Awake My Heart (The Bentini Brothers Book 3) (3 page)

     Although his words please her, she can’t seem to find a smile
as she glances over at the man who has always been so fiercely intimidating to
her.  “I have to know…” her hesitant voice trails off.  Not quite brave enough
to look him full in the face, she nevertheless asks, “Do you hate me too?  I
know now is not the time to talk about…” her voice trails off again, but she finishes
before he can answer and she loses her nerve, “I never meant to come between
Antonio and your mother or cause disharmony in your family…”

     “Tiressa, you know my brother, he will let no one direct his
life, and that includes our mother.”

     “Yes, he can be very determined.”

     “Which is a nice way of saying that he is as bullheaded as an ornery
old Billy goat,” William says with fondness and they share understanding smiles.

     “Ah, I see you are amusing my lady with your wit.  Here is the
contact information for Kathy’s parents,” Antonio says handing an index card to
his brother.

     “I can call them, if you like,” Tiressa offers, wanting to do
something for Kathy.

     “No thank you, this is something I need to do.”

     “I understand.” 

     They both watch as Antonio place a kiss on Kathy’s forehead,
whispering to her, “It’s time to wake up Kathy-girl, you’ve punished him long enough.” 
Standing up next to Antonio, Tiressa whispers to Kathy, “Yeah Kathy, we need
you.  Please wake up!” her voice wobbles and Antonio takes her in his arms as
she quietly sob.  “Come on Ti, none of that,” he whispers rocking her gently, “Kathy
wouldn’t want you upset like this and it’s not good for the baby.”

     “Tony,” she gasp, turning big embarrassed eyes to the man
standing quietly observing them.

     “Well big brother, you’re the first to hear our happy news,” Antonio
announces, unable to contain his excitement. 

     “Congratulations,” Will reaches out to shake his brother’s
hand, but his smile doesn’t quite reach his eyes.

     “Thanks,” Tiressa adds quietly, unable to meet the other man’s
scrutiny.

     “Let’s get you home.  Will call me if anything changes or if you
need me—you know I’ll be here for you.”  Will nods in acknowledgement of his
brother’s support.  “You take Tiressa home, make sure she gets some rest,” his
glance slips down to her belly, “I’ll call if I need to.  Before leaving, Ti
places a kiss on Kathy’s forehead. 

Chapter 3

     “Mr. Bentini, Mrs. Bentini,” their accommodating chauffer
greets as he opens the limousine door for them.

     “We are going to head on home Jake,” Mr. Bentini says,
ushering his wife into the luxurious vehicle.

     “Yes, sir.”

     Mr. and Mrs. Bentini ride in uncomfortable silence for a few
minutes until Mr. Bentini decides to speak what is on his mind.

     “Marella you’ve got to put a stop to this.”

     “I can’t help how I feel Dominic.  Is it so wrong for a mother
to want the best for her children?”

     “No Marella, of course it isn’t, but you are hurting the boys. 
They can not help how
they
feel.  Is it wrong for them to want to be
with the women they love?”

     “Yes! If they are the wrong women!  And they are Dom.  Oh, I
don’t have anything against Katherine or Tiressa, I think they are wonderful
girls.  However, I want my sons to have wives who bring something substantial
to their marriage…who can elevate them.  I want my children to have what we
have.”

     “They do have what we have Marella!  They have love!  And that
is everything!  If you refuse to accept that, you will destroy our family.  You
will rip asunder all that we have nurtured and built together.  You know that I
speak the truth.  We raised our boys to be strong and independent.”  Taking his
wife’s chin in his hand, he tilts her face up to his, speaking softly, but resolutely,
“You know you will lose if you force them to choose between a mother’s love and
their woman’s love.”

     The limousine comes to a smooth stop and the door swings open
almost immediately.  Jake patiently wait for his employers to exit the vehicle,
dutifully pretending that he is not aware of the strain between them and the
cause.  Indeed, all of the mansion staff knows about the family drama and has long
since taken sides. 

     As soon as Mr. and Mrs. Bentini enter the mansion, they go
their separate ways.  Mr. Bentini thinking that no matter how long it takes he
will continue to help his beloved wife see the error of her ways.  Mrs. Bentini
contemplates how awful it has been to have one son estranged from her and how
much she doesn’t want another son refusing to be in the same room with her. 
But mostly, she’s afraid that her husband is right…she will lose both of them
if she persist in throwing down edicts and trying to force them to live their lives
according to her wishes. 

***

     William quickly gets to his feet as the nurse enters the
waiting room with an anxious looking couple following closely behind her.  “Mr.
Bentini, this is Mr. and Mrs. Walters.”  As they shake hands and exchange stiff
greetings, the nurse hastens to continue, “I’ve informed Mr. and Mrs. Walters
that the doctors are examining their daughter and will be with you all shortly.”

     “Thank you Nurse.”  He can’t remember her name, but he
appreciates her kindness—she was one of the few people in the Intensive Care Unit
who didn’t give him a hard time when Kathy was first brought up.

     “Mr. Bentini, how is Katherine?  Have there been any change
since the last time we talked? The nurse wouldn’t say,” an overwrought Mrs.
Walters clings to her husband’s arm.

     Seeing that she looks to be on the verge of collapsing, Will urges
her to have a seat.  “No, I’m afraid there has been no change.  She has been
unconscious since the accident.  As the nurse said, the doctors are examining her
and when they finish hopefully we’ll know more.”  It suddenly hits Will that
these people are Kathy’s parents—his future in-laws.  Looking into their
worried faces, he wonders if they know about his relationship with their
daughter. 

     Dr. Phillips and Dr. Campbell walk into the waiting room with similar
solemn expressions.  Not giving the doctors a chance to speak first, Will quickly
introduces Kathy’s parents and then, between one breath and the next, pounces, “Well?
Is she awake?  Are there any changes?!”

     Dr. Phillips takes the lead, “I’m sorry William, Mr. and Mrs.
Walters, although it appears that some of the swelling and pressure on the
brain has decreased, there have been no significant changes.  Kathy hasn’t
regained consciousness.”

     While the Walters comfort each other, Will explodes, “What the
hell is going on Dr. Phillips, you said we would know something in
twenty-fours.  Damnit, it’s been at least forty-eight hours and nothing has
changed, she’s laying there—no eye movement, no twitches, nothing!”

     “Mr. Bentini, this is not uncommon.  Sometimes the contusion
is so severe that the nerves are sheared—”

     “You keep throwing all these fancy medical words at me and I
want it plain and simple!  Is she in a coma or not!”

     Dr. Campbell takes over, “It’s not a matter of simple words,
Mr. Bentini,” he says with a trace of impatience in his tone.  “Sheared is a
term used to describe how severe the damage is to nerve cells in the brain. 
I’m sure we don’t have to tell you that brain tissue is very delicate, it
doesn’t take much too potentially cause disruption of neural pathways—”

     “I don’t need to know all that, I just want to know when she’s
going to wake up and I want to know now!”  The tension between the two men is palpable.
 “I know this is difficult, but we simply don’t have enough information,” Dr.
Campbell states undaunted.

     Observing the antagonism between the two headstrong younger
men, Dr. Phillips intervenes, regaining control of the discussion.  “Mr.
Bentini, you brought me here for my medical expertise in this field.  I assure
you that if there was anything more that could be done to improve Ms. Walter’s
condition, we would do it.  But, I’m sorry, there is not.  We must continue to
do exactly what we are doing.  Katherine being unconscious is the body’s way of
helping to heal what can be healed.  We’ve got to give it time and pray for the
best.”  His optimistic gaze encompasses Kathy’s parents as well.

     “Doctor, may we see our daughter now?”  Mrs. Walters asks, not
caring which person replies as long as someone takes them to see their child.

     Dr. Campbell immediately escorts the Walters to Kathy’s room. 
William considers accompanying them, but then decides to give the anguished
parents time alone with their beloved youngest daughter.   

***

     “I’m sorry that we meet under such horrible circumstances,” Mrs.
Walters quietly address the big man staring so intensely at her unmoving
daughter—her breathing so slight that the rise and fall of her chest is barely
discernible.  He holds her small lifeless hand as if by his touch he could will
her to regain consciousness.  Although the Walters pondered his
exact
relationship
to their daughter, neither could bring themselves to question the reserved, imposing
figure.

     Will glances away from Kathy long enough to acknowledge her
mother’s softly spoken words.  “Yes.  I wish this had not happened.  So many
things have changed.”  Wanting his to be the first face Kathy sees when she
wakes up, Will selfishly remain in the chair by her side.  

     Mr. Walters turns from the window.  “Kathy doesn’t speak about
her job much, well, not anymore,” he says, not sure if he is trying to fill the
void or searching for answers.  “When she began working for your mother, it was
Mrs. Bentini
this
and Mrs. Bentini
that
.  She always spoke very
highly of your mother.” 

     “Yes…and then one day she just stopped.  No more talks about the
Bentinis,” Mrs. Walters adds.  “Kathy just clamed up,” she says eyeing the
younger man suspiciously.  “Kathy works for your mother, but you are here with
her.  Do you mind telling us why?”

     “Mom, how is she?!” Kathy’s sister, Emily, burst into the
room, but comes to a halt the instant she notices Will sitting in the bedside
chair holding her sister’s hand.  “Who the hell are you?” Emily demands
antagonistically—
who does he think he is, her mother should be sitting
there!

     Will slowly gets to his feet, facing the titan-haired, highly
polished, slightly older version of Kathy.

     “Emily!” Mr. and Mrs. Walters are quick to admonish.

     “I’m William Bentini.  Kathy and I…” his words falter, “Kathy
works for my mother—”

     Emily cuts him off, “We know.  But that doesn’t explain why
you
are sitting there holding her hand.”

     “Emily, please, stop this at once.  Now is not the time.”

     Obstinately she persists, “But mom, something isn’t right
here.  What about Todd?”

     Mr. Walters’s voice lashes out, enunciating each word falling
from his stiff lips, “Not now Emily!”  It has an immediate effect, as Emily
falls quiet, yet continues to shoot daggers at Will.  Will, not appreciating
the attack, and furious at the mention of the other man, return daggers of his
own—his gaze now becoming hostile.  Looking at the distraught family, he
offers, “I will give you privacy.  This is my personal number,” he says handing
an expensive business card to Mr. Walters.  “I will not be gone long.  I have
to check-in at the office.  Please call me if anything changes…
anything
.” 
He holds Mr. Walters gaze until the older man acquiesces.

     If either of them had bothered to look closely at the woman
lying on the bed, they would have seen the slightest pucker of a frown, there
and gone in an instant.

Chapter 4

     Alison Donavan, William’s fiancée, finds Mrs. Bradley, his old-guard-dog-of-a-secretary
(her
words)
to be a bit much…
meaning, Alison considers her a cantankerous
old bitch and has suggested to William, on several occasions, that she be put
out to pasture.
 

     Sneaking past her and into William’s office is far more
difficult than Alison anticipated, but she’s successful.  

     She doesn’t want to take the chance of being seen because she has
returned to the States unbeknownst to William and wants to give him her special
surprise in person…and she knows just how to go about it. 

     In William’s dressing room, Alison stands nude in front of the
floor length mirror, admiring her professionally tanned, outrageously sexy body. 
Her thoughts flow to her indifferent lover…
“It’s all his fault that I’m in
such desperate need.  If he didn’t ignore me, then I wouldn’t do reckless things
like turn to other men for attention.  But he won’t touch me; hasn’t touched me
in months!”

     As Alison ponders the pathetic state of her sex life with
William, she allows her hands to roam leisurely over her sensitive,
semi-aroused flesh.  Her long eloquent pink-tipped fingers slowly caress her
firm high breasts, circling the areolas before closing around twin pebble-hard
rosy peaks.  She moans sensually as she gently tugs on her nipples and then
glides one dainty hand down to her quivering mound. 
Oh, how she misses the feel
of William’s strong masculine hands on her body…

     Hearing William enter his office, she gives herself one last caress,
shivering deliciously as she saunters out of the dressing room and into the
well-appointed bathroom.  Tiptoeing up to the door, she places her ear on the
cool wood listening to William’s movements around the room.  Twisting the doorknob,
Alison slaps a giant smile of anticipation on her face.

     The sudden, unexpected intrusion of loud voices immediately
has her drawing her hand back from the doorknob.  In a near panic, she dashes
back into the dressing room to grab her clothes so that she can make her
presence known.  But then, just as quickly she changes her mind, convincing herself
that this will be a brief meeting, over shortly and she will have William all
to herself as planned.  So, she stays put, naked and pressed against the solid
cool wood of the bathroom door listening intently.

     “What the hell is this, a Three Stooges mini convention?” 
Will grouches, directing the question towards Antonio, Robert, and Nicholas as
they enter his office boisterously.   

     “Sorry Will, I tried to tell them that you probably didn’t
want their company, but you know how that is,” Robert apologizes soberly, and
then in the next breath inquires about Katherine as they all take seats near
William’s massive well-organized desk.

     “No change.”  Those two simple words come from the tortured soul
of a man in love and hurting for his woman.  Each man in the room understands
that and sympathizes with the brother in pain. 

     “William forgive me for bringing this up, but—”

     “Don’t Robert.  It’s no one’s business but theirs,” Nicholas
intervenes in a hard voice.

     “I have to, mom and dad are barely speaking to each another…we
have to hash this out and now seems as good a time as any.”

     “How can you be so cold-blooded, can’t you see that now is
not
a good time to—”

     “Damnit Nick, mom and dad are not speaking!  It was bad enough
when they started sleeping in separate bedrooms, but now they are at such odds
that the only time they make an attempt at discourse is when their grandchildren
are in the same room with them.  We have to discuss this!  We have to find a
way to fix it,” the eldest brother declares.

     “So, what do you suggest, Robert?  That Will and I give up the
women we love to please the family, to please mom?” Antonio’s, words drip with angry
indignation.

     “I don’t know what the solution is.  I only know that we need
to try to find one!” Robert fires back.

     In the other room, Alison freezes against the door. 
What
the hell is Antonio talking about!  How is she and Will’s relationship causing
problems with the family?  The Bentinis have approved of her from the
beginning.  In fact, Mrs. Bentini has been encouraging her to hurry William to
the alter.
  Totally forgetting about her nudity, Alison stays pressed
against the door seeking answers.

     “Look Antonio, Robert isn’t blaming you or Will for what’s
happening with the parents.  Everyone is concerned and a little worried, that’s
all,” Nick interjects, ever the peacemaker.

     Not willing to be pacified, Antonio barks, “Will can speak for
himself, but as far as I’m concerned, I don’t give a damn if I’m being blamed
or not.  Tiressa is my lady and I’m not giving her up to appease the fucking
family!”

     “Calm down, man!  No one is asking you to!” Robert snaps.

     “Mom is!”  Antonio snaps back.

     They fall silent for a minute, thinking about that truth.  Will
and Tony make eye contact.  Into the silence, Will declares, “I’m not giving
Kathy up either.”

     “Don’t take this the wrong way, Will, but are you sure you’re
in love with Katherine?  Maybe she’s nothing more than a lusty diversion from—”

     “I’m going to stop you right there Robert!”  Will’s eyes blaze,
“Kathy is not some lusty diversion.  I’ve been fighting my attraction to her
almost from the first time Nick brought her home.  We’ve been seeing each other
off and on for several years now.  I should never have started a relationship
with Alison knowing that I was heavily involved with Kathy.   And I should
never have gotten myself engaged.  I’m not proud of the deception.  I’ve
wronged both women, but I intend to straighten this mess out.  As soon as Alison
gets back, I’m going to break the engagement.

      In the adjoining room, Alison can’t believe what she’s just
overheard. 
Did William really say that he and Kathy…that he and Kathy…it
can’t be true!  No.  They are engaged!  He’s marrying her, not that red-haired
slut!
  And then it suddenly hits her. 
William has been having an affair
with Katherine Walters! …right under everyone’s nose…right under her fucking nose!
…the entire time he’s been with her!  And he’s calling off their engagement!  That
dirty rotten bastard!

     “I’m sorry to interrupt you, Mr. Bentini, but your brothers, Adam
and Jason, are heading your way.”

     “Thank you, Mrs. Bradley.”  Two seconds later, Jason and Adam
enter Will’s office exactly as their other brothers had—without invitation and
without even a courtesy knock.

     “Why the hell are we always the last to know anything that’s
going on?!”  Jason shouts as he enters.

     “We are a part of this family too and we have a right to know
what everyone else knows,” Adam tags on.

     “You have the right to sit down and shut the fuck up,” Antonio
responds, grabbing a small marble paperweight off Will’s desk and tossing it at
the twins.  Adam catches it easily and returns it to his brother’s desk, playfully
punching Antonio in the arm as he pulls up a chair next to him.

     “Contrary to what you believe,
Disney
and
Disney Jr.
,
the world does not revolve around you and everything isn’t about you.”  Will
exhales a tired breath.

     “In other words, this has nothing to do with you, so your
input is not needed or wanted,” Antonio adds, sympathizing with Will’s wish for
some semblance of privacy where his personal life is concerned.

     “If it’s about the family, then you are going to get our input
whether you want it or not, Jason replies defiantly, moving a chair closer to
Will’s desk and sitting down next to Adam. They both eye their older brothers
as if daring them to try to make them leave.

     “Okay infant, what do you want to know?”  Robert asks with a smirk,
looking at Jason. Before Jason can reply, Adam cuts in, “We want to know why
you are all huddled together in here?  Does it have anything to do with mom and
pop fighting?”

     “In a way,” Antonio hedges.

     “Yes,” Robert and Nick answer at the same time.

     “What’s going on?  Their fighting can’t be entirely about Tony
and Ti.  What else has happened?” Jason asks, judging his brothers’ peculiar
expressions.

     Exhaling a heavy breath, Will answers.  “Mom and dad found out
that Kathy and I are involved—we are seeing each other.  Now you know, are you
happy?”

     “What the hell are you saying Will!  You’re engaged to Alison!”
Adam exclaims in disbelief.

     “It’s complicated.”

     “What are you going to do?  I mean, Tony and Ti are free to date
each other, but you… you’re engaged to be married to another woman.”

     “Thanks Einstein.  I’m fully aware of that!”

     “So, is that what this meeting is about?”

     “Not really.  We are trying to come up with a way to get mom
and dad back on speaking terms.”

     The room falls silent again as each man contemplates possible
solutions.  Slowly, one by one, the brothers put forth their ideas and suggestions;
but each plan is rejected by one or two brothers or by all of them.  Then Adam
perks up.  “I know what we can do.  We can run a bombard campaign on mom.”

     “What?!”

     “Hear him out, his idea can’t be any worse than the ones we’ve
heard so far,” Jason says, his twin’s biggest defender.

     “I don’t know about you old-timers, but when we were younger, Jase,
me, Ana, and Chris would run a bombard campaign on mom to get her to change her
mind about something she was dead-set against.  Remember Jase?” 

     Jason smiles as memories come floating back to him.  “Yeah, I
sure do.  It was highly effective.”

     “Okay, so tell us how it works.  Do we bombard mom with bricks
until she gives in?”  Robert snorts derisively, “Because that is what it’s probably
going to take to get mom off her mulish pedestal.”

     “Oh yea of little faith,” Nick chides.

     “Here’s what we’ll do…” Although the older brothers are
skeptical, they listen attentively.  “We will each take turns gently bombarding
mom with comments about how the family is broken and she’s the only one who can
hold us together.”  Adam is sure he can convenience all his brothers, except
Robert—
he’d never take sides against mom, not in a million years.

     “Yeah, we’ll tell her how we miss her Sunday dinners with
everyone at the table…you know, light-weight stuff like that.  Mom loves
knowing that she is the glue that binds this family.”  Jason smiles, rubbing
his palms together liking the challenge of getting his stubborn mother to see
things their way.

“We can even have the kids drop hints to her.”

     “You are not using my children in this scheme of yours,” Robert
states vehemently.

     “It’s not using them if it’s their true feelings.  They miss
Ti, Angela told me so.  Gigi has even asked me why she doesn’t come to the
house anymore,” Nick argues with the oldest brother.

     “They are smart kids Robert, they know something isn’t right.  Let
them express how they feel,” Jason grumbles, backing Nick up.

     “What can be the harm?  Like I said, it’s their true feelings,
so it’s not as if we are telling them what to say.”

     Robert relents enough to compromise.  “I’ll ask Angela what
she thinks about involving the kids, and how to go about it.” 

     “This will take a family effort, all of us including your
wives.  Will—you—Tony and dad won’t participate of course; because that will
only make mom dig her heels in deeper.”  Adam continues, looking at the other
brothers, “You know you can’t handle mom in a confrontational manner.  It only
results in her being even more unreasonably stubborn.  That’s probably why dad’s
sleeping in a guest bedroom.  No, we have to gently blast mom until she realizes
that she loves and values family over her pride and personal bias.” 

     “Adam’s right.  Mom needs to feel the loss of family unity so
much that she capitulates.”

     “I understand what you’re saying, really I do, but I’m not
sure that I agree with it,” Robert is clearly split between wanting to help his
brothers and not wanting to go against his mother. 

     “Damnit Robert, mom needs to know that she can’t keep trying
to dictate our lives,” Antonio faces his eldest brother,
the paragon
. 
“What’s the matter with you?  When are you going to stop living your life to
please mom so you can be the number one son, the paragon?!  In case you haven’t
realized it, you’ve won Robert, you’re number-fucking-one!”

     Robert jumps to his feet ready to punch Antonio right in his sardonic
face.  Antonio gets to his feet unhurriedly, “Careful big brother, I’m bigger
and stronger now,” he warns in a taunting drawl.  They face off, neither brother
willing to be the first to back down.  Nick, the diplomat, puts himself between
the two tall, dark, imposing figures.  “Come on guys, we are here for a
solution, not to fight each other.”  After a few more seconds of sour glaring,
both men sit back down.