The Twelve Zenati Pt. 35

"Yeah, but just wait until they're carrying your baby and then tell me how much you don't want to leave their side. And on that note, I am done being the escort, and I am off to find my beautiful wife and remind her how much I love her," Gideon chuckled. "Go, they're waiting for you."

"Thanks, man," Noah stepped out of the cart and clapped his brother on the shoulder, saluting him as he drove off and then turned to enter the athenaeum. He went to where Xavier and Dom sat before a bank of screens with Lucio and Quinto, who seemed to be typing relentlessly on the keyboards in front of them.

"Good. You're here," Xavier waved him over. "You probably don't know Joshua Donati, but you might remember Phil Sergi from our circle meeting."

"Yeah, Hi Phil, nice to meet you, Josh. Your reputation precedes you," he nodded, paying a compliment to the man who held his family together while under the most vicious attack of their era, from the Suebi and, if they were right, the Varangian Guard.

"Heh, I can only imagine with Dante as your point of contact," he chuckled.

"He has a light-hearted style for delivering serious information, that's true," Noah nodded, liking the man on the screen.

"It wasn't always that way, so I enjoy those moments now, mostly. That's why I'm here, with information. It seems this Varangian leader is trying to sew the seeds of discord between the Sergi and Donati. One of the Sergi family members has made a formal complaint against the Donati for stepping over the border into their territory to take out the Varangian nest we knew about from Marcella. We imagine that's exactly how he planned it, and we followed his playbook exactly as expected," Josh said.

"We've decided to act as if the conflict between our tables is real and ask for arbitration from the Battaglia, where he obviously has contacts to flush them out as well as give him a sense of confidence even though his nests in several states have been eradicated by using the geeks on the dark web to track unidentified flights," Phil continued.

"Okay, I got him back, but I don't know how stable the link is," Quinto said excitedly as another screen popped up with a man Noah didn't know.

"Chase, what's up?" Phil asked.

"This patching networks together safely is a pain in my ass, that's what," Chase grumbled. "Larry's here, Josh. He said he'd call you rather than try and tap into the secret network as well from out here."

"Good," Josh nodded. "So, the info we got was good?"

"Yeah, it seems they are keeping their staging area in the Outback and using mostly unregistered motorcycles to continue to fly under the radar. It seems the ones we have come across are all heading north to either Mt Isa or across the border to Katherine or a place called Bachelor and the Rum Jungle?"

"They are probably thinking we are not looking at the moment because we are busy watching the Donati, so they think north Queensland is safe," Phil nodded, "I'll alert our people out at Mt Isa and Cloncurry."

"Yeah, well, Larry and I agree that only the soldiers are out here on the roads. It seems like all the generals or anyone of importance have gone elsewhere. If I didn't know any better, I'd think they were out here as decoys, or else why wear the Varangian colours and cuts? We are trying to work out where they are, but when we ask about getting paid. We are told to give our details to Kievan Rus. Have you got any idea when Val will get to us?" Chase asked. "He's coming from the other direction, so we think he'll have more of a clue than us. Larry saw far more than me on his trip to this rendezvous."

"I'll try and get that info to you in a few hours. We have a lot of dead spots out here for communication relays. We've also got people coming up through the south and west," Xavier relayed the information.

"Alright, keep the tech guys guarding the common link to the tables, and we'll call if anyone has more information, but I think you might be right. He's used decoys to distract us from the real threats before," Phil said, taking the lead. "Josh, you and Tyler Sergi can duel at dawn or something over the border violation. Make it a big enough spectacle to capture Konrad's attention for a moment, and we'll see what falls out. Everyone else, stay safe."

"Talk later," Xavier said into the noise of several goodbyes, and the connection winked out. "Seems like Konrad is carrying on with business as usual," he said to Noah. "If that's the case, he could be coming for Marcella. The only way into this property that doesn't have impenetrable fortifications is the beach and cove. So we have a couple of courses of action here."

"Okay," Noah said slowly, not liking where this conversation was going.

"We can let him think we are the arrogant men he thinks we are and do nothing to enhance our security here," Dominic shrugged, "but be quietly prepared for him to make his move."

"We can put a lot of security around the beach to boost our fortifications and be unsure which way he will come from," Xavier offered.

"We can move Marcella to the safest place in the country, which at this point in time is not with us," his Uncle Lucio offered as the final solution.

"So, there is no good option here?" Noah asked, and the other men slumped under his glare. "Well, contrary to popular belief, I don't believe we should decide this for her. It's her decision to make, not mine and certainly not yours. If she wants to be used as bait, I will say nothing but stand by her side, and if she chooses the safe place, I will go with her," he sighed. "You all suck, by the way," he huffed a sad chuckle and shook his head, not meaning the words.

*****

The truth was that Marcella was bored within the first day of being on the property. Even working on silly baby shower games was preferable to the silence and monotony of days spent alone as Noah was called away more and more often. But, of course, she didn't mind that he didn't include her in that. The dithering deliberation of the men of this family only frustrated her, and she trusted now that Noah would tell her everything that concerned her when he returned.

She was grateful when he set her up with a home office to continue her investigations in the corner of the house where she could remain hidden if she didn't feel sociable. Now that both Olivia and Vivienne had put aside this afternoon to spend with their Zenati brother of choice, and she was here alone after Noah's sudden departure again, she felt restless and horny. Sure, he had gotten her off when he returned, but it wasn't enough after the interruption this morning. She decided that she needed a long walk to get rid of the restless energy she felt. Both she and Noah were respecting each other's rules this time, and it seemed to be working for them, so she picked up her phone and composed a message to let Noah know that she was going for a walk along the beach. By the time she made it down the stairs, she was sure someone would be shadowing her, so she slipped on her surf shoes before making her way down to the sandy track leading to the white sand beach that bordered the cove.

The sand was hot, and the water was cool. She had her earbuds in and was singing very badly off-key, "Make lots of noise and kiss lots of boys, or girls if that's what you're into...." She'd always liked country music since her Aunt Ursula had introduced her to it while they danced around the kitchen singing and cooking together. Only in her aunt's death, the good memories she had from being free of her father and Uncle came forward. Possibly because that time was so short-lived, and more often than not, they lived in fear of reprisals from the two men who should have loved and protected her, not hurt her so badly.

"Just follow your arrow where ever it points, yeah. Follow your arrow where ever it points...." Marcella continued to sing. There was a sudden rush of water beside her. Confused, she turned to try and work out what was going on. It took a long moment for her to make sense of the wide jaw and teeth as a salty crocodile rushed forward and snapped its teeth, grazing her ankle as she leapt back. She screamed in fear, falling back onto the sand as the animal twisted its head, rushed forward, snapping at her legs again and connecting with her calf. She scrabbled backwards, digging her hands into the sand, but she was helpless against the slow unrelenting pull on the flesh of her leg where the jaws had connected with her calf muscle. Adrenalin kept her conscious and fighting as she kicked with her other leg aiming for the creature's eyes. The sand and seawater washed over her leg, causing the pain to shear through her, and she screamed louder than she believed possible.

Then suddenly there were guns and men and wresting and more pain as the jaws seemed to give way only to snap back down on her foot before it was free of the teeth, black spots danced before her eyes as she was lifted into someone arms and the person was running back up the beach.

"Fuck, it hurts!" she yelled, and her rescuer slowed a little, and the run was less jolting on her leg.

"I'm sorry, Miss Gambaro, but we need to get you to the clinic as soon as possible," the man said through gritted teeth as if holding back swear words of his own.

"Noah, I need to tell Noah he will panic if I am not home when he gets back," she murmured as he took a seat in the cart, still holding her across his lap. Only then, she realised another man had run with them holding her leg and now eased a towel around the bleeding puncture wounds.

"Someone is on their way to him now," the watcher reassured her as the cart rolled forward, making her gasp and grimace with the pain. It wasn't bad. Probably just need a stitch or two. After that, it would be fine, she told herself.

*****

A watchman appeared at the door to the athenaeum, wet and splattered with blood. Each man stood and began barking questions. All Noah heard was "Marcella", and he was moving. Another watcher was in a cart waiting for him, and they tore across the grassed paddock in the direction of the clinic.

"Crocodile in the shallows," the watcher said, then shut up and drove. He touched his ear as if listening to something and then spoke again. "Shari is readying the helicopter, and Helena has called the hospital in Darwin to expect Marcella."

"When the fuck did it happen!" Noah yelled, more panicked with everything he was being told. He would have gotten out and run if he didn't know that Val had supped-up their carts and they were capable of high speeds even if it didn't feel that way.

"I don't know, minutes? The others got her to the clinic, and I went straight to you. I can only tell you what's on my feed, but it looked bad when we got her free," he admitted.

"Well, at least you did that right," Noah grumbled and got out of the cart before it had stopped and ran into the clinic and the examination room where Helena was examining the wounds on Marcella's legs.

"Fuck, woman! I leave you alone for a few hours, and you do something this outlandish to get my attention?" Noah went to her and leaned down, brushing her hair back from her face.

"Oh, you know me," she rolled her eyes at him but hissed and winced as Helen prodded a particularly sensitive spot. "Just keeping you on your toes, so you don't get bored and start looking at your alternatives that would bring more of a challenge in your life."

"Hurt's pretty bad, huh?" Noah grinned. "Knowing I have alternatives." He waited for a beat until it looked like she would snark at him before he added, "Just so we are clear, you have no other alternatives. None. So, I'm it for you, Kitten."

"I don't know. The guy who carried me here from the beach and stayed with me until you arrived was a nice alternative," she said offhandedly, making Helena laugh as a throat cleared and the man in question held up his hands in surrender at Noah's glare.

"While I'm grateful to you for watching her for me and getting her here so fast, I'm afraid you're fired," Noah said with a perfectly straight face to the watcher in question. "See? No alternatives."

"Noah! Oh god, I'm so sorry. He didn't mean that. Tell him you didn't actually fire him after he saved me!" Marcella demanded.

"Fine, you're not fired, but you will have to be neutered. Luckily the doctor is here, and we can sort that out as soon as she is finished with my fiancé's leg," Noah conceded with a perfectly straight face. There were several chuckles in the room, and Marcella let a slow smile creep over her face.

"You know, Noah. The first thing she said was that she had to talk to you, to let you know what happened, which is why one of us went to get you so fast," the man offered.

"Fine, you can keep your balls," Noah grumbled but looked at Marcella seriously. "No alternatives, I mean it. The next one you point out mightn't fare so well."

"But I have to put up with you having alternatives?" she accused, poking a finger into his chest and hissing again at whatever Helena was doing.

"You brought it up, not me. I'm not looking for alternatives because I have exactly what I want, and it's been so good between us since we got here. I thought we had moved on from all this trying to give me a heart attack stuff. Instead, I'm going prematurely grey!" Noah complained, running his fingers through his hair.

"Ew, I'm sleeping with an old man," she wrinkled her nose. "Are you sure there are no alternatives for me? I mean, Zanto's younger than you, a sweetheart, and you can't fire or neuter him."

"No way, you caused the grey hair. You have to live with it now. There will be no alternatives for you, Kitten," then, to stop her from another sassy reply, he kissed her. The relief of finding her alive and barely injured rolling through him like thunder at the end of a hot summer day. Barely was probably the wrong word he acknowledged, but it could have been so much worse.

"If you could keep your hands and mouth off my patient for a few minutes," Helena interrupted them. "I have cleaned the wounds out as best I could and put temporary stitches in under a local, but we need to get her to a hospital where we can do more thorough scans," she explained. "She's lucky it was only a young one. There would have been a lot more damage if it was an older or bigger salty. So, I'll let you think about that for a few minutes while I talk to Papa. He's in Darwin and waiting for my report."

"I have something for you to consider from the meeting I was at when you pulled this attention-seeking stunt and dragged me away from it," he said with a sly smile, still expecting her to lash out at him. Still, the funny Marcie who made him laugh when they had first met when they were caring for a newly discovered Olivia prevailed.

"Go big or go home," she laughed. "It worked, didn't it?"

"Too well," he chuckled. "There are better ways to make me a silver fox than getting eaten by a crocodile," he laughed with her. Then stood finding the watcher who had brought her in blocking the doorway and an indignant Olivia telling him to move as Genesis scowled behind her and a moment later, Gideon and Vivienne appearing behind them.

"I guess we'll talk about that other thing later then," Marcella sighed and prepared herself for the onslaught of the people who cared about her while trying to embrace her new reality.

"Yeah," Noah replied and nodded to the watchman to let them in.

*****

Marcella stood and retreated to the bathroom using the crutches Helena had given her once everyone had made sure she was okay, and Noah had been called to yet another meeting. Her wounds were not so bad, but Helena was being careful by insisting she go to a bigger hospital. Today had scared her. She had to admit. It was silly that out of everything she had been through, a crocodile jumping out of the shallows to snap at her was what actually frightened her. She was still a little scared, if she was honest. Not of the crocodile, but of her feelings for Noah now that she acknowledged them as real and something she could have and enjoy for a long time if she could just let herself. She had a heightened awareness of every kiss he'd pressed against her from the moment he walked in, until Helena had bustled everyone out of the treatment room to speak to them about their options. She'd wanted him to stay. To kiss her and hold her more. But she knew he had to take care of the arrangements for their travel to Darwin, now too.

The man who had literally pulled her from the jaws of death, Ross, had subsequently been promoted and put in charge of not only her security, but Noah's as well. He'd been asked to assemble a team he trusted implicitly to meet them in Darwin. At the same time, she went to the hospital, where Ambrose would take over her treatment and ensure no infection arose from her injuries.

She stripped slowly and turned on the hot shower. Her bandaged leg was covered in plastic, and it felt awkward and noisy as the water streamed onto the plastic covering. She sighed as she washed down her body. She'd lost more weight, and her curves were now sleek and minimal in their appearance, but there. Her breasts appeared too heavy for her size. She had a cute face, she supposed, though she certainly couldn't find what Noah found so enthralling about her. Especially when she sometimes caught him staring at her in complete fascination. Or early in the mornings, when he thought she was still asleep, and he'd watch her or touch her or kiss her gently. Her heart lurched at these secret loving touches and looks, because she knew he didn't do them for her benefit but because he couldn't help himself. She fought down her urge to flee from the intense emotions like she had been all week and concentrate on what she had to do right here and now.

She hurried through her shower routine and, with the same awkward slowness, got dressed. Noah had been called away, and she had insisted she could do this on her own. Now though, she wished he was there to help her. It was a strange feeling wanting his help when while it may be awkward, she could do it herself and her warrior would have her not only showering on her own but marching right back to that beach to hunt the crocodile and make a handbag from him. Maybe a belt as well.

The fact was that since he had come to get her from Adelaide, Noah had been nothing but good to her. Well, after their initial argument, which she could admit she instigated and the interference of Chella, again not exactly his fault. He'd been sweet, thoughtful, funny. Above all, he had been truthful and hidden nothing from her, allowing her to make her own decisions as long as they included remaining under the protection of the tables until Konrad was caught and he knew she would be safe. She knew in reality, if she had have asked Oscar to allow her to stay with her family in Perth, he would have offered her the protection Noah insisted she have. She knew she could have returned to Adelaide to be with her sister if she had have asked Massimo for the same security, and Noah would have let her and followed her.

When she came to Darwin, she'd never imagined that finding her sister and taking her home would lead her to someone who would love all her different facets. His dry, sarcastic humour had challenged her at first but, she found it comforting now. If he was making her laugh, there was no threat on the immediate horizon. By the time she finished in the bathroom, her earlier terror was wholly forgotten to be replaced by the desire for him that he'd been stoking all day between interruptions.

He treated her like the most precious of treasures. Her thoughts turned back to what he'd done to her in the study. She'd seen in the way he looked at her that he had intended to bring her to more than one climax, and she shuddered, anticipating what he would do when they were finally alone again. She wished she didn't have to go to Darwin, Marcella just wanted to go back to the beach house and the dream life she lived there before reality crowded in on her again, and she came face- to-face with the fact that there would never be a happily ever after for her. It wasn't her destiny to have a happy ending. Eaten by a vengeful crocodile is probably closer to the conclusion she would have," she gave a small, sad laugh.