The Twelve Zenati Pt. 08

"What did you say, Serafina?" Armando asked. "You've gone pale. Are you all right?"

"I told you that you went too far today. You upset Vivienne so much she flew home," Sera accused her mother. "Now Gideon is in the hospital, and it's your fault. He won't forgive you, or me for that matter!"

"Tatianna, what is she talking about?" Armando asked.

"I did nothing. We met Vivienne and Marcella at lunch today. Marcella was very rude and upset everyone during lunch. She did warn us that she was a bitch, but that didn't excuse her behaviour," Tatianna said with a negligent wave of her hand.

"You went to lunch with Vivienne and Marcella?" Armando asked. He knew this much, but what no one knew for certain was what happened during the lunch. Marcella had only said that it had gone badly, according to Noah. "Why would either of them have been rude? I have spoken with them both over the last few weeks and found them charming young women, especially Vivienne, who has given her time freely to help Genesis and Marcella's sister."

"Help Genesis? Why would he need help?" Tatiana asked, narrowing her eyes.

"He has been helping with the investigation into the Suebi plot. You know this, my love. Marcella's sister was caught in the crossfire, and he helped her to escape the people who planned to kill her and has since formed a bond with her. She has information we need, and he has been working with Vivienne to help Olivia to remember all the details we need about her time with the Suebi," he informed his wife. "The information she holds is crucial to our investigations right now, and Vivienne's absence from the team will set us back considerably."

"Take me to the hospital. I need to see my son," Tatianna demanded imperiously.

"I think you should tell me about this lunch today and why Sera believes you are the reason Vivienne left town so suddenly," Armando said in a hard voice. While he usually catered to his flighty wife's whims indulgently and treated her like the queen she portrayed, he would not countenance her meddling in his sons' love lives. "What did you do, Tatianna?"

"I already told you. I didn't do anything. Marcella was rude and upset Vivienne. They hardly touched their food before making a scene and leaving the restaurant. The girl could hardly be his one true love. The idea of it is absurd if my inviting myself to lunch with Sera is enough to send her running home to her mother," Tatianna sighed dramatically.

"Her mother died when she was a child, Mama. You know that. Stop being so cruel!" Sera broke down. "I'll tell you everything Papa. I know why she left, and I'm so sorry. We are just so used to Mama's thoughtlessness that I sometimes forget that others can't shrug it off as easily."

"Don't be stupid. You can't believe that other girl's lies. She was just the bitch she told us she was. She upset everyone at lunch today. If you are looking for answers, Armando, go and see that awful Marcella girl. First though, take me to the hospital to see my son!"

"Meg Papillo did die when Vivienne was a child, Tatianna," Armando corrected his wife sternly and looked to his daughter. "I think I would like to hear what Sera has to say, as it seems she was the only one listening to the other two women today." He took a seat and indicated that his wife and daughter should do the same.

"This is ridiculous," Tatianna huffed. "I want to go to the hospital!"

"As do I, but I want to find out why my son is in the hospital for an anxiety attack first," Armando said in a tight voice. "So, sit down, my love, because you are not going near Gideon until I am sure that you will not do even more damage to his well-being."

"I would never hurt our son," she said, horrified by the notion. "If this is about that curse nonsense..."

"Sit down!" Armando barked, surprising his wife and daughter. He was usually so mild-mannered and laid-back that they could count the times he had raised his voice to either of them on one hand. "Now speak, Sera. Your mother will not interrupt you again."

Sera spoke quickly, detailing everything that had been said during the lunch by both the other women as well as herself and her mother. She was surprised that her mother had not interrupted her but rather sat and fidgeted throughout the retelling.

"Just to ensure that I have this correct, upon meeting Vivienne, your mother insulted her height. During the lunch, she went so far as to put a hand on Vivienne's, stopping her from eating and suggesting she could stand to eat less. Then to cap it all off, she insulted her overall look and suggested that her dead mother should have done a better job at guiding her?" Armando summarised.

"It wasn't like that at all! I said those things in a very helpful way. It was obvious she was uncomfortable in that restaurant, and I was just being kind." Tatianna waved her hand as if dismissing that she had done anything wrong. "Now take me to see my son, please, Armando." She got to her feet, glancing at her phone in frustration.

"Marcella told Noah that you had gone to the lunch she had arranged with Sera and hinted that Gideon had planned the ambush himself. At this point tonight, not one of your sons wants to see to you or speak with you, and now I know why. Thank you, Sera, for your explanation of events. Marcella would not give any details except to say that the lunch didn't go well and to apologise for not keeping a rein on her temper. As the woman Gideon invited you to the city to meet at dinner tonight is no longer here, I think that it's best you fly home as soon as possible," he said sadly. "Sera, it is perhaps better if you leave it a day or two to try and make amends with your brother for your part in the shemozzle."

"You can't do that to me!" Tatianna cried as if she was being punished unduly. "My son needs me!"

"Yet not one of them are taking your calls tonight," Armando pointed out, indicating the phone she had been frowning at and pulled his phone from his pocket and placed it on the coffee table before him. He took a moment before making the call. "Noah, could you ask Gideon if he would like to see his mother tonight," he said as his middle son answered his phone immediately.

"Is it as bad as we think?" Noah asked carefully, hearing the hollow voice of his father and realising he was on speaker.

"It is," Armando said shortly. "I will not excuse her this time or force you or your brothers to see her tonight."

"Gideon is fine. He spoke to Leighton and calmed down. Helena is discharging him now," Noah said as he walked back into the room Gideon was in and handed him the phone. The phone became muffled as the brothers spoke.

"Papa, I'm fine," Gideon's voice sounded clear and strong. "I'm heading home. I don't think it's in anyone's best interests to be around me tonight," he said unemotionally. "I'll call you in the morning." The phone went dead, and Armando raised an eyebrow at his wife.

*****

Curse or no curse, Genesis could not get enough of the beautiful woman who now kissed him with the same passion that he felt for her. After their honest conversations of that morning, he felt the shift in her in more ways than one. He couldn't pinpoint the shift exactly, however. She was still beautifully submissive to him, but there was something more, a strange gleam that came into her eyes that she quickly hid or a small smile that randomly curved her lips without explanation.

The small clinic in which they were staying now housed any number of men from his family at various times, and despite the suite they stayed in, he ached for solitude with Olivia. He knew staying here was for the best until she healed, but getting carried away with her willingness to please him now would be a very real risk. Still, he had the brace, which he had just laced her into, and was looking forward to a few quiet hours with her this evening as his brothers and cousins all went off for dinners with family and friends, leaving only a few watchmen patrolling the grounds and corridors.

The presence of the watchmen was another reason that he was happy to stay here for the time being. The idea that Olivia could identify members of the Suebi who had not been picked up yet and that she would need to be questioned by the leaders of his family and the Tatar had barely been a flicker in his mind as he had fought to possess her for himself. Now, the idea loomed large as a threat to his newfound happiness with her acceptance of his role in her life. The mirrored idea, that the Suebi might also be seeking her out to stop her from divulging their identities, filled him with unease. He could hold his own in a fight and protect her if it came down to it, but the fact that this place was crawling with the men he trusted, as well as their trained security men, lessened the worry that thought gave him.

Ending the kiss and shaking his head to dispel the negative thoughts, Genesis looked down into Olivia's face, noting the fine features and cupid bow lips that so enticed him. She opened her mouth as if to speak but shut it again, making him frown and tilt his head. He hoped the movement and expression alone would urge her to speak, but when she didn't, he commanded her.

"Talk to me," he murmured softly. "Tell me what you were going to say," he encouraged.

"Do you think I could... I mean, I just wondered..." she whispered and looked up at him and licked her lips nervously. "I'd like to undress you the way that you have done for me so often," she said, the last words coming out in a rush of breath as if she had been holding it as she made her request.

"I think I would like that," Genesis grinned down at her, but before he could finish his sentence, there was a small tap on the door. Knowing that it would be Naomi and that she wouldn't disturb them unnecessarily, Genesis turned his gaze toward the door with a frown and disengaged himself from Olivia, handing her a robe to put on. "Yes?" he asked, showing his displeasure at being interrupted as he opened the door a minimal amount to see that it was Naomi, who looked more than a little flustered.

"Marcella Gambaro is here, and she is quite adamant about seeing her sister," Naomi said apologetically.

"Tell her that we will be a minute or two and offer her a drink in the living area please, Naomi. We'll be out as soon as we can." He gave a tight smile of apology for his terse greeting. The fact that Marcella had shown up unexpectedly piqued his curiosity more than it irritated him.

"Your sister is here. Let's find you a nightgown to wear," he said, moving to her closet.

"But..." Olivia frowned.

"We will have all night to revisit what we were just talking about," he chuckled. "Marcella wouldn't come unannounced unless she had something important to say. We should listen to her, don't you think? She's been here to support you this whole time, even when you rejected her. She loves you despite everything, just as I and many others do, Olivia." Coming out of the closet with a loose nightgown in hand, he noted the anxious expression on her face.

"You have nothing to fear from anyone in your family or mine. You belong to me now, and I will always keep you safe," he murmured softly and bent to kiss her before helping her dress in the nightgown and robe.

Olivia said nothing as she allowed him to dress her and guide her from the room. She'd accepted him and his insistence that he didn't care about her past or who she was before they met, but Marcella was part of that past. She knew Olivia for the horribly spoilt, mean girl she had been. She wasn't sure that she was ready to face her sister yet without the mask of denial that she had been wearing for so long.

"Olivia!" Marcella exclaimed, coming to her feet at seeing her sister walking from the bedroom holding Genesis's hand and lagging slightly behind him. "I didn't expect to see you up and walking around yet," she said, trying to cover her surprise. "How are you feeling?" She directed her questions directly at her sister rather than the imposing man standing between them.

Genesis felt Olivia stiffen and halt in her slow walk as she was confronted with her sister's obvious delight as seeing her out of the hospital bed. He squeezed her hand reassuringly and pulled her forward to stand beside him.

"I... I..." Olivia stammered, trying to form the words she needed and losing the battle. She fell silent and looked at up Genesis.

"We've made some good progress in the last twenty-four hours. Olivia has a brace to support her wound as she walks and help with the pain of moving her body," he explained, forcing her to acknowledge him rather than look past him to her sister. "I thought you and Noah were having dinner with the family tonight?" he asked, still curious as to why she was here.

"Do you know who I am now?" Marcella asked softly, still ignoring Genesis. More than anything she wanted her sister back. Vivienne had made her promise to tell Olivia that she had gone home because of a family emergency in a rushed phone call earlier, but that wasn't the reason she had come tonight. She had stewed on what had happened at lunch and had come here to tell Genesis that if Vivienne, the trauma specialist, were no longer here, she would be taking her sister home where she could keep her from his crazy-ass family. Seeing Olivia out of bed and walking in to greet her like this, however, had shattered her resolve.

"I... I... yes," Olivia sighed quietly. "I always knew who you were," she admitted and looked down, not wanting to see the hurt that had entered Marcella's eyes.

"Why don't we sit down and you can tell us why you came to see Olivia tonight, instead of going out to dinner?" Genesis invited and guided Olivia to the couch where he sat beside her, still holding her hand for support as Marcella sat adjacent to her sister.

"Vivienne had to fly home this afternoon, and she asked me to come and explain to Olivia. She said that when she felt up to it, Olivia should call her. Call her anytime that she needed a friend," Marcella said the last word pointedly at Genesis, knowing what had happened the last time Vivienne had seen Olivia.

"Vivienne left?" Genesis frowned.

"You don't know what's been going on?" Marcella asked in return.

"Obviously not," Genesis growled, pulling his phone from his pocket. "I wasn't going to the dinner tonight." He checked his screen. There were no messages, and he narrowed his eyes. Something was wrong, very wrong and he needed to know what happened. "I think you should explain what's going on," he almost growled at her.

"Viv and I met your mother today," Marcella said sweetly, giving him a saccharin smile.

"Fuck! Where's Gideon?" Genesis cut her off. He knew only too well the lengths his mother would go to in trying to thwart the curse, if she thought it was at play.

"With Noah," she shrugged. "They ditched me as soon as they realised Viv had flown home. Why don't you give them a call while I talk to Liv?" she suggested and turned a more genuine smile on her little sister.

"But she promised," Olivia whispered almost to herself and if Genesis wasn't so hyper-aware of her he might have missed it. "She promised we would be... sisters." A fat tear rolled down her cheek, and she sagged back into the couch, withdrawing into herself.

"I'm sure it's just a misunderstanding," Genesis assured her but got no response which only made his agitation worse. "Marcella, call Viv and let Olivia talk to her before all the good work we've done today is undone. I somehow doubt that she will answer a call from me or my brothers," he growled angrily.

Clearly surprised by the command in his voice, Marcella none-the-less took out her phone and dialled the number. Olivia had acknowledged her for the first time, and now, because of her careless words, all the life that had been in her sister's eyes had seemed to drain away. She needed to get Olivia out of here and away from these crazy people. She knew that now more than ever.

Marcella called Vivienne and was grateful when she answered. She explained what had happened since arriving at the clinic and handed the phone to Olivia, who seemed to look at it as if it might bite her, and shook her head almost imperceptibly.

"Talk to her or I will put it on speaker so she can talk to you with all of us listening," Genesis demanded.

"You can't order her around, Genesis. She's injured, not stupid! So just back the fuck up, okay? I came here tonight to let you know that I am getting my sister away from your crazy-ass family. As soon as the doctor says she can travel, I am taking her home to Perth," Marcella said as she finally let loose her temper and surged to her feet.

"The hell you are," Genesis growled, also coming to his feet. "Olivia doesn't want to go back there. Do you think for one moment that I haven't done the research into your background? That I don't know why Olivia left in the first place? Do you think for one moment that I would let her go back to a man who had considered her dead and buried and never once called since we found her here, so badly injured and unwell? You can think again if you believe for one moment that I will let you take her anywhere. She stays with me," he said with a certainty that showed in his whole-body stance.

"I will look after her. I will make sure she is looked after properly. That is not your responsibility or your right!" Marcella raged back at him. No one intimidated her. She might not be big in stature, but she could hold her own against the best and most deceptive legal minds in her hometown. She had no problem going toe-to-toe with Genesis or any of the Zenati clan.

"Have you ever asked her what she wants? Are you planning on giving her a choice in her own life?" Genesis challenged.

"Like you have ever given her a choice from the time you found her. You've used and abused her, just like Remington Royce did, only you did it with the sanction of the Table. Typical fucking Alpha, as long as the little women are cowed and follow your commands all is well. But the moment one talks back, there's all hell to pay. Well, let me tell you, Mister Zenati," she crowded into his personal space and poked a finger into his chest. "You can't cow me, and I intend to get my sister out of here tonight! I have had a gut full of you, your brothers, your bitch of a mother and sister and the whole damn lot of you! Vivienne had the right idea, and while I might not have her money or private jets, I have a hotline to the Battaglia, and trust me, I will have no hesitation about calling them in to free my sister!"

"You think you can intimidate me with the Battaglia? Call them. I am sure they will be quite happy to enforce her continued convalescence here, especially as many of Royce's business associates have yet to be caught, and are probably searching for your sister as we speak. You can convince them about how she is safer with you rather than here, surrounded by the new Zenati Table and its watchmen. The next time they try to kill her, she may not survive, but that will be on your head, won't it?" He narrowed his eyes at her. "I am guessing by the expression on your face that you forgot that she was the fiancée of a Suebi Chieftain and can identify them all."

"Fuck!" she hissed. "You mother-fucking bastard. You don't scare me, and you forget I belong to one of the great Tables, too!"

"Everything I have done has been to help Olivia and you would compare me to Royce?" he said in a deathly quiet growl, showing just how dangerous he had become, which started to corrode Marcella's already-shaky bravado as he pointed out the Suebi links to her. "Ask her, ask your sister if I have ever done anything but help her to recover and get better?" he challenged. He knew he had used her in harsh ways, but he didn't believe that Olivia would see that as anything like what Royce had done to her. He wasn't ever cruel in his use of her. He knew, without a doubt, that she didn't want to return to Perth. He just hoped that he had done enough in the last twenty-four hours to truly cement his bond with her. "Ask her if she will feel safe with just you to protect from the big wide world and all the boogie men who will come after her!"