Page 33 of Winter Love

“Sì, Papà,” Celestino answers as he gets on the phone.

“Galen and Mitchell, you stay here with this scumbag until we’re ready to move him. At no time will he be left alone, I don’t care what. If you need back up, you call. I need to talk to Enea.”

“Okay,” they both say.

“Can I stay and help watch him?” Paxton asks. “I need to do something.”

Giacomo looks at my brother.

“Sì, you are a good man.”

Rhett and I follow Giacomo and Celestino out of the room. Francesco props the door open and grabs a chair to sit on. He stations himself right outside the door, Mitchell is sitting opposite him, but inside the room. Galen is sitting behind Richard.

“They sit like that so they can see Richard from the front and back. He can’t try to get his hands free when we’re watching,” Giacomo says to me and Rhett.

I would never have thought to have people watching from all directions. When we go to the room William is in, they have the same setup. Sebastiano is behind him, Salvatore is outside and Noah is inside by the door.

“Celestino is calling Elio. I think we need him to help us transport back to Lake Renegade,” Giacomo says to Enea.

“I agree. He can fly in tonight. I’ll call for the jet and we can fly out tonight,” Enea answers as he makes his own calls.

“We’ll finish this back home. I don’t want you to be implicated here,” Giacomo says to me.

“Thank you.”

Chapter Eighteen

Emmanuelle

Felicity and I spend all day making popcorn. It was the best way to keep our minds off of what they guys were doing. When Lukas came back home, he had blood spatters on him. So did Rhett and Paxton. Felicity and I met them at the door and when they walked in, Pax and Rhett hugged Lissy and me, then went straight to their rooms. Lukas hugged me and Lissy.

“I need a shower. Then I promise to answer any questions you both have.”

Some of the others come in after the brothers and go to their rooms. I’m guessing to clean up too. I’m anxious to know what happened. When Enea and Giacomo were explaining who they and their families are, I was a little scared at first. But I’ve spent time with all of them and I don’t think any of them are bad people. I do think they’d do anything necessary to protect their families. And I feel the same way. After I told my family about what I went through with William, my papa said that if I had told him before? He would’ve tracked him down and killed William himself. And that was what I was afraid of.

I know my papa sat and talked with Enea, Giacomo, Leonardo and Antonio. I’m sure that whatever has happened to William and Richard, my papa knows about it. And he seems to be okay with it. He shook hands with all of them before he left. If I know anything about my papa, he would never shake the hand of someone he didn’t trust. So I know he trusts them and that makes me feel good. Because they’re our family now.

“I’m glad we’ve had help with William and Pinky. Tinky? What the fuck is his name?” Felicity giggles.

“I agree. His name is T-Rex, I think.” I chuckle. “When I was in that room, I worried that they would do things that I wouldn’t be able to come back from. But then I realized that as long as I was back with all of you, I could get through anything.”

Felicity grabs me and hugs me.

“I didn’t mean to make a joke of it. I’m so glad you’re safe and I’m really sorry you had to go through any of that.” She sniffles.

I hug her tight.

“You’re fine, Lissy. I did that in my head while I was there. It helped me get through it. Calling him Pinky Tinky made me think of that kids show,Tummytubbies.”

That gets Felicity laughing.

“I love you Emma. I’m so glad you’re back with us.”

“I love you too, Lissy.”

We continue making the popcorn and putting them into bags and containers. We have to get the powders ready. Then we move on to the flavors that are added while it pops. Lukas wrote down what flavors he wanted of each. And at least he picked the ones we can do. Some of the newer flavors are more complicated and only Lukas can make them.

I feel Lukas’ arms circle my waist and I hear him take a deep breath.

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