Shadow Keeper (Shadow #3)

“So, he somehow got that information out of someone on staff or a volunteer. He knows how to manipulate people,” Stefano murmured. “We’re dealing with a professional, not some shmuck off the streets.”

“Mr. Ferraro.” Detective Maverick announced his arrival. “Is your brother all right?”

“I’m alive,” Giovanni said. “But a little worse for wear.”

“Ms. Provis? You and your brother okay?”

Sasha’s fingers tightened in Giovanni’s. She inched a little closer to him as if she could protect him. He liked that. The detective represented conventional authority, and ordinarily, his family would have welcomed the investigation and helped it along as best they could. Sasha’s attacker had attacked someone they considered a family member, and that meant it was family business. She was already thinking along those lines.

“We’re fine thanks to Giovanni. He shielded both of us.”

“That’s what the witnesses said. We’d like you and your brother to give us your accounts.”

There was something in the detective’s voice that bothered Giovanni. He detested not being able to turn over and see the man’s face. He was at a distinct disadvantage, but he was surrounded by family.

“My brother is back in his room and has a bodyguard. He has a brain injury that prevents him from being able to answer your questions, Detective,” Sasha said. “His doctor will confirm that. I’m very concerned that my stalker is out to kill my brother, and I don’t understand why you haven’t gotten any closer to finding him.”

Giovanni could have kissed her. He squeezed her hand in an effort to try to tell her he was proud of her.

“Giovanni, we’re going to remove the shard in your calf,” Emilio said. “The doc is here. We can try to numb it.”

“Just take the fucking thing out,” Giovanni snapped. He was done with lying on his belly while dust settled around them and the cops questioned everyone.

“What happened?” Maverick asked.

“You can’t wait until the doctor finishes with him?” Sasha sounded outraged. “Seriously, Detective. Someone rigged the light fixture to blow while I was reading to my brother. I don’t know if his intention was to kill us or injure us or just plain scare us. My brother is fragile as are the other patients here.” Her voice wobbled.

Giovanni realized she was close to breaking down. “Baby, I’m right here. Sandlin’s okay and so am I.” He didn’t want her to cry, not without him able to hold her and shield her from the two detectives. They were good men. He knew they were and they were just doing their jobs, but they didn’t like the Ferraros. They believed the family was involved in criminal activities rivaling their enemy, the Saldi family. Neither detective wanted a war between the two powerful families in their city.

“I’m sorry, Ms. Provis,” Maverick said immediately. “If the doctor says your brother can’t talk to us, of course we’ll leave him alone. We do need Mr. Ferraro’s account.”

“My account. Fuck, what the hell are you doing, Doc?” He was much more dramatic than needed.

Sasha fell for it, her little gasp and the way she hitched closer to him, her hands in his hair, was gratifying. “Be careful,” she hissed to the doctor.

Giovanni wanted to pull her into his arms. She was protective of him, but he knew she was sliding close to the edge of a cliff. So much fear and trauma could send one cascading over. She had lost her parents and the brother she knew forever. She was clinging hard to Sandlin, even though the doctors had cautioned her that his life expectancy wasn’t long. To have him menaced in any way, to have a persistent stalker threatening her brother’s life, was too much. Anyone was bound to crumble, even for a few moments.

“Hurry up, Doc, just get it out,” Giovanni said. He gripped Sasha’s hand. “I’m good, baby. Really.” He glanced up at the detective. “I can’t tell you very much. Sasha was reading to Sandlin. I was talking to Nolan Rockman, Sandlin’s bodyguard. He told me about the broken windows and that the repairmen had checked out, but he still kept Sandlin on the other side of the Center until they were gone. I think he was saying something about how childlike or innocent Sandlin was, and I turned to look at him with Sasha. I noticed the plaster swirling around in the rays of light shining down. At first it didn’t register and then I just dove to cover them.”

He stayed as close to the truth and what he knew Rockman would tell the detective. He could give a word-for-word account of what was said, but witnesses usually couldn’t do that. He also had incredible speed, which Rockman would probably mention, but he was deliberately vague in his own account, not mentioning distance or how he’d gotten there in time.

“You really could use a couple of stitches,” the doctor announced.

“Just use glue or whatever you do now,” Giovanni said. He was done being at a disadvantage and growing impatient with all the questions.

“We need everyone out of this room.” Goodman was there, worried the rest of the roof would cave in and his Center would be liable. “Please go into the other room.”

“Doc.” Stefano ignored everyone. He was a law unto himself and it showed in everything about him. “Put in the stitches right here. It’s the only chance you’re going to get. You don’t do it, it won’t get done.”

“Infection could set in,” the doctor warned. “I have everything I need with me.” He was already setting up a small tray to get it done. “But I’m warning you, with all the dust in here, this could get septic.”

“You say that every time you have to sew one of us,” Giovanni griped.

“That’s because I find you in the worst circumstances.”

It took forever to get out of there. Giovanni had to answer more unnecessary questions, as did Rockman and Sasha. Several staff members and the volunteer who had served chocolate and cookies were detained for more questions. Giovanni repeatedly told the detectives no one saw or heard anything because the others hadn’t. Rockman was upset with himself, but really, he couldn’t have done much, either. Their enemy was a man who was cunning and bold. He was also very well trained.

Sasha insisted on going to work. Goodman had made noises about removing Sandlin from his Center, and she panicked. Giovanni made the mistake of telling her it was a ploy often used to get more money. She was associated with the Ferraro family. No one minded price gouging them, so of course Goodman would expect them to pay to keep Sandlin there. It wouldn’t occur to him that Sasha was paying the bill herself after their engagement.

In the end, even Stefano stopped arguing with her when Giovanni gave a slight shake of his head. She was becoming more and more agitated. There was no way to resolve the situation. The Ferraros would negotiate terms with Goodman without Sasha and then they’d continue to look for better places and other doctors. They had the means and they’d use whatever it took to give Sandlin the best care possible.

Giovanni knew Sasha loved her brother and she would put aside pride in order to make certain he got the best care. Right now, she was feeling raw and possessive and definitely protective. He knew she needed space and he was going to give her whatever was necessary to make her feel in control. If that meant she needed to go to work, to be in her normal routine, then it wasn’t a big deal to sit at a table all night and watch her. Of course, he was doubling the guards, and she would have one of the experienced ones moving around with her, that was nonnegotiable.