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Since she’d met Gerard, it was exactly the opposite. She was needy to the point of silliness. If she could, she would spend every minute of every day and night with him—even if she didn’t want to admit it. Waking up without him, especially after they’d spent the night wrapped in each other’s arms, wasn’t something she enjoyed.
Turning onto her side, she stared around the room, her thoughts returning to last night’s nightmare. Gerard’s anguish as he’d recounted the dream had been heartbreaking. While she’d tried to ease his pain with her mumbled words of comfort, she didn’t think she’d succeeded.
How could mere words help when he carried such a heavy burden? He blamed himself for not administering an experimental drug to a child when doing so, even with her parents’ consent, could have ruined him. Without the MHRA and the clinic’s board of directors’ permission, his hands were tied.
Frustrated, she propped herself up on one elbow, rubbing the sleep from her eyes. Had Jane Orwell done anything to speed up the process of getting the MHRA to approve Gerard’s treatment? Linda wasn’t too optimistic. Most likely the woman had made empty promises just to placate her.
A thought flashed through her mind. She chewed absently on a cuticle, trying to banish the crazy notion, but it was too late. The idea stuck there as if it had been screwed into place.
While she’d told Gerard it was wrong to break the law, even to save lives, had she really meant it? After all, humans made those laws, and sometimes those very rules weren’t in everyone’s best interests. History had proven that many times. What if she didn’t break the law but rather stretched it—just a little—for a noble cause?
One way or another, she needed to keep tabs on Jane Orwell, see to it that the woman followed through on her commitment. She needed to know if Orwell was making any progress. The only way to do so was to ask Giovanni for help.
Jumping out of bed, she grabbed her phone from the nightstand where it had been charging all night. As she stared at the screen, she hesitated. What she wanted Giovanni to do was against the law. Could she really do that? Her brother was a computer whiz, an excellent hacker, but there was always a chance he might get caught, and then what?
Jail, the loss of his business and reputation? The possible consequences made her stomach burn.
She shook her head, dismissing her gloomy scenario. Giovanni was smart. He wouldn’t take any unnecessary risks. After she told him the facts, she would let him decide whether or not it was worth the risk. Wiping a bead of sweat from her forehead, she punched in his number.
Giovanni answered on the fourth ring.
“Ciao, sis. Great to hear from you. What’s up? Everything okay?”
“I’m fine. I’m in Romania.”
“Romania? Really? What are you doing there?”
She smiled, sitting back on the bed. The optimism and positive energy in Giovanni’s voice were contagious. He was the kind of person who always lifted her spirits.
“It’s a long story.”
“I have time.”
“Okay, then.” It was only fair he had the full picture before she asked him her favor. “You remember Gerard, the doctor I met at HOPE.”
“I do. Did you go out with him?”
Her cheeks heated.
“I did. I know it’s going to sound crazy after only a week but I think—no, I know—I’m in love with him.”
Giovanni whistled. “Whoa, that’s fast. What about him?”
“He told me he loves me. In Italian.”
“Well, that’s a way to do it.” He laughed. “I like him already, and I’m happy for you, sis. You deserve a great guy, and this Gerard sounds as though he might be one.”
“Trust me, he is. Not only is he gorgeous and yes, great in bed, he’s also a dedicated physician and researcher. He’s a genius, and it’s not just love talking. The thing is… I need your help with something.”
“Name it.”
His tone was serious and firm.
“Don’t be in too big a hurry to agree. It might be a little… dangerous, and maybe not quite legal,” she whispered, suddenly feeling as though the walls might have ears.
Discussing something like this on the phone probably wasn’t safe, but what choice did she have? All she could do was be as cryptic as possible and hope he understood.
As succinctly as she could, she told Giovanni about Gerard’s serum and the slow-to-stopped situation concerning getting MHRA approval so that it could be used as a legitimate treatment.
