Late Night Chat
Zorah was laying in her bed and clutching the phone in her hand. She’d spent a great afternoon and evening getting to know Chester and his family, her family now. Dane had also come home, and Zorah was treated to watching how Shay and Dane interacted together, and she admitted it was adorable.
Then when her grandparents arrived, watching the way they interacted together, how close and loving they were, it made her miss Icaro even more.
As she was saying goodnight to everyone, expressing her exhaustion after such an emotional day, Chester had stopped her and held a phone up to her.
“Zorah, I know you want to call him. I trust you won’t tell him where you are until he can confirm your security but if you really love him, I support you. Call him and spend some time with him on the phone but please, I beg of you, don’t tell him where you are.”
She nodded, “I won’t. I promise, Chester. I won’t tell him where I am.”
“I want to keep you safe. Until the lines of danger directly linked to you are cut, it’s best you stay hidden.”
“I know. I don’t want to cause more trouble for Icaro. If he can mitigate all the risks because I’m out of the way, then I’ll let him do it. The way you, Orlando and Dane explained it to me earlier, I totally understand and agree.”
Now she was contemplating the events of the day and finding herself very lonely. She knew it was a six-hour time difference and so it would be the early hours of the morning in Sicily, but she couldn’t help herself and dialed out the preprogrammed number for Icaro.
“Hello?”
“Hi. It’s me.”
“Zorah, amoré, it is so good to hear your voice.”
“I miss you,” she responded.
“Where are you?”
“I promised I wouldn’t tell you where I was if I was allowed to keep this phone so I could keep in contact with you. My father gave me this phone because he knew I was sad and missing you, but he feels strongly I’m not safe.”
“He is right. You weren’t safe here, Zorah. I trusted Vodingo too blindly.”
“This isn’t Vodingo’s fault, Icaro.”
“There were three groups of spies watching you Zorah and he missed them all. He is the head of our security.”
“Icaro, don’t do this. Do not blame him for this.”
“If your father hadn’t intervened, Zorah, I would be dead, and you would be on your way to Ippocrate Giannone to live your life in his underground bunker where he could do heaven knows what to you. Vodingo has been angry with you Zorah because he feels you’re going to take Sidonia away from him and as a result he hasn’t been taking his job seriously. He admitted it after his father cornered him when I was done telling him off. Dad has suspended him.”
“He must be devastated.”
“Do not defend him, Zorah.”
“Icaro. He is your cousin, your best friend, the man who has been at your side all your life. Do you really believe he isn’t feeling remorse for his mistake?”
“I believe he is sorry, Zorah but we could both be dead and –”
“And nothing. He is probably feeling so much guilt and likely is sad. Now you’re lashing out because you’re scared and upset, and you need to blame someone.”
“Do you expect me to argue with you about being scared and upset? I am terrified, Zorah. I don’t know where you are. I haven’t seen your face. I’m worried whoever it is who has you is lying to you and making you believe things which aren’t true. I want you here, in my arms.”
“I will be.”
“You really want to come back to me?”
“Yes.”
“I was scared you would be glad you were away from me.” He admitted.
Zorah sighed, “Icaro, I will come home. My father has promised me.”
“What if he isn’t your father? I know you said he provided DNA evidence, but he could be lying. It could be forged.”
“He’s not lying. He’s been at my recitals at school and even came to the church a couple of times at Christmas, but he stayed in the back where Mom couldn’t see him.”
“Why did he never come forward before?”
“He thought Mom and Ippocrate were backed by the Lucchesi family. Once he realized how much money and power were behind them, he wanted to make some money to take them to court for custody. He was always worried with the backing of billionaires, if he didn’t have all of his ducks in a row, he would lose all access to me. He was trying to do it the right way but then there was a series of calamitous events. He ended up in prison in a foreign country for a year and a half and then when he came back, he was shot in the back.”
“Shot?”
“He’s in a wheelchair, Icaro. He’s spent the last five years recovering slowly. He can take some steps, but it’s been a hard go for him. He loves me so much Icaro. I can feel it. He can’t stop looking at me. So many times, I heard him whispering he was so glad I was finally here.”
“I know that feeling,” Icaro said quietly. “It’s how I felt the day of our wedding and then bringing you with me away from your mother. I couldn’t believe it was finally there.”
“His friends kept squeezing his shoulder and his sister and parents were teasing him for getting emotional. They told me he’s not a crier and he is a very rational and logical man and the way he was behaving today where he was constantly checking on me to ask if I was okay was funny to them. He offered to cut my steak at dinner.”
Icaro laughed, “did he now?”
“He did. He’s a good man, Icaro. I mean I know he and the crew he’s part of have done things I probably never want to know details of, but I feel safe and loved here.”
Icaro was quiet and Zorah wondered what was wrong when he finally spoke.
“I didn’t make you feel safe and loved.”
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