Page 79 of Thiago
“Yes, I know.”In your own way, he added silently. Not everyone was meant to be a mother. Valentina had done the best she could.
Thiago decided to call his brothers in the morning and give them an update about their mother. In the meantime, he had his housekeeper prepare a guest room for her for the night while he brought in her bags.
Once she was settled in the room, he returned to the master bedroom. As soon as he entered, India turned over to face him.
“What’s going on? Is she okay?” she asked.
He placed his robe on the chair and climbed into bed. Pulling India into his arms, he answered, “No, but she will be.”
Because of their newfound intimacy and the trust between them, he told her about the situation with his mother and what he planned to do.
“How long will you be gone?” she asked.
“As long as it takes to get rid of that piece of shit,” he said grimly.
Chapter Thirty-One
“Ishould be back before midnight,” Thiago said, talking to India via Bluetooth as he flew back to the States.
He had spent the last couple of days in Colombia with his mother. He could have waited one more day but didn’t want to be apart from India for longer than necessary.
“It’s Friday night. You timed your return perfectly,” she purred.
He chuckled, relaxing into the seat. She was the first person he thought to call. She was the first person he thought of every morning when he woke up. If she wasn’t in his bed, he looked forward to catching a glimpse of her at work.
No doubt, he was definitely in love with her. But how did she feel?
“Thank you,” he murmured, accepting the bottled water the flight attendant handed him.
“So everything is all set for your mother?” India asked.
“For now. We’re going to keep a close eye on her, checking in more regularly to make sure she doesn’t fall for any of Marco’s sweet talking again.”
“Do you really think she would after what he put her through?”
“I’m not willing to take the chance. I believe she really cared about him, and she might be tempted to give in. If he or anyone else tries to take advantage of her, Bruno, Ignacio, and I will handle the situation.”
He and his brothers had pooled their resources, and every month they were going to deposit an allowance into the account he set up for Valentina. They had also paid off her mortgage, so she never had to worry about having a place to live.
“How did you get Marco to leave?” India asked.
“I asked nicely.”
“How did you really get him to go?” she asked with a laugh. “Your hands are lethal. You didn’t hit him, did you?”
“His friends were easier to get rid of. Money and threats worked fine, but Marco was insistent he loved my mother and didn’t want to leave. I convinced him to go with a simple arm bar move, nothing fancy. It’s a taekwondo hold. I caught his wrist and turned it just enough to lock the joint, then pressed down on his elbow. He whined like a baby, and I was able to shove him through the door. We had the locks changed the same day.”
“I’m sure your mom was happy.”
“I’m glad I was able to help her,” Thiago said, but he wanted to say more.
India hadn’t had a chance to meet Valentina. His mother had slept late, and both he and India were gone to work before she woke up. At some point, he wanted India to meet her and the rest of his family.
When he landed, they needed to talk. Maybe not tonight because he’d be too tired, but tomorrow for sure.
The phone beeped in his ear, and when he looked at his phone, he saw the name Spencer Boyden on the screen.
“I have another call coming in. Business. I’ll see you later?” Thiago said.
