by Dee Garcia
“What do I tell him?” I asked wearily.
“That we need to talk.”
“Where should we meet them?”
“Right here.”
My head reared back just slightly. “Here?”
Xander nodded. “It’s private, but not secluded. Your brother can’t do anything stupid here.”
Yes, he can, but after Camden…
“You’re sure you wanna do this now?” I gulped, running my palms up his arms.
“I’m ready to go home, Angel,” he murmured, his forehead resting against mine. “Life is waiting for us to live it.”
“Give me the phone,” I whispered, mentally preparing myself for what was about to go down.
Xander left me long enough to snatch our cell off the nightstand and bring it back to me. He dropped down on the end of bed and pulled me in his lap, nodding when I flashed him another uneasy look. With shaky hands, I dialed my father’s number. My heart was ready to burst from my chest with each ring.
“Vincent Scarsi,” growled his familiar voice, the sounds of the café carrying behind him. I guess he hadn’t tried running after me.
“Hi, Daddy…” I said softly, clutching the phone for dear life.
There was a brief hiccup of silence before he replied with, “Fiore.”
“We need to talk,” I stated, not wanting to beat around the bush.
“Yes, we do.”
“Can you meet us?”
“I can.” He cleared his throat. “Where and when.”
“Our room, right now.”
“Text me the room number. I’m on my way.”
The Scarsis didn’t take very long to show up. About five minutes after Eden called her father, there were three brisk knocks at our door. Eden shot up from the bed to answer it, but I sat her back down with a firm hand at her shoulder and shook my head. God only knows if they’d snatch her and run, leaving me to my own devices, or worse yet, the authorities. Not fucking happening on my watch. If they wanted to see her, they’d have to go through me first.
But there was no they. Again.
Peeking through the peephole revealed only a very stoic and poised Vincent Scarsi. My curiosity was piqued, to say the least. On a deep breath, I puffed up my chest and swiftly threw open the door, removing the sole barrier between me and the formidable man who didn’t want me within three feet of his daughter.
“Mr. Royce,” he said, his tone indecipherable.
“Mr. Scarsi,” I answered back, taking care to block the entryway with my entire frame.
He might’ve been an intimidating figure within the vast, clinical expanses of his office but here in this foreign hotel, standing toe to toe, I wasn’t so intimidated anymore. Taller and far broader than he was, not even his expensive, pristinely-kept suit had the same effect it did back in New York.
“May I come in?” he asked, straightening out his raven tie.
I made it a blatant point to peer down both ends of the hallway before dragging my gaze back to his awaiting stare and hooking a shoulder. “Depends on if you have a hidden agenda or not.”
“I don’t. I just want to see my daughter.”
I couldn’t decide if he was giving me a straight answer or not. He seemed genuine and perhaps somewhere in the back of mind, I trusted him. But it was Alessio I didn’t trust for a split-second, and the fact that he wasn’t here standing beside his father, had me on edge.
“Where’s Alessio?” I queried, lifting my chin.
Scarsi adjusted his tie once more and released what sounded like a troubled sigh. “I sent him home,” he said simply.
“Aiding him in an escape after the atrocity he caused? How very ethical and honorable of you.”
He didn’t answer my condescending accusation for several moments, more than likely because I was right on the money. London was still suffering in the dark after such a terrorizing act, and their ghost gunman was back in the safety of his home, probably laughing it off with a beer in his torture chamber. Remind me why I thought they weren’t bad people?
“That charade was never part of the plan nor did I approve of him doing so, hence why I sent him back. Alessio has”—Scarsi cleared his throat—“issues he needs to work on.”
“Quite frankly, Mr. Scarsi, he has more than simple issues, but what do I know? I’m just the man with a target on my back,” I said, the sneer in my tone evident.
“Xander, please,” he started rather nervously, his eyes swinging down both sides of the corridor, “can we take this inside?”
Seeing him so uncomfortable was temptation enough to deny him entry, but I knew damn well not even three sentences of this so-called conversation could be spoken out here. With an exaggerated sigh, I stepped aside and motioned for him to come in, promptly locking the door behind us in case his ‘I sent Alessio home’ story was a setup. Following in his wake, I watched his every move, searching for any sign of a firearm or a wire.
Eden shot up to her feet when her father entered the room. Her eyes went wide as saucers, and I didn’t miss the way she adjusted the sweater clinging to her body. Obviously, it was too soon for her to be showing any sign of the little life growing within her, but I suspected she was nervous to tell him what had come to be as a result of us running off together. I’d say I was pretty shook up at the thought of her telling him too, but in all actuality, I wasn’t. What was he going to say? No, you can’t have this baby?
Too late.
Us being together was a reality he was going to have to accept, whether he wanted to or not.
“Why did you take off?” he asked Eden, helping himself to a seat at the table in the corner of the room.
“Because I wasn’t about to let you drag me back to the States without Xander,” she answered, her eyes flickering to mine as she went to take the seat opposite of him.
“That wasn’t my intention,” he countered, watching me with a cutting expression as I leaned up against the threshold, folding my arms in front of myself. “I simply wanted to speak with you, as I’ve been trying to do for quite some time now.”
“About?” Eden quirked a brow.
“About coming home.”
“That’s funny, ’cause that’s what we wanted to speak to you about too.”
“We?” He sounded confused, impressed almost.
“Yes, Daddy, we,” she emphasized. “We are going home, and let me be clear when I say that neither you nor Alessio will harm Xander once we get there.”
Scarsi observed us both, hesitating only momentarily. “I can assure you I’ve had plenty of time to think since your departure, and while I’m not too keen about your…relationship”—he glanced my way—“I’ve removed Mr. Royce off the list.”
Sure he did.
“Then why come after us?” I hedged.
“To bring you both home,” he said matter-of-factly.
“And how did you know where we were?” Eden pressed.
“I didn’t. I had not a clue where you two were until one of my partners spotted you here in London.”
“So you weren’t looking for us prior?”
“No, um, there were other pressing matters that required my attention,” he explained tensely, smoothing out his tie once more. “I figured you’d be back much sooner, but when the new year rolled around, and you didn’t, I set up eyes everywhere I could think.”
“And once you got wind we were here in the U.K., let me guess”—Eden leaned forward, as if she were about to share a secret with him—“Alessio was just chomping at the bit to come with you, right?”
Scarsi nodded subtly. “He was, yes. I hadn’t realized what was happening to him at the time, but had I known he was going to pull such a nefarious charade, I never would’ve allowed him on the plane.”
“You didn’t know about Camden?” Eden asked incredulously, and her father shook his head, his expression plagued and disconcerted.
“As I said to Mr. Royce, that was never part of the plan. I wasn’t even with him when it all wen
t down.”
“Why would you even allow him to come with you when you know how he feels about Xander?”
“Because we’re family, Eden,” he barked, and Eden almost instantly scoffed through her nose in revolt, narrowing her eyes as she reclined into her seat. “Family doesn’t purposely try to hurt one another. What Alessio made me do in that basement is unforgivable! He forced me to hurt the man I love, and I did it to keep him alive, hoping you’d somehow overhear all the commotion and intervene, that you’d put Alessio in his place like he deserved. But you didn’t! You had me dragged out of the room, kicking and screaming in utter despair.”
“I was going to let him go,” Scarsi said evenly. “I cleaned him up, tended to his wounds. The only reason why I left him down there was to have a word with your brother. Then we came back, and you were gone.”
“What did you expect? For me to leave him in there, like a disease-riddled animal? Besides, how was I supposed to know you were going to let him go? I was home for hours before I snuck back to the compound and not once did you come speak to me!”
“Dammit, because I was angry, Petal!” He banged a fist on the table, immediately springing me into action. I was at Eden’s side before he could blink. Taken aback, he sized me up, but quickly continued when my stance didn’t waver. “You knew any operation regarding Gaspard is a no after what happened at his estate and still you went anyway. You didn’t even tell me! I was going out of my right mind, worried sick for an entire month as to what the hell happened to you, only to then find out you’re with Mr. Royce, after you’d told me you’d crossed him off the list. Imagine my surprise.”
“Oh please, you’re not one to talk when you did the very same to Papa,” Eden snapped, yanking me down to take the seat beside her.
Burnnn.
On the inside, I was laughing away but I remained impassive, doing as she bid of me. I silently dropped into the chair she’d pulled out for me, draping a possessive hand across her thigh. All the while, Scarsi remained tightlipped, regarding us with curious eyes.
“Exactly the reason as to why I was going to let him go,” he answered in a hushed voice after some time.
“Somehow, I find that hard to believe but whatever, it’s irrelevant now anyway. What’s done is done. The question is, now what? We just go home and pretend none of this ever happened?”
“I’d like to say yes, but your brother… He’s just not himself at the moment.”
“What is that supposed to mean?” I chimed in.
“That means he’s gone off on another bender.” Eden rolled her eyes. “What happened this time?”
“It started after you two left. At first, I thought that’s what upset him, but then he beat Luca to a pulp, left him for dead on the side of the road.”
My eyes widened just as Eden gasped, her hand popping over her mouth. “What?!” she screeched.
Scarsi nodded solemnly. “It was horrific. The boy was black and blue, unconscious. An off-duty cop found him. They questioned him, obviously, but he refused to talk. Based on that and what Marcello told me, I knew it was Alessio and I think he did too, though he didn’t mention it, nor did he seem to be upset with me.”
“I can’t believe him,” Eden gritted out. “I’m so utterly disgusted, it’s not even funny. I can understand him being upset that Luca and I went behind his back, but to take it to that level? He could’ve killed him!”
“I know, I know,” Vincent agreed, raking a frustrated hand through his salt and pepper hair. “And it’s only gotten progressively worse. Look at what happened in that market, such tragedy because he can’t control himself. I don’t know what to do with him.”
“Off the rails or not, you better find a way to keep him in check, Daddy. I swear to God, if he comes within a centimeter of Xander, I. Will. Kill. Him.”
What the hell?
“Angel…” I grumbled, because what the fucking hell, he’s still her brother!
“Don’t do that.” She shot up from her chair, pointing a finger at me. “Don’t act surprised. After everything he’s done, I don’t trust him. I’m almost ashamed to say he’s my brother.”
Scarsi paled, clearly not expecting Eden to lash out the way she was. “Eden, you don’t understand. It’s so much worse this time around.”
“I don’t care,” she growled. “Lock him up in the looney bin then. I can’t afford him anywhere near us, especially now.”
Oh shit… Here we go.
“Why?” Vincent’s head flew back. “What’s happened now?”
I could feel those icy blues on me before I even glanced her way. Now? they asked silently and all I could do was nod. This was why we’d called to meet with him, right?
Eden turned back toward her father and dropped into her seat with a sigh. “I’m pregnant.”
He looked between us again and chuckled for a second too long. It rubbed me the wrong way. “You’re kidding, right?” he asked.
“On the contrary,” I cut in. “We’re very serious.”
His expression morphed from amused to stunned like the flip of a switch. “How far along?”
“Seven weeks,” Eden confirmed, rising from her seat to retrieve the sonogram off the dresser. Slapping it on the table, she slid it toward him.
“Christ…” he mumbled, inspecting the photograph. “Are you…”
“Keeping it?” Eden questioned. “Yes, we are.”
Really?
“Why is that even a question?” I couldn’t keep quiet. Made me furious he’d assume we’d do anything but.
Scarsi’s eyes darted to where I sat. The man was completely flabbergasted by the news. “Well, I mean, given all that—”
“No disrespect, Mr. Scarsi”—I held up a hand—“but we’re doing this, and I don’t mean just the baby. I mean, her and I, we’re doing this, with or without your blessing. I love your daughter, more than you could possibly ever understand, and if I have to fight you for the next forty years of my life to be with her, I will.”
There. I said it, laid my cards out on the table and stated the extent of my intentions. If he thought he might be able to get rid of me sometime in the future, now he knew it wouldn’t be an easy feat.
Come. At. Me. Bro.
“You continue to surprise me, Mr. Royce,” he said, prompting me to cock my head to one side.
“Why, because I have more gall than you thought?”
“Perhaps so.”
“There’s not anything or anyone I wouldn’t stand against for your daughter, you and my mother included.”
“Your mother?” His head jerked back. “She’s not in accordance with your relationship?”
Both Eden and I shook our heads. “No, she seems to share your exact sentiments.”
“I see.” He nodded slowly, lips puckered as though he were piqued after my revelation. “When are you two coming home?”
“We need to find a place,” Eden said first. “Xander’s landlord definitely had to have emptied his place by now, and we can’t exactly stay with his mom.”
“Why can’t you stay at home?” Scarsi queried, reclining in his seat.
“Um…because of the baby? We’re not living separately.”
“I’m not asking you to, Fiore. I’m asking you why you can’t stay at home until you find a place?”
“You mean both of us?” I asked skeptically.
“Yes.”
“I’m gonna say Alessio isn’t going fancy that idea.”
“Not his house. He may live there, but at the end of the day, it’s my roof. I’ll handle him.”
“Are you serious?” Eden hedged, and Scarsi simply shrugged, motioning toward me.
“As Mr. Royce said earlier… Very serious.”
Location: London, United Kingdom - Heathrow Airport
Less than twelve hours from arriving in the states…
I don’t know what I was expecting to come from our meeting with Daddy, but what ended up happening surely wasn’t it. I mean, he offered for bot
h of us to stay at home—my family home—for fuck’s sake. In what universe was this real? Evidently, ours, which led Xander and I to discuss his offer in depth until the topic was exhausted long after my father had left. In short, we agreed to give it shot, mostly because we didn’t have much of a choice, if we wanted to go back now. Technically speaking, it was our only option. Staying in London a few more weeks would be pointless, seeing as finding a rental we could actually afford was going to be difficult enough in itself. Doing that from another country was unthinkable.
But could we actually live under the same roof with my family?
I honestly didn’t see Daddy being an issue. If anything, he might be our Switzerland in this next chapter of our lives. He claims to have been so upset when he found out about Xander and I, but I think he sees a lot of himself in me, in what’s become of my life. Granted, while our circumstances had a lot of similarities, they were also vastly different. Daddy was married to someone else when he met my mom. Being with her, no matter what he felt, was wrong. It’s only ‘wrong’ for us to be together because Xander was a mark. Rule number three—don’t fall for a mark.
Love is love, though, and I think my dad finally realized that. Might’ve taken me falling off the face of the earth, but at least he understood the bigger picture.
The outstanding problem here was going to be Alessio.
I suppose that’s why Daddy was almost so indifferent to the entire situation, Xander and Lil’ Bit included. He had bigger things to worry about, namely fixing my brother—a task that, in the past, proved to be more than just difficult. And if it was much worse this go around, I suspected it was going to be nearly impossible to bring him back, especially if he’d gone off the rails because of me.
So, what exactly did “going off the rails” mean, you ask? The simplest way I can explain it is, the lights are on but no one’s home. Alessio’s there, somewhere in there, but he’s allowed rage to best him, to consume him. There’s no happy medium with the person he becomes during these breakdowns. He’s either full-on Hulk, destroying everything in his path, or he’s eerily silent, staring off into space with glazed eyes. Those are the times Daddy worried most because he was obviously so lost in his own head, there was no getting through to him. And who knows if a breakthrough was even possible this time.