Chapter TwelveIan
Chapter Twelve
Ian
It’s been two weeks since I’ve been home, and I haven’t seen Calista or even spoken to her. It doesn’t help that I suffered a major setback, getting an infection that nearly sent me to another hospital. The doctor was able to get it under control; however, I needed to be on stronger meds that made me sleepy.
Every time I close my eyes, I dream of her standing over me as I wake. It sucks that she’s not by my side. Claudia claims she hasn’t been able to contact her, but I don’t think she has tried. I just got my new phone with added encryption as well as high-tech security.
It’s already midday and I’m tired of just waiting for life to happen, so I walk down the stairs gingerly, holding onto the railing with one arm.
“Mr. MacNamara, are you sure you should be walking around?”
“I’m sorry, but who are you?” I question, staring at her suspiciously.
“I’m the new housekeeper and cook, Sarah Camp.” The older woman is dressed appropriately for the job, a stark contrast to her predecessor who craved attention. I wonder what happened to the woman who was fawning over my brother even though he didn’t give her an ounce of attention.
I nod, and I don’t tell her to mind her business because I’m sure that they told her to watch out for me. Still, there are matters to deal with, and I’m good as long as I take breaks, “So you’re not my boss, then. Where’s my brother or his wife?”
She sighs and shakes her head. “They’re in the living room.”
I walk past her, trying to keep my balance, but the pain is intense. “Here you go,” she says, handing me a cane.
“Thank you.” She is prepared for my bullshit, and I appreciate it.
“Just don’t be too stubborn to ask for help,” she adds.
“Yes, ma’am.” I lightly dip my chin and then walk away to find my brother, who has been too busy to talk to me. Jack and Nora have been over one at a time. They haven’t come over with John because they’re afraid he’ll accidentally hit me. My injuries, although severe, didn’t hit any major organs. Still, they’re all afraid of me pushing it too much and tearing more muscle.
I turn the corner and enter the living room. “So are you having a party in here?” I ask and stop in my tracks when I see Governor Saunders sitting across from Connor and Claudia. They all look up and toward me.
“Ian,” the governor says. The look on his face is one of shock and a sense of pity. He swallows hard.
“We were just about to see if you were willing to come down,” Connor says. I raise my brow, thinking he’s full of shit.
Reading me like a book, Claudia says, “It’s true. Claudia told me about the possibility.” He shakes his head, and now I can’t unsee the resemblance. “I see a younger version of myself mixed with my darling Evelyn.”
An overwhelming sense of injustice and anger washed over me. I’m shaking just standing there. “All these years, and you never thought I was yours?”
He slams his eyes shut, swallowing hard, and I wish I could punch him in the jaw and hug him all at once. The neglect and abuse were partially his fault, but then again they were my mother’s too. I had to reconcile that in my head as well. It hurt to consider that she wasn’t blameless in this. She could have told me. All these years she could have said something. I was a grown ass man wondering why my father hated me. Wondering why I was singled out like a fucking bastard child and now I knew.
Finally, Saunders speaks, “I asked her the last chance I could before he isolated her, and she broke things off. She said you were your father’s son. It killed me, but I believed her. I didn’t want to believe her.”
“She broke things off?”
“Yes, it wasn’t like we were running around together every damn day. I saw her when she could get away from that scum, which wasn’t often. He knew damn well that she and I were together.”
“I’m surprised he let it happen.”
He scoffs. “You have no idea what your piece of shit of a father did to your mother. If you think the prostitution ring started later in the organization, you’re wrong. He sold her out until he realized she loved me.”
“You paid to fuck my mother,” I snarl. I was the product of…I just can’t even think it.
He puts his hands up. “It wasn’t like that. I tried to keep her safe. She should have been my wife, but not all fucking things are that easy. I wanted her to leave him. Hell, I asked her to marry me.”
“You did?” Claudia asks.
“Yes. I gave her a beautiful emerald teardrop ring even though she was still with that asshole. That picture was the night she said yes. She was ready to leave him.” The ring. The one she gave me was the one my real father gave her. One you pass down to your future wife. He was saying something.
“I know why she called it quits with you,” Connor says, handing him the letter my mother left us. I close my eyes because in my anger and hate for everything. She had her reasons however painfully awful they were. She feared for her sons’ lives. She valued her kids’ lives more than her happiness.
He reads it and breaks down in pure sobs. “That fucking bastard. I want his fucking head. He stole everything from me.”
Claudia stares at us in confusion. “She didn’t leave him because he was planning to kill us kids if she did,” Connor answers her unspoken question.
“Oh my God. That’s so twisted,” Claudia says with a gasp, pressing her hand to her mouth.
“As you can see, he’s a demon,” I say. “The bastard raised me, taught me how to kill. Wanted me to kill my own father, by the way,” I chuckled and then continued, “and then he tried to turn me into Swiss cheese.”
“She sacrificed everything for you boys, and I nearly destroyed that in my rage.”
“I can understand it because if someone stole a future with Claudia from me, there is nothing I wouldn’t do. I planned to kill you,” Connor confesses to Saunders while I just stare in silence. My mother made the choice she had to out of motherly devotion, even if it broke her.
Governor Saunders continues. “A part of me has wanted to die for so long. My revenge has been the only thing keeping me alive, but now…” He looks up at me, and I understand. He lost a lifetime with my mother—and with me. I have a father who hates me, and one that never knew I was his.
Saunders looks at me with pure regret on his face. “I’m so sorry, Ian. I would have gone down the dark road, destroying that fucker. She wanted me to stay away, telling me her feelings had changed and that she still cared for that asshole.”
“We all knew there was no love between them,” Connor says. It does Saunders some good as he releases a sigh.
“I think I need to lie back down.” There is no way I can stand. All this information has fucked up my head.
“I’ll walk you upstairs,” Connor says.
“Okay.”
He looks back at his wife, and she nods, giving the okay to be alone with her father—or the man that raised her. “I hate this,” Connor mutters. “But I wouldn’t have met Claudia if this shit didn’t go down.”
“I understand. I just need some rest. Any news on our MacNamara situation?”
“No. He’s in the wind, but we’ll get him. Jack’s doing his best to find some leads. He doesn’t have many allies, so it won’t be long before someone gives him up for a price.”
“What about that detective that he was talking to?” I ask as Connor opens the bedroom door.
“Jack went to speak with her today and get a feel for her.” He fixes my bedding.
I nod and then take a seat on the edge of the bed. It’s not so easy to move my left leg onto the mattress, so I have to take my time. Connor readies himself to catch or assist me, but I manage it just fine. “Okay,” I grunt as I adjust my body to a comfortable position. “Thanks for everything.”
“You’re my brother, and I love you. Get better, and we’ll destroy the bastard and everyone who helped him.”
“I love you too.” He hands me my pills and water. Once I take them, I lie back all the way and close my eyes. “See you later.”
“I’m just a call away.” He points to my phone on the nightstand and then walks out of my room.
I pick up my new cell phone and check the features. It’s an upgraded version of my old one. I play with it for about ten minutes, but the meds kick in and my eyes shutter. Before I pass out, I set it back on the nightstand.
****
“Fuck,” I roar. A terrible nightmare causes me to shoot up in bed. I groan, realizing I moved too fast for my broken body.
“Ian,” my brother shouts through the door.
“I’m good,” I groan.
“I’m coming in.” He enters my room and turns on the light. It must be late because he’s in only his boxers.
“Sorry, I didn’t mean to disturb your sleep,” I apologize.
“It’s cool, bro. I was wondering when the nightmares would begin. It happened with Claudia, but I’m not climbing into bed with you.” He chuckles.
I flip him off and say, “It wasn’t about the shooting, or at least not that exactly. It was about Calista and her dying at the hands of him.” I swallow hard, choking on the last bit.
“We won’t let that happen.” I believe him because they’ll do anything to protect our real family. Calista is going to be mine, which makes her family.
“Damn right, we won’t. She can’t come back to Chicago, and she can’t be near me no matter how much I want to snatch her ass up,” I reply, confessing the idea that’s been on my mind for weeks.
“Well, it’s good that she’s still in New York.”
“She is?” He nods. “That’s good,” I say, thinking of a plan. “Do you think we can trust her father?”
“I don’t know, but when it comes to Callie’s safety, Claudia told me he’s extremely protective. Hell, Jack saw a guard at the hospital talking to her while she was in the parking lot.”
“A guard,” I snarl.
“Calm down. We already mentioned that to you, but I’m guessing the drugs were still in your system. Anyway, she sent him packing. Now what do you want to do?”
“We need to find that piece of shit, but first, I need to speak with her father.”
“That’s fine. I can get the number from Claudia. I think she has it, or she can get it.”
I nod. “When does the doctor arrive today? I need to know when I can get back to working out and target practice.”
“Around ten. Maybe you should try to get some sleep because Jack said they are stopping by today as well. It’s going to be crazy around here. I don’t want it to be too much. They’re bringing John as well.”
“I miss him,” I say, wondering how he’ll react to me.
“He’s not the only one coming. Saunders is coming back.”
“It’s weird. I haven’t really processed that he’s actually my biological father.”
“Hey, it explains why you don’t look like us. It’s not a big deal to us. You’re still our brother in every single way. As far as I see it, you at least had a father who loved our mother.” He rubs his face and sighs. It’s the damnable thing about it. She had someone who loved her, but the devil guarded the gate. As much as I hate it, I have to get Calista on the same page as me. If she doesn’t feel the same, it’ll be terrible. I don’t need to repeat my mother’s pain. Still, I’m not giving up on us, and I’ll treat her like the queen she is.
“Damn right. I can’t even imagine just leaving Calista for another man to touch, or kiss, or fuck.” I growl, getting more and more annoyed by the second.
“Tell me about it. It had to be hard, but remember, she was never his. She was married to Dad, and Mom had to be the one to file for divorce. We know that even after all these years, he wouldn’t let her do it.” I want to punch something, but I can’t without opening the wounds in my arm and chest. “I know, I know. We’re going to help you get better before we hunt him down and torture that fuck. He deserves to die.”
“Damn right. Thank you.” There’s a light knock on the door.
“Claudia, I’m coming right now,” he calls out, tilting his head to the door with a smile.
“Is everything okay?”
“Yeah, baby.”
“She’s amazing.”
“I know. Get some rest. The more you rest, the sooner we can scoop up your amazing girl.”
“I will. Goodnight.” He walks to the door, and I shout, “Goodnight, Claudia.”
“Goodnight, Ian.”
I pop my meds, and sleep comes a little slower this time since I slept the day away, but it’s part of the recovery process. It’s almost nine when I wake up again. It’s only because the housekeeper knocks on the door, bringing me some breakfast and more water to take my meds.
“Good morning, Mr. MacNamara.”
“Good morning, Sarah. Please call me Ian.”
She smirks at me, setting the tray down. “Are you feeling better this morning?”
“Yes.”
“Do you want the curtains open?” She moves toward them.
“No, thanks. You’ve done enough for me.”
“I have a son your age, and I’d hate to see him in your position. He’s serving in the military, so it does scare me.”
“I’m sorry. I hope he’s out of danger, but I know that’s like hoping for sunlight at midnight.”
“I never heard it like that,” she says with a soft laugh.
“Sorry, I’m still on my meds.” I spin my wrist with my finger pointed at my head, joking that I’ve gone crazy.
She smiles and fixes the covers at my feet. “Please let me know if you need anything. The doctor should be here soon.”
“Thank you.” I dig into my breakfast, and it’s fabulous. The eggs are perfectly cooked, and the bacon is just the right crispness. I don’t have a cook at home. I only hired a cleaning crew to come in once a month to do a deep dive. Normally, I wash my own clothes or take them to the dry cleaner’s.
Unlike my brothers, I travel a lot, working on my side ventures. I co-own a casino in Vegas, which keeps me so damn busy. Fuck—I need to check in with my business partner. I’m sure Jack already took care of that for me. The guys are incredible and so damn reliable.
I finish my delicious breakfast and then take my non-drowsy meds, leaving the drowsy ones until after the doctor comes. Luckily, most of my pain is manageable. I haven’t had too much, as long as I’m not moving too fast or in awkward positions. Still, I need to get back on track or I’ll be a sitting duck. We don’t know who my father has working for him or how dangerous he is now that he’s out on his own.
I set my tray off to the side and then move into a seated position with my feet off the bed, letting my body stretch before I attempt a trip to the bathroom. Today isn’t so bad, and I’m able to walk without too much pain. After a quick clean up, I limp to the window and take a peek outside. It’s different to be staying at my brother’s place because it’s a completely different angle of the property, but other than that, it feels like I’m at a comfortable, inviting hotel.
A hard knock on the door takes me away from the window. “Come in,” I called out, moving to the bed a little faster than before, but still struggling. Taking a seat on the edge, I wait impatiently for good news.
“Hello, Mr. MacNamara. How are you feeling today?”
“Anxious to get back to my normal routine.”
“I can understand that, but it’s going to be a while. You went through something extremely traumatic, both physically and emotionally.”
“The emotion I can toss to the side, but it’s the lack of my range of motion that’s the problem,” I admit. Since my attacker’s not my real father and he’s always hated me, the attempt on my life didn’t have the impact that it should have.
“Let me take a look, and then we’ll go from there.”
“Okay.”
He begins by listening to my heart and then my lungs. His physical exam is pretty routine until he gets to my wounds. The bandages have to come off, and so it takes a little longer.
“Most of these are looking really good. Although I think we’ll need an x-ray to see what it looks like underneath. You had two broken ribs, which is probably what is causing most of the pain when you move. The wounds on your arm and your chest have completely closed up. The one on the back of your leg needs more time. I’d recommend lying on your left side.”
“Is there a problem with it?”
“No, you’re healing rather fast, which is fantastic because that prevents infection, and we don’t want another one of those.”
“What about my exercise and training?”
“I’d say no more than walking for the next week. After that, we can bring in a physical therapist to work with you.” He gives me a few more instructions and a refill on my medicine before leaving.
Connor, who was standing by the door, listening but not interrupting, walks him out.
I’m grateful that things are going well. So, I wrap up my open wounds and then take a shower. Connor needs a massive thanks for giving me the room with the walk-in shower that has a bench. It’s perfect for right now. By the time I get out, I feel so exhausted, but I don’t let that send me back to bed. After getting dressed, I slip on some clothes ever so gingerly and then make my way downstairs. A walk outside would be nice.
“What’s up?”
“I wanted that number.”
“Sure. Here it is. I know people,” she says with a wink.
I take my walk and then go sit in the enclosed yard where Cain roams around, digging and wagging his tail. Claudia brings me out some coffee. “I’m going to call him now.”
“Good. You need to get the hard part over with.”
“I think Calista is the harder part.”
“I don’t think so.” She winks and walks off. I don’t make the call until the patio doors are closed.
“Vitale,” he answers on the third ring.
I clear my throat and say, “Mr. Vitale, my name is Ian MacNamara.”
“Ah, yes. How are your injuries?” I’m shocked by the civility and concern.
“I’m recovering.”
“Good, so then you’ll finally have the balls to come and talk to me like a man soon,” he says, taking me by surprise.
“Excuse me?”
“You think you can fuck my little girl like some whore on the street and think I won’t expect you to marry her? I don’t take that kind of disrespect well, Mr. MacNamara,” he barks out.
Damn it. She didn’t reveal that she was a mafia princess and that her father would string me up by the balls for fucking her tight cunt. God, I miss that sexy body in my hands and my cock buried deep in her while she screams my name.
I take a sip of my coffee before I give him a response. “And I meant no disrespect by it. If I had my way, your daughter would have been my fiancée at the very least by now,” I inform him, wanting to clear the air. If he wasn’t her father and I was one hundred percent, I wouldn’t take his shit.
“You had weeks before your attack, so what happened?”
“Didn’t she tell you?” If she told him we fucked, then I’m sure she explained that she ran out.
“No, she didn’t reveal anything to me. My men watched her leave with you, and I expected that she wouldn’t have gone with you unless she was serious.”
“Me, too, but she wants nothing to do with me. She made that clear the last time I saw her.”
“If that’s the case, why are you calling me?”
“Because that doesn’t mean I want the same thing. She’s mine until the day I die, and I’ll do everything I can to protect her.”
“Who do you believe she needs protection from? The men who attacked you?”
“Yes.”
“My daughter has protection on her twenty-four hours a day. I won’t allow anyone to harm her. The choices she made with you were at her own discretion and, as she’s an adult, I didn’t have my men intervene.”
“That’s fucking good because that would have been a waste of good fucking soldiers. I would have ended every single one of them.”
“Good to know. I’m hosting a party for my daughter in three weeks. She doesn’t know it, but there will be several mafia families here as well prominent men and women. If you’re feeling up to it, consider this my invitation.”
“I’ll be there,” I snarl.
He gives a short laugh. “I thought you would. I’ll send you the details as we get closer to the event. I truly expect to see you there. Despite what you may believe, she doesn’t hate you.”
“Thanks for that.”
“Get better. Three weeks isn’t a long time to deal with all the sharks.”
“I’m well aware of it.”
“That’s good. I expect you to be sharp and also in control.”
“I won’t start a war, but I’ll finish it.”
“It looks like you weren’t so good at it the last time.”
“I was ambushed by the man that raised me,” I say. “I won’t make that mistake again.”
“Pinche guey. Let me know if you need some assistance. I have people that are good at hunting fuckers down.”
“Thanks.”
“See you in three weeks.”
“Yes, Sir.” I end the call, and then slide the phone onto the small patio table. Rolling my head, I gently work out the kinks and then take a drink of my coffee.
The patio door opens and Connor says, “They’re here.”
I check the time on my phone, and it’s already eleven. Damn. I’m going to be emotionally drained before the middle of the day.
Today is our first visit with Saunders and John meeting. I sit on one chair as my father enters Jack’s home. We’re all sitting in the living room while the housekeeper welcomes him. We decided it was best to have it here because of John’s comfort.
“Calm down, Jack,” Nora says. “John can sense your distress.”
“What if he wants to take him from us?” he growls.
“He has to go through a massive custody battle that I won’t let him win.”
“But John is his son.”
That stops all the hushed conversation as Saunders enters the room. “Hello. Good afternoon.” He looks more nervous than I’d ever imagined. His eyes darted to me, and he asked, “How are you, Ian?”
“I’m a lot stronger, and I’m almost back to my full workout routine.”
“That’s good to hear. I’d like to talk to you after this. Privately, of course.” I nod, knowing there’s something I want to mention, too. In all the years that I’ve possessed the ring, I never mentioned it to anyone. Not even to my brothers because I didn’t want them to get jealous. Now, I know it was meant for me because it came from my father.
“Saunders,” Jack snarls.
“I don’t know what to call you. I understand that it’s not your fault, but it’s hard, given your name, and it actually makes my stomach turn.” Jack was named after my father, a man who Saunders couldn’t hate more.
“Well, let’s just say I don’t really care for you, either.”
“I’m sorry about everything. It’s taken me a lot of time to come to terms with everything and my resentment.”
“Understood, but you’re not here to see us. You’re here to meet John.” He points to our brother, who is on the floor, ignoring us as he plays with his cars.
Saunders was informed before he came over that it takes John to initiate contact or conversation, what little he can say or gesture.
“John,” Nora calls out. He looks up and then around the room. Suddenly his eyes are focused on Saunders. He doesn’t make eye contact, but he does stare his way. We wait for him to react as Saunders holds his palm out. John stands and snags two of his cars.
What surprises all of us is John’s willingness to engage our biological father. He sits the toy car in Saunders’s hand and starts to run his other car on Saunders’s arm. It’s actually quite amazing.
I watch Jack tense up.
“I’m not going to harm him,” my bio dad says to Jack.
“He’s not worried about that.”
“You think I’m going to steal him from you?”
“Why not? He’s yours. The last piece of my mother.”
“You’re right that he is just that, but I’m sixty-two, and on my last term.”
“You’re retiring?”
“Yes, but even still, I’m not fit to raise a young child. I wasn’t a good father when I was younger.” He looks over at Claudia.
“You weren’t bad, but…”
“I know. I was neglectful. The one thing a father can do for his child is give him the best life. I’m sorry that I missed out on so much with both of you,” he says, taking a long look at me. He addresses Jack and Nora. “I am aware of all you’ve done to find and care for my son. I have no way to even thank or explain what that means to me. If I had known…” He chokes on his words.
“Would you have taken him then?”
“Hell, yes. Evelyn loved me, and our sons were a product of that love.” John decides to put his head on Saunders’s forearm, so he stops what he was going to say and scoops up John, who lies on his chest. Tears flow down his face. “I’m sorry, Evie,” he whispers, kissing John’s head.
“Would you like a drink?”
“Yes, please.”
“Whiskey or vodka?”
“Vodka. Sorry, but I haven’t had whiskey since I met your mother. It was a reminder of your father.” The pain on his face is real. John actually falls asleep lying in our father’s embrace.
“So do you want to talk about custody?” Jack asks, handing him the drink from the sideboard.
“Are you trying to give me back my son?” Saunders grows tense, and John whines a little.
“Maybe I should lay him down.” Nora takes him from the governor’s arms and then lays him on the sofa so he’s still in the room with us. She’s perfect when it comes to John’s needs.
“No, but I’m assuming you’ll want to see him.”
“I would.” He looks at me and says, “I’d like to see both of you.”
“We can make that happen,” I say. As much turmoil as we’ve had with him in the past, knowing the truth just makes me long to know more about the man who gave me life and made my mother happy.
“Can we have a word?”
“Yes,” I say, standing without the usual pain. Therapy is working miracles. “Let’s go into my brother’s office.” I lead him that way and once the doors close, I ask him to take a seat. “Please.”
“Is this your way of trying to get rid of me?”
“No. Despite our pasts, we don’t want that anymore.”
“So I want to apologize to you. For years I wanted answers, but you seemed like a ghost in the family.”
“That’s because I was. He hated me, beat me, and my efforts to make him proud never worked. It’s probably because he knew the truth.”
“Yes, it’s probably why all of your images online aren’t of you. They’re your brothers.”
“That’s partially my choice. It was a way to do my job without making myself visible. People know me by name. I’m the Keyser Soze of the family,” I say with a wink.
“Great film, and I suppose you’re right about that. Unfortunately, you need to be careful. I’ve been trying to find hints of him, and I might have a lead.” He refers to my father with such disgust, and I can’t blame him because I feel the same way.