Forget Me Not (Phased Moonlight Series Book 2) (13 page)

              It whined and staggered back to run its paws over its muzzle. It growled at her before lunging and wrapping its powerful jaws around her soft neck.

* * *

              Sera jerked awake, gripping her neck. She winced, as the action jarred her injuries. She gripped her head, trying to calm her rapid breathing. She looked over at the large window and saw the sun just coming over the horizon. She turned to look next to her and found the bed empty. She frowned and stood.

She felt some of her strength return, and she smiled and stood up straighter. “At least that’s a good sign,” she said to herself as she took in the room around her.

              It was huge and decorated beautifully in old Victorian style, in deep reds and golds. The walls were painted a deep burgundy, the color of a rich wine. The furniture was beautiful, precious and unique antiques.

At the end of the bed was a large trunk that looked rather old. Sera wanted to open it to peek inside, but it was sealed with a  combination lock. She shrugged her shoulders and stood to turn toward the bathroom. She smiled at the words on the door, “Powder Room,” written in fancy script. She turned the glass knob, and her jaw dropped as she stepped into the large bathroom.

It was almost as large as the bedroom. It was painted tan and gold, and the countertops were white marble. She smiled as she ran her fingertips over the smooth surface. The shower was huge, and as she stepped closer, she saw a waterproof touchpad that shifted the settings. She pressed the “Rain” button and laughed as water began to fall from the ceiling. She turned it off and walked over to the large two-person bathtub that reminded her of a Jacuzzi. She was sure it would feel heavenly on her sore muscles.

              She walked back out of the bathroom and hunted for a closet. Around the other side of the bed, she found another door. When she opened it and walked inside, the lights automatically turned on. “Of course I’ve got a walk-n closet!” She looked around and smiled as the smell of leather and fabric softener reached her nose. She looked at her selection of clothes and frowned at the fancy wardrobe; she just wanted to lounge around in something comfortable. She opened a dresser and smiled when they spotted a pair of cut-offs, a black bra, and a black baby-t. She grabbed them and walked back into the bathroom, then closed the door and locked it behind her.

              She set her clothes on the counter and began to undress. She dropped the oversized t-shirt to the floor and stepped out of the sweats she was wearing. She looked into the full-length mirror on the back of the door and grimaced. Now she knew what Paola was talking about; there was nothing appealing about her. She was very thin, probably from the two months of being unconscious. Her ribs were visible when she moved, and she had a gap between her thighs. Her skin was pale, except for the yellow bruises and cuts that were still pink and scabbed over and healing. Her white hair was flat and limp and looked like a rat had taken up residence. She lifted up her hair to look at her back. She was surprised to see that it wasn’t that horrible. Her spine still had a deep purple bruise on it, but that was really the extent of the damage. As she looked at her back, an image flashed through her mind, one that made her gasp.

              She saw herself, looking at her back in the mirror, only she looked different. Her skin had a healthy tan to it, and her hair was smooth, bouncy, and full of life. This time, her back was marred with ugly, jagged scars. She dropped her hair and fell forward, resting her hands on her knees as she waited for her breathing to settle down.

              “What the hell was that?” she whispered to herself.

              She shook her head, walked over to the shower, and turned on the settings she wanted. She unwrapped the bandage from her right arm, then sighed as she looked at the large gash. The stitches appeared to be in good shape, and her skin looked normal around them, telling her it wasn’t infected.

              She stepped into the water and sighed in relief as warmness seeped into her aching muscles. She soaked her hair under the water and carefully pulled the tangles apart with her fingers. She picked up the shampoo bottle and squeezed a fair amount into her palm, then lathered it into her hair. She then grabbed the sweet-smelling conditioner and began to give her neglected hair the deep condition it needed.

              After her hair was washed, she set to carefully cleansing her body, being careful of the deep gashes and stitches. When she felt she was completely clean, she shut off the water and stepped out, then wrapped her thin body in a plush towel that went around her twice.

              She carefully dried herself, then wrapped the towel around her hair on top of her head. She dressed in the casual clothes, then searched the multiple drawers and cabinets until she found a hairdryer and brush. She turned it on the highest setting and began to blow-dry her hair. She flipped over, so her hair was hanging downward. As she ran a brush through it so the air would reach it all, she felt the bounce returning, and she smiled. When she was done, she flipped back over and looked in the mirror. Her long platinum hair cascaded down her shoulders perfectly. Suddenly, she felt almost human and alive again. 

              She walked over to the vanity near the end of the room, sat down, and began to apply makeup to her face to help her sickly appearance. She lightly dusted her eyelids with golden eyeshadow, highlighting her sapphire eyes. She lined her lower water-line with eyeliner and coated her lashes with mascara. She added a little peachy blush to her cheeks, then smiled at her reflection. She didn’t look so unhealthy anymore.

              She walked back into the bedroom and found Ceo, sitting on one of the plush recliners, reading a book. He looked up at her and grinned, as if pleasantly surprised. “You look stunning,” he said, standing. He crossed the room to her and gripped her hips gently. He brushed his thumbs on her skin, causing her to break out in goose flesh.

Sera gave a small smile, a halfhearted one at best, then pulled away from him. She didn’t want him to touch her, not after what she had heard the night before. .

              “Are you okay?” he asked as she walked toward the couch.

              Sera nodded and wrapped her arms around herself. She leaned up against the window and looked out at the rolling ocean. “It’s beautiful,” she said.

              “Yes you are,” Ceo said, moving closer to her.

She turned and stopped his approach with the anger brewing in her blue eyes. 

              “Sera?” he asked, looking at her.

              She shook her head and placed a fake smile on her lips. “I’m starving. Let’s go eat.” She then made a beeline for the door. She frowned, wishing she could go faster, but her dislocated hip slowed her pace. She opened the door and motioned for Ceo to pass through.               “After you.”

              He gave her a questioning look but nodded and stepped through the door.

Sera followed and looked at the mini-living room. “So the house is divided into suites?” Sera asked.

              Ceo nodded but didn’t speak.

She followed him through the house, glaring daggers into his back. She had a feeling he knew she was upset with him, because his back seemed rigid and tense, and his fists were clenched at his sides. She didn’t care though; in fact, she hoped he knew.

              He led her into the kitchen, where two men sat on stools, chatting. They were as big and brooding as Ceo, and that made Sera feel small and shrimpy. As they walked in, the men bowed their heads to them.

Sera’s brow rose in surprise. 

              “I’ll explain later,” Ceo mumbled to her. 

              “Good morning,” the men said.

              “Marco, Nunzio, when did you two fly in?” Ceolus asked, pouring Sera a cup of coffee.

              “About an hour ago,” Marco said. “It’s good to see you again, Sera.”

              “Uh…you too,” Sera said, without the slightest clue of who was talking to her. 

              “She lost her memory after the crash. She doesn’t really recall much,” Ceo said, placing a hand on Sera’s shoulder as he set her coffee cup in front of her. She gripped the coffee cup and moved, wanting to put some distance between them. She walked over to the fridge and pulled out some milk to add to her coffee.

              “
Oh che peccato! Mi dispiace tanto
,” Nunzio said.

              “What?” Sera asked, titling her head to the side as she poured some milk into her cup.

              “He said, ‘What a shame. I am so sorry,’” Marco answered. He stood from the stool and walked over to Sera, holding out his hand.

She set her hand in his, and he pulled it up to his lips and kissed it. She giggled, knowing it would aggravate Ceo.

              “My name is Marco. Welcome back.”

              “Thank you, Marco. It is wonderful to meet you.”

              The other man walked forward and took her hand from Marco. “I am Nunzio, but you can call me Zio. You look lovely this morning,” he said, kissing her knuckles.

              Sera smiled and blushed. “Well, I try.”

              “And you succeed.” His smile made her giggle again.

Ceo stormed between them, pushing Zio away from her. “Watch it,” he said with a growl. 

              “Calm yourself,” Sera angrily snapped. “He was just being nice.”

              “He was flirting with you,” Ceo said, looking over his shoulder at her once before glaring at Zio again. “You may be blood, but I will kill you.”

              Zio rolled his eyes and held his hands up like a man under arrest. “No harm done, cousin. The female is all yours.”

              “The female, huh?” Sera said, placing her hands on her hips.

Ceo turned to face her.

“So I’m the female? Lovely.”

              “He didn’t mean it like—”

              “And another thing, I will flirt with whoever I damn well please.”

              Ceo stepped closer to her, causing her to crane her neck up at him. “If you want others in this house to live, you will flirt with no one. You have lost your memory, so allow me to refresh it. I am a very possessive man, and no one flirts with what is mine.”

              “You can’t control me, Ceo. I’m not a dog, not anybody’s property. I am a grown woman.”

              “Oh real—”

              “Ceolus!” a voice scolded from the hallway.

              They both looked up to find Calandra glaring at her older brother. She sauntered into the room and moved between them, quite like he did to get between her and Zio. “That’s enough,” she snapped. 

              “But—”

              She began spitting Italian at him, and Sera saw his face soften as he looked at her. She looked at the ground, not wanting to meet his stare.

              “Now,” Calandra said as she took a breath, “Sera and I are going to take a walk around the villa, just the two of us. I’ve missed our walks, and we need to catch up. I will have her back by noon.”

              Sera’s sassy sister-in-law snaked an arm around her waist, pulled her from the room, and led her out the back door. The cool air made Sera smile, and she felt the thin layer of sweat on her skin begin to dry.

              “I’m sorry about my brother,” Calandra said, taking her arm as they began to walk down a path that led out to the rolling hills. “He’s just trying to get back into the swing of things. You were gone a long time.”

              “Only two months,” Sera said. “Besides, he had his fun while I was gone.”

              Calandra looked at her curiously.

              “Don’t tell me you don’t know! Last night, a woman named Paola came into our room, looking for Ceo. They thought I was asleep, but I heard everything they said.”

              Calandra sighed. “I see. Well, I will not lie to you and tell you that there was nothing going on between them, but I can tell you that it is long over. The day you were in the crash and went into emergency surgery, the doctors told Ceo to go home and relax, because the surgery would take at least twelve hours. He was devastated and holed up in his room for hours. That snake Paola saw how vulnerable he was and took advantage of him. When he went back to the hospital, they told him you were in a coma, and they had no idea when or if you would wake up. He went home, thinking he’d lost you, and I suppose he sought temporary comfort in the arms of another. When I told him what an idiot he was, he finally saw reason. The next day, he got a call from the doctors, who told him you were recovering, waking up. I guess Paola just couldn’t let go.”

              Sera remained silent as they continued to walk. She hadn’t really thought of it that way, but she still couldn’t forgive him for taking such drastic measures.

              “I can see the wheels turning in your head, sister. What’s on your mind?”

              “He wants things to go right back to the way they were, but I can’t do that, because I don’t know what that is! Now that I know all this, it’ll take even longer for me to be able to trust him.”

              “Sera,” Calandra said, stopping her, “do you love my brother?”