Chapter 37
“How much time do I have Kyle?” Santo ask his best friend.
“By the end of today, maybe tomorrow. Hernandez is pushing for the warrant now.” Kyle tells his friend.
“Is she alright?” The worry is in his voice.
“She’s holding everything in. Zoe just left to go see her.”
“Kyle I can’t do this. I hate what this woman has done to my family, I don’t want to sleep with her ever again.”
“I understand, but the suits aren’t giving in. Since we didn’t bring in Clayton Simon or Cromwell, this is the only thing they will accept. You’ve got to get that list of their clients from Alina.” He tells Santo.
“The bastards are being so hardcore. We closed down their operation. We gave them their men.” Santo responds.
“Santo I know that but we didn’t give them what they ask for. This is the only option they will accept. I have a lead on Cromwell, but I need time to check it out.”
“How much time?” Santo says impatiently.
“Do you want to take that chance? We’re talking days here. I don’t think Hernandez is going to wait that long before he tries to arrest Taylor. You’ve got to stay with Alina right now and watch her.” Kyle tries to convince him.
“I know she’ll never forgive me.” Santo becomes more distressed as he thinks about what he’s about to do.
“She will, you’ll explain it to her.” Kyle says reassuringly.
“No you don’t understand, we talked about it. She hates Alina and what I’m about to do it’s….I’ll do it to protect her. Keep me posted.” Santo sounds resigned to his fate.
“Where will you be?” Kyle wants to know.
“At the Plaza Hotel. Suite 927.” He tells him.
*******
Taylor stares at the five unopened boxes of pregnancy test she has purchased over the last three days. They sit on her kitchen counter waiting for her to take the test. She tries to ignore the colorful boxes that proclaim one hundred percent accuracy as she waits for the steam to shoot out of her tea kettle. It’s been four days and what did she expect. She’s happy to be back. She wanted to come home so she did. It feels good to be back at work. She’s happy to be around her friends again.
The board meeting was today. She was surprised that Julian didn’t bat an eye when he saw her slip into her seat. She suspects that Santo told him to be on the lookout for her since she hasn’t heard from him yet.
Thanks to Santo Donat La Croix’s Footwear has met all of its quarterly profits for the year. The company is stable and business is growing. Julian gave out several bonuses today based on Santo’s recommendations. The staff seemed excited to see her back at work. There were lots of questions she couldn’t answer, most want to know when the handsome CEO who is responsible for all of their good fortune at La Croix’s is going to return.
Taylor pulls the whistling hot kettle off the stove and pours the hot water into her cup then sets the kettle back on the stove. She stares at the amber liquid until something wet plops down in it. Dammit, she’s crying again. Pushing the cup to the side, the hot tea spills on the counter and some of it hits her hand.
“Ouch.” She holds her palm to her lips. Backing away from the counter she watches as the hot liquid spreads across the counter and drips on the floor. Her mind says get a towel, a mop, something to clean it up but she doesn’t do any of those things she walks out of her kitchen to her stairs. Setting on the bottom step she cries and rocks back and forth. She can’t stop the ugly crying, the tears and hiccups that rack her body. She misses him and needs him here with her but it was her choice to leave him. She doesn’t know for how long she’s been like this but someone is ringing her doorbell.
Wiping her face she stands up and tries to pull herself together. Looking through the side window of her door her heart catches in her throat at who’s standing there.
Slowly she opens her front door and looks into the worried faces of Celine and Alberto Donati.
“Can we come in?” Celine seems extremely emotional and it’s a feeling Taylor understands all too well.
“Of course.” Taylor steps back allowing them entry.
While Celine is a beautiful picture of a woman distressed, Alberto looks like he’s aged another ten years. After what Santo told her about his relationship with his father she suspects he is not a happy man. Santo has been on a mission to capture her ex-fiancé and her birth father. As a result he’s returned to doing some of the things that caused the rift between him and his father. Most of what Santo is doing is because of her and Alberto Donati is probably really angry with her right now she thinks. She suspects he’s here to tell her to keep away from his son.
“I didn’t know you had returned to New York, Mr. and Mrs. Donati. Is there something I can do for you?” Taylor rubs the burn spot on her hands.
“Taylor please don’t turn so formal on us now. You’re like my own daughter. Cara we thought Santo sent you home for the investor’s meeting. We spoke with Julian and he told us you left. Now we don’t want to be nagging parents and get involved in your business but….” Celine turns to her husband to finish.
“Taylor Santo is gone and it’s my fault. I need you to help me get my son back.” Alberto’s voice croaks out. He now seems more emotional than Celine.
“What do you mean gone?” Taylor grabs the railing to her stairs feeling her own distress.
Celine takes her by the hand and walks her into her living area then pushes her down on her sofa and sits next to her. Alberto paces back and forth in front of them.
“He came by the house the day we returned from the wedding. He told us you left him. He said he didn’t blame you, you deserved to live a better life than what he was giving you. He said if he couldn’t have you at least he could make sure you were alright. We didn’t understand what he was talking about he was rambling on. He kept apologizing to us saying he had to make a choice. He knew how I felt about him being a mercenary and he said he didn’t want me to be disappointed in him anymore but he had to do this for you. He told me you’re the only woman he’ll ever love and he was sorry but he had to disappoint me again.”
Alberto’s voice chokes on his last words. He falls into the wing chair across from the sofa looking like a man that has been totally destroyed. Putting his hands over his face he bows his head. Celine gets up from the sofa and goes to her husband. She sits on his lap and holds him in her arms rocking him just like Santo does her when she gets upset Taylor observes.
Celine kisses her husband on his temple and whispers words of comfort to him in Italian. She turns to Taylor and there are tears in her eyes.
“I know you are the love of my son’s life. But I’m just not ready for his life to be over yet. Santo wouldn’t tell us anything else. If it were not for Amelio we would not know this much. Taylor, Santo made some deals.”
“What do you mean deals, what kind of deals? Is it with that detective that keeps trying to find something to arrest him for?”
“No Taylor not with the local police. They don’t want to arrest Santo, they want to arrest you?”
“No that’s not true. We...we worked that out. Santo told me it was worked out. They just did a raid. Cromwell’s is shutdown. They can’t run their drugs and stolen diamonds through La Croix’s anymore. Santo took care of all of that.” Taylor looks from Celine to Alberto with tears in her eyes.
“Yes you are right, he did but your ex-fiancé moved a lot of drugs through the east coast and the UK then he got involved with your birth father and now they are on the FBI’s most wanted. They are also wanted men in some other countries.” Celine responds.
“I know that.” Taylor shakes her head as if dazed. Alberto has pulled himself together and he speaks.
“Taylor this Mr. Cromwell is cunning. Every woman he’s dated has been tainted with his illegal activities. Bella, I know that you are upset by all of this but it must be resolved.”
“Mr. Donati…” Taylor starts to say and Alberto raises his hand and cuts her off.
“Taylor please listen. I was afraid of losing my son in a jungle in some god-forsaken place. So many of my business associates had their son’s working in their businesses with them and I wanted mine beside me except I went about it the wrong way. I built everything I have for my children but Santo didn’t want it. He wants to be his own man and make his own way. Instead of being proud of that I’ve pushed him to hard.”
“Santo didn’t want the CEO position at La Croix’s. He said he knew nothing about women’s shoes except they look sexy on the right woman’s foot. I talked him into working for my best friend. I asked him to help Julian figure out what was going on in his companies and I foolishly thought Santo did that for me. He didn’t. He fell in love and did it for you. But it gave me the son I wanted and I got a daughter in the bargain to. He wasn’t off in some jungle somewhere. He wasn’t living in a third-world country unable to come home for his mother’s birthday. He worked by your side and he was happy. He’s worked with me on other business deals and he’s brilliant. He not only increased the profits of La Croix’s, he made his old man a billionaire. Something I couldn’t do for myself. I’m now known as Santo Donati’s father. Taylor I like having that title.”
“Mr. and Mrs. Donati, I’m in love with your son but I don’t know what I can do. I don’t know why Santo is still going after Nathan and my….birth father. I’m so sorry about all of this but it was never my intent to involve your son in anything like this. I don’t know what to do to make him stop. I’m sorry I can’t make this right for you.” Taylor responds earnestly.
“We don’t hold anything against you. You are a victim in all of this. My son saw that and he wanted to help you. Now the man you were previously involved with, this man has no heart. He used you whenever he could to help him achieve his goals. Your signature is on most of the fake orders for shoes that actually contained shipments of drugs and diamonds. You sent unsalable merchandise to be stored in La Croix’s warehouses and those containers contained stolen diamonds. Bella, Mr. Cromwell’s men used this house to make some diamond exchanges and other illegal activity. We don’t know everything your name has been put on but you have been under FBI surveillance for quite some time and Santo made a deal that he would catch Mr. Cromwell and Mr. Simon to keep you from prison.” Alberto finally tells her.
Taylor grabs her stomach as she looks from Alberto to Celine. She can’t believe what she’s hearing. She knew Santo was keeping something from her. Now she feels worse. She thought it was his jealousy of Nathan driving him, she never expected this.
“I’m sorry, if you’ll excuse me I have to go to the bathroom.” She gets up and walks quickly to the bathroom to the surprise of Alberto and Celine.
When she comes out of the bathroom she’s a little dizzy and they notice. She’s sure they heard her throwing up. Alberto takes her by the hand and guides her to sit in the chair he was previously sitting in.
“Celine, amore get her some water.” Alberto tells his wife as he stands next to Taylor holding her hand. The dizziness goes away and Taylor remembers what’s on her kitchen counter but before she can rise from her seat she hears a squeal followed by a rash of excited Italian she doesn’t understand.
Alberto looks down with a raised brow and wide eyes at Taylor. “Is this true?” He says not realizing Taylor doesn’t have a clue what Celine is hollering. Celine comes rushing into the living room. Instead of water she has a pregnancy test in each hand.
She shoves one into Alberto’s hands then explains in Italian to him what they are. Taylor shrinks her body into the huge wing tipped chair as much as she can. This is not how she wanted this to go. She meant to take the boxes upstairs where she has more stored, but she’s also been hesitant to take one of the test.
There were so many different brands on the shelves each time she went to the store. All the signs of her being pregnant are there but what if the test show negative. She’s afraid to take one alone. She had hoped Santo would follow her to New York and they could find out together but now she knows that’s not going to happen.
“Taylor these boxes are unopened have you already taken the test?” Celine questions her.
Licking her dry lips and with wide eyes she looks up at Celine’s smiling face then at Alberto’s questioning one.
“No I haven’t taken anything yet.” Taylor replies.
“Is this the reason you left Italy bella? Is my son going to be a father?” Alberto ask her.
Although she tries to hold it in the tears come again. She bends over holding her hands to her face shaking her head. “I don’t know for sure but I think so.”
“Oh my Alberto?” Celine squeals again as she gathers Taylor in her arms. “Shh….it’s going to be alright, piccolina.” She brushes her hair trying to comfort her. “Does Santo know?”
Taylor shakes her head no, then looks up at Celine. “I didn’t want to take one alone. I thought Santo would come…..and…and we could do it together. But he’s not here and I’m alone and I just keep buying boxes of pregnancy test. I have boxes and boxes of pregnancy test. There are four more upstairs on my dresser all of them unopened.”
“I think I did a good job of filling in for my son once before and everything turned out alright. Do you think you can accept me and Celine as a substitute this time and maybe take one of these things?” Alberto Donati sets the pregnancy test in Taylor’s lap.
Taylor shakes her head and they help her stand up. She goes back into the bathroom and Alberto is pacing the floor again while Celine sets on the edge of the chair lost in her own thoughts.
The doorbell rings and the Donati’s look at each other. “Taylor, I’m going to answer the door.” Alberto yells at the bathroom door as he walks to the front door. The doorbell doesn’t ring again there’s just a pounding on the door. Alberto looks through the side window then hurriedly opens the door.
“Excuse me sir, I am Detective Ronaldo Hernandez. Is Taylor Clarissa Simon in this house?
Alberto is surprised at the man’s superior demeanor. The detective pushes the door open and walks on in followed by two uniform male police officers and one female officer.
“Now wait just a minute, you can’t just rush into her home.” Alberto is telling the detective as Celine is walking into the foyer.
“Good afternoon Miss, could you please tell me who you are?” Det. Hernandez walks up to stand in front of Celine. The look of shock on her face turns to anger when the detective says his name. She knows he is the man that has been harassing her son.
“My name is Celine Donati, mother of Santo Donati. I believe you know of my son, detective.”
The detective looks over Celine then ignores giving her a response and turns to Alberto. “I gather that you are Alberto Donati, is this correct?”
“I believe you know who we are detective. Unless you have a warrant I want you to leave this house now.” Alberto angrily responds.
The detective reaches in his jacket and pulls out a folded paper handing it to Alberto. “Where is Ms. Simon?”
Taylor walks out of the half-bathroom located in her bottom level hallway just off the kitchen.
“I’m glad you both are here. Mr. Donati the test you gave me says it takes three to five minutes for the results…..” Taylor walks into her living room and sees the police officers standing next to Santo’s parents.
“Taylor Clarissa Simon you are under arrest for racketeering, the distribution of drugs, theft and receipt of stolen goods. Please put your hands behind your back Miss Simon?” Detective Hernandez stands with his legs spread apart, his hands on his hips and with a nod to the female officer now walking toward Taylor. She takes out a pair of handcuffs and physically turns Taylor around.
“Do you have to put handcuffs on her she’s ill.” Celine looks directly at the female police officer giving her a deathly stare. The officer looks at Det. Hernandez, he nods his head and the officer backs off.
“You’ve issued your warrant detective we will escort Ms. Simon later this evening into your police station to turn herself in. I’m sure you have had no other problems with her. She’s never been in trouble before.” Alberto Donati glares at Det. Hernandez.
“The charges against Ms. Simon are ongoing Mr. Donati. The type of charges we are bringing against her carry a life in prison sentence. She has already left the country since the start of this investigation and she has a passport. We are suspending her passport and taking her into custody now. Ms. Simon is a flight risk.”
“You are a hateful deceitful man detective. If you do this my son will come for you.” Celine stands in front of her husband to dress down the detective.
“I understand that you are upset Mrs. Donati. I am aware of the relationship between your son and Ms. Simon. I would advise you to be quiet and let me do my job or I might have to arrest you and your husband for obstruction.”
“Alberto, Celine, please do not say anything else to this…..person.” Taylor glares at the detective with defiance. “He’s been waiting for this for a long time. Don’t play into his hands. I’m sure he’s foaming at the mouth at the thought of being able to arrest Santo Donati’s parents aren’t you detective?”
“I would advise you to also be quiet Ms. Simon unless of course you prefer the handcuffs?”
“Go ahead detective. Mrs. Donati said I was sick. Just make sure I’m in the same police car as you.” Taylor warns.
The detective takes the handcuffs from the female police officer and starts putting them on Taylor himself.
There’s another knock at the door that's already open. Several men in dark suits with CIA emblems on their jacket pockets file into the room. A man of about six feet with nice brown eyes and short closed cropped blond hair walks into the room up to Det. Hernandez.
“You know detective you really need to learn when to let it go. Our buddies at the FBI already warned us you like to jump ahead.” The man shoves a piece of paper against Det. Hernandez chest rocking the detective on his five-ten heels. “Come on, get these handcuffs off of my witness.” He snaps his fingers at the detective then holds his hand open.
The detective reads the document he’s given then slaps the handcuff keys into the blond CIA agent’s hand. “This isn’t final. We haven’t been notified by Interpol of any of these arrest yet.” The detective balls the document in his fist then waives it at the CIA agent.
“Well they happened and we have jurisdiction here, so I guess that makes you and your officers SOL. Please vacate the premises and close the door on your way out detective.”
The cuffs are taken off of Taylor. Alberto and Celine pull her back away from the two men. Celine is holding onto Taylor and Alberto has got them both hugged against him.
“Mr. Donati sir. I am sorry we did not get here sooner.” Says the agent shaking Alberto’s hand. “Ms. Simon I hope that you are you alright.” He turns to Taylor and releases a smile that lights up his handsome face.
“I am agent Marshall with the CIA and I’ll be escorting you Mr. Donati, your wife and Ms. Simon to a safe location. Det. Hernandez will not be harassing you or your family again. I overheard that you are ill Ms. Simon, so if there is some medication you would like to take with you please we will have one of my agents escort you to go get it.”
“I just got here, you mean I have to leave my home again?” Taylor looks into his deep brown eyes.
“Afraid so ma’am. I promised Mr. Donati that we would look after you while he’s on assignment.”
“What assignment, please what are you talking about.” Taylor exclaims starting to get upset.
Celine guides Taylor to a chair and makes her sit down. “What’s your first name young man?”
“Jason ma’am.” He responds to Celine’s question.
“Well Jason could you please explain all of this to us. We don’t know anything about an assignment.”
“Yes, do you know where my son is?” Alberto ask him with a hopeful expression.
“Yes ma’am, sir but we have to go. Everything will be explained once we get to another location. Our people have not swept Ms. Simon’s home and we cannot vouch that it is safe for us to talk here.”
“Alright, Taylor stay here let me get you a wet towel to take with us. I’m just going to go to the bathroom down the hall if that’s alright agent.” Celine looks at Alberto over Taylor’s head and winks at him. He catches on and has a small smile as he squeezes her hand.
“I’ll be right back Taylor. I’m going to get something to wipe your face before we go.” Celine kisses Taylor on her cheek and Taylor nods her head.
*******Thank you to all the readers sticking with this story. I suffered a reoccurance of a major illness and sorry for taking so long to pick this story up but I didn't want to cheat the storyline with a filler at this point.
Thanks for reading and I hope you will continue to VOTE for Tiptoe Kisses and communicate, dialogue, speak please. I want to hear it.
NOTE: I hope everyone can figure out what Celine really went into the bathroom to get???