Emma shook her head. “You heard Frankie; we can’t even go all the way to the gate, let alone outside it yet. Maybe next week.” Emma added, “Besides, another week will give you a little more time to heal.”
Dani balked at Emma. “I am just fine, thank you, not even tender anymore.” She grinned as she made yet another circle around the fountain.
Stopping, Dani slid off the bike before addressing Emma again. “I don’t know if I can wait a week to ride farther. I need to go for a run, or a ride, or something.”
Emma raised her eyebrow and whispered in Dani’s ear.
“Well, that’s another type of physical activity that I enjoy,” Dani smirked before she chased Emma into the carriage house.
A short time later, Dani found herself completely naked and panting, happily lying next to her equally naked girlfriend. “I think you wore me out, Emma.”
“I didn’t think that was possible,” Emma giggled as she leaned over and began to trace patterns on Dani’s already sensitive skin. Emma slowly began to follow her touches with light kisses and well placed nips.
“Are you sure you don’t have energy left?”
Dani groaned and rolled over so that she could look down into green eyes. “Well, maybe enough for one more time,” she smiled as she and Emma once again worked on expending their energy.
* * *
Yawning, Dani held Emma’s hand as they crossed the yard toward the main house. They were very close to being late for dinner and could only imagine what Toni would do if that were to happen again.
Entering the kitchen, they stopped short, seeing Toni waiting for them, spoon in hand and foot tapping. “You’re late,” she announced, pointing to the table. “Sit down and let’s eat.”
Sitting down quietly, Emma looked at Giuliana, who was smirking, and then Frankie, who couldn’t hide a small grin of his own. “We’re sorry, Zia Toni, the time got away from us,” Emma tried.
Toni looked at Emma sternly before breaking into a wide smile. “Don’t let it happen again, but you two are on cleanup detail tonight again.”
“Yes,” Giuliana muttered. “I love it when people are late, gets me out of my chores.Dani turned to Emma and tapped her on the knee. “Think we could be late more often?” she asked with a wink.
Emma rolled her eyes as she unsuccessfully tried to hide the blush. The gesture made Giuliana giggle.
“Giuliana, stop teasing your cousins,” Toni barked, seeing the blush and the mischievous glimmer in Dani’s eyes. “Now, everyone eat. I didn’t make these ravioli so we could look at them.”
Picking up her fork, Dani looked down at her plate and smiled. Cutting into the pillowy filled square, however, she stopped and inspected the contents. There, among the cheeses and meat, was something green. “Um, Zia Toni?”
“Yes, Dani?” Toni asked, watching her with amusement.
“What are these?” she asked, carefully stabbing the piece she had cut, but not yet bringing it to her mouth.
“Spinach, meat, and cheese ravioli.”
She looked at Emma, who nodded slightly. “Go on, try it.”
“They’re really good, Dani,” Giuliana broke in, “one of Ma’s specialties.”
“Nicky even has a version of them on his menu,” Frankie added proudly.
Gulping, Dani looked at Emma, who smiled at her encouragingly. Bringing the piece to her mouth, she chewed and then slowly swallowed before taking a big gulp of water. Coughing slightly, she tried avoided the stares and picked up a piece of bread, nibbling on it instead.
“Dani?” Emma asked, breaking the silence.
“Excuse me,” Dani said, still not meeting any eyes. “I need to use the restroom,” she supplied before quickly leaving the table and disappearing down the hall.
“What was that about?” Toni asked.
“I have a feeling that she doesn’t care for the ravioli, and she doesn’t want to hurt your feelings,” Emma explained. “If you’ll excuse me, I think I’ll check on her.”
Following her partner’s trail, Emma soon found herself knocking on the bathroom door. “Dani? Are you okay?”
“Can’t I even have two minutes alone?” Dani moaned from the other side of the door.
Emma was about to answer when the door suddenly opened and Dani yanked Emma inside, quickly closing the door once more. Emma found herself being crushed in a tight hug, only to discover tears on Dani’s face when she was released.
“It’s okay if you don’t like dinner, Dani. No one is going to fault you for it,” Emma tried.
Dani sat down on the closed toilet. “What’s wrong with me? Everyone else loves them.”
“Nothing is wrong with you, honey,” Emma reassured her, squatting down next to Dani. “It’s okay. No one is going to force you to eat anything you don’t want.”
“That’s easy for you to say. You like everything.”
“That’s not true. I don’t like Brussels sprouts. I don’t care for cranberries, or mangos, and I abhor black licorice.”
“I love black licorice.” Dani gave Emma a half-smile.
“I know,” Emma smiled back. “Come on, come back to the table with me. You don’t have to eat anything you don’t want to.”
Dani frowned. “Can’t I just go back to our place?”
“No. Besides, we have to do the dishes, remember?”
Dani moaned, but allowed Emma to help her to her feet. By the time they made it back to the table, Dani seemed to be in better spirits. Stopping short at her place, she looked up at her godmother. “Spaghetti?”
Toni only winked at her. “It’s alright, piccolina. You don’t have to pretend to spare my feelings,” Toni reassured her.
“Thank you, Zia,” Dani smiled before sitting and digging into the spaghetti. “I swear, Zia Toni, you make the best spaghetti sauce on the planet.”
Toni beamed before looking poignantly at her family. “You all should be taking notes. This girl knows how to give a compliment!”
Laughter broke the tension and the usual banter resumed easily. Dani settled down and Emma couldn’t remember the last time she saw Dani so at ease. She watched Dani for a moment before commenting, “You know it’s funny, as I was telling Dani, we all have our tastes. Like she loves black licorice and I hate it.”
“Oh, I love it too,” Giuliana spoke up. “Especially when it’s fresh and still soft.”
“You’re making me hungry for it,” Frankie mockingly scolded his daughter.
“You both like it? Isn’t that a bit odd?” Dani remarked.
“Not at all. We probably like it for the same reason you do,” Frankie remarked. Seeing a slightly confused look, Frankie turned to his wife. “Antonia, do we have any anise toast in the house?”
Toni frowned for a moment before nodding. “Actually I think we do.” Moving to a cupboard, she pulled out a package of strange-looking, crescent-shaped cookies. Opening the package, she pulled one out and handed it to Dani.
Dani examined it before sniffing it. “It smells just like black licorice,” she smiled.
“Tastes like it too,” Frankie encouraged. “When the cookie is stale, it makes a great teething ring for small children. We used it with Nick, and your parents gave it a try with you too. It’s an Italian tradition.”
Taking a bite, Dani smiled. “Wow, I never knew cookies could taste like this. You should try it,” she said, breaking off a piece for Emma.
Emma wrinkled her nose. “I don’t think so, Dani.”
“Oh, come on, Emma, just one little bite. How do you know you don’t like it if you never try it?”
“Dani,” Emma warned, before rolling her eyes and taking the small piece. She sniffed it again, and then quickly popped it in her mouth, only to cough and then grab for her water as Dani and the rest of the family seemed amused by her reaction.
“You are so cute,” Dani managed to purr at Emma once she had regained her composure.
“And you are so lucky I love you,” Emma half-scolded. “Not t
o mention, you are so gonna brush your teeth before you try to kiss me,” she winked.
* * *
“Hey, earth to Dani, you ready to help me clean up?” Emma’s hand brought Dani from her thoughts and she nodded, noticing the kitchen was now empty except for her girlfriend.
“Where did everybody go?”
Emma laughed as they moved to clear the table. “Giuliana is upstairs doing whatever teenage girls do, Toni went to watch her show, and Frankie is running an errand.”
“I guess I missed the conversation.”
“I guess you did.” Emma paused as Dani began to rinse the plates before handing them to Emma to put in the dishwasher. “So where were you?”
Dani shrugged. “Just thinking about how different my life would have been if I’d grown up here with Frankie and Toni as my parents.” She looked down at the plate in front of her. “I still wish I knew why my grandparents wanted me so much. From what Toni has told me, I barely knew them when they took me away.”
Emma put her arm around Dani’s waist and looked up at her, “Maybe they were scared because of how your parents died, sweetie. I know they weren’t the best grandparents, but maybe they were doing what they thought was safest for you.”
Dani leaned down to kiss Emma. “Maybe,” she agreed. “Let’s get busy with these dishes, I’m sure Toni will be back to check on us and I noticed a plastic spatula in her drawer the other day,” Dani teased.
Laughing, Emma shook her head as they continued to work. Before they knew it they were done, and found themselves camped out on the sofa with Toni and Giuliana watching some reality show.
Bored, and wishing that Emma would allow her to go back to the carriage house, Dani was glad when Giuliana motioned to her, giving her an excuse to escape the reality TV hell. Getting quick visual permission from Emma, Dani followed Giuliana through a section of the house she’d never been in and then down into the basement. As Guiliana pushed open the door at the foot of the stairs, Dani couldn’t stop smiling.
“Yeah, great, isn’t it? Pop converted this part of the basement into a playroom for us.” Giuliana moved toward the large couch and sat down. “However, as the boys got older, it evolved and he added the mini bar, the big screen TV, and all the video games we could want.”
“Not to mention all the old toys left from when you were kids,” Dani added, hitting the face of a cartoon character and grinning as it popped back up. “Oh, and is that a piano?”
“Yeah, we used to bang on it when we were kids,” Giuliana commented. “I’m sure it’s not even in tune anymore. It used to be upstairs, but Pop moved it down here a few years ago.”
“It’s pretty,” Dani commented, looking at the baby grand. It looked odd stuffed in the corner like it was, but she didn’t have time to dwell on it as Giuliana regained her attention.
“Oh, and I haven’t shown you the best part, Dani.” Moving toward the far end of the room, Giuliana moved a curtain to reveal a large sliding glass door. “I know you and Emma aren’t supposed to leave the grounds, but I understand how you just need to get away sometimes. Pop thinks the door doesn’t open,” she grinned, “but we had it fixed ages ago. Plus, if you stick close to the siding, the camera won’t see you.”
Dani moved and put her arm around Giuliana’s shoulders. “Is this how you manage to get the pizza?”
“One of my secrets,” Giuliana smiled.
“Clever,” Dani nodded. “And don’t worry, your secret is safe with me, cousin,” she replied, her brain going into overdrive for what she could do with this new revelation.
* * *
Dani closed the glass door and smiled. It had been two days since Giuliana had shown her the secret exit. Two days and two escapes later, and still nobody was the wiser. This time, she had even managed to run to the gate through the woods on the property, carefully avoiding the security cameras. She’d found the perfect hiding place for the bike, and a crack in the stone wall where she could slip through and get out to the road without going anywhere near the main gate or its cameras.
She was excited, and couldn’t help giggling to herself. Taking a few minutes to calm down, she explored the basement a little more thoroughly. She glanced again at the piano. She used to play a long time ago—a lifetime ago, but couldn’t bring herself to actually touch it. There were too many bad memories associated with it.
Instead she turned to the shelves of toys and board games. She found a magic 8-ball, and an old set of Legos. She also found an old art kit, but unfortunately the paints and markers had dried up long ago. There was some potential down here, if she ever got really bored, but the door would always be the bigger distraction. Freedom meant more than any toy.
Finally calm enough to rejoin everyone, she headed upstairs and found Emma and Toni still busy in the kitchen. Coming up behind them, she gave her godmother a kiss on the cheek and her girlfriend a kiss on the lips before being made to go wash up and join them for a late lunch.
* * *
The second week at Frankie and Toni’s had come quickly. It was Wednesday again, and although Emma and Dani had fallen into an easy routine with the family, both were looking forward to returning home and to the bookstore. Repairs had progressed without them, and the bookstore had been fitted with a top-of-the-line bulletproof window. Emma had also given her blessing for the store to reopen and Anna, Stevie, and Will had been working on shorter hours so they wouldn’t lose their clientele.
Emma hung up her phone and placed it on the nightstand. Scooting over, she snuggled with Dani before speaking. “That was Stevie. She says that the store is doing fine, but there is still no sign of Jason.”
“That’s odd,” Dani remarked quietly. “I hope he’s okay.”
Emma frowned. “Me too. The police have been looking for him, but he hasn’t been seen on campus, or anywhere else apparently.” Emma paused in thought. “Will says that Jason’s roommate hasn’t seen him since the day before the shooting, and he hasn’t attended any classes either.”
“Maybe we need to talk with Zio Frankie. I’ll bet he’ll have some ideas; besides, I want to ask him when he’s going to let us go home.”
“Sounds good,” Emma replied. She looked at the clock on the nightstand. “Come on, we better get moving, I don’t want to be late for dinner again. I’m tired of being on dish detail.”
Dani smirked. “Me too, but you have to admit, we’ve had a great reason the last three nights.”
Emma rolled her eyes, but couldn’t help returning the smirk as she slid off the bed and headed to the door.
* * *
Later that night after dinner, Emma and Dani were sitting on the comfortable couch in Frankie’s study, their faces a mask of their feelings. He was sitting across from them in his wingback chair with a look of apology on his.
“You can’t be serious, Zio Frankie; we have to go home.” Dani was the first to speak and as she did so, she stood and began to pace. “I can’t take this anymore. Maybe if the shooter has a target again, he’ll come back and the police will get him.”
Emma sat back and watched as Dani continued to walk the floor and mutter to herself. Turning her attention back to Frankie, she asked, “How much longer can you expect us to stay here, and what do you think of the fact Jason has disappeared?”
“I think we need to look into this Jason Parker,” Frankie replied, pausing in thought. “Maybe he got scared, ran back to family, but the fact that nobody can find him bothers me.”
“Me too, but seriously, how long are you going to keep us trapped here?” Dani demanded sharply.
Narrowing his eyes, Frankie looked at Dani. “Sit down, Danielle, and watch your tone.”
“I don’t want to sit down. I want to have my life back!”
“Danielle, sit down, please.” Emma voice was light, but the meaning clear.
Huffing, Dani sat down next to Emma and leaned back, crossing her arms over her chest. “I’m listening.”
“I’d like you to stay for at least
another week, so I can check out Jason. If you need to, you can go to your offices here in Chicago to do some work, and Emma, maybe we can set something up for the bookstore.”
“Thank you, but I talked to Stevie and Anna tonight. They’ve been working shorter shifts, as we are short-staffed, but I think it’ll be okay until we get back.”
“Danielle, what about you?” Frankie asked gently.
“Does it matter?” she huffed. “You’re not going to let us go until you check out Jason and there isn’t really anything I need to go to the office for. I’ve been working remotely for months.” She rolled her eyes. “I just don’t like being trapped here.”
Frankie scooted to the edge of his chair and leaned over, tapping Dani on the knee. “Alright, Danielle, I know you’re upset,” he said, looking her in the eye, “but I am not going to risk your life because you want to go for a jog. Do you understand me?”
Dani looked at her hands and nodded slowly. “I understand.”
Frankie then smiled and stood. Walking around the coffee table, he bent down and kissed both women on the temple. “Good, I’m glad we have that settled. Now, good night, ladies; I’ll see you tomorrow.”
* * *
“I can’t believe we have to stay another week,” Dani grumbled as Emma crawled into the bed next to her.
“I know, but we should know more by the end of the week and Frankie did say we could head into your office if you needed to.”
“Oh, great, we can be babysat in my office? What fun that will be,” Dani griped.
Rolling over, Emma propped herself up on her elbow. “Look, sweetie, I know you aren’t happy about this. Neither am I, but for right now, it’s what we have to do to stay safe.”
Rolling her eyes, Dani lay down and turned off the light. “Whatever,” she intoned, facing away from Emma.
Sighing, Emma reached over Dani and turned the light back on. “Okay, let’s talk.”
“I don’t want to talk,” Dani whined.
The Art of Discipline: Running Toward Trouble (The Mockingbird Chronicles) Page 18