by Posey Parks
The room began spinning. Those heavy words falling out of Cruz’s mouth took my breath away. I didn’t expect to hear that word for another four months. Turns out, father had been my title for fourteen years. And I was never here for my son. How could we do this to him? He deserved to have me in his life. I couldn’t believe this was happening, again. Twice in almost six months.
“When is your birthday Anthony?”
“October 2nd, I’ll turn fifteen.” His dark thick eyebrows wrinkled. “I don’t understand. My mother told me my father was dead.”
I heard his words. However, I was more focused on his handsome appearance. He was a younger replica of me. My son’s voice was deepening, those sparkling blue eyes, dark curly hair, and light tan skin. Wow, this is my son.
“About that Anthony. I was dead but now I’m not.” I placed my firm hand on his shoulder. “Let’s clear the air over lunch.”
His forehead rose and fell a couple of times. “Ok.”
“Here are the keys to my truck. Grab whatever you need, then hop in the truck.”
“Yup.”
Anthony disappeared upstairs. My angry eyes turned on Cruz. “What the fuck is going on here?!” I yelled in a whisper through gritted teeth.
“Tony, I can explain.”
The sound of sneakers hit the staircase again. Our eyes darted back to the stairs. Anthony ran down toward us wearing white sneakers, dark jean shorts, a navy polo shirt, and a white polo cap. He dipped out the door.
The second he was out of view. My cold eyes glared at Cruz. I wrapped my large hands around Cruz’s thick neck, walking him backwards down the hall into the kitchen, shoving his back against the refrigerator.
“You knew he was my son for how long?!”
“Fourteen years. Nadine found out she was pregnant after you supposedly died. She has kept the boy under lock and key. Mainly he visits with her parents.”
I released his neck constant coughing followed. His hand flew to his neck.
I fell back against the gray and white speckled counter top, running my hands tightly over my head. “Are you sure she didn’t know before I disappeared?”
“If she did, she and Fran didn’t mention it to me. She was probably about three months pregnant when they revealed the news.”
“Fran knew how to get a hold of me in case of an emergency. Shit! I understand why she didn’t tell me. I don’t like it but I understand. She knew I would return to see my son, which would jeopardize her son’s safety.”
“You can’t be mad at Nadine. She did what was best for Anthony III. She hired a nanny to help raise him.”
“What happened when Raffaele showed up?”
His eyebrows rose. “Nadine told you?” Cruz ran his hand over the back of his neck.
“She locked Chloe, the nanny, and Anthony, who was a newborn at the time in the panic room.”
My eyes closed, imagining my woman panicking because of a mess I didn’t completely clean up.
“She was ready Tony. His men killed Fran’s body guards. I killed as many men as I could outside. Nadine told Fran to call Sergio. She had to, we needed more men.” His face softened.
“Sergio arrived with reinforcement in no time. Together we killed the remaining men. Sergio and Nadine killed Raffaele. Sergio informed Nadine the house was going up in flames that night. We hid Anthony in his car seat in the trunk of one of the Suburban’s. Luckily, when we left the house Sergio had taken Fran home. No one saw the baby.”
“But someone saw the nanny?”
“Yeah, the clean-up crew saw her as we drove away.”
What if someone told Sergio about the woman?
“Long story short, we kept Anthony safe. Fran bought Nadine this house and your family has kept to themselves.”
“Has Sergio ever been to this house?” I pointed to the floor.
“No.”
“What about Gio?”
Cruz didn’t speak right away.
“Sergio sent Gio to the safe house. He insisted. He wanted to ensure the mess was contained. Nadine had to tell Gio about Anthony. He held him in his arms. He promised Nadine he wouldn’t tell Sergio.”
“Shit, but we honestly don’t know if he didn’t. It is going to come out now. I can’t keep my son a secret from the Magarelli’s anymore.” I glanced at Cruz.
“I’m still pissed at Nadine. She should have told me in January!”
“Excuse me for stating the obvious. Tony, you were dead. What were you going to do? She didn’t tell you because you could never be in his life. That has got to be a hard pill to swallow. The same with the twins. Tony, if Nadine would have continued flying out to L.A., red flags would have gone up, then Sergio would have started to dig.”
I dropped my head. I hated hearing his words. They were true.
“Think of it this way, now you are able to start over. I know you.” He pointed.
“You will still take your anger and bitterness out on Nadine.”
He placed his hand on my shoulder. “Right now, focus on building a relationship with your son. Nadine knew it was a possibility she would lose you once she revealed the truth, but she wanted you to have a relationship with him. She always talked about you in the highest regard to your son. He doesn’t know he’s a Magarelli. He thinks his father’s name is Anthony Carlos Johnson because Nadine thought it would be safer for him in case he went snooping around one day.”
I exhaled. “Cruz.”
His gray eyes stared back at me.
“Thank you for helping Nadine raise my son.”
“No problem. She told me recently, how upset you were to learn I worked part-time. She couldn’t tell you, she assigned me to watch over Anthony instead of her.”
I placed my hand on the back of my neck. “Wow.”
“Yeah, that woman has made some hefty sacrifices to protect your son. Now get out of here.”
I smirked. “I will call Nadine later.”
“All right, Tone.”
~
Anthony and I walked into the same deli my father and I once frequented. The overall feel of the deli brought back memories. Looks like they bought the space next door doubling the size of the restaurant. A few tables were filled with patrons.
His eyes gazed at the various choices of sandwiches on the wall menu behind the deli counter.
“Anthony, order whatever you want.”
It would take some getting used to calling him by my name.
“Tony, long time no see,” Larry Jr. smiled.
“Yeah, it has. Where is your father?”
“He passed away five years ago.” His face saddened.
“I run the shop now.”
“I’m sorry for your loss. He was a good man.”
“Thank you.”
“Larry, this is my son Anthony III.” I stared at my boy, gripping his shoulders as a proud dad.
“Good to meet you.”
“Good to meet you too Sir.”
After placing our order, we sat in the same spot my dad and I once did.
I glanced around the deli again. No one sat in close proximity.
“We discussed sports on the way over. Now ask me anything?”
He looked me right in the eye. “Why did you leave my mother?”
He knocked the wind out of my lungs with that question.
I cleared my throat, and I spoke in a low voice.
“I’ve always loved your mother. At the time my cousin witnessed a murder. It was my duty to protect him. I staged our deaths.”
“I’m not sure your mother knew she was pregnant before I left.”
“If she would have told you she was having me would you have stayed?”
I exhaled. “Yes. However, there would’ve been blood on my hands if I would have stayed.”
“Because you are a Magarelli.”
“What do you know about the Magarelli’s?”
He sipped his coke. “One day when Auntie Fran was visiting she left the order slip for the Danishes she
always brought over for me and mom on the kitchen counter. Francine Magarelli was written across the top of the order slip. I did some digging. What I learned explained a lot. Her husband is now the Governor of New Jersey. She is always accompanied by body guards. They never come inside. I was always told to stay away from windows. From what I read I got the impression the family was dangerous. As I got older, I knew I was different. Kids always made fun of me calling me a freak with blue eyes. They said my skin was too dark to have blue eyes.”
I wanted to wring the kids necks who said the cruel shit about my son.
“My mother told me my father was white. She would never show me a picture.
I wondered why I had a bodyguard. Why did I need to learn how to defend myself at thirteen? That isn’t normal. I mean I wasn’t a Senator’s kid like those I attended school with. My mother was just a doctor. I sometimes wondered if my father was really a Magarelli. It would make sense.
I looked forward to hanging out with my grandparents. It was the only time I felt normal. We went out to eat in Philly. My mother never took me anywhere in New Jersey. We either went on trips to Boston, New York, or Philly.
Sometimes, I would ease drop on her and Aunt Fran’s conversations. They would talk about you. The discussion would only bring my mother to tears. Recently, my mother sent me, my grandparents, and aunts to Cruz’s house.” His face saddened.
“We stayed in an underground bunker. My mother told me she was in some trouble. But, she wasn’t in trouble, was she? You were.”
He bit into his pastrami sandwich.
I ran my hand over my hair. “My cousin Dillon was in trouble. The same trouble from fourteen years ago came back to bite us. We had to get a handle on the problem.”
“The moment we left the bunker, I locked myself in my bedroom watching the news and reading articles. The headlines said the Governor's son and nephew had returned from the dead. The names in the article said, Dillon Sergio Magarelli and Anthony Carlos Magarelli. I thought that was a big coincidence we had the same first and middle name and not the last. I thought we favored a little. You were about twenty in the picture in the newspaper. That was the age stated in the small print.”
I ran my hand over my chin. My kid is very smart.
“Your mother told me to stop by your house today, while she’s at work. She said she left a special package for me.”
We both smiled.
“You are a good-looking young man like your old man.” I smiled.
“Anthony, I’m here now. Your life is about to change. The attention you will gain may become too much to handle. If and when it does, you let me know. Being a Magarelli is similar to being a celebrity on a smaller scale.”
He leaned forward. “Are you a made man?”
I smirked. “Little Tony, we won’t discuss that matter.”
He smiled. “I thought so.”
“Anthony, don’t go shooting your mouth off and bullying
people now that you know who you are! Understand?”
“Yes.”
“What did your mother tell you about the babies she’s carrying?”
“Nothing much. Just that their dad lives in California and won’t be in the picture.” His eyes dropped on his sandwich.
“Anthony, look at me.”
His blue eyes met mine. “I’m going to take care of all of you.”
His lips curled a little.
“I bumped into your mother in L.A. in January. Or maybe I should say, I went to see your mother. I wasn’t supposed to. What I’m trying to say is, I’ve always loved your mother. Once I saw her for the first time in fourteen years, I needed to see her more and more. The twins are my children too.”
He sat back, brushing his hat off of his head, dropping it in his lap. “What?!”
“I’m not sure what she told you but she couldn’t tell you she was seeing me. It wouldn’t have been safe if we did.”
“Once again, all you need to know is you three are my children. All of us, including your mother will be a family.”
He smiled bright. “Are you moving in?”
“Hold on. Not so fast. Your mother and I have some matters to work out. First of all, we need a bigger house. We will talk about this later. Let’s finish lunch, then pick up your mother.”
∞
Anthony and I sat along the wall outside the nurse’s station waiting for Nadine to leave her second baby delivery today.
Approaching the nurse’s station, focused on a file, Nadine sashayed down the hall in blue scrubs covering her baby bump. My woman was beautiful. Knowing I pushed her to become a doctor warms my heart.
Peeking up from the file her eyes fell on us, she halted. Instantly, she became a ball of tears.
“Anthony stay put.” I stalked toward Nadine pulling her into my arms.
“Hey, it’s ok baby. You don’t have to do this alone anymore. You have me now.” Doctors and nurses sped past up and down the hall.
Her body quaked in my arms. I stepped to the side of the hall holding her for what felt like an eternity. Fourteen years of tears were released in those ten minutes. I hate I ever left. She’s been in so much pain all these years. She pulled fresh tissues from her pocket, cleaning her face.
I gripped her head, holding her eyes on mine. “You know I’m angry with you?”
She nodded.
“I still need time to process everything. After it’s all said and done, I’ll be here for you and our children.” She fell back into my arms.
“I need to go to the restroom.”
“Sure.” I returned to Anthony.
Nadine pulled herself together. She walked toward us.
Anthony jumped to his feet hugging his mother.
She pushed him back grabbing his hand. They are about the same height. “You haven’t been here before. I’m going to introduce you to my coworkers.” She glanced at me. “No more hiding you,” she breathed.
Nadine introduced Anthony and I to her coworkers. They were in shock. It was to be expected. She hid her son for years and now she’s having babies by the dead father again. It’s kind of funny.
CHAPTER FORTY-EIGHT
TONY
Nadine and I sat in her living room talking that night while Anthony played a video game.
“Nadine, when did you know you were pregnant?”
She sat back on the sofa. I leaned forward in the chair across from her, awaiting her answer.
“That snowy December we were under each other for two weeks.”
I smiled at the memory. “Yeah, that was a great vacation. But, I thought you were on the pill.”
“I was. However, I forgot to grab my pills before I left my dorm to stay with you over the holiday. I mentioned I forgot something at my dorm. I told you I needed to go back and pick it up. You told me I needed to wait until the snow storm was over.”
“Nadine, why didn’t you say I left my birth control pills?”
Her hand flew over her face. “I thought you would think I was careless.”
I walked over sitting beside her placing her hands in mine. “I remember how stressful that semester was for you. You were burned out. I need you to give me more credit. I can be understanding.”
She nodded, staring at our hands.
“I could never go back and make up the pills I missed. I didn’t plan to tell you I was pregnant until I was showing.”
I dropped her hands. “What!”
“I thought you would tell me to get an abortion.”
“Baby, I am a monster to some degree but I wouldn’t have asked you to abort our child. We created our child together. It was my job to protect you and I didn’t. If I cared so much about you becoming a doctor, I should have used protection. I was careless. I would’ve been understanding if you would’ve told me you were pregnant. So, you knew you were pregnant the night I left?”
“I didn’t know for sure. I hadn’t taken a pregnancy test. I was planning to see a doctor. I didn’t see a doctor until after you
were gone. I didn’t know what to do that night. What, tell you I think I’m pregnant?”
“Yes. At least you could have taken a pregnancy test.”
She stared into my eyes. “That’s the only way you would have stayed. I had to let you go so you could take care of your real family.”
“Baby, you were my family too. I’m sorry I didn’t show you how much I loved you. This isn’t all your fault. It is mine too.” I ran my hand over my hair.
“What was your reasoning for not telling me in January Nadine?”
“I don’t know. I guess I thought I wouldn’t see you again.”
“Nadine, but you did for the next three months. I hate you were going to never tell me about any of our children.”
“Well, I hate you left me here to do everything alone. I don’t know the rules. Do I tell my dead children’s father about his kids or do I not? Rather, I told you or not. You couldn’t be with us. It didn’t make sense to tell you.”
I dropped my head in my hands. “You’re right.”
Footsteps were heard casually strolling down the stairs. Our eyes fell on Anthony.
“Dad.”
“Yes, son?”
“Can you stay here tonight?”
I didn’t look at Nadine before I answered. “Yes, of course.”
“Good. Come upstairs. I want you to watch me play the game. I hold the top score!” He smiled.
I smiled even brighter. “Sure, I’m on my way up.”
“Cool!” he disappeared upstairs.
I pulled Nadine to her feet. Slowly my lips took hers. “I love you.”
She stared into my eyes. “I love you too. Are you sleeping down the hall or with me?” Her dark eyes sparkled. This woman is my weakness. How can I deny her?
