She heard someone pounding up the steps.
“In here!”
The door flew open, and Lado’s mouth gaped.
“My God,” he whispered, falling to his knees beside the bed. “Nori? Nori, say something, man.”
“You!”
They turned to find Aro in the doorway, glaring at Margot.
“Get the hell out of my house, you slut.”
“You perverted old freak,” Lado choked, pulling a gun from the back of his pants Margot hadn’t known was there. He pointed it at Aro. “Go sit in that chair. If you move an inch I will take great pleasure in blowing out one of your knees.”
Aro held his hands up, a gesture meant to indicate supplication, but all it conveyed was disdain and arrogance.
“You can’t take my son from here.”
“That’s exactly what I’m going to do,” Lado promised. “You know how to handle this.” He gave Margot the gun.
“I sure do,” she confirmed, accepting the Glock easily. “This slut has a lot of bad ass friends. Most of whom carry toys just like this.”
“It’s okay, buddy,” Lado told Nori, who’s eyelids were still fluttering. He was trying to wake up.
Maneuvering him into a fireman’s hold over one broad shoulder, Lado told Margot, “I’ll go out first. Keep him here until I get down the stairs and get him into the car. I’ll yell for you to follow.”
“Go,” she said, not taking her eyes or the snub of that pistol off the silent Aro.
“I’m going to call the police,” he promised as soon as Lado was gone.
“No, you won’t. Then you’d have to explain why you drugged your own son, and appearances being your razon d’tre you’ll keep your mouth shut. I can’t wait until my baby recovers. I hope I’m there when he tells you that he never wants to see you again. Did you really think you could get away with this? What the fuck was your play? You were just gonna keep him drugged and locked in this room forever?”
“If that’s what it took,” Aro said solemnly. “He would have forgotten you eventually. Once removed from your whore’s tricks, he’d have realized you’re not good enough for him, that you – ”
“I’m not a whore, you crazy mother fucker. And the only tricks I know are the one’s your son taught me.”
“Come on, Margot! Let’s get the fuck out of here.”
“Bye, daddy,” she whispered, saluting him with the gun and her middle finger. “God willing, I’ll never see your little ass again in life. Bitch.”
Aro’s curses followed them as they sped away. He looked demonic standing on the front step waving his arms like a lunatic.
Margot looked in the back seat. Nori’s eyes were closed. Thank God. Bastard Aro might be, he didn’t need to see his father like that.
She wanted to go straight to the hospital, but Lado said no. “I’ll have my personal physician come to your place. Nori wouldn’t want the publicity, and in this shape, the police would almost certainly be involved. If it looks like it’s gonna be too much for him to handle, we’ll go, I promise. But Aro wouldn’t hurt Nori. He’s probably just got him sedated out of his mind.”
Reluctantly she agreed. She called Tommy, told her what had happened and asked her to go to her house and open it for the physician, who thankfully agreed to go at once to wait for them.
“You hear that, baby? The doctor’s waiting for you at my house. You’re gonna be alright,” she told Nori, squeezing his hand, praying she wasn’t lying.
“How’s his breathing?” Lado asked, trying to get around someone driving the speed limit.
“Shallow, but steady. But I think he just squeezed my hand! Go around this fucking prick.”
Lado did. Five minutes later he pulled in front of Margot’s. ”Go open the doors.”
Margot leapt from the car, but Tommy must have been watching from the windows and had the door open before she could clear the stairs. Lado was right behind her.
“Jesus H. Christ and all the saints,” Tommy breathed, hand to her throat as she watched Lado stretch Nori out on the couch.
The doctor was already taking his vitals. “What was he given?”
“I don’t know,” Lado said.
“Here,” said Margot. “I took one of the vials by the bed.”
“Good girl. Nori, it’s me Tomas,” said the doctor, shining a pen light into his eyes. “Nori, say something, old boy. Push that tall chair over here. I need you to set up the IV so we can try to stabilize him. His blood pressure is too low, and I don’t like his breathing. How long has he been sedated?”
“Days. Maybe five,” Lado answered. “He was most likely snatched on the way to his wedding almost six days ago.”
“Too long,” Tomas said grimly.
“If we need to go to the hospital, then we go,” Margot said. “I don’t give a damn about bad publicity.”
Tomas had already set up the IV and was swabbing Nori’s arm with antiseptic cotton. “Get me a sheet to cover him with, and let’s make him more comfortable.”
Tommy took off Nori’s socks while Margot loosened his upper shirt buttons. “Get me that light blue coverlet from the hall closet?”
Tommy nodded and ran. She came back almost instantly, and handed it off after Margot unfastened Nori’s slacks and pulled them off.
Margot covered him up to waist. “Now what?” she asked the doctor.
“Hold tight. He seems to be breathing a bit better. He was probably dehydrated, and he’s recovering now that he has fluids.” He adjusted the flow of the IV. “His color’s improving. Christ, where was he, Lado? Were they starving him? He looks gaunt as hell.”
“Don’t fucking ask,” Lado said angrily. “You think he’ll make it okay, Tomas?”
“As long as there’s nothing wrong internally. There’s no other injuries I don’t know about?”
“Nothing that I know of.”
“He needs to wake up,” Tomas said, monitoring Nori’s pulse. “Pulse is stronger. That’s a good sign. Nori. Nori, wake up for me, man. I need you to tell me what happened.”
Nori moaned and his eyes opened briefly, but then he sighed and seemed to fall asleep.
“Well, he responds to his name, that’s good.” Tomas stuck a thermometer in Nori’s ear. A few seconds later it beeped and he nodded. “No fever. Let’s give the fluids a chance to revive him. It won’t kill him to rest for 20 minutes; then we’ll see where we are. Let’s get this shirt off him and tuck him in.”
Margot handled that with the doctor’s help. She didn’t want to hurt the arm with the IV. Then she tucked the coverlet around him and went to get a warm wash cloth. Gently she washed Nori’s face and neck. She kissed his cheek and whispered his name.
He turned toward her voice and a tiny smile came and went on his lips.
Tomas grinned. “Well, that’s definitely a good sign.”
Tommy laughed and clapped in relief. “He’s coming out of it. Kiss him again, girl.”
Margot did. Twenty minutes later Nori woke reluctantly.
“What happened?” he whispered, eyes and hands searching for Margot.
“I think your dad snatched you up right before the wedding,” Lado supplied.
Nori nodded slowly. “I got into the car. I sat back. Then I noticed the driver was going the wrong way. I knocked on the window, but he ignored me. I couldn’t unlock the doors. And,” he paused to lick his lips. Margot took off for the kitchen. “My cell wouldn’t work. We drove for about 35 minutes. I looked out the window and we were pulling up front of my dad’s place.” He paused to sip the water Margot held to his lips.
She grinned when his eyes found hers over the rim of the glass; he looked so happy to see her. When she sat down their hands clasped again.
“I got out, intending to give my dad a piece of my mind, but when I stepped out, there was a sharp pain in my neck. The driver must have shot me with something. Things are pretty spotty after that.”
“Don’t rush things,” Tomas advised, clapping his pa
tient and friend on the shoulder. “As far as we can tell you’ve been out for days. Your body will need some recovery time, so take it slow.”
He took Nori’s vitals again, made some notes, and nodded to himself. Rising, he advised fluids, light, easily digestible foods, and easy exercise – like walking to and from the john – to help purge the drugs from his system. “But rest the instant you get tired. Nothing strenuous for at least three days. If you feel at all bad, nausea, lightheaded, anything uncomfortable, call me instantly. I’ve drawn some blood. I’ll call when I get results.”
Lado walked him to the door. When he came back he had his jacket in hand. He leaned down to lay a hand on Nori’s head, then patted his chest.
“I’m out. Gonna leave you two alone. I know you have a lot to talk about.”
“Thank you,” Nori began.
“Hush,” Lado ordered. “We can talk about things later, yeah? Margot, take care of him. I’ll check in later, alright?”
“Yeah. Thanks, Lado.”
Their eyes met and held in a moment of solidarity. This little sting had created a bond between them.
“Later.” He winked, threw up a hand at Tommy, and was gone.
“I’m gonna lay down,” Tommy announced. “All this crazy shit ain’t gon’ give me wrinkles before my time,” and she spun on one bare heel and swanned out.
“I’m so sorry, my darling.”
“For what?” Margot asked, laying her head on his chest. She hadn’t stopped smiling since he opened his eyes.
“Kiss me.”
“The doctor said no strenuous exercise,” she teased, already moving to obey.
He sighed happily when their lips met and clung. “I wish I could make love to you, but I can barely lift my head.”
She stroked his thick hair, relishing its warm softness. Then she traced his eyebrows, his nose, the faint mark of a bruise along his chiseled jaw. When she traced his lips, he kissed her finger.
“I’m so sorry I missed our wedding, my love,” he whispered.
Tears filled her eyes.
“What must you have thought? I’ll make it up to you, my girl. I promise.” His lids grew heavy, and she laughed softly as he struggled to stay awake.
She pressed gentle fingers over his eyes as tears ran down her cheeks. “Sleep. You can make it up to me when you wake.”
“I still can’t believe Nori’s dad fucking did this,” Tommy said, pouring them both a glass of wine later. First, she’d offered to make tea.
Margot looked at her like she was crazy. “What are you, Lani? Moscato. And I can. You didn’t see how he looked at me at that dinner party, T. You didn’t hear how contemptuously he spoke to me at that house earlier today. I don’t think he’s all the way right in the head honestly.”
“How the hell could he be? He fucking kidnapped his own son the day of his wedding. How’d you even know? You never said a word.”
“At first I didn’t know. But then I overheard you tell Lani no one had heard from him, that you went to his apartment, remember?”
“Yeah. I was gonna give his ass the most righteous cussing out ever delivered on planet earth.”
“Well, I got to thinking. He supposedly sent you a text breaking things off. But Nori would never do that. He’d think it was rude. And he’s not a punk. If he was having second thoughts, he’d tell me. He was totally happy in the days leading up to the wedding.”
“That’s what Lani said.”
Margot nodded. “And he doesn’t text. He prefers to hear my voice. When I called Lado and he hadn’t heard from him, I knew something wasn’t right. I went to his gym. No one there had seen him, and you know what a nut he is about exercising. And no one at Ineffable’s heard from him in days? It was bullshit. Lado knew it too.”
She told Tommy how she’d searched Aro’s office, and then gone upstairs to find Nori knocked out on a bed equipped with restraints and a nightstand full of syringes.
“Lord have mercy,” her girl whispered, shaking her head. “That motherfucker’s crazy! What was he gonna do? Keep him drugged up indefinitely?”
“I asked the same damn thing. Who knows,” Margot said. She hadn’t stopped shaking her head since it happened. It still didn’t seem real, and she’d lived it.
“I’m still trippin’ off the fact Lado had a gun.”
“Okay? He said he brought it on a whim, and thank God.”
“No shit. You’d think you were the fucking anti-Christ, geez. All that to keep him from marrying you? It’s nuts. You’re an artist. A very talented, well respected, commercially successful artist, not some crackhead selling beads on street corners.”
Margot laughed softly. “Thanks, baby. But I think for Aro, I might as well be a crackhead selling beads on street corners. And at the base of it, I’m not even sure I should take this personal. My gut tells me he’d have reacted like this to anyone Nori loved.”
“Really? So, it’s the idea of his son marrying period that fucked him up?”
“Yeah. I think Aro wants Nori for himself. He doesn’t want him distracted from the business, certainly not by a woman. Nori’s made a few statements about how disapproving his father’s been toward the women he’s dated over the years.”
“Jesus,” Tommy muttered. “I don’t know if that’s better or worse. Both I guess. Better because it’s not personal. Like, it’s not you in particular that he took a loathing too, and worse because did he really think that fabulous man would be unclaimed forever? It would be a tragedy!”
“I know, right? It’s crazy. All I can think about is what the hell is Nori gonna do when he recovers.”
“You think he’ll leave Ineffable?”
Margot shrugged. “I honestly don’t see how he could stay.”
“Family members will forgive each other a lot.”
“You think?”
Tommy hesitated for a split second then shook her head. “No. I don’t. Mr. Asshole Aro’s gonna have to find himself a new CEO.”
“Serves his punk ass right. Nut job. I still can’t believe that shit! It’s so risky. What if Nori had some kind of adverse reaction to the drugs? I didn’t see any food or water. You heard Tomas. His fluids were down, everything. He could have killed him.”
“But he didn’t,” Tommy said, refilling both their glasses. “And Nori’s a tough bastard. He’ll be back on his feet in no time. The only question now is,” she paused dramatically.
“What?”
“Do you wanna wear the same dress for your second wedding?”
Margot burst out laughing.
Nori slept comfortably through the night. Margot woke him twice to make him drink a little water, but he dropped right back off both times. He woke her at sunrise nuzzling her breasts, one big, warm hand a familiar weight on her hip.
She smiled before she opened her eyes. “Someone’s feeling better.”
He laughed softly. “Yes, my love. I am, thank God. I have a lot to do today.”
“You have nothing to do today,” she corrected. “Or tomorrow. Doc Tomas said rest, and that’s what you gon’ do.”
“I have to resign, arrange an emergency board meeting to name a successor, talk to Lado about –”
“Shit. Your ass ain’t movin’ from this room, and I’m not giving you a phone.”
“Margot, you have to give me the phone.”
She’d never heard that voice before. It was cold and mean and determined, then it softened. “Please. Let me make some calls from bed. I won’t get up, but I can’t lay here and do nothing. My brain will explode!”
She laughed. “Okay, okay. Geez. Dramatic much?” But after a breakfast of oatmeal and fruit, she hovered through that first phone call in case he showed some sign of weakness, so she could snatch that phone away and use it to call the doctor.
But he was strong. He seemed to get stronger by the minute. He was on the phone for hours, call after call, sometimes talking with two and three people at once. She was shocked when she realized he was actually r
esigning, but he was a big boy, and she’d never once tried to tell him what to do. She wasn’t gonna start now.
Besides, she agreed with his decision. He made no effort to hide what had happened from Ineffable’s general counsel, but asked that the family’s privacy be maintained. For the public his decision to step down as CEO would be a mutual one, with Aro compliant and supportive of his decision to start his own company.
He flatly refused to speak with his father. Apparently Aro had anticipated this move and got in touch with most of the people Nori was now talking to. When anyone tried to intercede on his behalf Nori cut them to the bone in quick language so hard and uncompromising they didn’t try again.
He insisted things be handled immediately. He even called his assistant and asked her to go to his office and pack his things, which she then dropped off at his apartment. He had her come by Margot’s to pick up his key fob and the keys to Ineffable’s headquarters, which she was to drop off with security.
He also asked her if she wanted to come and work for him while he struck out on his own. She agreed, and he gave her her first task, to find them an office. His only stipulation? It had to be on Michigan Avenue or very near, and preferably within walking distance of Margot’s home.
“We’ll be fairly small. About five people to start, but we’ll need a conference room, office equipment, furniture, talk to Tommy about decorating the place,” he instructed. “Not too big, but big enough to give the impression that we’re serious, established and incredibly stylish, of course.”
Of course, Margot thought, barely containing a smirk. She just shook her head and listened to him go. He was a force of nature. But when she caught him pacing in the living room she insisted he go back to bed to play master of the universe. Reluctantly he agreed, greeting the people who came to her place with papers for him to sign as though he wasn’t propped up against her headboard wearing a grey t-shirt and black silk pajama pants.
She kicked everyone out at lunch time and brought him a bowl of chicken stew and a hunk of soft bread. He ate it all, drank the iced tea she’d made, and dropped off to sleep before she could bring in the fruit salad she’d made for dessert.
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