The Twelve Zenati Pt. 24

Olivia quietly manoeuvred around the kitchen, finding plates and cutlery as well as a stack of paper napkins for the food that would arrive with Gideon. She wasn't sure she followed the whole of what was going on but what had started with just Armando and Isaac visiting to ask a few questions had expanded into a full investigation with Zanto and Orlando arriving. Their arrival was followed by the set up of several monitors and the video presence of Xavier and Dom in their dining room. Armando had made calls of his own and Claudio had arrived with Anthony and Gianni. The room felt crowded, and she was at a loss until Gideon called, and Genesis organised him to bring food for the men in her dining room, all talking loudly and studying various computer screens.

If she was honest, Olivia was glad she had something to keep her busy until Vivienne got there and she would have the excuse to slink away and hide from the drama she had inadvertently caused. Or at least she thought this was all because of her. If she let herself dwell on it, she might begin to panic again so she kept fussing in the kitchen organising everything the men at the table would need to eat and drink while they continued working. For the first time, she was grateful for Emma's interference in her life because she knew where everything was in the kitchen and could feel useful instead of the constant invalid who needed looking after.

"You doing okay, Little one?" Genesis asked as he walked in to check on her. He pulled her into his arms and kissed her on the top of her head.

"it's nice to be busy doing something," she said quietly returning his hug. "I'd rather be in here doing something useful than in there with all that stuff. It's too much to follow when everyone talks at the same time."

"We think we know who killed Remington. We need to find proof of our suspicions. It's important not only for you but to help Noah keep Marcella safe and bring her home to us eventually," Genesis explained the basics of what they had found out so far. It wasn't much and hinged on a lot of supposition right now, but it felt right, and they were all keen to follow it through.

"I don't think she will. Come back with Noah. I mean," Olivia said quietly. "I know you all think that this curse thing can conquer anything but Marcie is different, she's... I don't know how to explain it, but I don't think she will ever trust anyone to keep her safe or bring her home. She does those things herself on her own or at least in her own way, you know? If she comes back here at all, it will be on her own terms for her own reasons."

"Noah is different too," Genesis chuckled. "It would be dangerous to underestimate him, especially when he wants something badly enough."

"The thing is," she said, drawing in a breath to bolster her courage. "Noah or you or Gideon. None of you come into a relationship alone. If I love you, I have to love all of them," she looked out into the dining room. "It's a package deal, and I don't think any of you realise how overwhelming that can be. Maybe not to someone who grew up close to the larger part of the family, like Vivienne, but me and especially Marcella, she's..." Olivia gave up and sighed. "I can't explain it, but I keep trying to tell you all, he won't bring her back, not for good, and if the curse is real and he needs or wants to stay with her, he won't either."

Genesis's eyes widened. The thought that he could lose his brother to his curse breaker had never crossed his mind. Dread swelled in him because he knew he would have left the family if they hadn't embraced the sweet woman in his arms and all the drama that came along with her including living and working with the head of the Northern Clans of the Suebi before he found her. They would have had the right to dismiss her, but they didn't, and thankfully, he was spared that decision. Noah, on the other hand, was fighting the years of mental abuse Marcella had suffered at the hands of not only her father and uncle who were the worst but also her mother and sisters. He had to admit if only to himself that there was a good chance Olivia was right, and the thought of losing his brother like that sliced through his heart.

Gideon and Vivienne arrived then, and the kitchen island was turned into a buffet set up as boxes of pizza and pasta were unpacked, and serving utensils were found for them all. The men slowly got up one or two at a time drawn by the sight and smell of the food to fill plates and go back to the table to continue their investigations each working to their own strengths to find the missing links they believed had to be there.

Isaac had found the initial link and everything had spun out from there. Madonna Schwann was the daughter of the woman Olivia had known as Aunty Bea. Her real name was Beatrice Annegret Kottman - Schwann. It was the deceased husband and son that became the focus of the investigation now as Isaac believed that Schwann was most likely to become the next leader of the northern Clans on the death of the last leader. That was until their lives had been cut short, leaving Remy with the most substantial claim to the mantle. Bea it seemed had been poised to become the Queen of the clan and mistress of the mansion. Then Remy took over the property, once the power plays for the top spot had fizzled out, and had offered Bea the housekeeper role so she wouldn't have to leave what had essentially been her home for most of her life.

The proof of the story they had sketched out from their investigations so far and Madonna's role in the clans seemed as elusive as the woman herself. She was like a shadow of a woman never actually appearing in the light of any company records or property sales. She was real, and she was the daughter of Beatrice and Ari Schwann, beyond that there was little proof that the woman had even gone to school, let alone university. She was an enigma which made the men all the more confident that it was her not Bea that was behind the assassination of Remington Royce and the reason Bea wanted the Royce mansion so much she would risk her cover.

*****

Marcella had dozed briefly, and when she woke, Noah was not beside her gloating over his conquest of her for which she was genuinely grateful. Curious as to where he was though, and if he had abandoned her here in the treehouse, she got up pulled on a robe that had been left by the bed. Tangling her hair up into a messy bun, she padded out of the bedroom on silent, bare feet. She could hear Noah mumbling faintly in another room, and she baulked at the fact that someone else might be in the treehouse with them. Peeking around the corner, she saw him sitting on a couch his phone cradled to his ear and a pensive look on his face.

Sensing the woman he had left sleeping, Noah looked up and grinned at her. She was stunning with her messy hair and wearing the oversized robe. He hoped that she was still naked underneath it because he had plans to revisit that home run and the battle he had won earlier.

"I have to go. Keep me updated," Noah said, cutting off whatever was being told to him as he came to his feet. Ending the call, he threw his phone down on the coffee table and stalked toward her in such a way that she involuntarily took a step back making his smile wider and his eyes glint with the challenge. "That was my Dad," he explained. "It seems they might have worked out who attempted to assassinate your sister alongside Remington Royce and why Bea wants the mansion so badly," he explained knowing she would forget any wariness in her eagerness for the news. "This might just be the break we need to clear Olivia once and for all and capture the person who orchestrated the hit," he added as she looked at him suspiciously as if what he had said was not a good enough reason for leaving her alone in bed.

"Explain," she commanded. "Leave nothing out." He may have won the little battle in the bedroom, but she was still in control of what they did in this investigation.

"Come have a seat, Kitten," he grinned and patted the couch beside him, making her narrow her eyes at him. "Just come and sit your still in charge I was just gathering the information for you, so you had time to think about it before we met Dad to grab the documents we need for the meeting at the markets this afternoon."

Marcella sauntered over to where he sat but chose the couch opposite him rather than beside him and inclined her head for him to explain. Despite his words, she could feel him taking over her plan, and she didn't like it. He had thought he won her over earlier, but now it was a whole new ball game, she just wished he would go and put a shirt on so she wasn't so distracted by his chest and shoulders as he moved.

"When they were putting the papers together for the meeting with Bea meeting Isaac noticed an anomaly in the arrest documents the AFP provided and Olivia's statement," he began slowly. "He's a stickler for the details which is why I like working with him in my private practice. He picks up little things many people would gloss over."

"Isaac is a cousin?" Marcella mused it wasn't really a question, she knew he had no other brothers and didn't think his uncle would be working for him in private practice.

"Right, he is also next in line to fill my seat on the new table should anything happen to me or if I chose to leave the family," Noah agreed.

"Wait? What? Why would you Mister-family-always-comes-first consider leaving the table?" Marcella choked out the shock evident in her voice.

"I probably haven't considered it before, but I guess there are several reasons why I might consider making such a move now, none of which I would take lightly," he said thoughtfully.

"What reasons? There is no way you would walk away from your brothers, let alone your entire family," she asked incredulously.

"You," he said honestly. "If you chose to run again, I would follow you."

"Good luck with that," she scoffed. She didn't believe that for one minute, but she would play along if he pushed the issue. Still, the seriousness in his tone and expression concerned her enough that she didn't want to press the point right then. "Back to Isaac and the information he has?"

"Well it's more of a theory at the moment, but it has some legs, so he and Dad are at Gen's place with a few others. They are searching for the proof tonight while we enjoy the rest of the day I had planned for us. It's not that late, yet you know, are you hungry?" He asked.

"Starving but I am more interested in this information you're skirting around right now," she rolled her eyes at him and folded her arms over her chest silently stating that she was waiting for him to tell her what she wanted to know.

"We can talk while I deal with the food, come help me," he stood and reached out a hand to her expectantly.

She knew she would never get what she wanted if she didn't play along with this farce of a date. She finally put her hand in his as he patiently waited her out. Then he pulled her from the chair into his embrace and kissed her tenderly before she could even react.

"What are you doing?" she exclaimed, pushing on his chest and wriggling in his embrace once she broke the kiss. "A bet's a bet, you got your home run, and it's done."

"There's my spitting, hissing kitten," he said a small smile softly curling his lips. "You can fight fate all you want, but this, you and me? It's not over, once will never be enough for either of us. You can be as independent as you want and make all the plans you want and I will follow you in public, but when we are alone like this, and you are driving me insane by wearing nothing more than a robe, I will be the one calling the shots," his hand drifted down to where she had loosely belted the robe and pulled it open to expose her despite her protesting slaps at his hands.

"Noah stop that! You can't just..." she tried to fight him off.

"Just as I thought even better than the first time I saw all of you," he moved forward and placed his hand over her pussy and grinned. "Even now your body betrays what you want. Once was definitely not enough but first, I had better feed you because you are going to need the energy to survive tonight!" he taunted as he closed the robe and retook her hand leading her to the kitchen. "Champagne or would you like something else?" he asked.

"If you think you can just..." Marcella started, but he stopped her with a kiss that deepened with possessiveness.

"Champagne it is then," he grinned when he broke the kiss.

"Fine," she said petulantly, reaching for the bottle to uncork it herself. He didn't fight fair, and she hated that he was right about her body betraying her. She was attracted to him, not just his looks but the way he treated her over the last week. Letting her lead but taking charge where and when he could without taking over, except in the bedroom but that could be remedied, she consoled herself. She'd been trained by the best after all.

"Great! I'll grab the food, and we can eat out on the lower deck. It won't be as nice as it would have been at sunset, but the stars are pretty spectacular out there away from the city lights," he said not bothered at all that she had wanted to open the champagne herself or that he was serving her dinner.

Realising she wasn't about to get any answers before he was ready to tell her Marcella followed Noah out onto the deck with the champagne and glasses. She watched his muscled back as he walked and groaned, placing the bottle and flutes on the table before stalking back to the bedroom they'd used. Snatching up his discarded shirt, she stalked back out to the deck and tossed it to him.

"For god's sake spare me the ab-flab while we're eating at least," she grumbled. Even relaxed there was very little of said ab-flab noticeable to the naked eye, but she couldn't sit across from a shirtless Noah and concentrate on the food before her, let alone what he had to say.

"If you insist, you're the one in control until we complete this plan of yours," he chuckled and donned the shirt doing up two buttons and letting the rest of it hang open as he took his seat. He loved that his body affected her to the point of distraction. At first, he had wondered if she had a problem with nudity when she had told him to put a shirt on back in their hotel room, but he had come to realise that it wasn't nudity as a whole it was his bare chest, and maybe his back that caused her to react and that was a good thing. It told him that the attraction he felt was mutual and she was fighting those feelings as much as she was fighting his words and actions.

"That's right. You're supposed to be my bitch right now. So, you can start by telling me what the hell is going on with your Dad or Isaac or whoever. I'm warning you though if they mess up my hard work by poking in the wrong areas or the wrong people to make Bea renege on our deal, I won't forgive them or you for interfering with me and my plans," she said acerbically and scowled at him.

"Me?" he questioned. "I only suggested talking to my Dad as a means to an end to get you that deal. We had to work out how to get that promise note from Olivia. It was you who called my Dad and brought him in on the deal, not me. It was your show, and you gave him access. I am following your lead I haven't done anything but take a call to gather the relevant information for you since then."

"You," she said, without adding anything further because she couldn't refute what he had said. He had taken a back seat all week except for the one time when he had defied her by remaining at her first meeting with Bea rather than leaving when she told him to, even then he hadn't tried to take over the negotiations which had redeemed him somewhat on her mind. "Tell me what I need to know before the next meeting with Bea," she commanded.

"From what Dad said, it was only that Bea's name has come up again that made Isaac relook at Olivia's deposition about the woman. According to Olivia whether she misunderstood or not or whether it was purposeful on Bea's part she only ever mentioned her as Aunty Bea until pressed for a full name by the Agent taking her deposition and she listed it as Bea Kottmann. During her time in incarceration, she went by the name Bea Kottmann. Still, the booking officer listed her from her personal documents, we assume, as Bea Kottmann-Schwann, then went back to correct it, so when she was released she was only known as Bea Kottmann" he paused taking a mouthful of the grilled chicken salad that had been left for the romantic dinner he had requested when he had believed he would still have to seduce her once they got here.

"It's an easy thing to understand if she divorced and dropped the husband's name or just decided the two names were cumbersome," Marcella shrugged as if it wasn't a big deal or a little detail she would have thought worthy of following up on.

"True but Isaac remembered the name from an earlier point in the deposition. Olivia met a woman called Madonna Schwann at a party on the yacht, and she had said that she didn't think the woman was happy to see her with Remington and that there was tension between the two," he added before taking another bite of his salad. Like Marcella, he was starving, and he was glad there was dessert waiting for them in the fridge as well.

"Why would that make any difference. Don't tell me the Suebi respect their women enough to believe them capable of more than keeping house and popping out a gazillion babies?" Marcella asked drolly.

"You really don't understand how the tables work do you? For all that training they forced upon you, you don't have any idea who wields the most power in any of the families," he gave an incredulous laugh. "I can't believe, well after the attacks on the families I can, but it's stupid to keep the worst kept secret in the families from the daughters sent for trials." He shook his head, incredulously.

"You're right. I did do the training and got great reviews for my knowledge and understanding of Table history and law thanks. I know exactly what the expectations of women that are part of the tables are," Marcella bristled.

"No, you don't because you have never seen it in action. Your view of the tables and how they work is distorted because of that bastard father and Uncle who mistreated you in the name of old and archaic laws that they used to their own ends. Pick a table any table just name one," he challenged.

"My table, the Gambaro's," she challenged back.

"Mikayla Gambaro has stepped back from a lot of public appearances, but she has set up and chaired several not-for-profit organisations to assist people living in poverty and women who are subject to domestic violence. Ally has a degree in veterinary science, and she uses that in the animal hospital she founded for rescue animals. She also works for the organisations that Mikayla chairs," he paused, taking another bite of his food. "Catriona Vitelli is an artist and continues to run her own business as well as managing charities and the like that were set up by her predecessors. Peri Donati is a force to be reckoned with in the historical publishing world. I can't even begin to imagine how she does everything she does in her career with her husbands seeming to keep her perpetually pregnant. Cat hasn't had any children yet by the way, and no one will force her if that is not what she wants. Women, even the ones destined to lead our families and keep us all together, can do whatever they want to do. It's not the nineteen fifties, Honey. No matter what your parents have led you to believe. Talk to Junie or Emma about it when we head back to the city. Emma has a nursing degree much to Dom's dismay right now," he chuckled. "Very few of the tables are bogged down in the old traditions any more. Especially not the new tables coming through. Vivienne is a doctor and trust me Gideon would never ask her to give that up for him, just because he holds a seat on the new table."