"Sir, we've arranged everything. Will your wife be coming down?" the funeral director asked me.
"Thank you Paolos. I'll be fetching her in a few minutes," I replied as I waited for Sven to answer the phone.
"Alright Sir. I'll alert the other visitors," he said before walking away.
"Sven, how far are the girls?" I asked him once he answered the phone.
"We've just landed Sir. We'll be there in twenty minutes," he responded.
"Take them straight to Luigi when you get here," I instructed before hanging up.
We were taking a big chance by having my grandmother in law's funeral, but I was willing to risk everything if it meant my wife would get the closure she needed. It hadn't been an easy week for her.
I headed up to our room and found her standing in our closet, looking at her black clothing. I could tell that her thoughts were a million miles away, so I went ahead and picked a dress for her to wear. She looked up at me with glossy eyes and gave me a small smile.
"You always know when I need you," she laughed a little. I reached out to wipe away her tear.
"Are you ok Ari, despite how stupid my question may seem?" I asked.
"It's not stupid Rafe. I don't know how to feel just as yet. I mean, I've cried my eyes out the whole week, and now all I feel is relief and peace. I know she wouldn't want me to mourn her death for the rest of my days, and that makes it easier for me to overcome this. I'm only sad because I've lost my last link to my old life," she explained.
"I have a surprise for you," I told her as I walked over to one of my drawers.
"What is it?" she asked behind me.
"It took a lot to arrange this, but I would do anything for you, and I knew that it would mean the world to you for this to happen. Mi amore, we're not only burying your grandmother today," I said as I handed over the folder.
"What do you mean?" she scowled, looking through the folder.
"When I asked you if you consider Italy your home, you told me that it's the only place that has ever been home to you, so I arranged to have your family members dug up. Your friend, Tobias, helped Rhonda and I to make this possible. Their coffins were delicately handled and were flown in yesterday afternoon. Paolos confirmed that the family plot I bought can fit the six of them. Of course that means I have to buy a new family plot, but I had to get this done for you. I don't want you to have to fly out to D.C every time you want to visit your family, so this way, they'll all be in one place," I explained.
Love.
That's all I could see in her teary eyes as she looked up from the folder. Like I said, it took a lot to make this happen, but luckily for me Tobias knew all the right people in the States; and since I know the right people this side, it was easy to then put the whole thing together.
"What did I do to deserve you?" she whispered.
"You saw the goodness in my daughters and I," I chuckled a little.
"That I did! I can't believe you did this for me caro. I am confident that no other woman on the planet can say that they're this lucky. I don't even know how to thank you," she let her tears free.
"Just keep loving me and all my flaws and we'll be fine," I smiled, wiping away her tears.
"I love you Raphael, more than I ever thought was possible," she wrapped her arms around me, dropping the folder.
"I love you too mia moglie," I said before kissing the top of her head.
I was already dressed, so I left her to get ready as I headed to our office. We were having a relatively small funeral for Yvette. My wife had requested that I fly in her grandmother's friends, which I managed to do. Besides them, it was our families and friends present.
I got to my office and checked my emails. I needed to make sure that there was maximum security available for the procession. With this Eva person out to get us, I couldn't risk it, especially since everyone I love will be present.
"Daddy," the girls whispered from the door.
Their teary eyes nearly broke me as I squatted so that they could run into my arms. Luigi was leaning against the door, and from the look on his face, I knew that he couldn't keep them away. I was highly worried about my girls because they were the last people to see Yvette alive. She died while they were talking to her via video.
"Daddy, her eyes rolled over," Caprice hiccupped.
"Wait what?" I scowled.
"Yeah! They rolled over and then she started coughing blood and something black before she collapsed. We heard a scream after that before the video disconnected. She was with Grandma Anita, so we think that's who screamed," Caterina added. I paled.
"I've got them. Go," Luigi told me, probably having realized what I did.
I headed to the elevator and headed down. I needed to find my mother. I spotted her in the lounge and from my frazzled state, it was clear that she knew what I'd come to find her for. None of us had actually seen Yvette's body, and we just assumed that she'd died from her cancer.
"She was poisoned Ambrosi. I only told your father because I felt it would be better for Aretha to live with knowing that her grandmother died of cancer, and not because she was murdered," she explained quietly once we were in the kitchen. We were the only two people there.
"Who else has seen Yvette's body?" I asked.
"Only your father and I have seen her body. We've hid it from Florencia as well, especially since she hasn't taken the death easy as well. Your father has been handling everything concerned with information on Yvette. He has the coroner's report which he was going to show you after everything had settled down," she replied.
"Can we still have an open casket?" I asked.
"I'm waiting to hear back from the make-up girl at the mortuary. The poison caused black lines to appear on Yvette's skin, possibly the poison's presence in her veins. If she can't cover them up, you'll have to convince Aretha that it would be better to have a closed casket," she sighed.
"That's going to be close to impossible Mamma. She was avoiding seeing her grandmother's body until today," I ran my hand through my hair.
"We're trying all that we can Ambrosi. I've even called in the best make-up artist. Hopefully this will work. Just have faith for now," she suggested.
"I guess I have no other choice," I sighed.
"Go and be with your wife and children my son. I love you," she hugged me.
"I love you too Mamma," I said, kissing her forehead.
The information I'd just learnt weighed heavily on me as I headed back upstairs. How Yvette died isn't something I plan on hiding from my wife forever, but right now, she's too hurt for information like that, especially since it's pretty obvious who killed her.
I was stopped by a beep on my phone from an incoming text:
Such a tragedy to hit the Maestri's. The sad part is that the old bat was actually getting better. Anyhow, enjoy your little shindig. Wouldn't want to have a death at a funeral. Send my sexiest regards to that wifey of yours!
Eva
WHO THE HELL IS THIS WOMAN?
I stood in the hallway for the longest time, trying to come to terms with the fact that this Eva situation has been delayed for so long and that I really needed to speak to my wife. As distraught as she currently is, I need to know about this Eva person.
The survival of our family depends on it.
"Rafe," she called. I looked up to find her and the girls looking at me funnily.
"Hmm?" I replied.
"Are you ok?" she asked.
"Why?" I asked.
"You've been standing there for two minutes and you didn't hear us calling you," Calinda informed me.
"Sorry. I'm just thinking about something important," I said, shaking the thought away.
"You're so weird daddy," Camilla scowled.
"You're my child, so you're weird too," I smirked, making the girls gasp while my wife giggled.
"Let's head down," my wife suggested.
We headed down and I made eye contact with my mother as soon as we were in the lounge. She sent me a slight nod, and I scanned the room for my father, who also sent me a nod. They confirmed and eased my thoughts.
Aretha would be able to see her grandmother.
"Beautiful, I'm pretty sure you're tired of hearing condolences, but I'm pretty sure you can never be tired of hugs," the man I learnt was my wife's bus driver, Mr Dowson, said as he came up to hug her.
"I could never get tired of hugs, especially yours gramps," she smiled, hugging him back.
"You look better than I thought you would," Katherine told her.
"I even feel better. I may have lost my grandmother, but I have a whole new family now, and that's all she wanted for me; to know that she wouldn't be leaving me alone. I'm happy that she at least got to meet and spend time with the wonderful family she left me with," my wife explained.
"You are the strongest woman I know girlie, and I hope you always remember that," Rhonda told her.
"I'm not all that," my wife blushed.
"You all that and so much more," I whispered in her ear, making her hide in my chest from embarrassment.
"Well then, let's head on out," Joel announced.
There were too many cars for me to count, and quite frankly, I wasn't bothered to. We headed over to my Escalade, a car I got recently thanks to my wife. It's big enough to fit the both of us and the girls. She keeps insisting that we're going to end up owning a minibus at the rate we're going.
We headed to the church in a procession. It was only eight in the morning on a Saturday, so the roads weren't that filled. We arrived at the church and only managed to fill the front of the church. Father Jones, who I'd also flown down, was given the platform to perform the funeral by Father Luciano, the parish priest of our family church here in Italy.
The ceremony was both morose and tranquil, as confusing as that is. My wife managed to explain how that works in the eulogy, by explaining that while we're all sad that Yvette is gone, we're also all at peace because we know that while she has left us, she is finally at peace after her long struggle with cancer.
From the church, we headed out to the cemetery. As strong as she had been, my wife broke down like never before when all six coffins were lowered into their graves. I could see the shock on my family members' and friends' faces when they saw the other five coffins.
After all, the only people who knew about the bringing of Aretha's family to Italy were Rhonda and Tobias.
"You flew her family in?" Joel asked me as we walked back to the cars. My wife stayed behind because we figured that she needed a moment, but I wasn't leaving her there.
"It makes sense. This way, she doesn't have to fly to D.C to see her other family," I replied.
"You shock me at every turn Ambrosi," he scowled.
"What do you mean?" I raised an eyebrow.
"I'm your best friend, even though you denied that fact for many, many years. Anyway, I've known you for more than half of our lives, and when you told me that you wanted to marry Rita, I thought you were out of your mind. You actually did it, and I've been waiting for the other shoe to drop, but you keep holding on to it. I never thought you'd reach this point in your life, as much as I wished it for you," he elaborated.
I understood what he was saying, only because I feel the same way. I've been blessed with a good woman, and I find myself waiting for the other shoe to drop as well, but as Joel pointed out, I keep holding on to it. I refuse to let anyone take it from me.
"She's my life Joel. I'd die without her," I replied, looking at her in the distance.
She was hunched over, still sobbing, and it felt like my entire being had been shaken and torn apart. I know people tend to say that they 'would die without their better halves', but I genuinely mean it. I would become a black hole and eventually die without my wife.
She is my light.
Seeing her hurting so much was ripping me apart. I could remember the conversation we'd had the night before where she was telling me about how Katherine had read her like a book by telling her that she hadn't dealt with losing her family because she automatically assumed responsibility for Yvette.
Something I'd figured out a long time ago.
My wife is truly the strongest person most of us know, simply because she loves so greatly. She has all the kindness, happiness and love in the world, and yet I often feel like she hasn't truly felt anything in a long time.
I don't doubt her love for me, but I do question sometimes whether she feels it as deeply as I do. Whereas I've accepted that I have demons, but have allowed myself to fully feel the love I have for her, I feel like she's still drowning within herself.
And finally mourning her family is the first step to her opening herself up to a new beginning.
"I would say take care of her, but I'm proud to say that you already do, so keep doing what you're doing. I'm proud of you Ambrosi," Joel said before heading to his car.
Hearing him say those words to me was strangely awesome. While I may have not acknowledged the fact that he's my best friend, inside I knew it was the truth. Joel is one of the two other people who know me better than my brother did.
With my wife being the other without a doubt.
The only difference between them is that one of them knows my past better, while the other knows my present better. My best friend knows how far I've come, whereas my wife (and my other best friend) knows who I am now, and who I aspire to be.
Everyone had gone back to the house, with Sven driving the girls back in the Escalade. He'd driven here in my Audi R8 upon my request. I had a hunch that I'd find myself in this situation, and I was seemingly right.
Even the tombstone company had come, fixed up the tombstones and gone. My wife was still knelt before Yvette's grave, so I grabbed a blanket and her jacket since the weather was changing. I got to her and lay the blanket next to her, before putting the jacket on her and then sitting beside her, pulling her onto the blanket and into my side. I was relieved to find that she was only silently sobbing.
"You're going to be ok cara mia. You have us now," I said before kissing her forehead.
"That was the first time I truly cried for all of them," she whispered coarsely.
"You finally let go," I replied. She looked up at me, eyes red.
"I finally let go," she whispered before looking back at the graves.
In that moment, no threat mattered to me. I didn't care that Eva was out there and wanted to kill us. I just needed to be here with my wife. I just needed to be her pillar of strength. For once, I needed to be her light.
And I would be damned if I let anyone take this away from her.
"It's getting dark," she commented hours later. We hadn't moved from there since I was dead serious about being there for her.
"I have one more surprise for you," I replied as I leaned back so that I could get the paper from my pocket.
"What is it now? I can't handle these surprises Rafe," she groaned.
"It's nothing bad or heartbreaking, or at least I hope you wont see it that way," I replied as she opened up the paper.
"You got me a star?" she asked in confusion.
"Correction, I got you six stars," I said.
"What? Why?" she said, eyes wide.
"Well, you've done so much for me and my family, and we just felt that this is one thing that we could do for you. Each star represents a family member of yours that you lost. Now I know you weren't a big fan of your step father, but I'm pretty confident that some part of him loved you. With these stars, they'll all be looking down on you, shining their light upon you. I'm one hundred percent sure that they're all really proud of you right now, much like we are," I explained while wiping away her tears.
"I want a divorce," she said lowly.
"What?" I frowned, thumb frozen on her face.
"You're too good for me Raphael. You're too good to be true. I'm going to wake up and find that this has all been a dream and I wont be able to handle it. I don't understand how you could love me so much, how you could do things like this for me. I don't deserve it. I don't deserve your love. I don't deserve you. I deserve to die alone," she sobbed on my chest.
I was incredibly confused by what on earth could've brought this on, but the longer I held her, the more it made sense to me. This may not be the convenient time or place, but I needed to know because it was clearly bothering her.
"Mi amore, who's Eva?" I asked her.
"Eva is Daniel's first wife," she whispered.
"What?" I asked, not believing my ears.
"I met Daniel when I was eighteen. I was working at one of his restaurants then, and he was fascinated by me from the moment he met me. I wasn't aware that he was married, until after I agreed to be his girlfriend. As you know, he's quite the persistent man. Anyway, I was sure that I was leaving him, until Eva confronted me and told me not to. You can imagine my surprise when she even offered me money to stay with him. I'm not going to sit here and lie to the only person who deserves the truth from me, so I'm telling you everything with the hopes that you don't judge me. The bank was on my grandmother's back about her mortgage payments, and the hospital wouldn't treat her anymore because we couldn't afford the treatments, so I agreed to continue dating Daniel. However, I wasn't aware that he didn't know about the arrangement until I found out the real reason he first beat me," she started before I interrupted her.
"He beat you because he found out his wife knew?" I asked incredulously.
"He beat me because I agreed to her deal. That was the night I also found out that she's a notorious Madame and she runs the biggest gentleman's club line in the States. I didn't understand what infuriated him so much, until he informed me about being his wife's property. Because I accepted her money, I became her property, except I was apparently something special. You see, I also learnt that Eva is bisexual, and just like her husband, she ended up falling in love with me. The day she came to claim me from him, was the day everything truly went to hell for me," she sniffed.
"You don't have to continue," I pleaded.
I was honestly afraid of what she would say next.
"Do me a favour and don't lie to me Rafe. This is the one thing that's tainting our marriage and you might hate me, but I need to get it out. I need you to know what I've been through so that you can decide if you still want to be with me or not," she said so stoically, it was like I was looking at a different person altogether.
"I'm not going anywhere Ari," I said sternly.
"You might think twice about that once you know everything," she scoffed.
"Woman, let me make my own damn decision to love you through everything," I said angrily.
She was honestly pissing me off. I understand that my past personality has painted me in a bad light, but she's my wife for heaven sakes! Shouldn't that mean something? Shouldn't my vows to her mean anything? Shouldn't my love for her be enough proof that I'm not going anywhere?
"Daniel decided that he didn't want to let me go, and I ended up coming between them. They hadn't been at peace for a long time, and I was the tip of the iceberg. He raped me as a way of ruining me for her, but she wasn't fazed. I was kidnapped two weeks later and she forced me to be her personal sex slave. She was still paying me, so I was still able to take care of my grandmother. I didn't hide the source of the money from her, and she begged me to quit and leave Eva, but I refused to let her die, especially since her life wasn't the only one on the line. Eva threatened to kill me if I left. Two months later I woke up throwing up, and that's when Eva learned that I was pregnant with her husband's child. Out of rage, she kicked me out and sent me right back to him. Out of rage at my return and knowledge of what I'd been up to with Eva, Daniel abused me, despite my pregnancy. I thought that I would lose my child, but God was on my side. However, Daniel couldn't have cared less about me, and so he decided to throw me down the stairs. Again, by God's will, my baby survived. I had to have an emergency c-section at just six months, and my son was born premature. He stayed in the hospital for two months, and I only saw him once before Eva took him. Daniel decided that since I was baby free, it meant I could marry him, so he forced me to agree to marry him, but we never got to that stage. He never cared about my son, and he continued to abuse me, until he was finally caught and forced to let go of me to save his image," she ended off, looking to the sky.
I didn't even know I could feel the amount of rage I was feeling at that moment.
My wife's strength goes beyond anything I've ever known. She's gone through more shit than most people go through their entire lives in the short space of twenty three years, and yet she's still managed to be who she is. Many in her shoes would be scarred for life.
"Is your son still alive?" I barely got out.
"He is. Eva has him, but she wont tell me what she wants for me to get him back. She's convinced that the only reason why I married you was so that I could gain access to your money and pay her off to get my son back. The thought has crossed my mind a couple of times, but I could never bring myself to degrade our marriage like that. I married you because I love you more than I've ever loved anyone else, not because you were my way out of my past. My past is still haunting me right now, and I honestly don't know what to do," she sighed.
"What did she say to you when you saw her at the restaurant?" I asked.
"She didn't say much. She actually just appeared to remind me that she was still alive. Unlike Daniel, who's been trying to get me back, she'd gone quiet after taking my son. Leaving Daniel was easy for me to do once I got the chance to, but for the past twenty months, I've had to figure out ways to try and get my son back. I didn't even know where to begin since I didn't know where Eva had disappeared to, but now she's back and she's clearly crazier than ever," she replied.
"Do you think that they're working together?" I frowned.
"You mean do I think they want to get rid of us for personal reasons? It has crossed my mind. I mean, if Daniel's always hated you, then our marriage is something he wouldn't accept considering I almost married him. I can't say I know why she wants me dead though. I mean I get her trying to get rid of you. I guess they're both hoping that without you in the picture, I'll be left with no choice but to crawl back to their demented world," she sniffed.
"That isn't going to happen Ari. We're getting your son back, and we're getting those two out of the picture before they get to us," I said with a new determination.
"You're not mad at me?" she looked up, surprise clear in her eyes. The sun had now fully set and the sky was filled with lots of twinkling stars.
"Why would I be mad at you? You wanted to help your grandmother, and you ended up being a rag doll for a demented couple. None of that is your fault, and I don't care who judges otherwise. You're my wife, and I know that you only had good intentions for what you did, so I don't fault you for that. You are the strongest person I know, but I want you to stop being so independent and trust that I love you enough to face everything with you. I meant it when I said that while some demons will be tough to face with you, I'm not going anywhere. There are still things you're going to learn about me as well, and I can only hope that our love is strong enough to survive that hurdle when we get to it, but right now, we're going to focus on weeding the devil out so that we can get our son," I stated.
"You said our son," she said with a small smile, tears leaving her eyes.
"He's as much my son as the girls are your daughters. Daniel and Eva wont know what hit them," I said before kissing her.
I was feeling a million emotions at once, but I was sure of what I had told my wife. What had happened to her is truly one of the most appalling things I've ever heard of, and I would make sure Eva and Daniel got what was coming to them.
I just needed to truly sit and think this through.
"I'm tired," she commented.
"Let's get you home and rested," I said as I moved to stand. She grabbed my arm, stopping me.
"I love you Raphael," she said vulnerably.
"I love you even more Signora Maestri," I smiled before kissing her.
I carried her bridal style after throwing the blanket onto my shoulder. My shoulder was considerably better, so I wasn't feeling much pain. I didn't mind the little bit of pain that I was feeling in any case. I got her into the car and got around to my side before driving us home.
When we arrived, it was obvious that everyone was still around from the amount of cars still there. The atmosphere was sombre and I knew my wife wouldn't want to join everyone else, so I took her straight to our room. She'd fallen asleep in the car in any case.
I lay her on the bed before getting her nightgown. I managed to change her out of her dress, with much groaning and whining on her part. When I was done, she pouted her lips and I chuckled before leaning down to kiss her. I kissed her forehead too before leaving her to sleep.
I went to our closet to change into jeans and a t-shirt before heading down to the kitchen. I couldn't hear the girls, so I figured they were in their room. I got myself a glass of water, which turned to three, until I realized how hungry I actually was.
And the fact that I let my wife go to bed on an empty stomach.
"She wouldn't have wanted to eat in any case," Rhonda said from the doorway.
"How did you know?" I chuckled.
"Your hunger is written all over your face. It hit you like a tidal wave," she laughed as I took out ingredients for a sandwich from the fridge.
"How is everyone?" I asked, making my sandwich.
"We're all worried about her more than anything," she replied.
"She finally told me," I informed her.
"About Eva and Daniel?" she asked, to which I nodded.
"Does she know why Eva's back?" she asked.
"She has no idea. Apparently the woman hasn't said what she wants from her, but she sent me a message this morning. She was involved in the killing of Yvette," I sighed.
"I figured that out because Grandma Yvette dying from the very cancer she was getting better from didn't make sense. So, what now?" she questioned.
"I need to talk to Luigi, Joel and our fathers. I can't talk to Fabius considering how far he is, but we need to find out where Eva is operating from and hopefully weed her out," I replied.
"What about Daniel?" she frowned.
"I've got a completely different strategy to take down Daniel. I don't want her in on it though, so I need a favour from you," I said.
"You need me to keep her from helping with this," she said knowingly.
"That would be much appreciated," I nodded.
"What if Eva contacts her directly?" she asked.
"I'm going to get Luigi to tap into her phone and keep track of all communication she has with anyone who could remotely be connected to Eva or Daniel," I informed.
"Do you think that's wise?" she asked unsurely.
"Probably not, but until we come up with something better, this is what we're sticking with," I replied.
"Alright! I promise to do my best to keep her away, though I might have to enlist Kat's help. She's the only person who could really do so, now that I'm pregnant and all," she smiled.
"That is true. Katherine is freakishly scary," I chuckled.
"We all love her, or at least that's what she's say if she heard us now," she giggled.
"True that!" I nodded.
I ate my sandwich while she caught me up on everything else before we joined everyone in the lounge. I gave everyone a generic answer on my wife's well-being, and learned that my daughters had actually gone to bed early as well.
"Son, can I talk to you?" Gerard requested.
"Sure, but I also need to talk to my father, my brother and my best friend," I said, looking at the said parties.
They all agreed and we moved off to the study where I then indicated for them to have a seat wherever they could. It took me a while to realize that I hadn't said anything because I didn't even know where to begin.
"Figlio, what's going on?" my father asked.
"I'm only realizing now that I'm truly at a loss for words," I said, an unexpected tear leaving my eye.
"Are you crying?" Joel asked in disbelief.
I couldn't answer because I broke down. The reality of what my wife had shared with me dawned on me and I couldn't stand knowing that she had been failed that much, that I hadn't gotten to her sooner.
I don't care about what she did in her past. I don't care who she did things with in the past. Hell, I don't even care that she has a child with my mortal enemy. All I care about is how broken she is, and how strong she's always been for everyone else.
We have all failed her.
The men in the room must've been truly astonished witnessing such a sight. I don't remember crying when I lost my brother, and yet here I was, crying once more because of my wife. She is truly the only person with the ability to make me cry.
"Ambrosi, you're worrying us," Luigi commented. I had to wait for my emotions to simmer down before I could say anything.
"I need your help. I need your help so that I can save my wife," I finally spoke.
"Save her from what?" Gerard and Joel asked concurrently.
"From her past and from herself," I replied.
"You're speaking in riddles figlio," my father pointed out.
And so I told them.
From the look on Joel's face, I could tell that he'd already been told the basics, because he wasn't shocked when I first started, but by the time I was done, he was. My father and Luigi were both paralyzed from shock as well, while Gerard's face held fury, but his eyes held sadness.
"She didn't want to talk to me during those three years, and I never knew why. Every time I tried to keep tabs on her, whoever I hired ended up dead," he said angrily.
"So this Eva person is clearly more dangerous than we estimated," Joel commented.
Reminding me of something my wife said to me.
"We need to find out who she works for," I piped up.
"What's that going to solve?" Gerard asked.
"Ari mentioned that on her own, the woman is a six, but with her boss, she becomes a ten," I elaborated.
"I don't think she has a boss. I think she has a sponsor," Luigi hinted.
"You think she works for Daniel?" I scowled.
"He's onto something. Aretha told you that the two of them weren't exactly at peace, but it all went to hell when she got into the picture. Eva would've needed money to start her businesses, and who better to sponsor her than her wealthy husband? For all we know, her wanting to go into her line of business is what broke their marriage to begin with," my father argued.
I had to truly think about what he was saying. It made sense, but it sickened me even more. I've always known that there was something wrong with Daniel, but this was on another level altogether. I can't even find the words.
"We need to antagonize Daniel. If we get rid of him, we may just be able to fish Eva out," Joel suggested.
"I wonder if he's going to lay charges," I said in thought.
"On who?" Gerard asked.
"Me. I beat him up last week and was arrested for it. He was taken to hospital and I don't know if he's woken up yet," I replied.
"You beat him up? What were you thinking?" my father asked.
"I didn't beat him up in public if that's what you're worried about. He confronted me at a restaurant but I left. He wouldn't stop pestering me though, so I trapped him into following me into an abandoned warehouse where I proceeded to beat the shit out of him. I clearly didn't hit him hard enough," I mumbled, the anger returning.
"If you beat him up in secret, how come you were arrested?" Luigi scowled.
"Eva must've been keeping tabs on him," Joel made the realization.
"We need to take them down," Luigi said angrily.
"You can count on it."
**********
ELO SMURFLETTES!!!
So, I know this is pretty late, but my degree is overtaking everything in my life right now. I have assignments due for the next five weeks and then I start exams. It's hell really!
Anyway, enough of my sob story! I hope this answers some of your questions, especially about Eva. We've still got a while to go, but this is the one chappie that I think you guys might enjoy!
Isn't Raphael just the greatest? Like, I wouldn't mind a husband like him.
Anyway, please vote, comment, add to your libraries, share and follow. I love you guys!
Katee (^^,)