Page 157 of Loyalty

The grogginess in John’s mind was so heavy that he struggled to stay awake as he peeled open his eyes. He wondered how long he had been asleep while he stretched his arms high above his head. He rubbed his palms against his face. The thickness of his facial stubble said it had been far too long since he had a shave.

He stared up at the familiar ceiling, but confusion filled his mind. He knew instantly where he was. It was as comforting as it was concerning.

He struggled to remember the events of the night before. A party for his family. He went, and made a scene. On his way out, he tossed back a couple of drinks. The frantic pace of his mind grew and sped up until he could barely take anything in at all.

Still, he pushed through the clashing and crashing thoughts to dig for more information as to how he got here. He left the Marcello mansion, and that was the last thing John could remember.

He struggled to bring back more memories. His chest burned like he had been drinking hard liquor all night long. The taste in his mouth said he likely had been doing exactly that. A deep pounding headache in his temples only confirmed it further.

But even drunk, or hungover, John wasn’t one to lose his memories. He was not one to forget.

Yet, the space in his head was only a giant black hole filled with nothing, and giving him nothing when he tried to pull something from it.

“John?”

Her soft voice in the bed comforted him, and also made him stiffen. He looked over in the bed to see her staring at him with soft, familiar blue eyes.

“Siena,” he murmured.

Her hand reached out. A tentative touch stroked his cheek, and woke him up further.

“How are you feeling?” she asked.

“The same way I did yesterday.”

Out of control.

Bulletproof.

Confused.

Pissed off.

Too fast.

Too slow.

Not right at all.

“When did I get here?” he asked.

Siena’s brow furrowed, and she stroked his cheek again with her fingertips. “Showed up here around twelve.”

“And you just let me in?”

“I couldn’t just keep you out.”

Something wasn’t right with him. Everything was wrong with him. He knew it now more than ever.

“John—”

Siena’s words were cut off by his ringing cell phone. The last thing John wanted to do was answer that phone, but he had been ignoring it for so long, and putting off too many things. Waking up with no memory and feeling like he was meant one thing.

He crashed.

Hard.

Now, he was scattered in broken pieces and wondering how he had gotten here to begin with.