by Unknown
"What the hell?" Victoria asked, completely astonished. Natasha only shrugged.
The door opened, and Victoria gathered the bottom her dress and exited the SUV. She waited for Natasha. The two of them, led by Francis, made their way through a sea of dark-haired men.
"How's Tracy?" Victoria asked.
"She's fine; worried about the two of you."
Victoria noticed a hint of irritation in his tone, but she ignored it and followed him into the emergency room. But, Victoria couldn't ignore the curious stares from the patients and staff. They looked from the ridiculous mafia security detail to Victoria and Natasha, surely trying to figure out who they were. She could see her mother-in-law, Katherine, along with Catarina, huddled with three doctors. Jack, Gianni, Luca, Joseph, and Jonathan were standing close by. Northwestern Memorial Hospital's security staff surely had no clue how to deal with beautiful, but bossy, mothers; tall, dark, brooding, rich men; and a crew of armed foreigners. They were at a loss.
Victoria was sure that the hospital would soon be flooded by the Chicago Police Department. She hurried over to the group of men.
"What the hell is this?" She asked Gianni.
Gianni narrowed his eyes at Victoria, before looking at Natasha.
"What took you so long?" he asked Natasha, ignoring Victoria.
"We wanted to make sure that everyone was ok," Natasha responded.
Victoria wasn't at all happy about being ignored.
"Gianni, did you really order your thugs to occupy this hospital?"
Gianni narrowed his eyes and responded slowly. "Victoria, I don't have any thugs."
He was clearly attempting to exercise patience.
"Well then... Luca...," she started to switch her attention, but she was quickly cut off.
"Jack, how should I handle your wife's mouth? Or... should you be handling it?"
Jack pulled Victoria behind him.
"Handle my wife's mouth, motherfucker?!" Jack growled, stepping to Luca.
"Si. Your woman should not address me. This is not the way," Luca responded, holding his hand up to halt the progress of the men in black.
"I don't give a fuck who...," Jack gritted before he was cut off by Natasha, who stepped between them.
"Jack, Luca's right. Victoria is out of line, but we're family. We don't fight each other."
"What do you mean, I'm out of line?" Victoria asked, jumping from behind Jack.
"I mean... you're out of line. In what world is it okay to address them like that?"
"You know what Tasha? You've been living in Europe too long. I don't bow down to no man!"
"Then I feel sorry for your husband."
Victoria hurried to Natasha, but her advance was halted by Jack.
"Careful," Natasha warned, narrowing her eyes.
Victoria, unsuccessfully, attempted to free herself from Jack's hold.
"Careful of what? Do you think you can get to a weapon, 'Sharp Shooter', before I can beat your ass!" Victoria hissed, causing everyone to look at the friends in disbelief.
"Weapon?" Natasha questioned, closing the gap between her and her friend.
"What makes you think that I need a weapon for you? Don't let that Karate shit fool you. If you ever address my husband like that again, I will beat the shit out of you."
Victoria was seething.
"Show me!" Victoria dared.
Gianni and Jack, visibly shocked by the display, worked together to keep the women apart. Tracy and Tammy stood to the side, not getting involved in Storm family issues. But when the twins got involved, Victoria knew that shit had just gotten real.
"Katherine, take Victoria and the ladies to see the girls. Check on their progress," Joseph interjected, in a deep, authoritative tone.
"Catarina, you and Natasha should go and get coffee for the family," Jonathan chimed.
"Yes. Okay," Catarina and Katherine both responded without debate.
Victoria was clearly missing something. These were two of the feistiest women that Victoria had ever met, yet when their men spoke, their word was bond. Nevertheless, she took one last look at Natasha before following her mother-in-law.
Katherine grabbed Victoria's hand and slowed them so that they were slightly behind Tracy and Tammy. She looked lovingly at her and smiled.
"My dear, everyone that knows you, knows that you carry the strength of ten men. But, you were an undercover officer, were you not? You were accustomed to pretending?"
"Yes."
"Then it’s okay to not show everyone how strong you are, right?
Victoria knew immediately where Katherine was going. She and Jack often had debates at home, even though, truth be told, he always had the last word. But now, Victoria had indeed crossed the line. They weren't at home, and her aggressiveness could have embarrassed her husband.
"Yes. You're right. I'm sorry. I'm sure that Jack is livid."
"Noooo, my love. The men in this family love strong-willed women whether they're willing to admit it or not. All you did was make Jack want to conquer you and make more babies."
She giggled and threw her arm around Victoria.
"I love your fire, Victoria. Find a way to keep it without being disrespectful to our men. Okay?"
"Yes, ma'am. I will," Victoria promised. Katherine suddenly became serious.
"I thank God that you're okay. I love you. You're my child too, ya know."
"I do know. And I love you too. Amy and Em are going to be just fine. I promise."
"Darling, I know. A mother knows these things."
Katherine smiled. She didn't seem at all worried. Her confidence actually made Victoria feel less anxious about the well-being of her sisters-in-law.
Chapter 7
TAMMY
Tammy walked into Amy's hospital room. She was still unconscious. If Tammy hadn't known that she had collapsed, she would’ve assumed that she just was sleeping peacefully. Mia was sitting at her bedside, still wearing her tattered ball gown. She looked up at Tammy and smiled wistfully.
"How is she?"
"The doctor says that she has a concussion, but her MRI indicates no permanent damage."
Mia's sadness was evident.
"Oh okay. That's good news," Tammy whispered.
"Yeah."
"Well, I just came to check and see if you needed anything before I go. I'm gonna pick Jasmine and Gio up from Mrs. O'Malley's and take them home with me."
"No. I'm fine," Mia responded warily, wiping a tear from her cheek. "I'm just waiting for her to wake up."
Tammy walked across the room with her arms outstretched. Mia stood without hesitation and fell into Tammy's embrace. Tammy could hear soft whimpers as she rubbed Mia's back.
"Shhh. She'll be fine. I promise."
Mia gave Tammy one last squeeze before pulling away. She nodded while wiping away more tears.
"I know. I just hate seeing her so helpless."
Mia clutched Amy's hand and reclaimed her spot at her bedside. She looked past Tammy and smiled, prompting Tammy to turn around. Luca was standing in the doorway. His big body nearly filled the entire door frame. And since Luca's expression was almost always deadly serious, reading his mood was impossible. He walked past Tammy, over to Mia. He leaned to kiss the top of her head, and then Amy's. Tammy watched him intently. And when he looked up at Tammy, her breath hitched. Luca tilted his head and studied Tammy without words for seconds before turning back to Mia.
"Katherine has sent for some clean clothing for you. Victoria and Natasha are sticking around in case you need anything."
He turned to Tammy.
"I'll be taking you to pick up the children, and then I'm taking you home."
Really?
Clearly, Luca wasn't the type to ask or request anything. He just told everyone what was going to happen. Normally, Tammy would have told any other man what he could do with his orders. But, Luca wasn't a normal man. So she just told herself that she didn’t refuse him because she didn't want to make a scene
in front of Mia.
Yeah, that's it.
She smiled at Mia, who was watching her curiously, said her goodbyes, and walked out of the room. Luca soon joined her in the hallway. He placed his hand in the small of her back and silently commanded her down the hall.
It had been hours since the bombing, but things hadn't calmed much. The hospital was still buzzing with activity. Even though the feds had taken over, there were still a lot of Chicago cops roaming the halls. And although they stood quietly in the background, the presence of Luca's men was felt by everyone.
After a short visit with Emily, who still hadn't regained her sight, they said goodbye to the rest of the family and exited through the main entrance. Luca led Tammy to an awaiting SUV and helped her inside. He climbed in behind her and closed the door. There were two well-dressed men in the front seat. Luca said something in Italian to the driver. It must have been Mrs. O'Malley's address, because the driver typed it into the GPS, before taking off.
Tammy rode in silence and made a conscious effort not to stare at Luca's perfect profile by looking out of the window. His cell phone rang. He spoke rapid French with the caller until they pulled into the parking lot of Mrs. O'Malley's building. When the vehicle came to a stop, he quickly ended the call, hopped out and reached inside for Tammy. She reached for his hand, but instead of taking hers, Luca grabbed her wrist and gently tugged her out of the back seat. It wasn't at all sweet, but possessive. And instead of being offended by the display of possessiveness, Tammy was somewhat captivated. Luca closed the door and stood in front of her. Tammy looked up, into his smoldering brown eyes, close enough to notice bright specks of hazel. He ran the rough pad of his thumb along her jawline, inciting an involuntary sigh to escape.
"Are you all right?"
His voice was laced with sincerity. It warmed Tammy's heart.
"I... um," Tammy stuttered, not knowing whether she was okay or not. Luckily, Luca didn't wait for an answer. He pulled her against his chest and wrapped strong arms around her. Tammy circled her arms around his waist and allowed Luca to comfort her.
"Tammy, I have no intention of letting anything happen to you."
He caressed the back of her head and whispered, "I will keep you safe. I promise."
Tammy nodded. She knew that Luca would keep his promise to protect her. And somehow she sensed that she would be safe. But when he stepped back, severing their physical connection, she felt an instant regret.
He reached out, actually grabbing her by the hand. He gave it a gentle squeeze, before leading her toward the building. Even though it was a nice building, compared to her current home, Tammy had a hard time picturing Victoria living there. She lifted the skirt of her tattered dress and walked up the porch steps. Luca rang the bell for Grace O'Malley. A buzzer hummed, and Luca pushed the door open and stepped aside for her to enter. He followed her up to the second floor, where a door flew open. An older white woman, wearing bright red lipstick, stepped into the hallway. Tammy had never met Grace O'Malley, but she fit the description. She looked Tammy up and down and frowned. Tammy gave her a good frown in return.
"Tammy?"
"Yes, ma'am."
"How is everyone? Victoria? Jack? Did they find out who planted the bomb?" She was bombarding Tammy with questions until Luca stepped into view.
"Damn. There's another one," she muttered without subtlety.
"Signora, we are here for the children."
"And you are?"
She smiled lazily, and her voice turned seductive. Tammy laughed inside. The old lady was actually flirting with Luca. He stepped closer, shrinking the distance between them.
"Well Signora, I am Luca Savelli." His deep, seductive baritone, along with his exotic accent made Tammy's nipples harden. But when Grace O'Malley stumbled slightly against the door jam, Tammy would bet money that the old lady was coming in her bloomers. With a sweet smile, she invited them in. Well, she invited Luca in. Tammy wasn't sure whether she was invited or not. Nonetheless, she followed him inside.
They entered a living room that was typical of an older couple. There was plastic on the furniture, old photos on the fireplace, and it smelled like food. Gio was nodding off in a baby swing, while Jasmine sat on the floor, enjoying cartoons from an older floor model television. She looked up and noticed Tammy.
"Aunt Tammy!" Jasmine shouted, running toward Tammy.
Tammy hoisted her up and into her arms. Jasmine was unusually beautiful. She had soft hair that was wild and curly; pushed back from her face by a pink headband. She had golden skin and sparkling blue eyes.
"Where's Davie?"
"At my house, waiting for you to come and play."
"Yay!"
Mrs. O'Malley handed Tammy, Jasmine's sweater. Tammy placed Jasmine on the floor and stuffed her little arms in her sleeves. Tammy looked up at Luca, who was carefully removing the baby from his swing. He sat on the couch and placed Gio across his lap. Mrs. O'Malley handed him a tiny hat that he slipped over Gio's head. He wrapped him in a blanket and stood slowly, trying not to wake him. Tammy was stunned by the ease in which he handled such a small baby. She was sure that Natasha said that he didn't have any children, but he was a natural. He walked over to Tammy and placed the baby into her arms. He lifted Jasmine from the floor and planted a kiss on her cheek.
"Hi Uncle Luca," she said, batting her eyelashes. "Can I have a popsicle?"
"Of course, Bella."
"Thank you, Uncle Luca," she said, before kissing his cheek.
She had just handled him like a pro; obviously Victoria's child. She had heard from Natasha that Victoria possessed a natural power of persuasion over the male species. Which is why Tammy didn't understand Victoria's abrasive behavior back at the hospital. She was more the type to use charm, not force, to get her point across. And even more of a shock was watching Victoria and Natasha nearly coming to blows. Both women were dangerous, and a fight between the two wouldn't end well. Thankfully, they were surrounded by family, so she didn't have to get between them. Tammy knew better than to get in the middle of a family squabble. But seeing Natasha and Victoria ready to inflict bodily harm on each other was something that Tammy never thought she'd see.
Luca slung the diaper bag that Mrs. O'Malley handed him, over his shoulder and thanked her for looking after the children. He nodded in the direction of the door. After promising to have Victoria call her with an update, he followed Tammy into the hall. Luca walked down the stairs in front of her and opened the front door. They stepped out to find a man that bore a close resemblance to The Rock, waiting on the porch. He walked in front of them to the SUV, carefully, scanning the area. After they were secured safely inside, he closed the door and hopped in the passenger seat.
"What is your address?" Luca asked.
Tammy rattled off her address to the passenger, who entered it into the GPS. He pulled his phone out of his tuxedo jacket and made a call. Tammy listened as he gave very specific instructions in French. When he ended his call, she looked over to him and asked, "Who told you that you could stay in my place?"
Luca wrinkled his brow, obviously surprised.
"Parlez-vous Francais?"
"Qui je parle francais," she responded. "Now, I asked you a question."
"Tammy, how am I supposed to protect you if I'm not with you?"
"I thought that maybe you leave one of your... um... one of them outside of my house."
"It doesn't work that way. The three of us will stay in your apartment for a while."
"Luca, I live in a very small apartment. We can't all fit in there."
"We'll make it work," he said, ending the conversation.
Tammy didn't argue. She was just too exhausted to battle with Luca, knowing that she would eventually lose. She wanted a hot bath and her own bed. And she was picturing just that when they pulled in front of her apartment building.
Tammy could see her father looking out of the window of their first-floor apartment. When they exited with two children, flanke
d by the huge men in dark suits, she could only imagine what he must have been thinking. She searched for her keys as they made their way up the walkway. She pulled them out of her purse and realized that she didn't need them because her father came rushing out of the building. He placed one arm around her, careful of the baby in her arms.
"Thank God you're okay. I've been so worried."
"But, Papa, I called."
"I needed to see for myself. If I didn't think it would traumatize David, I woulda snatched him up and gone to that hospital."
"I'm fine," she assured. "Papa, this is Luca Savelli, Gianni's cousin."
"Luca, my dad, Jean-Paul Beauvais."
They shook hands before Jean-Paul turned his attention to Jasmine.
Bonjour belle fille," he said with a warm smile.
"Bonjour," Jasmine responded with a big smile, proud of herself for remembering what she'd learned.
Every time Jasmine had a play date with David, Jean-Paul would teach her something in French. Her brain was like a sponge, soaking in knowledge. And like her mother, she was even speaking some Spanish.
"We're French Creole, from Louisiana," Tammy whispered to Luca. "So, now you know that you're gonna need to explain your phone conversation. Who's the Russian cunt you were talking about?"
Luca ignored Tammy and stepped toward her father, but Tammy tugged him back. Luca turned and glared curiously at her.
"I'll handle my father," she said, turning to her father, who was suspiciously eyeing Luca's men.
"Papa, these are friends of Luca. They...," Tammy was beginning to explain the situation until Luca cut in.
"Bonjour Monsieur Beauvais. Pour la securite de votre famille nous avons l'intention de rester avec vous pendant un moment."
Luca hadn't even posed a question. He simply told her father what was going to happen. Tammy knew that this meeting wasn't going to go well; her father didn't take kindly to anyone telling him what to do. But to Tammy's surprise, he responded with, "Oui Monsieur, entrez, je vous en prie." He stepped aside, allowing Luca and his men passage into their apartment building. Tammy narrowed her eyes and walked past her father.