Page 38 of Amadeo
“I don’t care,” I replied as we made our way quietly to the lower floor. I intended to talk to her about whatever this was the first chance I got. I wouldn’t allow my father to bully the woman I—my thoughts slowed down. Loved? I pushed that awayas I couldn’t even get the woman to tell me the truth yet. But I suppose I was falling in love with her. Falling for a woman who basically hated me. Not smart but as I said before only fools fall in love.
When we entered the kitchen, Zia looked up at us. “Deo, why are you…” She spotted Valencia’s tears. “Oh, dios mio. Deacon?” She looked worried.
“He’s okay, we think?” Gia told her.
Zia’s concerned gaze swung over to Gia. “You think? Cosa intendi? You are his doctor and you do not know?”
I sat Valencia down in a chair and told my aunt, “He escaped.”
Zia was setting the teapot onto the table. Upon hearing this, silverware clattered to the table from her other hand. “He is in a coma, figlio. He could not escape.”
I nodded as I pulled out a chair for Gia as I tried to explain it all, “He woke up earlier. Then someone came in and grabbed him up, he also took the nurse.”
Zia’s eyes widened. “Oh, my…”
Gia sat down and she looked worried. “Nurse Jocelyn knows what to do but if he needs oxygen or…” She shook her head.
Valencia was wiping her cheeks with a tissue Zia gave her. “You think he…” She swallowed heavily as if she couldn’t finish the thought.
I sat down and tried to comfort Valencia as I patted her hand. “Whoever took him surely wouldn't want to harm him.” I paused and it hit me that the suspects who could have done this had to be very few. “Who could have managed this though? And why?”
Zia was setting our tea cups in front of us as she said, “The property is locked up tight, Deo. We did have the carpet layers in though. They were working in the second living room.”
“I’m sure that they have total clearance,” I replied. “Knowing Rocky, they would have to be squeaky clean to even get through the front doors here.” I pushed the sugar bowl over to Gia.
She stared at it, then up at me. “How did you know?”
I chuckled. “About the sugar, you mean?”
Nodding, she lifted the top off of the small china bowl and grabbed her spoon.
“Well, it seems there are many things I have yet to find out,” I told her. “But I did note what you liked in your tea at lunch the other day.”
Zia smiled at me as she sat down with us and reached over to pat Valencia’s hand. “Deo is right, whoever took him doesn’t mean him any harm, tesoro.”
“I know but he wasn’t well, Zia,” she replied as she raised her cup with a shaky hand and blew on it.
“The nurse is with him,” I again tried to comfort her.
Nodding, she took a sip of her tea. “I just never saw this coming.”
“The escape?” I asked.
Valencia shrugged and said, “All of it. Him in a coma, coming here. Then him being threatened by…” She raised her head and paused to stare at my aunt. “I’m sorry.”
“Why are you sorry, tesoro?” Zia asked her.
“Becuase it is your brother that wishes to harm him,” Valencia replied. “And I know Deacon isn’t entirely a good man, but he is still my brother.”
Zia smirked as she raised her cup to her lips and said, “I could say the same.”
I looked over at her and actually chuckled. That was clever but true. Her brother Stephano Descalia was a family man and he was good to the people he trusted. But cross him and any goodness he possessed slipped away. I happened to know he did plan on ending Deacon Walker. Hell, we all knew that. But I again wondered if this could cause a huge uncrossable rift in our family. Valencia wouldn’t stay here if my father made good on that killing. And that meant Tito would leave. I could see how in love he was with Valencia and I had no doubt he would side with her. I would if it were me.
“We would do a lot for our siblings,” Gia said and took another sip of her tea. “Even make deals with the devil.” As she said it her hand trembled and she had to set her teacup down on the saucer.
I looked over at her and paused.Siblings?“Holy shit…” It dawned on me suddenly as I turned to stare at Gia. “Ribisi. Ella Ribisi!”
She dropped her tea cup with a crash to the floor as her hands shook badly now. Slowly looking up at me, she hissed, “So now you remember her!”
