Chapter 14 #3
Gabriella looked sheepish. “We decided to give the chief a happy explanation this time.”
“You decided,” Antonio corrected.
“Well, people are beginning to feel sorry for us and wondering if, with so many accidents, having several sons in the fire service is a good idea.”
“That’s one fatality out of seven,” Gabe said. “I didn’t die. I was burned over fifty percent of my body. We told everyone I had to go away to Rio for their experts in plastic surgery. And Miguel has never been hurt in a fire at all.”
Gabriella sighed. “It’s only the bad things people remember. But they will forgive and forget a couple of brothers who won a trip around the world.”
“What?” at least three people exclaimed at the same time.
Antonio laughed. “It was the best your mother could come up with at the moment. She was cornered at the grocery store. Apparently, Noah’s captain was just stopping on his way home for bread and milk and wondered why Noah didn’t show up for work.
And he didn’t receive so much as a phone call. That’s not like him.”
“Not at all,” Jayce said.
“Of course, Dante’s captain knew it was their house that was blown to smithereens. It was his firehouse that had to respond.”
“Didn’t he wonder what had happened?”
“Fortunately, that captain is a friend of the chief. When the chief arrived, he said he’d call me. I had to give him the same cockamamie story, of course.”
Kristine, also a BFD captain, said, “So, I guess we all have to get on the same page in case anyone asks about them.”
“You said they went on a world tour?” Sandra asked. “How did you explain their sudden departure?”
“I just said it was a now or never thing. They won and had to go right away—or forfeit the trip.”
“That’s bizarre, Mom,” Luca said. “But I guess it could happen.”
“It could, and with luck, people will believe it did.”
“Now we need to ask one of our daughters-in-law if she can use her muse powers and figure out a way to go back in time and make this contest a reality,” Antonio said.
“You don’t ask for much, do you?” Gabe said. “Misty is still new at this.”
“I don’t know how to do something that complicated. I can go on my own world tour and drop postcards from them in the mail. Can anyone fake their handwriting?”
“I can probably do that with a sample,” Antonio said. “How about you, Kristine? Do you know how to go back in time and invent a whole contest?”
Kristine shook her head. “I’m afraid not. I’m still learning my muse role too. I can manipulate time a little bit, but that’s all.”
“Damn. Then we’re screwed,” Antonio said.
“No, you’re not. I’m more experienced, and sure’n I can come up with somethin’.” Chloe’s voice came from the ether, and then she stepped out of thin air.
“You didn’t think you were going to have a family meeting without us, did you?” Ryan stepped out of the same rift in the air, holding Chloe’s hand.
The whole family rose to greet them. Hugs and slaps on the back were given all around.
“Let me set more places!” Gabriella hurried to the hutch to find more plates and mugs.
“It looks like you’re going to need to buy more dishware,” Luca said and laughed. “And silverware, and napkins…”
“And maybe another leaf in the table,” Antonio said. “Especially if the new girlfriends become more than that.”
“True. It sounds like Noah was ready to sacrifice himself for this Kizzy girl. Is that her real name, by the way?” Miguel asked.
“Yup. At least that’s what Noah said. We spoke to him after he introduced her to us. And we’ve gotten to know her better recently.”
“Is Dante just as serious about Mallory?” Gabe asked.
“Even more so,” Gabriella said. “And I couldn’t be happier for them.
Both girls are absolutely lovely.” As she poured Antonio’s coffee and began walking around the table, pouring a cup for everyone who didn’t place their hand over their mug, she added, “Dante was talking about moving in with Mallory.”
“That was supposed to be kept confidential,” Antonio said.
“Your father was sworn to secrecy, but I wasn’t,” she sang.
The family laughed.
“Okay then. What do you need us to do?” Jayce asked. “I’m assuming there’s more to the story. You could’ve just texted us and told us the excuse you’d come up with.”
Antonio cleared his throat. “You’re right. There’s more to the story. A lot more. Apparently, there are some scary people down in Brazil, and they’re giving Kizzy’s family a run for their money. Or whatever it is they want from them.”
“It’s got to be more than money,” Kristine said. “Goddess knows there are wealthy people a lot closer to these enemies in Brazil.”
“Yes.” Antonio folded his hands on top of the table. “As you know, we have some distant relatives in the rain forest.”
“It sounds like you’re ready to get involved and include some distant relatives, Dad, but you don’t even know what this group wants? That’s not like you,” Jayce said.
“You’re right. It isn’t, usually. Or it wasn’t until you and your brothers defied me to help Kristine down in New York.”
She smiled. “And thank goodness you did. Without all of you, Jayce couldn’t have kept me from revealing my dragon form to half of Manhattan, and I couldn’t have rescued my mother without him.”
“And we’re glad you all did what you decided to do too,” Gabriella said.
Antonio gave them all the hairy eyeball, one by one around the table. “But don’t ever defy me again. We really have to pick our battles.”
“So you’re giving the okay for this one,” Jayce said. “I’m glad. If our brothers need us, we’re going to be there for them, no matter what.”
Antonio nodded. “That’s how I raised you to be. Even the fire service reinforces it.”
“So let’s summarize what we know so far,” Jayce said. “There’s a scary group in South America. We have relatives in South America. Are we going to involve them?”
“Only by asking them to house us for however long it takes. I’m hoping it won’t be long, but we need a base of operations that’s off the grid.”
“And how are we going to get involved ourselves?” Miguel asked.
“That’s what I hope you’ll all figure out before you leave,” Gabriella said.
Antonio held up one hand. “If any of you have reservations about this, you’re not obligated to go. We can’t fly that far that fast, so we’ll need to take a plane to Brazil, then meet up with our relatives. From there, we’ll go hunting for this group.”
“I’m in,” Ryan said.
“So am I,” Jayce said.
“And me.”
“Ditto.”
One more yes would make it unanimous.
“So I guess we’re going to Brazil,” Luca said. “Cool. I’d love to see the beaches near Rio. Oh, but it will be my graduation gift, right?”
Antonio chuckled. “Don’t worry. No one has to pay for this trip. It’s on me. Noah can pay me back later, with installment plans.”
The two birds hopped up and down in their cage, squawking.
“I don’t think Noah’s objecting to your payment plan. I think the two of them want to go with us,” Gabe observed.
“And that would be fine if they were fully mature,” Antonio said. “But they’re about fourteen right now. Not a good age if restraint is needed.” As if to illustrate the point, Noah squawked loudly and flapped his wings. Dante flew over him and pecked him on the head until he stopped.
“See what I mean?”
“I do,” Gabe said. “At fifteen, I made a stupid mistake that messed me up for about a decade.”
Then Dante squawked as if to disagree. Noah began hopping up and down again.
“Knock it off, you two. You’re staying here with your mother, and that’s final.” Antonio huffed. “Now, does anyone know how to reach this Kizzy Samuels?”