Page 6 of Amadeo (Dark Legends #4)

Gia

Why did I just agree to that? I knew better.

As I headed to my room, I wondered if I was slipping or something.

I needed to avoid Amadeo. I knew this, yet I kept talking to him.

Yes, I needed to see Mr. Descalia today, but I could have asked anyone here to help me. Why did I ask Amadeo in particular?

Stupid, stupid, stupid.

I opened my bedroom door and went in.

None of that was a real issue. The real problem was me staying here with my patient far beyond the amount of time I had supposed.

Yes, I came with him, but I figured they would resettle him in a special facility later on if he didn’t wake up.

This was the normal procedure. I sure as hell knew now that none of this was anything near normal.

Mr. Descalia was keeping Deacon Walker as a prisoner in reality.

An unconscious one, but one nonetheless.

I had been hired on a medical retainer for Mr. Descalia as a favor to Magnelli.

Although, Descalia was paying me an obscene amount of money to be here.

The money wasn’t all that important. I had loans to repay but was almost finished with that.

My specialty as a medical doctor paid extremely well.

Again though, it never mattered except when I needed to pay for Ella’s bills.

And there again, I was almost done with that as well.

I already knew I would be staying here for a bit.

I’d never abandoned a patient before this and I wouldn’t start now either.

However, I never thought it would be for longer than a couple of weeks.

That reminded me, I needed to call Mama and check on things.

Sitting on my bed, I dug my cell out of my pocket.

Tapping the screen then onto the number, I waited for it to ring.

“Baby girl!” My mother’s voice came over the line.

“I-is everything okay, Mama?”

“So far, all is the same. I’m not sure you could say it was okay.”

I let out a soft sigh. “Dr. Palmeri said he was doing fairly well now. Is there something new going on?”

“No, just the same problem, bambina. He is still upset and I cannot blame him. But I don’t want him to get killed either. He is safer being where he is. Otherwise, you know what he might do. I hate having him there and I wish he could be at home.”

“You know why he can’t come home, Mama,” I reminded her.

Here we were again. The same discussion.

The same problem. That same frustration rose in me again.

He had to stay there. He’d almost gotten killed when he had gone after them.

To think he had actually gotten close enough to shoot at them.

Thank goodness, I had caught him and took him home.

He hadn’t immediately been blamed for the attack either as low and behold, someone else had been out there gunning for them.

No surprise there. More people hated them than just the Ribisi family.

The problem had been the fact that he hadn’t even been shooting at the right family member.

Keeping my father from ruination was all I could think of at the time.

Keeping him from getting obliterated by the mafia of all things.

Then if my mother knew where I actually was at this very moment?

There would be hell to pay. I would never be able to explain any of this to her.

Let alone have my father know. The Descalias were the devil's spawn, my father had said this often enough. They had ruined our family.

I knew I shouldn’t have accepted the assignment here, but I had been left with little choice.

Stephano Descalia had given me no choice in the end.

In addition, I was the only neurologist at the hospital.

So, here I was in their home and I sat right in the devil’s lair.

I saw them daily. I saw Amadeo every day.

I was about to have dinner with him tonight!

I must be insane to have even accepted that invitation.

“Gia? Did you hear me?” my mother’s voice broke into my trouble filled thoughts.

“No, Mama. There was some static on my cell. Please tell me again?”

“Dr. Palmeri did say that your papa had resolved some of it. He has spent a lot of time in the chapel at the institution. I pleaded with the doctor to allow it. He said that you had offered to pay for him to have a constant guard. So that helped. Have I told you how proud I am of you? I know that you paid for his stay so far. Or else he would be in a state run place. I shudder to think. Anyway, your father told me that he speaks to God. He says that he heard God’s reply. ”

I bit my lip. My father had always been highly religious. So while I would never say anything against it, I wasn’t sure about the discussion he could have with his deity. “And what was his reply?”

“To let him judge. To avoid taking revenge as that would be a sin.”

I paused as this was the best report I’d heard yet about my father. “That sounds very promising, Mama.”

“It does. So if we see this continue and the talk about revenge ceases, maybe he can finally come home. You know we aren't getting any younger. We shouldn’t be living apart.”

“I know, Mama. We will fix this.” I agreed with this but my father had left me no choice. I was lucky to get him placed where he was. Larkspur was a very affluent, very prestigious institution. It sure cost enough that was for sure. I, myself, took a tour there and it was very nice.

“Perhaps God will fix it all,” she replied. “Like your father believes.”

“I hope so.” And I really did. I didn't pray like my parents did, but I still felt hope.

“So how long is this conference for?” she asked.

I paused as my mind momentarily went blank.

Then I remembered I had told her I would be at a medical symposium for at least a month.

I disliked any lie, but this had been necessary.

I couldn’t tell her the truth as I could only imagine the extreme worry she would feel.

And perhaps extreme outrage as well. No, it had been better to avoid telling her about this particular situation.

Then now I find that they wouldn't be moving Deacon to a facility, so I would have to make a decision in a couple of weeks about this entire thing. “For at least 3 more weeks.”

“I miss my family being together,” Mama said softly.

I heard the tears in her voice and gripped the phone tightly as I fought my own tears. We had all suffered ever since that fateful day in Italy. But my mother may have endured more than any of us. She kept going, supporting, hoping and pushing for us all to not take life for granted.

“Why did all of this have to happen?” she asked as she sniffled over the line.

I knew she was crying now. “I don’t know, Mama.

” My tears did not fall. I have never allowed them to.

I had to hold myself together. Or else what would happen to my parents?

I had no calming words to tell her now. No wisdom or anything to take away her pain.

But I could find the truth maybe? Would that set any of us free?

Probably not. But I needed to at least find out why my sister did what she did.

Maybe then we could have some kind of closure.

“I love you, Mama. I need to get changed. I will call tomorrow, ok?”

“Si, Gia. At least we have you. Although, you are married to your work. A grandchild would surely help. I would raise him or her and you can still be this wonderful doctor.”

I chuckled a bit dryly. “Mama, are you serious? It is not like I can just give you a grandchild in an instant, you know? I can't just make one like blowing a balloon up. Then I have yet to even find a decent man to start the process with.”

“You’d think one of those doctors you work with would fit the bill,” she replied.

“No, I won’t marry a doctor.”

“And why not?” she asked. “You are being hypocritical, are you not? I mean didn’t you take a Hippocratic Oath or something?”

I actually laughed at this. “Those are two different subjects, Mama. One means non-maleficence and the other is being sanctimonious. But if you judged these male doctors' souls by their egos? They would all be in purgatory.”

Her laughter rang over the cell.

I smiled. There, I got her to laugh at least.

“I will let you go now,” she said. “But do try to have some fun? You are still young enough to do that. Ti amo, piccola.” I love you, baby girl.

Click. She had ended the call. The woman was so funny as she insisted on being the one to hang up. It was a funny quirk of hers. If she never allowed them to say goodbye, then it would never be a goodbye. She would see them again. Talk to them again.

Shaking my head, I tapped the cell screen then set my phone down.

What would she think if she knew where I was right at this moment?

I shuddered. Or my father? If he knew, he would probably hate me.

I hoped he would never know. For one, hate had almost destroyed the man he was.

I know he wouldn’t understand. I didn’t either.

They pegged me to come here simply because of my specialty.

Magnelli said I should do this. Which was his way of saying I’d better do it.

And he gave me that bonus. Should I feel shame in accepting it?

No. My parents were in huge debt. And with my father’s treatment, it was only getting larger.

Then there was the absolute downright, unbelievable irony.

Stephano Descalia had also given me a huge check.

He then made a deal with me that I had no choice in.

I inwardly rolled my eyes at the absolute irony.

Getting paid by the Descalias. After everything that happened to us, the Ribisis.

They should pay. But maybe in blood and not money.

I clenched my fists. Then I realized I was so rigid with rage that I might break myself.

I let go of it and released a long breath of air.

I wondered if I would find the truth here.

That had been the real reason I didn’t totally object to coming here with Deacon Walker as my patient.

If I knew what had happened back then. The real truth… Maybe I could move on too.

I was always praying for my parents to be able to do that. Yet, I wasn’t moving on either. Not really.

Again, the day appeared in my head. I’d relived it a hundred times.

After ten days in Milan, I actually got bored.

My sister had gone off to again meet with her boyfriend.

Damn, she had been in love and our vacation had changed.

Of this there had been no doubt. The falling in love part and the change in plans.

I sat in an outside cafe, waiting for her.

The sun shone above us as she came to the table and looked happier than I had ever seen her.

She showed me the ring on her finger, telling me that he had asked her to marry him. It was the best day of her life.

A tear threatened my eye as the memory glowed in my mind. I couldn’t deal with it right now. I pushed it away. Besides, it wasn’t healthy. I would have to join my papa in Larkspur if I wasn’t careful.

I stood from the bed and went over to the closet.

It looked funny in here as there were five outfits hanging in a closet meant for at least thirty-five.

Three pairs of shoes sat in a space meant to hold thirty pairs.

I shrugged and bent down to grab my red pumps.

I didn’t own that many anyway. The red shoes made me pause.

I slowly looked up to the outfits I had brought.

To one in particular.

Ella made it. I hadn’t worn it in forever. I paused to ask myself a dumbass question. Why did I bring it? Ok, so I knew why, I just didn’t want to admit it.

Again, stupid, stupid, stupid.

I grabbed it from the hanger before I changed my mind. It was such a cute dress and I really should wear it sometime rather than not at all. Again, I lied to myself. I knew– Amadeo wouldn’t be able to look anywhere else except at me– in this dress.

Another twist of fate that would be too. Him staring at me while I wore a dress that Ella had made.

I got changed and paused to look into the mirror.

I took out my favorite lipstick and traced it across my lips.

Deep red. Just like the dress. I knew what I was doing.

I intended to use my wiles to get the truth.

I didn’t deny it. Not to myself. Being here had to be fate.

There was no other explanation. I was supposed to do this, supposed to be here.

To find the truth. I believed this today more than ever.

I stepped out into the hall to head to dinner. To sit down right next to the man that wrecked my family.