Tails
Exhausted didn’t begin to describe the way Zorah was feeling. They were all tired and at one point one of the security team which accompanied Orlando all the time managed to produce a wheelchair, which Chester ended up requiring after some time.
They were walking towards the public washrooms and one of the security agents flagged Orlando. Orlando spoke to him heatedly and then walked briskly to Zorah.
“Hey, kiddo,” he studied her intently, “we have a mild situation and before we go all ape shit over it and cause a bigger problem than we need to, I want to ask you some questions. Can we sit for a minute?”
“Sure.” She moved to the bench where he motioned aware Chester appeared confused by Orlando’s sudden sidebar.
“What is going on?”
“We’ve had a tail for the last couple of hours. At first, we simply tried to give them the benefit of the doubt, considering we are at Disney. However, one of the guys mentioned he’d seen her parked up the street from us and when he asked her what she was doing earlier this morning, she said she’d gotten turned around and he gave her directions back to Ikea.”
“Someone is following us?”
“Do you know who this is?” Orlando took a phone from one of the security agents.
Zorah looked at the photo and then looked around with wide eyes, a smile on her face. “Yes. I do know her. She’s here?”
“Who is she, Zorah?”
“Icaro’s cousin Keturah. She was supposed to be moving to New York with us when we relocated at the end of our honeymoon. She was going to be reassigned to be part of my security team.”
“Do you think she told Icaro where Zorah is?” Chester asked Orlando.
“She’s not a big player in the Lucchesi family. I don’t know shit about her.”
“Keturah!” Zorah noticed her leaning against a lamppost feigning she was studying a map. “Come here!”
Keturah blanched as two men went to collect her and bring her closer. Zorah leapt to her feet and raced to meet her halfway and engulfed her in a hug. When Keturah didn’t hug her back, Zorah leaned away from her.
“What are you doing here and why are you mad at me?”
“Who is he? You’ve been all cuddled up next to him all day. You even kissed him.”
“My Dad,” Zorah smiled at Keturah’s accusing question, “now why are you here?”
Keturah was stunned, “your dad?”
“Yes. My father. He found out my mother’s brother, Ippocrate, hired someone to kidnap me and they were going to go in and kill Icaro and take me. They got there seconds before Ippocrate’s men did to get me out.”
“Your father is dead, Zorah.”
“Pretty sure you can see he’s not. My mom lied about who my dad was. Come on. I’ll introduce you. Does Icaro know you’re here?”
“No.” Keturah let Zorah drag her towards Chester.
“Dad, this is Keturah, the person Icaro was going to assign to me in New York. Keturah, this is my dad, Chester Frye. This is my aunt and his sister, Shay. This is her husband, Dane, and this,” she waved at Orlando who was glaring at Keturah, “is my uncle Orlando.”
“Why are you following Zorah?” Orlando questioned angrily.
“Because she is my charge.” Keturah narrowed her eyes back at Orlando. “My cousin told me I’d be taking over her security when we got to New York. I decided I wanted to start early. I was tailing her for a couple of days back in Catania and doing it well enough nobody noticed me. I saw the team you intercepted.”
“How did you know where we went?”
“You came in through the water, but you left by car. I hitched a ride in the back of one of the cars. When we got to the private airfield, I knew I wouldn’t get on the plane undetected, so I waited to find out where the plane was going. I paid one of the security agents in the hangar to tell me where the plane was going. I got back to the airport and booked the first flight to Florida. It didn’t take long for me to find out where your jet landed. I managed to locate you this morning at the house. I followed you here this morning.”
“And you’ve reported back to Icaro?”
“No. Not yet. I wanted to make sure I wasn’t giving false information but then this morning when I saw Zorah excitedly getting into the car to come here, I thought maybe she’d staged the whole thing and left him.”
“Zorah will be returning to Icaro when he cleans up the messes in Italy, New York and Rhodes Island.” Chester gave a laugh.
“You’re coming home with us,” Orlando said bluntly. “Give me your phone.” When Keturah balked he glared, “lady, you have ten seconds to give me the phone or I’m going to have my men use excessive force, take it from you and take you back to the house unconscious and you won’t be given a guest bedroom but a spot in the basement and it’s more a dungeon. Make a choice, Lucchesi,” Orlando folded his arms over his chest and quirked an eyebrow, “cozy bedroom with a view or a single cot in a room where there could be spiders.”
Keturah passed her phone over and then looked at Zorah, “this is your family?”
“Yes. They came for me. I didn’t even know my father was still alive. I thought Icaro killed him. Turns out my mom lied about who my father was and a guy who swore over and over he wasn’t my father, wasn’t lying and he died for nothing.” Zorah was confiding excitedly to her friend. “He’s been wanting to meet me so long,” She waved at Chester, “and then when he was finally in Providence to meet me, Icaro already took me to Rome.”
“Your uncle is a dick.” Keturah grimaced at Orlando who didn’t seem to care much of her opinion.
Shay leaned closer to Zorah, “how old is Keturah?”
“I don’t know.”
“Thirty-two” Keturah frowned, “why?”
“Just curious,” Shay was grinning like a fool. “It’s all very curious.”
“Keturah, do you need to call home?”
“No. They haven’t even noticed I’m gone yet. They’re such a boy’s club they didn’t even think to check in and see if I might have intel to share. Idiots.”
“I really like her,” Shay said and hooked her arm through Keturah’s and then linked up with Zorah. “Let’s go home and have dinner and Keturah can tell us all about how she figured out how to catch up with Zorah.”
Zorah watched the way Orlando was watching Keturah and giggled. Maybe Lucchesi men weren’t the only ones to get struck at first sight.
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