Chapter 15
Marcello
The ringing phone was insistent. It would ring and then stop, only to start back up again after a moment. I reached out blindly for my phone, but when I touched it on the nightstand, I discovered it wasn’t the one vibrating.
My head popped up, and I looked around the room. Abel’s phone was on the other nightstand, and it had to be his that was going off.
“Mio angelo, your phone is ringing.” I sat up and glanced around the room.
The sun was just coming up, and it was normal for Abel not to wake for another hour at least. I tossed the covers back and went around the bed to pick up the phone.
I saw Lewis’s name on the screen just before it stopped ringing.
I held the phone, waiting until it lit up again.
When it did, I answered this time because obviously it was important.
“Ciao.” I rubbed my forehead. “Err…hello?” There was a sharp intake of breath through the phone.
“Umm…I was trying to call Abel.”
“He is asleep still,” I said. “The sun is just brightening the sky here.”
“I’m so sorry. What time is it? I must have the difference wrong.”
“It is not yet six in the morning. It is early, and he has slept through the phone calls,” I said. “Is it important? If so, I will wake him.” I looked at my beloved, who was very much still asleep.
“No, not really. Can you just let him know I called when he wakes up, please? I just wanted to talk and catch up. I had something for him and the babies and wanted to send it to him and stuff.”
I smiled and rubbed my eyes. “I can do that. I’ll let him know you called.”
“Thanks.”
The call ended then, and I set the phone back on the nightstand.
The idea of rejoining Abel in bed was tempting, but there were things I needed to take care of before our babies were born.
We should have a few more weeks, but babies came when they were ready, and Abel was very much showing and getting to the uncomfortable stage.
I decided I would be up for the day and went to the bathroom.
I turned the water on in the shower and then took care of my morning needs in the toilet room.
By the time I was finished there, the water in the shower was steaming, and I stepped in under the spray.
I stood there for several minutes with my eyes closed, thinking about everything that had happened in the last two weeks.
I knew what I had to do, and I found it odd that three months ago, I would have already dealt with the issue, but now, for some reason, I was taking my time and pondering things.
Why? Because of Abel. I wouldn’t say he made me soft.
If anything, he made me even more protective. But everything I did now impacted Abel.
I ran my hands through my hair, pushing it back, and then wiped the water from my face.
I had to take care of things, and putting it off was never the answer.
I reached for the shampoo and got started on my day.
It didn’t take me long in the shower without Abel as a delicious distraction, and within minutes, I was out and drying off.
I tossed the towel into the hamper and left the bathroom for the closet.
After I was dressed, this time in black slacks and a matching black button-down, I sat on the bench and pulled on my socks and shoes.
I put on my watch and belt, then slid my wallet into my pocket and left the closet.
I found Abel still very much asleep, but the bedroom was now dimly lit with the rising sun.
I leaned down, kissed my beloved on his messy hair, and picked up my own phone before sliding it into my pocket and leaving the room quietly. I could hear others in the house and shook my head. Why were we all up at first light? I knew why I was, but what about the others?
I found Vincent and Nicolo in the dining room, just sitting down to breakfast.
“Buongiorno,” I told them as I grabbed a plate from the side table, opened the buffet bowls, and started plating food. Once I had my plate filled, I joined the others at the table. Vincent handed me the carafe, and I filled a cup with coffee.
“It is unusual for you to join us for breakfast,” Vincent said.
“Abel is still very much asleep, but his phone’s ringing woke me up.” I set the carafe down and picked up my coffee. The aroma was soothing, but not nearly as much as my beloved.
“What are your plans for our guests in the warehouse?” Vincent asked. I knew this question was coming, and normally, I wouldn’t wait so long to deal with something this important, but I had truly been struggling with this.
“After breakfast, I’m going to take care of things, and then there will be no more to even consider. They will never be able to hurt another again. I do have to wonder how it was that they managed to elude the council for so long though.”
“From what I learned, Uriah went into hiding when he was first called to the council for questioning. He warned his oldest, and it is obvious that they met up at some point because they were found together,” Vincent told me.
“I appreciate all of your efforts and time that you devoted to finding Abel’s father for me. His oldest brother is of no interest to me though.” I shrugged. “If someone else wishes to deal with him for his crimes against others, I have no issues with that.”
Nicolo grinned. “I’m sure there is at least one or two around that would enjoy having some fun.”
I nodded. I knew that Abraham had bullied Abel while growing up and had treated him as a servant in their house, but I truly wanted his father. He was the man who’d sold his son into sex slavery, and he was going to pay for it.
“Has the council been informed that we have located Uriah and Abraham?” I asked.
Vincent gave me one of his devilish smiles.
“I took great pleasure in letting Master Ambrosius know that we were able to locate someone that the council and their enforcers haven’t been able to do.
” Vincent shrugged. “Master Ambrosius was quite occupied though, and I wished him and his beloved congratulations on the arrival of their newest addition.”
I had to wonder if that was one of the reasons that Lewis had been calling Abel multiple times this morning.
I didn’t completely buy the story of him mixing up the time difference, nor about wanting to send us something for the babies.
It was possible that he actually had a gift of some sort, but they had been messaging for a few weeks now, and I would think that he knew the time difference at this point.
“He must be thinking about his beloved.”
I blinked before focusing on Nicolo. “Actually, no. I was thinking about the call this morning that woke me. Actually, several calls since he hung up and called right back several times in a row.”
“Is that usual?” Vincent asked.
I shook my head. “Abel has been very open with me with his messages and calls with Lewis and someone called Tyler. I guess that was his housemate on Treasure Ridge. They have mostly just talked about the differences in weather, and Abel has mentioned how he misses Montana, but Italy is gorgeous.”
Vincent smiled. “You will need to make arrangements to visit once the babies are old enough to travel. I am sure that will go a long way toward making up for being an ass to your beloved.”
I nodded absently but then picked up on what Vincent had just said, and I glared at him. “Abel has forgiven me. I have more than made up for not opening myself up to him completely. There were many long discussions, but he knows why I withheld part of myself to protect him from my past.”
“I do not believe I want to find my beloved,” Nicolo said.
“You do; you just don’t realize it yet. Nik spent a very long time watching his with another man, and although he is now immensely happy, I do not wish what he went through on anyone,” Vincent said.
“That was a different situation though. Nik had met his beloved.”
Vincent stared at me. “Yes. Same as you. There was no way I was going to allow something such as that to happen again if I could change things. You have Abel,” Vincent said.
“And I am certain that you will find your beloved when the time is right,” he said to Nicolo.
Vincent turned his attention back to me.
“If you wish, I will take care of Uriah for you. I understand that you have every right to have restitution for your beloved, and it’s possible that Abel will see it as that and not something else.
But if you are concerned, I will deal with him. ”
I had thought about that very thing since Naldo and Vincent had returned with Uriah. How would Abel react to me killing his own father? It would be different if it was simply the men who had raped him, but this was his father.
“There is indecision in your expression,” Nicolo said.
I nodded slowly. “Two months ago, I wouldn’t even have waited a day before dealing with him. Abel would have never known because he didn’t know I existed.”
“Yes, but two months ago, you were unaware that it was his father who had sold him,” Vincent said.
“True. At a minimum, I want to be there and see his final moments. I want him to know that his son was rescued, that he lives a life of luxury and is treasured more than he would have ever imagined.”
“We can make sure that happens,” Vincent told me. I thought about it a moment before nodding in agreement. I took a bite of my food, which had cooled considerably, and listened absently as Vincent and Nicolo started discussing something to do with the Pisano family. That caught my attention.
“What’s happening with the Pisano family?” I asked.
“Not much of late,” Vincent said. “Dino has started selling off warehouses as well as ships.”
That certainly caught my attention. Then again, he was too old to start another family; Aldo had been his only surviving child, and he hadn’t ever managed to have children of his own.
Of course, that was difficult when you liked to stick your dick into men who weren’t omegas and you yourself were human.