Chapter Twelve
Only a brother can treat you badly, and then stick up for you like no one else.
After landing in Denver, Rachel gathered her things on Marcello’s plane, eager to see her kids. She’d only been gone for the weekend, but it felt like a month. “My mom made us a late lunch if you can wait to eat, Ally. Otherwise, we can run through a drive through on the way home.”
“I’m not two years old. I can wait.” Ally stood and slung her backpack over her shoulder.
She’d been a grump the whole trip.
Marcello smiled. “Ally is annoyed because it throws her whole day off when I don’t stick to the schedule.”
Ally shook her head as she walked toward the front hatch. “I’d probably oversleep too if I were up all night doing things I don’t want to think about the two of you doing.” She put her headphones on and disappeared down the exit stairs.
Rachel turned to Marcello. “I’m hoping this mood ends soon. Or it could be a long three weeks until you get back.”
“She’ll settle in.” He waited for her to go down the stairs first, then he followed behind. They joined Ally, who waited for them on the tarmac at the bottom of the stairs. “Did your mother say what she made us for lunch? Doing things this morning that Ally doesn’t want to know about has made me hungry again. I might need that drive through.”
“Gross.” Ally shook her head and walked to the tail end of the plane to collect her bags.
Rachel laughed. “Ally lesson number one. Never assume she’s got music playing and isn’t listening.”
Marcello held his hand out. “Keys? I’ll go grab the car. Bring it closer.” After she laid the fob in his palm, he whispered, “Lesson two. The more annoying Ally gets, the more afraid of something she is. Judy is her only living relative beside the father who has nothing to do with her. Ally’s never been away from her mom for more than a few days.”
“Got it.” Rachel walked to the rear of the plane and waited for the pilot to unload all their bags. Ally, dressed in a hoodie and jeans, rocked back and forth from foot to foot and blew on her fisted hands.
“Do you have a better coat than that? It’s going to be cold for a few more months here.”
Ally tugged her headphones off and left them hanging around her neck. “I ordered one. It’ll be at your house day after tomorrow. Along with some gloves and stuff.”
“Good.” She’d worn a heavy sweater, so she took her coat off and wrapped it around Ally’s shoulders. “Until then, you can borrow mine. This isn’t even cold to me.” Sunny and forty-five was nice for winter in Denver.
Ally glanced over her shoulder and frowned as if she was about to protest, but instead, she stuffed her arms inside the wool coat that was a little too big and buttoned it up. “Thank you.”
“No problem.” She gave Ally a shoulder bump. “So, in doing your extensive background check on me, did you happen to figure out who my twin sister is married to?”
Ally nodded. “I saw his name, but I didn’t dig into him or anything. Derek something, right?”
Wow. Ally was good. “It’s Derek Cooper. I noticed you were playing a game he writes on your laptop earlier. You seemed pretty into it, so I didn’t want to disturb you.”
“Universe of Zeldane?” A frown split Ally’s forehead for a moment, and then her eyes widened. “Get out! Deek Cooper is your brother-in-law? He’s got mad programming skills.”
“So I’m told. I guess that game is pretty popular, huh?”
“Popular?” Ally snorted. “Everyone is playing it.”
“Well, then you two will have something to talk about when you meet him.” Especially because her whole family was at her house waiting for them as a surprise. She’d wanted to formally introduce Marcello to everyone after their weekend announcement.
Ally asked, “Have you ever seen his setup? He must have amazing hardware.”
“Yeah. His study looks like something out of a sci-fi film. He’s a really nice guy. I’m sure he’ll let you see it if you’d like.”
“That’d be incredible.” Ally beamed the first real smile Rachel had seen. “Thank you!”
Marcello joined them. “What’s so incredible?”
Rachel helped load the car while Ally gushed about Deek to Marcello. Who knew her sweet but geeky brother-in-law would come in so handy one day?
After they pulled into her garage, Rachel hopped out of the car and led the way into her house. She couldn’t wait to get her hands on the babies.
She opened the door that led into her kitchen, and her brother, Nick, called out, “Look, everyone. It’s Quick-Draw!” Whipped cream, sprayed from eight cans at close range, flew at her from every direction.
All she could do was hold her breath and hope it’d end soon.
When the uncontrollable laughter started and the spraying ended, she wiped the cream from her eyes. “Marcello and Ally, meet my family. Comedians, all of them.” She turned to her eight-year-old niece, Emily, and her new-by-marriage nephew, Asher. “Even you guys? I thought we were pals. And don’t you have school today?”
Asher was trying not to laugh as Emily explained, “Teacher planning day. And it was Uncle Nick’s idea. He bullied us into doing it.”
“Really?” Rachel scooped a handful of cream from her hair and slowly walked toward her annoying baby brother. “That true, Nicholas?”
“Hey, new suit here.” Nick held his hands up in a “don’t shoot” gesture. “I didn’t have to bully very hard. You kind of set yourself up for this, on national TV, no less.”
She wiped her hand down the front of his fancy suit and tie, then ground the whipped cream in. “You won’t know when, and you won’t know where, but payback’s a bit—”
“Rachel! There are young ears present,” her mother called out. “Hello, Marcello, and Ally. Come in. And don’t worry, we only spray people with food around here, so you’re safe, Marcello.”
Marcello swiped a finger full of cream off her shoulder. “Tastes much better than pepper spray.” That got snickers all around again.
After she sent the stink eye to the rest of her family, Rachel glanced at Ally to see if she was ready to bolt from the loony bin. The kid was grinning from ear to ear. And so was Marcello. The traitors.
She turned to her mother. “Are my children still here, or have you sent them off to boarding school as a prank?”
Her mom smiled. “They just went down for a nap.”
“Good.” She crouched down to her one-year-old nephew Rafe, in Shelby’s arms. “I’m sorry your daddy is such a baboon. I hope you take after your mommy.”
Then she pointed a finger at Marcello and Ally. “And since you two think this is so funny, I’ll leave you with this pack of wolves while I go change. Good luck. You’ll need it.”
Conjuring up her last remaining shred of dignity, she lifted her chin and headed for the shower to plot revenge on her brother.
Marcello had met Rachel’s mother and sister, but not the rest of her family. He knew most of their names though, and quickly paired up who he figured went with who. He put his hand on Ally’s back and nudged her forward hoping they’d introduce themselves in case he was wrong about their names. He wanted to make a good impression. “Everyone, Ally has agreed to help us with the twins. She and her mother are like family to me.”
Rachel’s mom wrapped an arm around Ally’s shoulder. “Welcome, Ally. I’m Linda. We aren’t usually this poorly behaved, but Rachel rarely makes a mistake, so none of us could resist.”
Ally smiled. “I thought it was pretty funny.”
“Me too. Come have some lunch and get to know everyone. Rachel texted from the car and said you’re a fan of Deek’s, so why don’t we find you a seat next to his?”
Ally’s face lit up. “That’d be great. Thanks!”
Marcello’s phone vibrated with a text, so he pulled it out for a quick look before they sat down to eat. He didn’t recognize the number, but the subject line caught his attention. His stomach knotted with familiar dread.
It was in Italian. And it said Wednesday or jail. He’d blocked his father, so he must’ve borrowed someone else’s phone.
Apparently, his father had found his courage again on his flight back home. Would he really go to the police if his bluff was called?
Before he could open the text, Rachel’s brother joined him and stuck out a hand. “Hi. I’m Nick.”
He put his phone away and shook Nick’s hand. “Rachel has told me all about you. Nice to meet you.”
“You too.” Nick leaned closer and in a low voice said, “Just so we’re clear. You hurt Rachel again, and you’ll have to answer to me. Got it?”
“Understood.” He was getting off to a great start with Rachel’s family.
A cute, short blonde with a baby on her hip stuck out her hand. “Nick’s bark is worse than his bite. I’m his wife, Shelby, and I’m very glad to meet you.”
Marcello figured a kiss on the cheek as was his normal greeting might get his arm broken with Nick standing by, so he nodded as he shook her hand. “Yes, the matchmaker. Nice to meet you too, Shelby.”
He wanted to sneak away to read the text, but didn’t want to offend Rachel’s mother, so he followed Nick and Shelby to the dining room table. Rachel’s father motioned him over and pulled out a chair. “You can sit right next to me, Marcello. I have a few questions for you.”
Perfect. Was there a firing squad in the backyard if he answered wrong?
He glanced at Ally to be sure she was all right. She was talking to a blond man who wore a T-shirt that read: I was addicted to the Hokey Pokey . . . But then I turned myself around.
He didn’t get it, but Rachel said Lori’s husband always wore funny T-shirts, and Ally was asking him a million questions, so he must be Deek. The two older kids belonged to them.
Rachel’s father sat down and stuck out a hand. “Edward. Nice to officially meet you. Finally.”
He returned the shake. “You too. It’s an honor to be here.”
“I would have told Rachel not to take you back after you left her pregnant with twins. But then, I’m not perfect either. As long as Rachel’s happy, you and I will get along just fine.”
Rachel was right, the men in her family stuck together like a pack of wolves, protecting her. He couldn’t blame them for it. He’d do anything to be sure she was safe too. Especially now that Rachel and the kids had been in the news. He needed to be sure his father didn’t have any way of contacting them while he was away in Canada. He’d already hired the best security service in Denver for their physical protection. They were due to start that evening, so he’d better tell Rachel.
He couldn’t ever tell her the whole story about the attempted murder charge that kept him from ever going home, she’d lose all respect for him. And that he couldn’t bear. That, and he didn’t want her to worry. Or to be involved in any way that could get her in trouble too. Being his lawyer might make her safe to help as she suggested, or obligated to turn him in once she heard the whole story. He couldn’t be sure, so it was still best to leave her out of it. Not open the door to the dungeon from hell that was his past. She’d see all his skeletons too.
All he could do was ignore his father and hope he wanted those payments for the rest of the year more than he wanted to go to the police. But then, what would happen after the money stopped coming in the new year? Was he just putting a Band-Aid on a wound that needed stiches? He needed to find a permanent solution.
After the last of her family and the photographers for Stella’s photo shoot left, Rachel closed the front door and then headed to the den to join the others. Her dad and brother had been hard on Marcello. She probably needed to make sure he wasn’t upset.
When she walked into the den, she smiled. The puppies were so tired from playing with Emily and Asher, they had put themselves to bed in their crate. They were snoozing soundly with the door open. Ally had a twin propped up on each side of her on the couch, wiping up dribbles as they drank from their bottles. Marcello was fast asleep in the big leather side chair with his feet propped up on the ottoman. It was big enough for two, so she slipped beside him and laid her head on his shoulder.
She was tired too. They’d been making up for lost time last night and then in the morning. Twice. She’d protested when he wanted to join her in the shower because they’d be late, but Marcello said that was the beauty of owning his own plane. It flew on his schedule, not the other way around. It was a luxury she could get used to.
“Ciao, bella,” Marcello whispered as he wrapped his arms around her. “I have a question. What’s a Hokey Pokey?”
“It’s a song and dance we all learned as kids. So when we grow up we can get drunk at weddings and do it in a big circle.”
Ally hopped up from the couch to demonstrate how it went. It made the babies laugh.
He nodded. “Now Deek’s shirt makes sense.”
She snuggled closer, hating that he was going to have to leave in the morning. For three long weeks. “After my dad’s and brother’s inquisitions, do you still want to join this circus called my family?”
“Sì.” He laid a kiss on the top of her head. “They were just looking out for you. And on that same subject, you have a website for your work, no? Where people can leave you messages to contact you?”
“Yep. That’s the point of having a webpage. To garner new business.” His tone had turned solemn, so she asked, “Do you think the press are going to use it to bother me now that they know who I am?”
Ally said, “That’s for sure going to happen. Marcello gets all kinds of whack emails from his business account, and his isn’t even made public.”
Crap. That was going to be a problem for her business. “What do you guys do to sort through them?”
Ally raised her hand. “You’re looking at Marcello’s personal filtration system. I check his email every day and only pass on the important ones.”
Marcello said, “Maybe Ally could do the same for you? And did I mention that I hired round-the-clock security for you here at the house too?”
Alarmed, she sat up. “Do you think the press is going to be that bad? Even after you gave them that speech about leaving us alone?”
Ally said, “Yes. They’re cockroaches. It’s why Marcello can’t fly commercial, doesn’t go out to eat at restaurants, and never goes to public places like the movies. It’s like he’s a prisoner in his own home sometimes. Luckily, it’s a damn nice home, but still.”
Rachel’s biggest fears for their children’s privacy and safety were coming true. “Maybe I should look for something in a gated neighborhood? I don’t want the press camped out at the curb and following us around.” And she really didn’t want to become a prisoner in her own home like Ally described.
Marcello laid a hand on her face. “Bella, stop. Let’s just wait and see what happens. If it gets to be too much, you can go back to my house. It’s all set up to keep the press away.”
“Yeah. And the freaks,” Ally said. “Let’s not forget about them.”
“That’s enough,” Marcello snapped. “Stella’s plan to release pictures and stories on a regular basis will work to help keep the press easily fed. It’ll all be taken care of.”
Freaks? “Have you had real threats? Like stalkers?”
Marcello’s eyes cut to Ally’s in a silent don’t say a word.
“You have. Wow.” She slid out of the chair to pace. And to think.
What had she gotten the kids into? “Why haven’t you ever mentioned that to me before, Marcello?”
“Because I don’t spend my days worrying about it.” He stood and wrapped her up in a hug. “I’ve never been hurt, bella. And I promise to make sure you and the kids are always protected. So, please, let Ally help you. She’s used to it all and knows what to do if there is a real threat. Then we don’t have to worry about this anymore, sì?”
Easy for him to say.
Not so easy for her to do.