Page 30 of Marcellus: House of Drakos

Niko was at his father’s house under the care of a private physician as his mother Peggy and Freddy and Kalayna’s mother Natalia sat at his bedside. Although both women got on each other’s last nerves, they were thick as thieves when it came down to it, and genuinely cared for each other.

Marcellus and Savannah were in the bedroom too. They sat in chairs against the wall. Marcellus could feel Savannah’s anxiety. Every time he looked at her, she still looked worried sick to him.

But other than painful cuts and bruises, Niko was okay. He was even able to sit up in bed.

“Why they beat you up like this, son?” his still overly-concerned mother asked him. “What was the purpose of brutalizing you like this?”

“Actually they never touched me,” said Niko. “Dad did this.”

Marcellus crossed his legs and Savannah smiled. “Always your fault,” she said.

“See what I mean,” he said playfully.

But Peggy didn’t see what was so funny. Natalia didn’t either. “Why would you beat him like this, Marci?” Natalia asked him. “This isn’t funny.”

“Thank you!” Peggy agreed.

“He didn’t beat me,” said Niko. “He made me jump out of the van my kidnappers were fleeing in. And it was a good thing too,” he added. “That van ended up wrapped around a telegram pole.”

“Oh,” said Peggy.

“I see,” said Natalia.

Marcellus laughed. “Still my fault?” he asked them. Although both women rolled their eyes, he and Savannah laughed.

But Niko was already looking at Savannah. “Sorry I was so rude to you on the phone,” he said to her, “but my captors told me they’d kill my entire family if I didn’t act like my usual obnoxious self. I had no choice.”

“It’s no issue,” said Savannah. “I’m just so grateful you’re okay.”

“I see you caught my Saudi clue,” he said to her.

“Nobody took it seriously when I brought it up,” she said, “except your father.”

Peggy and Natalie looked at each other with a check her out look on their faces.

But Peggy was particularly disgusted. “This isn’t about you, sweetie,” she said to her dismissively.

“This is about my son. About our son,” she added in case Savannah didn’t understand the unique relationship the baby mamas had with Marcellus.

She was just some side chick, as far as they were concerned.

But Savannah wasn’t thinking about them. Her entire focus was on Niko. “So I take it,” she said, “that you didn’t authorize Alberto to fire me?”

Niko frowned. “Fire you? He fired you?”

Savannah nodded. “Had security escort me off of the premises too.”

Niko was astounded. “He did what? Where’s my phone?” he said, looking around, although his phone was long since lost when they first kidnapped him.

“Forget that right now,” said Savannah. “Get well first.”

“Then why did you bring it up,” asked Natalia, “if it’s no big deal?”

“I didn’t say it wasn’t a big deal. It’s more than a big deal, it’s my livelihood. But first things first.”

Marcellus loved the way she could handle herself even in the face of equally strong and opinionated women like every one of his baby mamas. It was as if she fit right in. And he loved it.

But then Olivier ran into the bedroom. “Pop, you gotta see this!” he said with a frantic voice and Marcellus jumped up and hurried out.

But when Savannah jumped up and hurried after him, Peggy and Natalia looked at each other again. “She’s got some nerve,” Natalia said. “Like she’s his Siamese twin or something.”

“You think he could be serious about that hoe?” asked Peggy.

“She’s not a hoe, first of all,” said Niko. “She’s my secretary. My best friend if you wanna know the truth. And if it was any indication how Daddy was behaving when she left his side eight years ago, then yes, he’s definitely serious about her.”

Peggy and Natalia were shocked. “Eight years ago?” they said in unison.

“He’s known her for eight years?” asked Peggy.

“What happened eight years ago?” Natalia asked.

Niko smiled and then he laughed. “That’s my business,” he said.