Chapter 48
Brotherly Secrets
My movies arrived safely to Matteo, but I haven’t spoken or seen him since. It’s been over two weeks, but I knew to be patient and hope that olive branch will be a start. I do know he’s been less frustrating with other hotel staff. That’s a start.
I wave to my occupational and physical therapists as the elevator doors close.
“Would you like to get some lunch, ma’am?” Michael asks.
“Think I’ll go up and see if Leo wants to eat together, I haven’t seen him all morning,” I turn my chair around, going back into the apartment.
Michael follows after me silently but stops at the bedroom doorway as I grab clothes to change into. I wasn’t fully sweaty from PT but felt sticky enough to change.
“Can you check in with Isaac to see if Leo is upstairs?”
“Yes, ma’am.”
I roll into the bathroom with clothes on my lap, closing the door behind me.
It takes longer than I care to change my clothes, legs shaky, but I’m able to do it without much fuss.
I can stand for a bit on my own but I’ve noticed either a numbing sensation or pinching pain along my lower back occurs if I stand too long.
I’m able to walk around the apartment sometimes, holding onto things, but it’s like my body and brain aren’t on the same wavelength most days.
My therapists suggested I start using forearm crutches soon, mix it up with the wheelchair depending on my pain levels and movability.
I slump back into the wheelchair, already winded. I toss the clothes into the hamper, rolling KITT out of the bathroom. I find Michael in the living room with Isaac.
“That was quick,” I comment, smirking.
“He’s in a mood,” Isaac says by greeting.
I look at Michael and then the door. He takes the hint. “I’ll go run some errands, ma’am. See you after lunch.”
“Thanks.” Although slowly becoming my full-time bodyguard, Michael wasn’t privy to certain conversations.
He leaves, and I gesture for Isaac to continue as I go grab some water.
“He had multiple meetings with crime bosses this morning, and Finstrum is currently upstairs for one,” he says.
Explains the early morning. “How long until that’s done?”
“Twenty minutes? Maybe longer?” I grab the glasses that have been brought down so I can reach them. “Carrie is supposed to be here later, which Chiari has been instructed to keep her busy until Finstrum is gone. Which has only made Jameson grumpier.”
Oh, fun. I get water from the fridge, then spin in place to face Isaac. “Is that it?”
“Giovanna tried to contact him today.” The glass freezes at my lips. “She’s still asking for Gabriel’s body.”
Never gonna happen.
Leo had him cut apart, and then buried where Giovanna’s body should be.
He had her grave dug up, finding an empty fucking coffin.
Not even her body decoy was there. So, he buried Gabriel where his mother was supposed to be.
Right next to Riccardo and his second wife. The pettiest I’ve known Leo to be.
“So, that hasn’t helped,” Isaac mentions.
“Well, I’ll head up, check in with him,” I say, taking a few sips and leave the glass on the counter.
I start to leave the apartment, and Isaac abruptly asks, “He’s still seeing Dr. Maxwell, right?”
My gaze shoots over my shoulder to him. “Yes. He and I have check-ins every week to make sure he is, along with myself.”
Isaac nods, and then leads the way, keeping the door open. I see the worry etched on his face as I move past, heading to the elevator.
“Is there anything else I should know?” I ask, pressing the button.
“No, just…he’s off today. Along with Jameson. We’ve all noticed.”
“Just a bad day. They happen.”
He nods, but his scowl doesn’t tell me he’s fine with that answer. I ignore the tightness in my chest, and the worry in my gut. Come on, Autumn, you’ve had bad days. Plenty lately, too. Just three days ago you had a small breakdown.
The doors open, and we get on. “How about you help me with some ideas?”
“Such as?” He asks.
“OT wants me to do an activity outside of just normal PT. So, you know, a hobby that’s not watching movies.”
He thinks a moment, doors closing as we go up. “Swimming?”
“Eh, not a big fan.”
“Bicycling?”
“If it doesn’t have a rumbling engine, I don’t want it.” We both smirk.
“What about dancing?” I look up at him, delightfully surprised. “It can help with balance and movement. You could take weekly lessons.”
“Not a bad idea.”
“You could do it with Leo. Get him out of the office.”
Isaac and the Crew must be worried if he’s suggesting weekly dancing dates.
“I like that idea, get us both out of the hotel and penthouse,” I say with a smile, and Isaac slightly relaxes.
The doors open, and we come out to the hallway; Leo’s office doors are closed. Down the left I see Rudy standing on guard, next to Chesty. There’s a handful of others I don’t recognize.
“Why don’t you wait in his office?” Isaac suggests in a low tone.
“Yeah,” I murmur, moving to the doors. Isaac opens it for me and then walks away to the others.
I get into Leo’s office, but stop when I see Jameson on the couch with his head hung low. It takes him a second to get up, trying to act like he wasn’t lamenting on the couch. His face is scrunched together, jaw working as I see frustration along his face. “Autumn.”
“Was gonna wait here for Leo, but I can go somewhere else.”
“No. Come in.”
I move my wheelchair forward, closing the door and coming closer to him. He sits back down again, almost seeming defeated.
“Long day?”
“You could say that,” he mutters, running his hand over his face. Jameson places his elbows on his knees, looking down at the ground. “If you could just make sure no one comes in or tell anyone.”
“Okay,” I say softly, sitting back more in my chair. A tiredness I’ve rarely seen on Jameson is there. It’s been a long couple of months. He’s been holding down everything here and took care of business while I was in a coma. The man needs a vacation for half a year at this point.
“How are you?” I ask gently.
“Need a damn ride.” Or just that.
“Could go spend a few days at the estate. It’s clear now. Maybe take some of the Crew who damn sure need it. We can handle things for at least a week, I swear.”
He shakes his head. “No. Can’t leave Leo alone yet.”
“He’s not alone.”
I go still as Jameson looks at me. His frown deep with melancholic eyes. Something else is wrong, obviously digging at him.
“What is it, Jameson?”
“Just a long day.”
“Bullshit,” I say, leisurely crossing my arms over my chest. “Something’s on your mind. Get it off your chest, I’ll listen.”
His eyes flick over me before shaking his head, leaning back.
“If you don’t want to talk to me, okay, but it’s alright if you’re not alright.”
I give an encouraging smile. There’s noise outside the doors, but then it quickly disappears.
“It’s been a rough few months,” I sigh, rubbing my hands over my jeans. “Hell, last year.”
“Yeah…it has been. A year.” Something in his voice, makes me cock my head at him. “Tomorrow is a year since Leo met you.”
My eyes widen at Jameson. One, how did I not remember that? Two, how does Jameson remember that?
“How did you remember the date?”
He stares down at his hands, flexing them. “Shit would’ve been a lot different if he hadn’t.”
An uneasy feeling moves through me, stomach flipping. “Jameson, why do you remember the date?”
His eyes come up, and there’s hurt. The kind that cuts deep.
“You can’t tell him I told you, alright? I know he hasn’t. Why he’s acting…” he shakes his head, and sighs, “…I don’t know what happened weeks before he met you. Maybe it was something simmering, and I hadn’t noticed.”
I nod along, rolling closer.
“Right before he met you, deals had gone wayward, work was erratic. Renato was being a dick. So was Matteo. At that time, Gabriel was screwing with Leo’s hotel in Florida.
But it was our usual issues.” He swallows hard, clenching his hands.
“The night before he met you, I went to the apartment to talk about something. When I opened the door, he was…was sitting in the living room with a half a crystal of scotch gone.” My memory flashes back to a quiet night, walking in on Leo staring at the fireplace.
“I’ll never forget the image. Burned into my fucking brain. ”
Jameson’s voice strains, hands starting to tremble as he stares at the ground.
He clears his throat, and says, “He had his Colt Revolver. Same fucking gun he used to kill your rapists months later. The barrel was in his mouth. Safety already clicked back. He stopped. We both did. All I could fucking do was stand there. No guilt on his face. No shame. No anger. He was just…done.”
I stare at Jameson, feeling like bricks are on my chest. Tears want to work their way up as sorrow digs deep; an understanding I knew too well to get to that point.
“I wanted to see you smile one more time.” Oh, fuck. His “confession”.
“Couldn’t say a damn thing when I finally grabbed the gun, putting it away along with the alcohol.
Told him to sleep it off. Tomorrow would be better.
He wouldn’t say a thing but went to bed.
I slept on the couch, no idea what the fuck to do.
Next day he ended up in that coffee shop when you were there.
That night, I skipped two meetings to get back to his apartment when he would, hoping I wouldn’t find him too late. ”
Jameson’s voice catches as he tries to clear his throat.