The Twelve Zenati Pt. 16

"If it is her, are you sure that you want her hanging out there like bait, just so we can find her source?" Xavier asked, sceptically.

"If we've got eyes on her, she will be perfectly safe," Noah said, though his voice didn't sound as confident as his words hoped to convey. "Just tell the men to cover all the exits and not go in until we confirm, one way or the other," Noah commanded, his every instinct telling him that this was Marcella they were looking for on the monitors.

"Okay. Do it," Xavier agreed. "Let's confirm whether it's her or not first, He's the Oracle and chances are he's right." Xavier gave Noah a small grin, showing that he understood it was more than just speculation for Noah.

"Yeah," Noah reluctantly answered his phone, keeping his eyes trained on the screen that now showed a multi-view of the cameras from the various common areas of the StarCity Casino.

"Hey, about that report," Genesis said tentatively. "Did you read it?"

"No," Noah bit out in frustration, deliberately lying to his brother because he didn't know how to deal with the emotions it brought up in him yet. He wasn't ready to talk about it yet, and he had far bigger issues to deal with right then.

"Look, I know you're fucking pissed off at the world right now, but just listen for a second. I read it and spoke to Olivia. If Marcella heard you say that the Battaglia were coming, she would have run, and no one could have stopped her. It wasn't you or us that she was running from. Can you understand that? She's scared, Noah. She's running because she is scared of them taking her again, not to shit all over what we have done, or were doing for her, but to survive the only way she knows how. On her own. She doesn't trust anyone else. The people she should have been able to trust let her down consistently. Her parents, her friends, her teachers, her family doctor, even her sisters." He sighed, having to admit that about Olivia.

"Her doctor?" Noah frowned as he spoke.

"Read the report. Fuck, even I feel guilty for not looking into why Olivia is determined to keep away from Marcella, unless someone else is there as a buffer. I even encouraged it, but it was never Marcella's fault, and I took her attitude toward our relationship as a personal insult, instead of trying to understand her. I was wrong," Genesis admitted.

"You? You were wrong?" Noah gave a mirthless chuckle. He was stunned by his little brother's admission. "Fine, I'll read it when I get a minute. I have to go, something's come up, and it's all hands-on-deck here. See if you can find Gideon and calm him down. He looked like he was going to murder someone earlier, possibly me," Noah suggested and closed his phone, ending the call.

A photo had flashed up on the screen from the watchman sent in to speak to the concierge. The woman looked younger than Marcella. Where Marcella always looked stylish in expensive designer clothes and high heels to add to her diminutive height, this young woman wore no makeup, her hair surrounded her head and shoulders in a messy riot of curls and she wore a tight tank top and shorts so short that you could see the cheeks of her ass at the bottom hem of them. To top it all off, she wore Chucks. Marcella never wore flat shoes, and even though the photo didn't show her face, Noah sighed, believing his instincts had let him down for the first time in his life.

A second photo came through from the front view, but her wild curls obscured her face, and she wore sunglasses. The clothes she wore, however, should have been proof enough for him. Marcella would never wear something so casual and revealing. She rarely showed that much skin. He was about to admit it wasn't her when a third photo popped up with a full-frontal view. She wasn't looking at the camera but, with her sunglasses pushed up on her head clearing the unruly hair from her face and exposing her eyes, Noah sucked in a breath and stared at the woman he thought he could fall in love with. It was her and she was hiding in plain sight.

"No way that's her," Zanto murmured incredulously, enlarging the photo to see the face better. "I mean, look at her!"

"It's her," Noah confirmed in an incredulous whisper, and she looked so fucking hot dressed up as a typical tourist on holiday that he felt his cock twitch at the sight of her. She was a gorgeous, sophisticated woman at any time, and his attraction to her had always been obvious, but to see her like this, her hair riotous, her face imperfect, her sexy little body on display in the skimpy clothes, made him want to grab her and give her the fuck she so obviously needed. Or maybe it was the fuck he needed, when he saw her like that, casual and relaxed looking. He drew a deep breath, considering his next step now that they had found her.

*****

"Okay, we are all here now," Gideon grumbled and embraced his wife, who had walked in with Genesis. He was beyond frustrated but he needed answers, and this was the only way he could think of to get them. He had thought that having his father with him would carry more weight with Madrina and the Tatar woman, Imelda, but he had been wrong.

"Why are we all here?" Genesis asked, frowning, his frustration looming as large as his brother's, if not larger, because of the guilt he felt at not following through properly on his investigation of Olivia's past beyond Remington Royce and the Suebi who threatened their world at the moment.

"I want to find out what Imelda said to Noah yesterday, and why Marcella left without a word to anyone after promising to stay," Gideon growled, his mood from earlier that morning not having dissipated yet. "I want to know if Imelda knows where Marcella is right now!"

"There are several reasons why you are all here, and yet Noah is not," Imelda said softly. She spoke softly on purpose, so that those around her would quieten to listen properly. "Firstly, the information Vivienne has shared, which was not hers to share with you, will do irreparable harm to the one relationship Marcella valued with the people in this room, should she discover the betrayal. It is you, Vivienne, who will suffer the most, if Noah does not convince her to trust him in time to stop was has been put in place," she sympathetically chastised Vivienne.

"Vivienne only did what she did because she loves that woman like a sister. She did what she thought was right!" Gideon defended his wife. "How could we have known the extent of her..."

"The extent of her what?" Imelda asked when Gideon paused to find the right words. "She has dealt with the abuse in her past better than most women in similar situations could possibly hope to deal with such trauma. She has found a resilience within that allowed her to overcome a great deal, and become independent. She is not a masochist looking to be beaten out of some sense of not being lovable, or worthy enough to be loved by anyone, as many women like her become. Nor is she so detached from those around her that she doesn't care about the world or the people in it. She fights for women like herself in her career, and every day, in every opportunity she gets. Tell me, the extent of her what... and why should it matter now, Gideon?"

"The extent of the abuse in her past," Gideon finished lamely.

"Why should that matter?" Imelda repeated herself. "It doesn't affect adversely how she interacts with you or your loved ones. If anything, your knowledge of it has only affected the way you now interact with her. Something, I assume, she wanted to avoid, by not telling you anything about it," Imelda shrugged. "It is her story, and you have no right to judge her, right or wrong, for it now. You should judge a person on their current actions alone, for they tell a far better and more believable story of who they are than a past shrouded in misery and distrust," Imelda said in the same soft tones.

"In that case, currently, her actions and words have been nothing but argumentative and belligerent. She doesn't seem to get along with anyone, aside from Vivienne," Genesis pointed out.

"I see. So this woman, who gives up her career, and defies a directive from her parents to ignore the fact that her sister may have been found alive, to ensure that she is actually alive and safe from the people who would harm her, is condemned because she is suspicious and distrustful of men who live by Table law, laws which destroyed her early life," Imelda asked, in a non-threatening way.

"We couldn't have known that!" Genesis argued.

"Olivia did, but she chose not to speak of it, despite the tension you hid from her, and the fact that you all allowed her to act like a spoilt child and treat her sister badly," Imelda responded gently.

"Olivia had been through a dreadful trauma of her own," Genesis snapped angrily.

"I am sure Marcella understood that, which is why she stayed for her sister, despite the fact that she placed herself in harm's way the moment that she traded on her family name, which she had, for all intents and purposes, abandoned, so she was no longer subject to family law," Imelda said. "Fear often comes out as aggression when one doesn't know how or where to channel it. The moment she put herself at the mercy of family law again, however, both her father and Apollo began to make plans for her future." She held up her hands before they could defend themselves again. "You can't have known that though, even with all of your reports. You could have only known that part of her story by being her friend, and allowing her to see more than another family with archaic laws and another man trying to control her sister."

"Fine, I'll admit I ignored the signs that something was wrong because I was distracted by what I needed to do to bring Olivia back to the land of the living," Genesis sighed. "I can't change that, but I can do better now that I understand. Do you know where she went when she left the hospital?"

"Noah has found her, with the help of those who love him enough not to judge him when he stops to lick his wounds," she eyed Gideon sternly. "Now we wait and do not interfere with what he must do," Imelda said, tightly.

"Like hell!" Gideon shouted. "We're his brothers, we're the ones that love him. We're the ones who should be helping him."

"Yet you are here, after telling him how disgusted you were by his need to take some time to understand all that had happened to her the evening before? Perhaps supporting him and asking him why he needed some time might have been more productive, but again, that fell to those who love him without judgement," Imelda pointed out. "The very people that have helped him find her today, because they all support each other, instead of seeking their own answers elsewhere."

"That's unfair. I called my family together to help him," Gideon's voice rose with his emotions as he felt attacked.

"Yet you did not bring him, or suggest we meet at the hospital. where he could be part of the solution?" she asked calmly. "Perhaps the idea was not yours alone, but another's, who does not understand the dynamics between you and your brothers before two of you found your loves?"

"Vivienne had only the best of intentions. She loves Marcella," Gideon boomed, coming to his feet, his deep voice made loud by his roiling emotions.

"Sit down," Armando roared over the top of him and, as Gideon sat down, he sighed. "I understand why you wanted to meet here, rather than somewhere more public, lady." He bowed his head in genuine respect to Imelda. "Madrina, I am sorry that we have brought this into your home. Perhaps you and the other ladies might enjoy some tea while I speak with my sons?" He watched quietly as the ladies went into the kitchen.

"You know that I've never had to worry about Noah. He's always been the one who bailed you two out of trouble, not the other way around," Armando chuckled. "Gideon, your heart has always been too soft and easily hurt. You are so quick to anger but just as quick to forgive and forget. That has been a godsend for your mother at times," he admitted. "You are also quick to diffuse emotional situations with humour and diplomacy. So to see you like this tells me that finding your love has made you even more susceptible to those emotions that lie so close to the surface. You are influenced far too heavily by that love, but you will learn to manage it in time. Take a breath and step back from the situation. Separate yourself from Vivienne's emotions and you will see that Noah deserved better from you this morning, if you don't already."

"And you," Armando shook his head at his youngest son. "You walk around as if you don't need approval from anyone. You never have. Mr Independence, you did it your way whether it was the right way or not. You obsessed about the causes you cared about, and the woman you love is no different, but that obsession has made you selfish and blind to the cares and struggles of your brothers and cousins." Armando paused, but neither of the two brothers spoke as they took the rebuke from their father.

"It is not your fault, and no one would blame you outright for your lack of tolerance and understanding. We have all been there. When you find your mate, your love, it's a wonderful experience that makes you want to forget everything else and just be with them. But to Marcella, the two women that she cares about are buying into family law hook, line and sinker, without knowing how they can be destroyed by it as easily as they can be loved, by the demands of our family," Armando continued his lecture.

"I get that she doesn't trust us and I get why. I called this meeting to get Imelda to find Marcella. I don't want her out there on her own, thinking we don't care or that we would send her away with Apollo or the Battaglia, just because she didn't always do things the way we would have liked," Gideon argued.

"You both need to step back and let Noah work his way through this. Would you have stood by as Noah took over the care and decision-making for Olivia in the beginning, when she wouldn't talk? Would you have let him go to the Papillo on your behalf when Vivienne fled, Gideon? He was there for both of you as soon as you asked for help, when you discovered the reality of your curse breakers. He never took over or judged you for the way you handled claiming that love for yourself. Now it's your turn to wait until he asks for your help. I assume that's why we are here, rather than where Noah and perhaps Marcella are right now. So that we don't interfere any further and destroy what small chance he has to make this right again," Armando said sadly.

"She said Noah found Marcella already," Gideon pointed out. "So, everything can go back to normal now. Anthony told the Battaglia to discipline Apollo as they saw fit, once he faced a panel armed with the witness statements. There is no threat to her, anymore."

"You didn't listen to Imelda properly, my son. You missed the point entirely. Noah found Marcella with the help of people who love him enough not to judge him for his choices. In fact, they look to him to make those decisions, instead of telling him how to feel and act," Armando reminded Gideon, who felt the sting of the verbal slap he had been given. "Did you realise that the moment Noah shared his concerns with Xavier yesterday, when he heard of the accident, they went into action, not for him or on his behalf, but with him? Noah had questions, and Xavier helped him find the answers. Have either of you even taken the time to just listen to what Noah needed or wanted to do?"

"I did, but he was in denial," Gideon blustered.

"Because he isn't sure and things are changing for him rapidly. He is so busy trying to be all things to all other people that he hasn't listened to his own heart about what he wants and needs, so he quite plainly would be confused about the assumptions you were making without listening to him. What did he say when you confronted him? Was it absolute denial or confusion?"

Gideon thought about this. His father was right. Noah had said that Imelda had confused him with the conversation at the hospital that morning. He'd told Gideon that directly when he had dropped Apollo off at the hotel. It was just a dreadful day for his brother, he could see that now, in hind sight. Then to have Marcella leave without a word to anyone, when they had been defending her, and banishing Apollo from their city, would have gutted him. Regardless of her reasons why. Gideon scrubbed his hands over his face.

Noah was so supportive of everyone. He had a quiet ease, and just his presence could be a calming influence at times. Even as the Oracle, he had just slotted into a role that was difficult to fill, while the man everyone loved underwent surgery and treatment. It was true he'd let Vivienne's near hysteria affect him when she had found out that Marcella had left without a word. He had needed to find her, not for Noah's sake, but for Vivienne's, and he had, in some ways, blamed Noah for not being as invested in finding her as he was. It was a bitter pill to swallow that he had been the asshole this morning, not Noah. He looked at Genesis, who sat silently beside him, looking as if he was thinking the exact same thing.

*****

It was a difficult conversation to be having, but Noah had insisted on including Dominic because he knew how invested he already was in the situation, and being left out would make him feel his illness all the more keenly. Dominic struggled to get the words out so that Xavier could hear him, while his thoughts projected at a much faster rate in Noah's mind. The brothers, though, seemed to have their own telepathic connection, and Xavier could often finish Dominic's thoughts for him as they discussed Noah's plan.

The fact that Marcella hadn't left town gave him hope, and a plan had formed in his mind to win her trust and bring her back to the family, voluntarily. She'd driven herself out to Palmerston, after renting a car under an alias that she had obviously used in the past, judging by the fake ID and credit cards she had under that name. But after driving that far from the centre of town, she had turned around and come back, and Noah thought he knew why. His plan now would be to play on that assumption and negotiate with her, while attempting to win her trust. He just needed Xavier and Dominic on board with his plan.

"And what if she says no?" Xavier said, after they had considered Noah's initial sketchy plan.

"Then plan B goes into effect and we let the watchmen do their thing, but I'm hoping she will take my proposal. I can be pretty persuasive when I try." Noah gave a small smile, born of the tiny spark of hope he felt. "If she were staying just to be close to Olivia, she wouldn't be hiding out under an alias. I'm positive that she is close to finding some evidence to back up Olivia's story of events, and she won't leave until she gets it. Her text this morning said to tell her she would keep her promise. The promises she made were to Olivia."

"The AFP will be looking for her as well, and possibly the remnants of the Suebi, if that is who she is going up against to find the information she wants. She's playing a dangerous game, and it will be hard to keep her under the radar of everyone who is looking for her. We found her easily enough." Xavier spoke with the occasional word and gesture of agreement from Dominic.

"Did we though? If Dante hadn't called because CJ found an anomaly in his daily scan, would we have found her? Look at the picture and tell me honestly if you would have guessed it was her at first glance?" Noah argued.

"True," Dominic said. "I think your plan has more chance of success than dragging her back here and putting her under house arrest until she tells us what we need to know, given her background."

"Dom's getting tired, and talking this around in circles won't change the situation. Can you keep the watchmen at a distance, and let me try to help her do whatever it is that is keeping her here, and then we can bring her in and make sure she understands that she is safe with us? She won't feel safe if we drag her back kicking and screaming, and she isn't safe doing this alone. Let me try it my way, for a couple of weeks at most," Noah said calmly, although now that he had a plan, he was desperate to get started and was trying to temper that desperation so it didn't come out in his voice. "I need your help. Do this for me, please," he finally said, quietly.