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by Melody Anne

  “All right, then. Enough of this. Let’s get back to your current predicament. As I asked earlier, are you going to behave if I have this nice officer let you out?”

  “I swear that if you don’t get me out of this room in the next ten seconds, I will kick your ass up and down these halls of justice,” Shane thundered.

  Laughing at the dripping sarcasm, Rafe nodded at the officer, who was looking between the two men as if they were both nuts. He wasn’t going to say a word to the two friends, though, as it was obvious his chief was livid over the way Shane had been messed with.

  With quiet efficiency, the small man opened the door and Shane strode out, throwing a glare toward Rafe before he headed down the hall and toward the stairs. He wanted to go as far from this jail as he possibly could.

  He needed to see Lia, but there was no way he was going to her hospital room smelling like somebody’s tossed cookies.

  “Take me to your place. It’s closer. I need a quick shower and then I want to get back to the hospital. ”

  “I guess I can do that, considering I was able to get a few good shots in at your expense,” Rafe replied.

  “I swear, Rafe, if you had any real idea what my last twenty-four hours have been like, you would be a lot less vocal right now,” Shane warned him.

  Of course, Rafe never had been afraid of a threat. Shane decided he’d better shut up before the two of them ended in a fistfight. He wasn’t afraid of Rafe, either — not even a little. But he just didn’t want any more delays before he saw Lia.

  “All kidding aside, Lia really is doing well. You saved her life. Hell, I owe you everything. ”

  Shane turned in shock to see the sudden serious expression on Rafe’s face. “There was never any question that I’d help her, Rafe. It’s Lia. ”

  “I don’t have a lot of faith in many people, but you’re one of the good guys, Shane. Thank you. ” Rafe patted Shane’s back in a half hug before he led him to his car.

  As they rode in silence to Rafe’s house, Shane felt even worse. Here was his best friend telling him how much he appreciated what he’d done — and Shane had spent many nights with fantasies starring Lia in very unsisterly roles. He couldn’t get into a relationship with Lia. It was just too complicated.

  Chapter Eleven

  “It feels as if every inch of my body has been worked over with a jackhammer. I need some much stronger drugs than whatever it is they’re giving me. ”

  “Do you want me to find the doctor, Lia? I don’t handle situations like this very well,” Ari admitted, her face turning pale as she stepped into the bathroom for a damp washcloth to offer cool relief to Lia’s forehead.

  Ari returned by her bedside and Lia groaned as she applied the cloth to her heated skin. Ari could hardly believe that something so horrible had happened to such a sweet girl.

  Being there with Lia brought up her own tequila-drenched night at a club and that disgusting waiter, Chandler, who’d slipped her a date-rape drug. Ari refused to dwell on it, but it was hard to suppress the memories with Lia lying before her in a hospital bed.

  Considering how ashen Lia’s complexion was, whatever she’d been given was a lot worse than what Ari had been drugged with. Ari decided that she should share some of the story for Lia’s sake.

  “I’ve been through this if you want to talk about it. I know that no two situations are the same, but if it hadn’t been for your brother, I don’t even want to imagine what would have happened to me. ”

  Lia's eyes filled with surprise and a flash of relief. She felt such shame and embarrassment about the incident and was feeling so miserable physically — the saying misery loves company seemed to make sense all of a sudden.

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  “I know I should be more frightened, or even face what happened with more seriousness, but Shane got there, and to tell you the truth I can’t remember much of it. I was having a great time one minute, and then the next, my head felt all foggy. I knew enough to know someone had slipped me something, so I made a beeline for my car and called Shane. The rest of the night is really fuzzy…” Lia trailed off.

  “Well, I’m here for you if you need a friend. With these macho men in your life, you may think that you have to be stronger than you really feel, but it’s OK to admit it when you’re scared,” Ari said as she took Lia’s hand.

  “You are a great person, Ari. I’m so glad to have met you. My family means the world to me, but they’ve always been so over-the-top protective that sometimes I do stupid things just to rebel against it all. I’m not saying they are wrong; I just want them to accept the fact that I’m no longer a little girl. I love being a woman, and I’d love it even more if Shane would notice I’m all grown up. I’m sure you think I’m acting immature, but if you had put up with this the way I have for so many years, you’d have gone a little crazy, too,” Lia admitted with a deep sigh.

  “I have to admit I covet your life a little. My father was a drunk who ran off before I was old enough to even remember his face. I probably shouldn’t even touch alcohol, but sometimes it’s nice to just take a step back from reality. I was always the good girl, partly to make up for the fact that my mom gave so much for me, and partly because I’m highly competitive — even with myself — and there are times I find myself breaking free, too, trying to experience all the things I missed. I’d give anything to have a big, loving family. You may feel smothered, but you truly are one of the lucky ones. ”

  “I’m so sorry about your dad, Ari. Ugh. That’s terrible. I can’t imagine what it must have been like to grow up without a dad — but your mom must really be something because you turned out so well. I do know how fortunate I am to have been raised in my family. . . I just wish I could have my big, loving family and a few hot nights with Shane, as well,” she said with a wicked smile.

  “Lia!” Ari gasped as she looked toward the door.

  “Oh, please don’t start lecturing. It’s not as if you haven’t had some steamy nights of your own — speaking of which, how are things going with my brother, dearest?”

  Ari ignored the question, wanting to get away from this topic as quickly as she could. She went to the sink and cooled Lia’s washcloth again before stepping back to the bed. Lia suddenly groaned as if she were in severe pain.

  “What can I do? Is there anything I can get you?”

  “Some ice water would help,” Lia moaned.

  Ari failed to see the piercing brightness and the twinkle in Lia’s eyes.

  “Here you go,” Ari said while handing over the water. “When do the doctors think you can return home?”

  “You have to talk to me about anything other than this hospital or my ailments. I don’t know when I get to leave, and keeping my mind off all this stuff is the only thing that will make me feel better,” Lia pouted.

  Ari paused for a minute as she tried to switch gears. “I got to spend a day in Central Park —”

  “Noooooo!” Lia whined pitifully, “I’ve seen Central Park a thousand times. Tell me about you and Rafe. Are you guys all hot and heavy? Does he rock your world?”

  “Lia! I can’t believe you. Not even an entire day has passed since you were brutally attacked, and all you care about is my sex life. Priorities!” Ari scolded.

  “This is a priority. A serious one. You weren’t there when Sharron ripped his heart out, then stomped on it a few times for good measure. Rafe was different then — kinder. I know he’s a bit of a pig now, but I still see my big brother underneath it all. He’s inside — just waiting for someone to free him. You don’t know me that well, but since you’ve stepped into his life, I’ve seen him emerging — returning to the person I always idolized. ”

  Ari mentally shook her head. Rafe didn’t care about her; he just wanted her as his mistress, a sexual and occasionally social convenience. He’d told her so repeatedly. Lia was just seeing what she so wanted to see.

  The real
ly annoying part of it all was that Ari could see moments where Rafe was kind and good. She could see a part of him that he desperately tried to keep hidden, but once in a while it would leak out. What if Lia was right? What if he did want to be loved, but he was just afraid of trusting someone?

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  If Ari opened herself up to this impenetrable man, and then he got bored with her and walked away, she’d be the one who was crushed. It would be her heart that was broken. Could she go through that? And what if she was too afraid to trust him, and he turned out to be the one she was meant for? She closed her eyes for an instant. We need a distraction; I don’t want to deal with this now. Please, God… She was too confused to think about Rafe.

  “Now that you’re obviously feeling better I can give you the scolding you deserve, Lia. I can’t believe you went to the middle of nowhere with a bunch of strangers and didn’t call me!”

  Ari grinned as a guilty expression washed over Lia’s face when her sister breezed into the room.

  “I’m sorry, Rachel. I just wanted to try something new. It wasn’t a big deal until some idiot decided it would be fun to give me a spiked drink. ”

  “That’s crap and you know it. I’m just grateful Shane got there in time. So much worse could have happened to you. Someone drugged you and then you nearly got raped. Do you understand how dangerous a situation you were in? You could have been killed. You don’t go to places like that — ever — especially not alone. ”

  “Would you have come with me, Miss Innocent?”

  “I wouldn’t have liked it, but I would not have let you go alone,” Rachel insisted.

  “I think what Rachel is trying to say is that she’s very happy you’re OK, and in the future she wants to be with you when you are feeling…adventurous. I don’t know what it was like for you guys to grow up in a home with siblings, but I grew up an only child and it was really lonely. You may drive each other crazy at times, but the bottom line is that you love each other and that’s something you should always appreciate and respect. ”

  Ari wasn’t sure if the girls were going to turn their anger on her, go back to fighting with each other, or make peace. Before she could get an answer, Rafe walked in with Shane.

  “I couldn’t have said it better myself, Ari. Thank you. ” The wind was taken out of Ari’s sails when Rafe walked right up to her and tugged her into his arms, giving her a long, scorching kiss in front of his family. He wasn’t leaving any doubt to his sisters and Shane that he and Ari were a couple.

  When Rafe drew back, Ari wobbled a bit on her feet before she managed to pull herself together. The man just really knew how to kiss.

  “As for you, Lia, if you so much as hint at doing something so foolish again, I’ll personally lock you up and throw away the key. You could have gotten yourself killed. ”

  “I’ll help him do it,” Shane said as the two men flanked Lia’s bed.

  “You’re both Neanderthals — and I couldn’t love you more. Thank you for caring about me, and trust me, I will never do anything so dumb again. I’ve learned my lesson,” Lia said with a thoroughly innocent expression.

  Ari had a feeling the girl was only just getting started. From the adoring looks on both Rafe’s and Shane’s faces, it looked as if the men were buying into her heartfelt apology — hook, line and sinker.

  “Now that it seems everything is under control, I’m going to go visit my mother,” Ari said as she backed away from Rafe toward the door. She wished her voice sounded a little less breathless.

  “I’ll come with you. ”

  “No! I mean, that’s OK; you stay and visit with your sister. I’ll meet you back here, Rafe. Thanks for the offer, though. ” Ari bolted out the door and down the hall.

  The last thing she wanted was for her mother to see her with Rafe. Not only couldn’t she seem to sort out her tumbling emotions toward the man, but she in no way wanted her mom to know what she’d done.

  Ari’s mother, Sandra, would get to leave the hospital in two more days, and because of Rafe, she’d be returning to her home, never the wiser that Ari had sold it. Rafe had hired men to move her mother’s furniture and other possessions back into the house, and Ari would just explain that any missing items had been sold for medical costs. It was a small price to pay for her mother’s health.

  She stopped by the bathroom to freshen up and make sure none of the inner turmoil coursing through her was displayed on her face. Her mom had been through more than enough and didn’t need to see Ari looking as if she were about to fall apart.

  When Ari finally considered herself ready, she went to the elevators and traveled up to the sixth floor, where her mother’s room was located.

  As she stepped inside and saw her mother looking so much healthier and sitting up in bed, much of her stress evaporated. Her wonderful mom would be back to normal soon, even working in her beloved floral shop!

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  The creations her mother made were unique and beautiful, and customers came from near and far to snap them up. On top of her talent, she made each person among her clientele feel as if they were her top priority.

  Sandra ran herself ragged, but she was happy, and Ari would do anything to ensure that she stayed that way, even if it cost her some of her own happiness. Her mom had sacrificed so much for her — it was now Ari’s turn to return the favor.

  “I thought you weren’t going to be back until tomorrow, sweetie. ” The sound of her mom’s voice prodded her into action and she moved forward.

  “Mr. Palazzo’s sister had an accident and we had to come back early,” Ari said as she went her mother’s bed and leaned down to give her a hug.

  “Is she all right?”

  “Yes. She’s fine. Her family is there with her now, so I wanted to come see you. It’s only been a few days, but I missed you. I bet you can’t wait to get out of here. It has seemed like forever. ”

  “It’s felt like an eternity. I just want my own bed again,” Sandra said as she reached for her cup of water. “How was New York?”

  “It was amazing. We were there only a few days and didn’t get much work done, but I was able to spend an afternoon in Central Park! I also got to ice-skate at Rockefeller Center. I’m terrible at it, but I’d do it all over again. I hope to go back someday and explore more. ”

  “We’ll have to go together. I’ve never been to the East Coast. We’ll make it a nice little vacation and stop in to see Niagara Falls, too. ”

  “That sounds like a date, Mom. We’ll want to do it in the summer because I’ve heard those falls get pretty cold. ”

  “Do you like your new job, Ari? Are you going to be able to finish school while doing it?”

  When Ari was in New York, she had told her mother only that she’d received a promotion in the company she’d been hired at originally and was now working directly for Rafe. She hadn’t known what else to tell her. Sandra absolutely didn’t need to know the whole truth.

  “I love the job, not that I really know what I’m doing yet. I think it will be a good experience. I’m going to try to get back to school soon, Mom. I promise. I will finish that degree so you can be proud when I accept my diploma at the department of history ceremony. ”

  “Ari, don’t you know that I’m proud of you no matter what you do in life? I just want this so badly because you worked your tail end off and deserve to finish. It’s a shame to stop now when you’re so very close. I’d never forgive myself if you didn’t graduate because of me. ”

  “Mom, the accident was my fault, so none of this is because of you!” Ari insisted.

  “We can go back and forth all day long about whose fault it is, but the bottom line is that I won’t be happy until you have that diploma in your hand. You gave up a lot of your childhood so you could earn scholarships to go to school, and now it’s time for you to shine. ”

  “I am shining, Mom. You know, most co
llege kids dream of getting a job for a company as prestigious as the Palazzo Corporation. They are high up there on the food chain. I see that look in your eyes, so you don’t have to say it. I won’t settle. I promise you, I’ll be there no more than six months, and then, even if I have to pimp myself out for college tuition, I’ll get back in the classroom. ”

  Ari winced at how close to home her statement was. She might not be selling her body for tuition money, but she was for her mother’s security. The worst part was that she was developing feelings for her captor.

  “Ari! Don’t even joke about such a thing,” Sandra exclaimed. “But you know,” she went on in a deceptively even tone, “you need to tell me more about your boss — this Mr. Rafe Palazzo, who was so kind to me. ”

  Ari squirmed beneath her mother’s intense gaze. She’d managed to avoid the subject many times over, but her mom was an observant woman. Ari would have to be darned convincing to persuade Sandra there was nothing going on with her “boss. ”

  “He’s a great man who has decided to give a college dropout a chance. There’s really nothing much I can tell you — he’s a pretty closed book,” Ari hedged.

  “It seems to me that he’s more than your boss. ”

  “That’s ridiculous, Mom. Mr. Palazzo is just one of those men who really stand out in a crowd. He’s…helpful,” Ari concluded lamely.

  “You honestly expect me to believe there’s nothing going on between the two of you?”

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  “No, absolutely nothing!”

  “Now, Ari, I think your mother is a smarter woman than that. ”

  Ari turned around to find Rafe leaning against the doorjamb as if he didn’t have a care in the world. She sent an urgent look his way, pleading with him to stick with her story. When he answered with a wink, she didn’t know what to expect.

  “Excuse me, Rafe. Did you want to add something?” Sandra asked as she looked back and forth at the two of them.

  “It’s a pleasure to see you looking so much healthier, Sandra,” Rafe replied as he sauntered into the room and reached down to pick up Sandra’s hand and lift it to his mouth for a kiss.

  In amazement, Ari watched her mother practically swoon. The man just had a way with women — both young and old. He could probably stop a riot with nothing but a smile and flirtatious wink.