Holding out his hand to her, he was worried still. She had to readjust to their lifestyle, and he hoped she wouldn’t always be looking over her shoulder. "Let's go downstairs, shall we? Join the family. Get you some hot food, and let’s all sit down and talk."
Shade didn’t miss the smallest of smiles, as she took his hand and allowed him to lead her downstairs, into the kitchen. To his surprise, Shannon was there with Luca, making her habitual coffee. Cory was standing and starring off into space but snapped out of it immediately and hugged Madison into his arms. Nodding to Luca, Shade spoke to Shannon as she grinned from ear to ear. "Where is Kate?"
Shannon turned to him and raised an eyebrow. "I imagine she’s with the baby, or Lorenzo, or both. The kids keep her pretty busy. Do you want me to get her?"
"Si, thank you. We are going to go into the living room, and I want Kate with us. I also need Rachael."
He turned to Cory. "Get your mom. We need to talk, all of us together. This is important.”
Before leaving to get his mother, Cory smiled at Madison, giving her a sideways hug as his dad continued to issue instructions.
"Grab something to eat. I am going to go make us a nice fire in the fireplace. When you are done, you and Cory come join us."
Heading into the living room, Shade made a fire appear in the stacked logs with just his thoughts. The heat felt good. He stood in front of the fire, leaning with his hands on the mantel. He was exhausted but needed to make sure his family was whole again.
Shannon ran up the stairs, and let Kate know Shade was calling the family together. She took the baby from her arms, telling her, "Go ahead. She's quiet now anyway."
Kate left the nursery and encountered Cory, exiting the guest bedroom with his mom, and they headed down the stairs together. Kate was glad to see Madison exiting the kitchen, showered and dressed, and carrying a large mug of coffee. They headed into the living room where Shade was standing in front of the fire. Rachael curled up in a large arm chair as Madison and Cory sat together on the love seat. Shade took a seat on the sofa, and Kate curled up next to him.
Kate looked at him, and could see the fatigue in his face. "What's on your mind?'
Cazzo, he was so mentally wiped out. "It seems we are always dealing with our bambinos, either older or younger ones, si?" He laughed softly. "I see I have an authoritative effect on my familia, no one speaks until I start. Not sure if that is a good thing or bad. First of all, let me say that letting Cory and Madison go to California alone was something I was not too keen on. I should have insisted on a protector, and that is my burden to bear. No one could have seen what was coming, not even me. But that threat has been extinguished now. Everyone is healing, and some of us will take longer than others.” He made eye contact with Madison, and she nodded.
“But one thing remains heavily on my mind, and that is the safety of Madison and Cory." He paused a moment before continuing. "Madison, I want you to move into Bel Rosso."
Startled to hear what he was suggesting, she shook her head. "But I have school. I'm almost finished. I graduate in the spring. I don't want to quit."
Shade stared at her hard. He liked this young woman immensely, but she would abide by his orders. "Madison, I cannot let you out of Bel Rosso any longer without protection. Moving in here guarantees all of us peace of mind. I do not expect you to give up school, education is vital. So, we are left with some options. One of them is to have a personal protector for you. You move in here, we get you a car, and your protector drives you to and from, stays on campus with you, but out of sight. Give me your thoughts."
Madison blushed. "You mean like a chauffeur? I’d show up on campus driven by a chauffeur like some rich kid? And you want me to give up my place?" She looked at Cory. She hadn't really thought in detail about their future, but she realized now she’d assumed he’d move away from his parents and the two of them would live somewhere else together. "Do you think this is really necessary?"
Cory slid his arm around her shoulder. He was at least glad to see his old Maddie return when her freedom was compromised. "Maddie, you’re looking at this all wrong. Dad wants to keep us safe. We can live here easily. My rooms are bigger than your apartment. Having a protector is no big deal. They don’t hang on everything you do. They’re just around in case something gets dicey, like Luca and Kate. I want this because I don’t ever want to be that afraid for you again. I love you. I want us to be together for the rest of our lives. I’m not taking any chances."
Madison looked around the room as they all stared back at her, waiting for her response. "What about my potter's wheel? What about my art? I need to take things into town."
Cory turned to face her. "Those are just details, Maddie, we’ll work through all of that. You won’t be a prisoner here. Please, listen to my dad; he knows what he’s doing."
Seeing the confusion on the young girl’s face, Kate knew this was a lot to take in. "Madison, I know this sounds drastic, but we can manage everything. Decide what you want to bring from your apartment and move it here. If you want to redecorate Cory's suite to reflect something for the two of you, then feel free to do that. As far as the potter's wheel, we have plenty of space here. The garage is huge, and enclosing a space for your studio wouldn’t be a problem. The building already has electricity, heating and plumbing to accommodate the mechanics who maintain the vehicles. We can give you more room than you have now. As far as a protector goes, he can be as visible or invisible as you want. Luca is my protector, and you can see he doesn't follow on my heels, but I never leave Bel Rosso without Shade or Luca."
Madison felt conflicted. There was a part of her that sought the security, especially after what had happened in California, but she didn’t want to lose her independence. "But I can still go to class, right? I can still graduate?"
Kate nodded her head. "Of course. You can come and go as you please. Living here is safer for you now, that's all."
Madison bit her lip and reluctantly agreed. "Yeah, okay, I guess. So, is Luca my protector too?"
Shade shook his head. "No, I think that vampire has his hands full. Two bambinos and my bel is a bit more than any ordinary protector should be dealt. I want you to have someone you are comfortable with, someone who can blend in to your environment. I think Hyde would be a suitable protector for you. He likes you, and you got on well with him in Florence. Hyde has had several assignments as a protector, and he has done well with each. There is nothing we cannot fix, or make accommodations for, Madison. I want you to live without fear, feel free to come and go. Make this your home. This is not a punishment but a gift. As for the car, you choose whatever you like. Hyde will drive you back and forth, and he can be discreet. Please Madison, will you do this for me, for Cory?"
Madison twisted the ring on her finger, and nodded her head, still unsure of this rapid change. "Okay. I have to give notice on my apartment, and I'll have to tell my parents I'm moving."
Shade nodded with a huge smile. "That’s fine. We will have Cory and Hyde help you move all your things. And I have a beautiful Palomino horse by the name of Biondo out there in the stables that desperately needs some love. She is yours now."