still feeling groggy,” Michael explained.

“It was a good thing you and I were in the same place at the same time. No telling what would have happened to me. Marcello didn’t seem like the caring kind. Nicco should really choose his friends more carefully. If he tried to do it to me, no doubt he’s done it before. He needs to be stopped,” Kendra said angrily.

“He will be. However subtly. Our families are very close. It would kill his father to learn what his son is doing. It is a delicate situation, no?” Michael explained.

“Maybe your family should choose your friends a little more carefully. Marcello reeks of scumbag. He thinks he can get by on looks alone. Don’t get me wrong. He’s handsome, but once he opens his mouth, you immediately forget about his looks. He’s freaking dumb as a doorknob. Wait, let me change that. Doorknobs have a purpose; he doesn’t,” Kendra sniffed.

Michael laughed. “You’re different,” he said, giving her a once over. “Spunky and intelligent. I like that.”

“Whatever,” Kendra grunted. She really didn’t feel up to compliments at the moment. “What time is it?”

She watched him walk over to the other side of the bed and pick up a gold watch off the night table.

“It is exactly 9:15 a.m.,” he said.

“Oh my. I have to get home before Adanna gets up. If she doesn’t see me, she will surely worry. Oh, hell, my head still hurts,” Kendra moaned.

“Relax. It is taken care of. Piero will tell her that you got an early start. She will not worry, trust me. Piero has a way with Adanna,” Michael snickered.

“You mean, he sexes her up all day and night. His business must have suffered some. They are always in bed,” Kendra said.

“His business is fine. A man can love his woman, or, as you say, ‘sex’ his woman up, and still run a lucrative business. Piero is an Alesi. He can handle it,” Michael said smartly.

“If you say so. I’ll never know,” she murmured beneath her breath. “I need a shower and some clothes. You and Piero seem to have thought of everything, but my clothing, or lack thereof.”

From the frown on his face, she’d guessed right.

“Oh, this is just great. I don’t have any clothing. I refuse to put on the ones I wore last night. Do you have any sweats around here?” she asked.

“Of course. I work out every day. I have a full exercise facility in the basement,” Michael said. “I know my clothes will not fit you, though.”

“It doesn’t matter. I can roll them up. Or, I can just wear a pair of those silk boxers you have on and a tee,” she said.

“That can be arranged. I don’t have any women undergarments here, though. I will have to go and pick some up for you from your sister’s or go to the mall.” He cringed.

“If you have a washer and dryer, I will just wash the things I had on,” she said.

“I have a washer and dryer.”

“Great! I need a shower,” she said, and flinched from the pain in her head.

“Maybe the shower should wait,” Michael said. His concern was evident in his eyes.

“Yeah. Maybe. Maybe I’ll just nap a few minutes more. I’m suddenly sleepy, and I really need to get rid of this headache. I suffer from migraines, so this is not helping one bit,” she whimpered.

“Lie back and relax. Are you hungry?” he asked.

“I am, but I don’t feel like eating anything. I feel as if I’d regurgitate anything I take in. This is not a good feeling at all,” she grumbled, sinking down under the covers.

“Okay, get some rest. I’ll shower and dress and then grab a cup of coffee,” he said.

“Can you lie with me for a bit?” she asked wide-eyed. She really didn’t want to be alone. Kendra was extremely happy that Michael had been at the pub last night and that he had brought her to his home, where he appeared to have taken very good care of her.

With a lift of his brow he asked. “You want me to get in that bed with you?”

“Why not? I trust you. Hell, if you were going to take advantage of me, you would have while I was unconscious. You didn’t. I just feel really weird,” she said, her voice slurred. “Michael, you were in bed with me when I woke up, remember?”

“You weren’t unconscious. Out of it, but not unconscious,” he said, studying her intently.

“Will you just be quiet and get in this bed?” she asked.

“Kendra, I’m a man. I would have to be dead not to have a reaction to you. You’re a beautiful woman with a fantastic body. Trust me, I am not as noble as you think,” he grunted. “It took will power to lie next to you and not touch you.”

“Please,” she choked out. Her voice sounded shaky, even to her own ears. She began to tremble with fear. Kendra really didn’t think she could handle being alone now. Michael must have noticed her fear. He didn’t ask any more questions. He just walked around to the other side of the bed and stretched out on top of the covers.

Kendra let out a sigh of relief. “Thank you.”

“You know you’re safe anywhere in my home. No one will harm you here,” he said, his voiced strained.

“Hmm,” she murmured, turning in a fetal position on her side. “Don’t leave,” she said, closing her eyes and falling back asleep.