Marked

by Skylar West

  The band came through the side, to keep from being spotted by the kids inside. It was dusk, so I turned on the pool lights, the tiki bar lights, the stage lights, and lit the lanterns. The backyard transformed from beach party to something from a resort. When the band was ready, I had them stand behind the stage. Jimmy had hung up a divider to give the band a backdrop for their show.

  I came in and nodded to Jimmy; it was perfect timing, because most of the kids were done eating their cake and looking for something to do. We rounded everyone up and headed out to the back. I heard many wows from the kids as they headed over to the stage. I wanted Jimmy to do the introduction part, but he said it was my show and I needed to be the one.

  I took the stage and grabbed the microphone. "Thank you, everyone, for coming to Maggie's sweet thirteen. On my thirteenth birthday, her father, Jimmy, my best friend, and his mother had a party for me. I was honoured when Maggie asked me to return the favour. She is a most remarkable young woman. I love you, farfallina." I gazed at her as I said it, truly loving the incredible young woman. Instead of being embarrassed, she glowed and sent me a kiss. I grinned and winked. "Now, please put your hands together for J.C."

  The looks of shock as the band came out from behind the partition was priceless. The lead singer stopped to give Maggie a hug before she took the stage. J.C. band is known for playing dance music, so the minute they started, everyone was grooving, including the adults. The last song they played before they took a break was their most well-known, and they invited the birthday girl to come up and perform with them.

  Maggie was an incredible dancer, and I think being on that stage with her favourite band was a gift. She grooved and sang backup and was completely amazing. Jimmy and I laughed and sang and clapped and cheered her on, as did all the kids. It was quite a moment.

  When the band took their thirty-minute break between sets, they happily hung out with the kids. When they took the stage for their second set, Jimmy dropped the balloons while I fired off pictures. This had turned out better than I could have imagined. The kids were grooving and high fiving each other. They were so thrilled, and glancing at Maggie, she was so happy. I'd done it. I'd pulled it off, and the relief I felt was apparent when I cut loose and danced my heart out with Jimmy.

  The last song was Happy Birthday, and then it was over. Parents started showing up right after the birthday song ended, and by nine, the band and all the kids were gone, except Emma, who was staying for a sleepover.

  Before heading up, Maggie stopped to hug her father and then me. "Thank you, again, Dad, Theresa; this was a birthday dream come true."

  "I'm so glad, Maggie. You were incredible. You looked like a movie star. How did it feel to take charge like you did?"

  "Funny thing, it was easy, like it came naturally that I would be the leader and the hostess."

  "You have your fathers' best qualities, so I'm not surprised. Happy thirteenth, beautiful."

  She hugged me again, and to my surprise, so did Emma. My eyes were a little teary as I watched the girls take off up the stairs.

  Jimmy was behind me and wrapped his arms around me.

  "Is that what it's like to be a parent, Jimmy? To feel love and to be proud and want the best for them?"

  "Yes, T, that is exactly what it's like, and you were awesome, just like a mom would be. Thank you for that, for making her day so special."

  "Jimmy Falcone, no need to thank me. You made all of mine special, well, the ones you were there for anyway."

  He flinched. "What about the ones I wasn't there for, how did those go?"

  "You don't want to know, exactly as expected, I guess. Anyway, I don't want to talk about that. I can't change the past, only look forward to future ones with you and Maggie."

  Jimmy handed me a glass of wine, and we sank into the overstuffed chairs in front of the fireplace. I was exhausted, mentally, from the day but felt good other than that.

  "Theresa, do you remember your sixth birthday when the clown came? You were so sure you knew how he did his tricks and you wouldn't stop bugging him until he showed you."

  "Yeah." I laughed. "I remember he was kind of creepy. I'm not fond of clowns."

  "I remember when you turned three, and my mother baked you a miniature pavlova cake all for you. You wanted to feed me. You kept putting your tiny hand in the cake and then into my mouth. I fell in love with that cute little girl. Al reminded me, today, how smitten I was with you, right from the beginning."

  I smiled lethargically. "I wish I remembered her, but I feel—"

  Jimmy cut me off. "Don't say broken, Theresa. You're no different than all of us, a little broken. You just need to learn that there is nothing perfect in this world, well, except maybe your ass."

  I laughed, and he joined me. We shared stories for the rest of the evening. When it was time for sleep, I was out in seconds, the long day finally catching up.

  Jimmy

  I woke early to get a head start on cleaning. I was shocked when Maggie and Emma joined me. They would help if I asked, but volunteering, I'd never seen either of them do that before. The three of us went out back. I picked up and disposed of any remaining garbage, while the girls deflated the penguins and the flamingos. I was close enough to hear their conversation about last night. "Do you think Theresa would do my party?" Em asked Mags.

  "I can ask. She's the best, isn't she?'

  "Oh yeah, she is and super-hot, too. Did you see the boys checking out her ass?"

  "Oh my God, seriously? Well, that's okay, they can ogle all they want, as long as my dad doesn't catch them." They giggled. It was hard not to laugh outright and join in the fun. But I was eavesdropping so kept quietly busy.

  "What did you think of Damon? He sure took an interest in you, Mags."

  "Oh yeah, he's cute, and he kept his hands to himself. He's cool, for someone our age."

  "You mean you don't like him as much as Dean?"

  "Dean is like so hot, and he's so popular, I don't stand a chance."

  The girls moved along to the other side of the pool, and all I could hear now was the occasional giggle.

  When T came downstairs and plunked herself down at the kitchen table, the entire backyard was done. I handed her a peppermint mocha, and she sighed in contentment as she settled into her chair. "Thank you, coffee god," she said with a smile.

  Her hair was up in a messy bun, her face devoid of makeup, and she was wearing blue satin loungers that matched her eyes. She looked almost as young as Maggie. I watched her take her first sip, enjoying the contentment that showed on her face as she closed her eyes for a moment and savoured the flavour. She was here with me, and sometimes I had to pinch myself. I didn't realize how much I had missed her until she was back in my life.

  She took a few more sips and then stood. "I guess I better get a move on, sorry I slept in. I'm not used to partying with kids."

  I was about to answer that it was done and to relax, when the girls came flying around the corner. "Theresa!" they shouted in unison.

  She startled, almost spilling her coffee. "Good morning, beauties." she said with a smile.

  "Theresa," Em started, "will you organize my birthday party, please, please, please. Mags' party was beyond. It's what all the kids will be talking about, come Monday."

  Before Theresa could answer, they dragged her outside, coffee in hand. She was unused to so much attention. I would have to help her establish boundaries with her work time and her extracurricular activities. I was about to rescue her, when Tessa showed up to take the girls to dance, and Al was waiting out front to take me to football.

  "Enjoy the silence," I called as I headed to the door, "and be good." Or not, I thought. I really liked it when she got into trouble and earned a spanking.

  Chapter Thirteen

  Jimmy

  Al and I were alone in the car; it was as good a time as any to get back to our topic from yesterday. After my initial prodding, the conversation fizzled out, and we were separated for pretty much the
remainder of the party. He knew something, but what? I hoped he could shed some light on what, if anything, my dad was up to. "Al, how's your pops doing?"

  "Ah, you know, Jimmy, down in Florida with your dad being a bum, go figure, eh. Will that be us when we're their age?"

  I laughed. "Probably not, Al. I can't see Maggie taking over the family business."

  He laughed and agreed, "Good point."

  "Al, what do you know of the old days, you know, when our dads moved from Sicily and my pops started this construction business, which has turned into a monolithic business nightmare for me?"

  "Not much, Jimmy, why? Somethin' bugging you?"

  I didn't answer his question but asked another of my own, "You met Joe; what do you think of him?"

  He concentrated on his driving, and when he answered, I could tell it was right from the heart. "I don't trust the guy."

  I sighed. His answer told me two things, one, he wasn't in on any elaborate scheme with Joe, and two, he wasn't party to why Joe was sent. "Al, do you think my pops has sent Joe here to spy on me? Seriously, he knows dick about construction, so why does Pop want me to find a place for him?"

  Al concentrated again on the road ahead. "It's not my place, Jimmy, to say what or who, but I have wondered myself why he sent him. I asked my pops a few days ago when he called to catch up. "Your dad is paying off someone in Sicily, someone he was in business with at the beginning when he started here. More than that, Pops wouldn't say. You know Joe has a sister. She is supposed to be a stunner and the brains in the family. Joe invited her out, and he's been taking her to some pretty expensive dinners and clubs on his company expense account. Did you know?"

  I was shocked; I had no idea. "I know less than you, my friend, but tomorrow, I will get to the bottom of it. He's not draining my company, I don't give a shit what deal my father made twenty-five years ago, surely, cash will make this asshole go away."

  We arrived at the field. The rest of the guys were warming up. I was happy to see that Josh had accepted my invitation to join us while Bobby worked on staging a few condos for me. "Al," I grabbed his arm before we exited his vehicle, "don't say nothin' to no one, capiche? And thanks, friend, for having my back."

  "Anything, Jimmy, you know that."

  Theresa

  A day alone in the ginormous house felt weird. I spent some time setting up my things in my office space that Jimmy had allocated for my use. I sat down afterward and did some work. I uploaded the photos from Maggie's party and wrote a new blog entry on my first experience as a party planner. I didn't include photos of anyone, not even myself, just of the set up and the food. The theme was Keeping Up With the Kids, the Impact on the Mind and Body.

  The private photos, I uploaded into a shared cloud account that Maggie could access and use what she wanted for her social media accounts. I took a break after that and went for a swim in the pool, using the water as my workout partner instead of the track.

  I stepped out of the pool an hour later and went for a sauna and a shower. Jimmy had some wonderful extras in his home that I was only beginning to enjoy. An hour later, I headed to the kitchen to make some lunch. Too hungry to cook, I warmed up some leftovers instead. I received a text from Jimmy and was about to text him back when I heard the security system beep that it was deactivated.

  I glanced up at the monitor. Someone was entering though the garage door into the main foyer.

  T: Someone's here, what do I do?

  J: What? Hide. I'm on my way, and Josh is with me.

  I quickly turned the phone to mute and looked for a hiding spot. I spotted the back staircase to the upper level. I moved fast, as I heard shoes moving across the tiled floor in the great room. Whoever it was, they were close. My blood froze in my veins. What was going on? This wasn't a break in, whoever was in the house assumed no one was home, and they were in no rush.

  Thank God the stairs were carpeted. I went into Maggie's room; she had a safety room in there that was completely hidden. I got in and closed the door behind me, just as I heard steps coming down the hallway. I knew it was soundproof, but I put a hand over my mouth anyway. I could see through the camera that whoever it was had stopped in Maggie's room and was looking around. I could only see them from the knees down as they were too close. But when the person turned to close the door, I saw his face—it was Joe.

  That piece of shit, what did he think he was doing? Did he know I was here alone, was that his plan? I got up and out of my hiding spot. I wanted to follow him and see where he went. I didn't think my life was in danger, but who knew. I slowly opened the second door in the closet and stepped out.

  Peering around the corner and down the hall, I was in time to see him disappear into Jimmy's room. I heard drawers opening and closing. Okay, so he was looking for something. I poked my head in just as a text came in from Jimmy, who was smart enough not to run in and yell for me. Don't make any noise, he's in your room right now going through your drawers. Meet me at the back stairs, I replied.

  I tiptoed back down the hall and down the back stairs, meeting Jimmy and Josh in the great room. I threw myself into Jimmy's arms, needing his temporary embrace.

  "He's upstairs rummaging through your room, Jimmy; its Joe."

  Jimmy

  I felt the blood in my veins freeze. What the hell was going on? I decided not to call him out, instead, we went into the security room and watched what was going on. He was looking for something, and then the bastard found it, the button to the hidden safe that slowly lifted and came from the depths of my nightstand drawer. There was no money in that safe, only documents.

  He still needed the code to open the safe. I watched him, and he knew my old code, which means someone gave it to him, and the only person who knew it was my pops. I changed it when Theresa moved in and never told him. It didn't seem important with him in Florida; he wouldn't be doing any business down there. Or would he? Maybe the man I'd known and emulated my entire life was a lie. I had questions, and Joe was going to answer them. I had him on video footage, Theresa was a witness, and I could have him arrested.

  We watched him give up in frustration and leave the room. We followed him on the monitor as he came back down the stairs and through the great room. I nodded to Josh, and we stepped out of the security room.

  Josh yelled, "Stop, you're under arrest."

  Joe took off like a shot, but my much longer legs caught up to him and I tackled him to the ground. Josh slapped some handcuffs on him, and we sat him down on a chair in the middle of the room. I felt like I was in a gangster movie.

  I was sweating and wondering how this would all play out. Josh was cool, showing absolutely no emotion. I decided to copy him and created a blank look as I sat down in a chair opposite Joe. Josh remained standing, with his gun pointed at Joe.

  "This is how this is going to play out, Joe. You can either talk to me here and I won't press charges, or we can take you down to the station. I have you on video, and I also have a witness."

  He sneered at me like I was less than gum on the bottom of his shoe. "Go ahead, Falcone. If you arrest me, I will be out in an hour. We Marenos have a long reach, straight to the local cops. We have people in every city eating out of our hands, so if you think one little copper is going to scare me, you got another thing coming, Jimmy."

  I decided to ignore his remarks for now. "You wanted in my personal safe. There is nothing in there but documents, why?"

  He said nothing, just sat there with a smug look on his face that I wanted to erase with my fist.

  "If this is about money, I am more than happy to pay off any debt my father created with yours."

  His expression changed to surprise for a moment; he expected me to be dumb. I was glad I'd broached work with Al this morning. "That's why you're here, right, to collect on a debt; give me a number."

  He sneered again, "You're so stupid, Falcone, you think this is just about money? It's a blood debt, to be paid with many assets, including your sweet little Theresa."r />
  I punched him in the face, I couldn't hold back anymore. "Jimmy, stand off," Josh demanded.

  "That's right, Jimmy, be a good boy and do what everyone tells you to do." He kissed the air and blew it at me. Asshole. "I have nothing else to say; arrest me."

  Josh radioed in for backup. I disappeared back into the security room where I'd told Theresa to stay hidden. I phoned Al. "Yeah, everything's okay. I need to talk to you. Can you get Frank to come with you and bring my car? We have things to discuss." I hung up and gave Theresa a hug. "Stay here until the cops take him away, okay, bella? I will fill you in when he's gone."

  She nodded her head and sat down, while I went back out to join Josh and wait for backup. Two minutes later, a cop car came screeching up my driveway. Josh hauled Joe outside and gave the other two a rundown on what had happened. They left for the cop station.

  "Jimmy, I will call you if we get anything else out of him, but I fear he is right; he will make bail unless he has a record in America, and he'll be free. I don't like what he said. Be careful, step up security, and keep Theresa safe. I will look into his family and the connection between him and your family and see if I can find anything out."

  "Thanks, Josh." I shook his hand and he left. I retrieved Theresa from the security room and went to the kitchen to make coffee. "We need to talk, Al will be here any minute. You two, I am trusting, nothing goes beyond us, not even with Maggie, understand?"

  She nodded and took the coffee I offered her. Al came in and joined us. "Boss, Frank left your car in the driveway; here are the keys." He handed over my keys. "What happened, what's going on?" I filled Theresa in on my conversation in the car with Al, then filled in Al with the speculating Theresa and I had been doing about my pops and Joe.

  Then Theresa shared what she had seen, which I knew already from the security system. "Jimmy, he assumed no one was here; he knows your schedule."