CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
Tommy and Grace were lying on top of their California King staring up at their cathedral ceiling.
It was just before noon, but they were so tired and so emotionally drained that they just needed a moment alone.
All of their children had showed and gone to bed too, because none of them had slept worth a damn for days.
But they knew that was only temporary. At least one of them would make their way to their parents’ bedroom to get in bed with them.
If Grace had to guess, her money would be on TJ.
He was a tough kid, but an emotional one.
But Tommy’s money was on Destiny. She was a tough kid too, but her child was involved.
They took her child captive too. She not only had to worry about herself, but her baby too.
That had to be beyond-traumatic for Desi.
But no matter which one would eventually join them, they were expecting it. In a way, they were hoping for it. The way Tommy and Grace saw it, their children clinging to them at a time like this would be more natural than if they kept their distance.
“You think we need to call in Tony?” Grace asked. Tony Sinatra, Big Daddy’s second-oldest child, was a clinical psychologist.
“That’s been done. Big Daddy got him on the phone before I came upstairs. I already spoke with him,” Tommy said.
“What did he say?”
“He said to let them handle their emotions in their own way. If they want to cry all the time, then let them cry. If they didn’t want to talk about it, then don’t force the issue.
He said we’ll have to wait it out. Because their recovery will take time.
Especially TJ’s. He’s going to clear his schedule at the prison and try to get here by the end of the week. ”
“Oh that’s good news,” said Grace. “I know how busy he is, but I just want to make sure TJ and Destiny will have the tools they’ll need to handle what they went through. Especially poor Junior.”
Tommy nodded his head. “Thank God we have a psychologist in the family. That way they can tell Tony everything without fear of leaks to the press or to the police even. Tony’s a Godsent.”
“Yes he is,” agreed Grace. But then she gave a pensive sigh.
Tommy looked at her. “They’ll be okay, Grace. They were built for days like this.”
“I know they were. But it’s days like this when I wish we. . .”
Tommy put his arm around her and leaned her against him. “I know what you’re saying. I used to wish we never had children too, given my family background. Hell, forget my family. Given my own background! But having those children in our lives makes it so worth it.”
Grace agreed. “Yes, it does. Lord knows it does. But when they’re the ones to suffer? It just brings it all back. It just breaks my heart honestly, Tommy,” she said as tears began to return.
Tommy held her with both hands as she sobbed. He had to fight back tears, too, because she was right. The last people they would ever want caught up in this madness were their children. But that was exactly what happened.
He gave Grace a Kleenex, she wiped her tears away, and then the silence returned. And they laid there, just the two of them, in a quiet pain.
But they weren’t by themselves for long. First GG came, which neither had predicted would come at all. And then Destiny and her baby after her. And then TJ after them. And the whole family was together again.
Grace held Danny on top of her, Tommy held GG on top of him, and Destiny was hugged up against her mother while TJ was hugged up against his father. And not a word was spoken. Even the baby wasn’t crying or even cooing. It was as if just being together was enough.
Grace and Tommy knew not to put pressure on their children, and they didn’t try to make it anything more than what it was: which was fear. Their children were scared to death and needed the comfort of their parents to feel safe again.
And their parents provided that comfort. Gladly they provided it. And although it took several hours, eventually all of their children, and Grace too, fell asleep.
But Tommy was still wide awake.
The idea that those kidnappers allowed Destiny and the baby to go free with no ransom demand or any ask at all, and then to say that he had won as if it was some twisted game, was bugging the hell out of him.
To implant his son. To shoot up a school.
To hold their daughter and grandson hostage.
But to what end? Because one thing Tommy knew for certain was that saying he won and calling it a day was not the end.
No way was that ever going to be the end!
He would see to that. He was going to track those fuckers to the end of the earth if he had to.
Nobody was going to traumatize his children in his name, and kill all those other people’s children in his name, and get away with it. Bears would fly before that happened.
But as he began to doze off himself, he couldn’t imagine who would be responsible. That was what was driving him nuts. Who could be behind this bullshit? He had enemies, alright, but this was beneath even them.
But just as he was about to fall into the same sleep pattern his family had fallen into, a light tap was heard on the door and then it was opened by Sal.
Tommy looked at his brother. He could see in Sal’s glistening eyes that something was up.
Something major. And Tommy didn’t delay.
He quickly held GG in his arms as he climbed over his son and got out of bed.
Then he laid GG down where he had been laying, put on his shoes, and hurried out of that bedroom.
He wanted answers. No more talk. No more delays.
He needed to get to the bottom of who ordered the killing of all of those children and tried to blame his son.
And how in the world did they think they were going to get away with traumatizing Tommy Gabrini’s entire family without Tommy Gabrini traumatizing, and doing even worse, to theirs.