Page 42 of Marcellus: House of Drakos

When the men returned, everybody, including Kari and Savannah, ran into the foyer to meet them. Even Niko, on crutches, hurried to see what they knew about his beloved baby sister’s whereabouts. Savannah was so relieved to see that Marcellus was okay that she almost felt dizzy. But she held on.

But when Marcellus’s sons and baby mamas began asking about Kalayna and he shook his head and told them they had not found her yet, agonizing groans went up for their sister. And Natalia, Kalayna’s mother, collapsed into Marcellus’s arms.

Marcellus could feel her pain because he was feeling it too.

But when he realized her heart was hammering so hard that it was unhealthy, he lifted her into his arms, carrying her like a baby, and took her to one of the six guest rooms downstairs.

The one just off from the foyer. He kicked the door shut with his shoe.

They both needed to spill their anguish in private.

When Freddy and Peggy tried to go to the bedroom, too, Olivier stopped them both. “Leave them alone.”

“My mom needs me,” Freddy said.

“Go in after Dad comes out. She needs Dad right now. Nattie’s fine, Fred. Pop’s got her.”

Freddy knew his big brother was right. He exhaled.

But Juliet and Sharon knew why Peggy wanted to be in that room because they wanted to be in there too.

Even though they understood why he would take her to bed and undoubtedly comfort her, they still didn’t like it either.

Marcellus always showed favoritism toward Natalia no matter what. And they were getting tired of it.

“Everybody need to go get some rest,” Scottie said. “Not just Freddy. We’ve got armies of people looking for Kalayna. She will be found. But you can do her no good if you’re exhausted yourselves. Go back to your guest houses and get some sleep. It’s going to be a long night.”

Then he looked at Alex and Oz. He respected both men for helping his father. “I’ll show you to your rooms. We have two suites on the east wing on the second floor. You’ll have total privacy there.”

“Thank you,” Alex said as they followed Scottie upstairs.

Juliet and Sharon heard it. “They get to stay in the main house,” said Juliet, “but we have to stay outback like we’re the dogs or the horses. See how they treat us?”

But Sharon was more understanding. “He is Alex Drakos,” she reminded Juliet. “You can’t just throw a billionaire in a guest house.”

“But we’re the mothers of his children. We should get the best rooms. We should be in the main house. Nattie’s found a way to wrangle herself a room in the main house, and Peg too since Niko’s still out of commission. Why can’t we worm our way in here too?”

Sharon looked at Juliet. “Niko could have died, and Nattie’s child is missing. You rather change places? You rather it be Olivier missing?”

“I know what you mean. But still,” said a still-complaining Juliet as they left.

But Savannah felt lost in that house. As Scottie escorted Alex and Kari to their rooms and Peggy helped Niko back to his room and everybody made their ways to their respective places, she was left in the foyer alone.

She had no place. Even Marcellus had forgotten about her.

Which was understandable. He wanted his child back and nothing else mattered.

But they were talking as if he was going to spend the night in that bedroom with Kalayna’s mother.

That part seemed excessive to her. That part she didn’t understand and was never going to.

Her every instinct was telling her to leave that house and take her black ass home. She didn’t need this constant drama nor this humiliation. Nobody really wanted her there anyway. It felt like too much.

But if she left it would be, to her, as if she was leaving Marcellus the way she did eight years ago. She left him then when she was in her greatest need. But now he was in his greatest need. She didn’t like the way he was handling his pain, but she wasn’t going to bail on him.

She made her way to the top floor: to his bedroom.

Nobody invited her up there, and she wasn’t sure if she would be kicked out in his absence, but she wanted to take a long tub bath and get herself some sleep.

And let the chips fall where they may. But mostly she just wanted Kalayna back home safe and sound and with her father.

And she wanted him out of Natalia’s clutches, and into hers.