“Want to come back to the house for a coffee?” I asked.
“Sure. I guess I can sneak out for an hour. Not allowed to the deli then?”
“Not yet. Operation Lock Down is still in force.”
“I don’t want to know,” he said with a dramatic wave of his hands.
We linked arms and made our way to the foyer. Gary was leaning against Stan’s desk in an animated conversation. Stan loved to talk about the ‘old days’ as he called them, the days when he served in the military and then his days on the street before Robert brought him into the company.
As we made our way to the car, I sent Robert a text.
Did I tell you today I loved you? Heading home now.
His reply came quick. No. You can make it up to me later though.
I chuckled as I put my phone back into my bag and climbed in the car.
There was a little tension in the vehicle. I guessed Sam felt embarrassed by his behaviour towards Gary. It seemed the conversation was stilted, but I ignored it. It was a strange situation for Sam to find himself in and we had to give him time.
We were halfway home when my worst fears came true, when the nightmares I often had become reality, and when my world collapsed around me.
Chapter Eight
My phone buzzed to tell me I had a text. Expecting it to be Robert again, I fished around in my bag. Sam was chatting about a new pair of jeans he had seen and wanted. He was talking but I didn’t hear him. All I heard was a screaming in my head when I had opened the text and seen the image. I felt the car jerk. I was thrown forwards and dropped the phone on the floor. It was only then that I realised the scream wasn’t in my head—it was coming from my mouth. I saw the panicked look on Sam’s face, I could see his lips moving but not hear the words.
Without realising, we had come to a stop. A blast of air washed over me as the rear door was opened. I turned to look, although my vision was blurred, and at first I didn’t understand why. I raised my hand to my cheek to feel the wetness of my tears. Gary was at the door and reaching for my phone. I wanted to wrestle it from him. I didn’t want anyone to see what I had.
I didn’t want anyone to see my son lying on a dirty floor, eyes wide with fear and tape over his mouth. I didn’t want anyone to see the wet patch on the front of his jeans. I didn’t want anyone to see the piece of paper that lay over his chest nor the words written in black ink—words I understood and would never forget.
I figli devono pagare per le colpe dei padri
I clung to the door handle as Gary drove at breakneck speed. I knew he had made a call. I could also hear my name being shouted through a loudspeaker in the car, but I couldn’t respond. One word circled my mind. Maybe I was speaking that word out loud, I wasn’t sure.
“Gerry.”
The landscape rushed past the window so fast that it was just a blur of concrete grey, then green. It was only the green that made me realise I was nearing home. I couldn’t breathe, every fibre of my body screamed in pain and despair. I wanted to hold myself, to wrap my arms around my body and rock to soothe the pain I felt. I screwed my eyes shut so tight my eyelids ached. All I saw was that image. My knack of shutting down an image, of locking it away in that box in my mind, had failed me, and I was glad.
I needed that image imprinted behind my eyelids, fixed in my mind and engrained in my soul. Whoever was holding my baby was going to die. Fuck Robert, fuck Travis, fuck Mack. I knew I would be the one to put a bullet through the skull of whoever had my son and smile as I did so.
****
I opened the door before the car had even come to a stop. I ignored the shouts of people as I ran to the house, crashing through the front door. I screamed out his name as I searched room by room, knowing I was not going to find Gerry. I ran back out to the drive just as a black Range Rover screeched to a halt beside me, showering me with shingle. I covered my face with my arms as the small stones peppered my body. The door opened and someone jumped from the car. Robert grabbed my arms pulling them away from my face.
I looked into the face of a man full of rage, into a face I hardly recognised.
“I’ll find him. I swear on your life, I’ll find him,” he said with a growl.
“You fucking better,” was all I could reply.
Travis ran from the driver’s side of the car. He headed to the front door calling out Harley’s name, he called for Evelyn. Until that point, I hadn’t thought about them at all. No more than a minute or two had passed since I’d arrived home but it felt an age. More cars arrived, Mack and Taylor, Jonathan and Patricia—the family were gathering.
“In the house,” Robert said to everyone.
Taylor ran to my side and wrapped me in her arms. The tears had stopped, but inside I felt sick. I turned and threw up over the drive until there was nothing left but acid in my stomach and my throat burned.
“Honey, come on, let’s get you inside,” I heard. Taylor had been rubbing my back and holding my hair from my face.
I hadn’t spoken other than the three words I’d said to Robert. I watched men return from the woods with shotguns and revolvers. I watched Franco on the phone shouting in Italian, waving his arm around. I watched Robert grab Dan by the throat, shout, and then push him away.
I watched chaos descend around me.
I turned and ran to the house. I pushed through the bedroom door to Gerry’s room, pulling open drawers so quickly they clattered to the floor. I grabbed clothes and threw them on the bed. I snatched toiletries from shelves in the bathroom and dumped them into a holdall I’d found.
“What are you doing?” I heard. Robert was standing at the bedroom door.
“When I find my son, we’re out of here.”
“What the fuck do you mean?”
“I mean, when I find my son, we’re going away. Me. And. Gerry. Are. Leaving.”
“You’re not going anywhere. You need to calm down so we can plan.”
Something snapped in me and I flew at him. It was as if in slow motion I saw my arm raise, my palm open, and the sound of my slap as my hand connected with his face echoed around the bedroom. I gasped. I covered my mouth with my hands as I watched his cheek redden, as I watched his eyes darken and his palm rub his face. His jaw was tense; he ground his teeth and didn’t say a word. His lack of response seemed to spur me on. I clenched my fists and pummelled on his chest, I dug my nails in his flesh until he grabbed my wrists so tight the strap of my watch bit into my skin. He pushed me away. I was out of breath, I was crying, and then I started to scream Gerry’s name again. Robert pulled me to him. I wanted to fight him off. I didn’t want him near me. My son was missing and it was because of Robert, because of his fucking lifestyle. Robert held my head to his chest so tight I found it hard to breathe. The only way I could get him to release me was to bite him hard. I sunk my teeth through his white shirt and into his flesh. He sprung back a little, giving me breathing space.
“This is your fault. You know that, don’t you?” I screamed.
He stood in silence. “Answer me for fuck’s sake! Say something, do something.” My voice had tailed off into a whisper.
He lowered his head until his forehead touched mine. “Don’t tear us apart, Brooke,” he said, his voice breaking on every word.
Mack had entered the room. He placed a hand on Robert’s shoulder. “Travis has found Evelyn and Harley.”
We ran to the front door just in time to see a sobbing Harley being carried by Travis and an equally sobbing Evelyn being escorted by Gary. I closed my eyes when I saw her. The bruises to her face were obvious, but it was when I looked at her hands I wanted to break down. They were bloodied. She’d fought someone by the looks of it.
“Call the fucking police!” I shouted to Robert.
I ran towards Evelyn who collapsed to her knees as I approached. I crouched down beside her. She looked up at me with such sorrow in her eyes.
“I’m sorry, I tried to stop them. This is all my fault,” she said.
�
��What happened, Ev?” I asked.
“Let’s get her inside first,” I heard. Looking over my shoulder, I watched Robert stride towards us.
I stood. “Our son is missing, maybe dead, we don’t have time to fuck about.”
“Our son is not dead, and quit with the swearing,” he spat.
“You have no idea if he’s dead or alive.”
“Oh, I do. I’d know, and you know why? I’d feel it in here.” He pointed to his heart as he spoke.
“Enough, both of you, please. This isn’t helping.” Both Robert and I turned to look at Evelyn who had stood.
Her rebuke pulled me up short. I took her arm and led her to the house and up the stairs to the living room. Patricia ran for a medical box housed in the utility room and Taylor poured her a glass of whiskey. Evelyn sat on the couch and took a deep breath before she spoke.
“I’m so sorry, this is all my fault. I thought the boys could do with some fresh air. I took them for a walk and we found ourselves at the chapel. I had my phone; I was going to text you. I got a call. I didn’t think anything of it. He said to bring the children back to the house, they were going out for the afternoon.” She then looked up at me.
“I thought you’d spoken to Robert and the boys were going to Ted’s. I said we were in the chapel and would leave shortly. Gerry wanted to look at that window again. The next thing I knew, I was knocked to the floor and the boys were screaming. He had Gerry and Harley was punching and kicking to get him back.” Evelyn was speaking so fast it was becoming hard for her to catch her breath after each sentence.
“Calm down, breathe. Who called you, Ev? Who knocked you to the floor?” Robert asked. He had knelt down in front of her.
She looked up at him, placing her hand on the cheek that was still red from my slap. She closed her eyes before she spoke.
“Paul. It was Paul who took Gerry.”
I heard a gasp, and then Jonathan spoke. “Fuck!”
That one word summed up everyone’s feelings at that moment I guessed. I stood and made my way to Sam. He had stood completely silent the whole time. I snatched my bag from his hand and emptied the contents to the floor. On my knees, I rummaged around, not finding what I was looking for.
“What are you doing?” I heard. Sam had finally spoken.
“Phone, I need a phone. Give me your phone.”
“Why?”
“I’m calling the police, of course.”
I saw him look over to Robert, which surprised me. “I don’t need permission! This is my son!” I shouted.
“Brooke, come and sit,” Franco said. He had taken a seat beside Evelyn.
I stood still. “Please, come and sit with me,” he repeated.
I stomped to the sofa and perched on the edge.
“We don’t need the police. This will get sorted by the family. If you call the police, Gerry is dead, do you understand?”
“No, I don’t bloody understand.”
“Gerry hasn’t been taken for ransom. They don’t want money, they want Robert.”
“And how do you know this?”
“Because I know who has him.” Franco’s voice had lowered to a whisper.
He looked first at me then to Robert before closing his eyes. A tear leaked from one and rolled down his cheek. He made no attempt to hide his sorrow or wipe that tear before it dripped to his hands that were folded in his lap.
“And what if they don’t get Robert?” I asked.
“They will,” I heard. Robert had spoken. “Franco, make the call.”
Franco stood and made his way to the home office. As he did, Travis ran up the stairs. He walked to the middle of the room and whispered in Robert’s ear, handing him my phone. Robert opened the text message I had been sent, and Travis looked at the image over his shoulder.
“What does that mean?” Travis asked.
Robert took a deep breath before translating. “Children must pay for the sins of their fathers.”
Chapter Nine
Perhaps an hour had passed, maybe it was more, since we’d arrived back at the house. Richard and Susie had joined us on their way back from visiting relatives out of town. Robert filled them in on the situation while I sat totally numb but with a thousand questions running through my mind.
How did Franco know who had Gerry? Where were they holding him? Was my baby okay? Why were we standing around doing nothing?
Sam had taken the seat beside me and he held my hand in his.
“Go on, say it,” I whispered to him.
“Say what?”
“Not so glamorous now, is it?”
“Stop it, Brooke. This isn’t Robert’s fault.”
“So a week ago you hated him, now you’re best friends?”
“I’ve never hated him, I was fucking shocked, but you know what? Right now, you want to bless your fucking lucky stars he is who he is.”
For the second time in hours, I was pulled up short. “If anyone is going to get Gerry back, Robert will.”
I started to cry. Big fat tears rolled down my cheeks and splashed onto my arms, into my lap.
“I just want my son back,” I said.
Sam held me, rocking me gently as I buried my head into his chest.
“I know you do, honey. And we will get him back, I promise,” Sam said.
I didn’t know whether to laugh or cry some more at the way he used ‘we’.
There appeared to be activity but I was not part of it. A cup of tea was placed in front of me and I chuckled, bitterly. The last time I sat on that sofa in tears and a cup of tea was handed to me was when I found out who Robert was. It seemed a lifetime ago. Robert was chatting to Mack quietly, and I scowled at him. Gerry was my son too, and I wanted to be part of what was going on, I wanted to know. I had questions that needed to be answered. I had a fleeting thought that, perhaps, I was being unfair but I brushed it to one side. Robert’s lifestyle had caught up with us one too many times. I could deal with it when it was just us, but not then, not knowing Gerry was caught in the middle of it all.
The guys congregated in Robert’s office, the women busied themselves in the kitchen making drinks and preparing snacks. I could hear the tapping of keys on the computer keyboard when a thought hit me. I stood and marched into the office.
“CCTV? Have you checked?” I asked somewhat abruptly.
“Of course,” Travis replied.
“And?”
“It shows a car pull up at the gates outside the chapel and two men—one hooded, one not—walk inside. I don’t think you want to see it,” he said.
“Why? What does it show?”
“Brooke, go back in the living room,” Robert said.
“No. Don’t think you’re shutting me out. I want to know everything.”
“And you will, but for now, go back in the living room and let me start to deal with this.”
It was clear he was getting even more agitated. His voice was about the sternest I’d ever heard. I resented it. I resented the fact I was being pushed out yet I’d made a decision some time ago to not be involved in his business. I rationalised it in my brain—this was about my son.
I stood my ground and stared back at Robert. The tension in the room was palpable.
“If you’re staying, then sit the fuck down somewhere,” Robert said harshly.
He’d never spoken to me in that way and I guessed he was still pissed from the slap I’d given him earlier. I regretted that, of course, and I should have apologised immediately. I just couldn’t shake the thought that it would never have happened if Robert had a regular life.
I sat heavily in a chair in the opposite corner of the room. On more than one occasion, Franco looked over to me and gently shook his head. He was old school, I guessed. Wives were to stay in the kitchen and out of their men’s business.
“So, where is she now?” Robert asked as he leaned over Travis’ shoulder.
“On her way to the airport, alone.”
Who were they talking about? I wo
ndered.
“And we have someone on her?”
“Of course. My guess is she’s heading home. We can intercept her there easy enough,” Travis said.
“Aileen?”
“Yes, I can make the call.”
Who the fuck was Aileen? I should have brought a pad and pen so I’d remember all the things I wanted to know.
Travis stared at me with his phone in his hand. Was he willing me to leave? I began to feel uncomfortable. Before I could make a decision, Franco spoke.
“We’re bringing in the Irish?”
“Yes, certainly where Rosa is concerned. I want her to bargain with,” Robert replied.
I tried, unsuccessfully, to hide the gasp that left my lips. Robert looked over to me.
“You want to know everything? This is me at my worst, Brooke. You’re going to see what I really do without one ounce of remorse. Are you fucking ready for that? Are you ready to have our relationship destroyed because you are too fucking stubborn? From this moment on, you will never be able to separate the Robert you know from the one you are about to witness.”
The room was deadly quiet.
“That day in the warehouse? That’s nothing compared to what I’m about to unleash on people I’ve known my whole adult life. I’m going to torture someone until they beg me to let them fucking die. You still want to be part of that?”
I stood. My legs shook as I made my way from the room, snatching my phone from the desk as I passed. I’d seen Robert at war but I’d never seen him look the way he had in that moment. I loved that man with all my soul, but I didn’t know him, not completely.
“You’re not the only one who has lost a son, so have I. But I’ve lost you too,” he added quietly.
I paused, my hand held the doorframe to stop me from collapsing to the floor. I couldn’t turn back and look at him. I didn’t want him to see the truth in my eyes. Or was it truth? Had he lost me? I’d sworn in the past I’d never walk away from him no matter what I knew or what he did, but now? I just didn’t know.
Fallen Angel, Part 4 - A Mafia Romance: Fallen Angel Series Page 9
