Page 48 of Tommy Gabrini: All Fall Down
“They had some type of electronic handcuffs on my wrists and my ankles and just after I hung up from you that last time, they all opened up and I was free.”
“That had to be after they realized TJ’s device had been disabled,” said Tommy.
“Right,” said Hammer.
“After I was no longer in cuffs, two men came into the room. They kept me blindfolded so I couldn’t see their faces. They never said a word to me, but they took me and the baby to a van, threw me in the back, handed me my baby, and then the van drove off. I knew it was a van by the way the doors closed me in. And then they let us out right around the corner from our house. By the time I was able to remove the blindfold, the vanwas gone. They were gone. And I held Danny as tight as I could and ran home.”
She fell against Grace crying again. And TJ sat on his mother’s lap along with Danny and did the same. GG got on Tommy’s lap and was crying too.
But Tommy was angry. Reno and Sal were too. It was as if they put their family through all of this hell, and with all those students dead, as if they were toying with them. But why? What was the point? And why on earth did that guy insist that Tommy had won?
Tommy looked at Hammer and Mick. “You ever seen anything like this?” he asked them as his face couldn’t hide his anguish.
Hammer was quick to respond. “Never,” he said. “And I thought I saw it all.”
And even Mick, who’d seen it all too, shook his head.
CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
Tommy and Grace were lying on top of their California King staring up at their cathedral ceiling. It was just before noon, but they were so tired and so emotionally drained that they just needed a moment alone. All of their children had showed and gone to bed too, because none of them had slept worth a damn for days. But they knew that was only temporary. At least one of them would make their way to their parents’ bedroom to get in bed with them.
If Grace had to guess, her money would be on TJ. He was a tough kid, but an emotional one. But Tommy’s money was on Destiny. She was a tough kid too, but her child was involved. They took her child captive too. She not only had to worry about herself, but her baby too. That had to be beyond-traumatic for Desi.
But no matter which one would eventually join them, they were expecting it. In a way, they were hoping for it. The way Tommy and Grace saw it, their children clinging to them at a time like this would be more natural than if they kept their distance.
“You think we need to call in Tony?” Grace asked. Tony Sinatra, Big Daddy’s second-oldest child, was a clinical psychologist.
“That’s been done. Big Daddy got him on the phone before I came upstairs. I already spoke with him,” Tommy said.
“What did he say?”
“He said to let them handle their emotions in their own way. If they want to cry all the time, then let them cry. If they didn’t want to talk about it, then don’t force the issue. He said we’ll have to wait it out. Because their recovery will take time. Especially TJ’s. He’s going to clear his schedule at the prison and try to get here by the end of the week.”
“Oh that’s good news,” said Grace. “I know how busy he is, but I just want to make sure TJ and Destiny will have the tools they’ll need to handle what they went through. Especially poor Junior.”
Tommy nodded his head. “Thank God we have a psychologist in the family. That way they can tell Tony everything without fear of leaks to the press or to the police even. Tony’s a Godsent.”
“Yes he is,” agreed Grace. But then she gave a pensive sigh.
Tommy looked at her. “They’ll be okay, Grace. They were built for days like this.”
“I know they were. But it’s days like this when I wish we. . .”
Tommy put his arm around her and leaned her against him. “I know what you’re saying. I used to wish we never had children too, given my family background. Hell, forget my family. Given my own background! But having those children in our lives makes it so worth it.”
Grace agreed. “Yes, it does. Lord knows it does. But when they’re the ones to suffer? It just brings it all back. It just breaks my heart honestly, Tommy,” she said as tears began to return.
Tommy held her with both hands as she sobbed. He had to fight back tears, too, because she was right. The last people they would ever want caught up in this madness were their children. But that was exactly what happened.
He gave Grace a Kleenex, she wiped her tears away, and then the silence returned. And they laid there, just the two of them, in a quiet pain.
But they weren’t by themselves for long. First GG came, which neither had predicted would come at all. And then Destiny and her baby after her. And then TJ after them. And the whole family was together again.
Grace held Danny on top of her, Tommy held GG on top of him, and Destiny was hugged up against her mother while TJ was hugged up against his father. And not a word was spoken. Even the baby wasn’t crying or even cooing. It was as if just being together was enough.
Grace and Tommy knew not to put pressure on their children, and they didn’t try to make it anything more than what it was: which was fear. Their children were scared to death and needed the comfort of their parents to feel safe again.
And their parents provided that comfort. Gladly they provided it. And although it took several hours, eventually all of their children, and Grace too, fell asleep.
