CHAPTER 20: An unfortunate breakthrough...

Ricco
This morning is the meeting to see what information has been gathered on the CPE. I hope someone is able to find something we can use. I have a ton of people looking into this and have heard nothing back. I hope that changes soon. Celeste and I have decided to merge the members and heirs to meet all at once today since we have planned coinciding times. Maybe the younger generation has their finger closer to the pulse than us old guys. "I'm gonna be late. Gotta go." I grabbed my notes and ran out the door.
Everyone is gathered and waiting when I arrive. "Good morning, Celeste."
"Morning Daddy." I'm about to address the room when her cell phone rings. "Oh! Daddy, I have to take this. It might take a few minutes, so go ahead and start without me." She gets up and rushes out the door with her phone to her ear.
I get the meeting started, explaining that we'll go around the room and ask everyone individually what they've found. I start on my right past Celeste's seat. Shit, I'm already half through the room and the only intel we've gotten so far is more attacks that CPE may have been involved in. The last couple of people had some low - level enforcers' names. It's not a lot, but at least it's a jumping - off point. "Well, I'm afraid I haven't gotten anything of any worth to add to the info we have on them. Celeste had to step out to take a phone call, so I suppose I can ask her later if she has found anything, and let everyone know. So for now..."
Celeste walks back in with a furious look on her brick red face, stopping me midsentence, and flopping down on her chair. I'm afraid to ask, but I get the feeling I have to. "Celeste, we just shared all the information we were able to gather, which isn't much. I don't suppose you were able to get anything on them, were you?"
Sigh. "Unfortunately, Daddy, I think I did."
"Why is that unfortunate, sweetheart? That's what we want."
"Well, wait until you hear the information and you'll see why it's unfortunate." She looks annoyed as she stands. "The call I got just before the meeting was from the head of the Bianchi family." She raises her hand in my direction. "I know, Daddy. You don't like that I speak to him, but I am completely safe."
"Who is the Bianchi family?" Ryu chimes in with a look of concern.
"The biggest Mafia family in Chicago!" I nearly scream.
"Why are you hanging around the mafia, Celeste?" Ajax echoes my horror.
Again, a sigh starts her sentence, but this time it is accompanied by an eye roll. "Listen, I am a grown - ass woman, and I can be friends with anyone I like. However, in this particular case, he was my patient. I saved his life, and ever since then him and his entire family has called me their angel of mercy. All of that is beside the point, though. Can I please get back to what I was saying?" No one else says a word. "Thank you. Now, Mr. Bianchi is fairly certain he knows who formed the CPE. He thinks this man is personally funding it too. Mr. Bianchi used to pay this man for a certain type of protection a long time ago. Legal protection. They still do some dealings from time to time and have discussed the CPE on a few occasions. He tried to get the Bianchi family on board for more muscle, but because of me, Mr. Bianchi refused, not that he gave me as the reason."
"Sweetheart, that is a huge step in this investigation. Why are you so upset about bringing us this information?"
"Well, because... ah... Daddy, it's Alexander Donnelly." She turns to face me as she says this. I know exactly what is going through her head. I sit down very slowly, holding her gaze.
"Um, I'm sorry. Can you fill the rest of us in here? I don't know who this Donnelly guy is." Randol's voice pulls us back.
Celeste continues. "Sorry. Alexander Donnelly is a former politician. More accurately, a former corrupt politician, very corrupt. Mr. Bianchi used to pay him to help keep his people out of jail. Anyway, the reason this is such bad news is that I no longer think this is a paranormal grudge. I think it's a personal grudge. Daddy?"
I stand to finish Celeste's explanation. "Um, yeah. So at the same time that I was dating Arianna, Donnelly tried to pursue her. Although I never had to step in myself, he was not happy with me for Arianna rejecting him."
Anthony interjected, "Why didn't you step in, again?"
I look directly at him. "You've met my daughter, right? Guess where that fury comes from."
"I withdraw my question."
"Guys! I'm sitting right here! I can hear you."
"I stand by my statement. Moving on. Donnelly knew what Arianna was, and by proxy, what I was. He still wanted her, but we were in love. She chose me of her own free will. He thought so highly of himself that he assumed the only way he could lose her to me was because I was a paranormal. That I somehow convinced her that we should only be with our own kind. If he is the one behind this, that incident could have sparked the idea for the CPE. It could, as Celeste suggested, be a personal vendetta."
"That fat, scum - sucking, arrogant piece of shit! Like my mother would ever lower herself to be with someone like that! I am going to personally rip each and every appendage from his body and feed them to those pigs from Hannibal, while he watches. Then I'm putting the rest of him through a wood chipper!"
The entire room looked at Celeste wide - eyed, quiet, and scared. "Calm down, Celeste. Even the vampires in the room are nauseous from all the blood and gore in that statement. I know you're mad, but we have to be rational."
"Well, it's rational to think that still wouldn't be harsh enough for everything he has said and done. That was spur - of - the - moment, though. Give me some time and I'll think of something better." She sits back, arms crossed.
"Okay, while you do that I'm going to end this meeting so we can gather intel on Donnelly."
"I've got the Bianchis on it. We'll have everything we need and then some in two days. Until then, no one pry too deep. If he knows we're on to him, he will go dark, and even Mr. Bianchi won't be able to get to him."
"All right, everyone, let's give Celeste a couple days, then we'll meet back up. She can let us know when she's heard back from Bianchi. Agreed?" Everyone, still a little shaken from Celeste's murderous rage, nods agreement. "Great. I'll let everyone know when I hear from Celeste then." Everyone gets up to leave. "Celeste, can you stay for a minute?" We wait for everyone to leave before sitting back down. "Are you okay?"
"I'm just so mad Daddy. She's not even here anymore, but I still feel so protective of Mom, ya know?"
"I know, honey, and I'm sorry you have to deal with this idiot at all. I'm sure if your mom knew this was going to happen, she would have snapped him like a twig."
A little giggle escaped her despite her efforts to stop it. "I know, Daddy. I'll be fine after the initial shock wears off. Are you okay, though?"
"I'm fine. I know your mom chose me because she loved me dearly. You two share that stubborn streak after all. There is no getting either of you to do something you don't want to do. She always thought she would give you the same advice her father gave her someday, but she never got the chance."
"What advice?"
"When you have to choose who you want to be with for the rest of your life, don't choose someone you can live with. Choose someone you can't live without. That's what she said I was for her back then. She was definitely that for me."
"Thank you, Daddy. You have no idea how helpful that advice is right now."
"Actually, I do."
"Ugh! Of course, you do. I'll have to thank Uncle Anthony."
"Hahah. How did you know?"
"He's entirely too crafty and observant."
"He isn't the only one who's been feeding me information. I hear you have three young men vying for your affection."
"Yes, actually. A first for me. The bad part is I have feelings for all of them. I just don't know what those feelings are. I have to sort them out, though. I can't leave everything in this hold pattern for long. It's not fair to anyone."
"I love the fact that you always think of others, but I just want you to know it's okay to be selfish sometimes. If you're not ready to make that decision, then don't. If they really care about you, they will wait for you."
"Oddly enough, they all told me that themselves. They're all really good guys, Daddy. I'd be lucky to have any of them."
"Call me biased, but I think any of them would be lucky to have you."
"Well, you are biased, but I'll take it anyway."
"Celeste, if you need anything I'm always here. Even if you just need to vent and need someone to listen, I'm here."
"I know, Daddy. That's what makes my life bearable. I love you."
"I love you too, sweetheart."