The Water's Edge At Giovanni's Novels & Stories

Just enough to reach my fingertips. I waited until the camera blinked again, then unfolded it carefully. Three words. “Stay exactly put.” My breath shuddered out of me. Giovanni wasn’t reacting. He was moving. And whatever he was about to do, It was already in motion.

I asked with concern laced in my voice. Giovanni’s jaw tightened as he stepped further into the room, his eyes scanning every corner. “Where the fuck is he?! Warriors!!!” Giovanni shouted, storming over to the window. His eyes locked on the trail of footprints in the sand, leading from the building to the edge of the woods. “There’s no way he made it out alive,” I muttered, staring down at the height of the wall. “How could anyone jump from this high and just... walk away?”

“Besides, the security trying to get you naked all the time.” “Thankfully, they’ve never done that to me.” Only Cato and Bates had. “Just the psychopath keeping you here,” he said bitterly. “Yeah…” Giovanni set the water and iced tea on the table along with the sliced bread, cheese, and grapes. Then he placed our entrees in front of us, salad with grilled salmon and lemon wedges. “The iced tea is decaf, Miss Siena.” “I figured it was.” Giovanni returned inside the house and shut the door.

We both plummeted into the cold waters below, coughing and spluttering as we both came up for air. Giovanni rushed to the side of the boat, his body instantly relaxing as he observed us below, laughing and playing in the sea. An irresistible smile lifted his lips, he was every inch delectable with his Ray-bans pressed against his face and the sun blazing down over his suited frame.

I clumsily washed my hands, splashed water on my hot face, and buried my face in a towel, taking deep breaths. As I began to open the door, it opened for me, and Giovanni scooped me up again as if it were the easiest thing in the world to lift a fully grown adult woman. He settled me back into the bed, fixed the pillows, and tugged the duvet over me while I struggled to keep my eyes open. “Even if it's just a sip of water, it should help with the nauseating feeling.” Giovanni says, lifting a glass of water with a straw to angle it at me helpfully for me to drink before retreating to the other side of the bed.

The pain stung badly. Giordana pushed past me with hasty steps and some seconds later the sharp light reflected on my figure. I heard her footsteps approaching me until she stopped in my front. On seeing my face, a flash of recognition passed her eyes. She screamed again when her gaze wandered downwards. I followed her line of sight and was met with a view of the crimson liquid seeping from the wound. On lifting my head to stare at her, I saw a carving knife in her hand stained with blood.

Beyond them was a rather strange but beautiful sight. Giovanni was standing outside, holding the railing, chugging alcohol. I watched his Adam’s apple work for a few seconds before, unbeknownst to me, my feet carried me to him. The balcony doors slid open when I touched them. I managed to catch the indistinct words Giovanni was mumbling to himself. Before I could get any closer to him, he called out my name. “Elaine. You should go back to bed.” I stopped mid-stride.

On catching Lorenzo. I breathed in through my nose and forced my fists to open. It took everything I had. "I have to go." Gianna's voice was quiet. Shaking. She pulled away from him again, but she moved slowly. She struggled in the water, her arms moving awkwardly as she tried to get to the edge. She couldn't swim well. I had never noticed that before. We had never gone swimming. And this bastard probably took advantage of that. I crouched at the edge of the pool and held out my hand.

We scrambled beh‍ind a rust⁠ed shipping container just​ as bu⁠l‌le‍ts started p‌inging off th​e met⁠al​. "Where is G​iovanni?⁠" Loren‌zo‌ cou‍ghed. "H‌e’⁠s the‌ distraction!" Fr​om the dis​tance, we heard the cr‌ack-cra‌ck​-crack of Gio‍vanni’s rifl​e provi‍ding⁠ c​over fire​, keeping Sterling’‌s men pi‌nn‍ed in the smoke. "We have to get to the wa‍te‌r⁠," I said​. "Th​ere’s a boat."

I heard Erico mumbling. "2-" Gio continued. "Do it already." I knew the voice as Paolo's. "Stop fucking interrupting me so we can do it already." Gio yelled back. "Oh for god's sake!" Tracy yelled and seconds later both Vincenzo and I jolted up from the cold water that now soaked the mattress. "Bitch!" I screamed at my best friend, that was holding a bucket, now empty of water. "Finally." She muttered. "You are dead." Vincenzo growled, until we both realized what is happening.