“Why don’t I give you my number so you can call me whenever you’d like?”
“Are you sure you would not stay for a little bit longer? You’re breaking my heart, niputi.”
“I will try to return once school has recess in a few weeks.”
“Yes, for the holiday, yes, this is perfect. Our family….”
“No, not the holidays but maybe after, for a few days at least.”
“And you will stay with me, yes, at the palazzo.”
“I’m not sure that’s a good idea; what will your family think?”
“You are Ricci; they will think nothing.” He’s exactly what I expected, straight across the board. I knew that for him, he was scenting fresh blood. One son is a screw-up, the other is off in Egypt digging up Ramses or some shit, and the only grandson is doing his best to follow in his father’s footsteps. He’s not quite there yet at seventeen, but close.
His sister, only one year younger, doesn’t seem to have much going on except trying to break into the modeling world, but she looks like Felice, so good luck with that. I’m sure I outshine them all, and he will soon know it too. But on my time.
“Well, I guess this is it; here’s my number.” I gave him one of the business cards I’d had made up with my mother’s last name. If he looked for Gabriel Antonelli, he would be led down a rabbit hole into a maze of lies and deception, though the credentials were real.
“This is you? Software engineer, what does that mean?” He looked down at the embossed card with pride.
“It’s too much to go into now, but I will tell you later. Here, I bought you a gift.” I reached into my breast pocket and brought out the little jewelry box I’d bought for him.”
“For me? But I’ve brought you nothing. I….”
“I don’t expect anything nannu.” Instant tears filled his eyes, and the hug I gave him sinched it before I turned and walked away.
DRACO
For two days, I had no idea where my son was. His team claims he leaves the hotel early every day, long before they arise and return in the late afternoon. None of them could tell me where he goes and what he does there. Something I should’ve expected but was frustrated by all the same. There was only one way for me to find out, but I was too pissed off at my parents to talk to either of them.
This only enhanced my annoyance with my wife, but I knew that stemmed from fear. Fear of something happening to my son. Now I have her fears to abate as well since she’s been freaking out with all the new developments. Usually, I’d be the one to comfort her, but since I lowkey blame her for this taking place, it hasn’t been easy.
On top of that, I’m trying to keep all this away from my girls because one run-away kid is enough to deal with. These two would legit get on a plane and go after him, and that won’t be good for anybody. Lancelot has been on edge because Gabe hasn’t been around, and when they speak, he’s very vague. He’s another one that will hop a plane, too, if it comes to that.
So here I am in the middle of all this chaos, with my hands tied and snapping at everyone around me because if I can’t shoot it or fix it, I’m all outta ideas fuck! I put it off for as long as I could, but by midmorning the third day, I was about to crawl outta my skin, so I bit the bullet and went to see the two old people who’d given me life and now seemed hellbent on taking it through agita.
I haven’t told Garrett like I’d threatened because he’s a mama’s boy who’d somehow end up blaming me out of frustration since there’s no way in hell he’d go after her. I wish I knew where Gia was because I might need a break after this mess is over—just kidding! But that too is another thing that’s been bothering me; after all this time, there’s still no sign of the kid. I don’t want to think the worse, but hell, if Gabe can’t find her, my guys keep coming up empty; I don’t know if she’s still alive.
I had Tommy drop me off at my folk’s place, and these two were in their conservatory sipping tea like they hadn’t a care in the world. Why that should piss me off, I have no idea. “Really, Pop?”
“Oh hi, the boy is here. Come have a seat Pauly, bring him one of those fancy things he likes.”
“It’s a cappuccino, you Italian reject.”
“Don’t be rude to your father, Draco. Now come over here and sit down; tell us what you’ve been up to.”
“MA!” Breathe, Draco, breathe; if you yell at this old woman, Pop would probably cap you.
“What? Why are you so high-strung? Have the girls been giving you trouble again?”
“My kids are fine; the only people giving me trouble are in this room.” I walked over and took the chair between them. Pop reached over and ran his hand over my hair like we were pals. I gave him a look and shifted, which made him grin. “I’m not playing with the two of you. Ma, have you heard from my son?”
“Yes!” She had the nerve to stop there.
“And?”
“And what? The boy is fine. He has his great uncles and cousins over there looking after him.”
“What do you mean?”
“Well, you didn’t think I was going to send him there without having someone look after him, did you? They’re keeping their distance, and he doesn’t know they’re there, but he’s fine.”
That actually made me relax a little. Her murdering ass family won’t let anything happen to Gabe, but still. “So, what’s he been doing?”
“He met the pig’s father.” It took me a minute to get what she meant.
“The father, not him himself?”
“Not yet; that comes later.”
“Lady, what the…. What’re you talking about?” I changed my words when Pop gave me a look. I’m grown to everyone else in the world but these two.
“I didn’t want this for him.” I sound like a broken record.
“Then you shouldn’t have raised a little tiger.” Thanks, Ma, throw it all back in my face. It’s true I’d been the one to make sure my son had the kind of life that would allow him to pull off something like this. But when I was signing him up for martial arts classes and getting him the books he wanted when he was a young teenage boy, I had no idea the shits would turn him into what he is.
Pauly came back with the drink and a smile. I gave some thought to getting him alone and getting some information out of him, but I know from experience that won’t work. His face is in the dictionary next to blind loyalty. At least they had the foresight to send someone to watch Gabe’s back, but I’m still not letting them off the hook.
Just for shits and giggles and the fact that I didn’t like the way the two of them were smiling at each other like they’d bested me, I called the doc right then and there. “Gar, you won’t believe what Ma and Pop did.” Ma started waving her hands around, trying to get me to hang up and Pop looked like he’d sucked on a bag of lemons.
I spilled the beans, leaving out a lot of details but sharing the most pertinent facts. I had to pull the phone away from my ear before he hung up on me. Seconds later, the house phone rang. “I got a thing; see you two later.”