Chapter 64: Chapter Sixty-Four

*Enzo*

I was beginning to get anxious.

A week has passed and while I felt like the world was righted and couldn’t get any better than this for the past week, something was starting to feel off. It felt too good to be true. Every night Gabby slept in my arms. We were never far apart from each other and even started to enjoy life. I’ve never seen my Nonno so happy.

But I still couldn’t let my guard down. Not with things still not being resolved. We haven’t heard another word from Alejandro Russo. Which was odd in itself. I knew he hadn’t given up on his only blood related daughter. And if he’s been quiet this long then there was definitely something up his sleeve and I was afraid it was going to attack us when we least expect it too.

But he wasn’t my only concern. Something was up with Domenico. Ever since Gabby came home he started acting weird. He was more reserved, more silent. He didn’t overreact or had his normal outbursts like he usually does. If he thinks I was too wrapped up in Gabby, he was dead wrong. I may be spending all my free time with her, and my sole focus was the girl who I couldn’t get enough of, but it didn’t mean that I wasn’t aware of my surroundings.

Dom was part of my worries. He always have been.

Which is why he was throwing me off with his new attitude. And of course Ivy was still among us. But watching her it was like she didn’t even care that Dom was going through something. In fact, she was starting to give him less attention than before. She was another of my problems. She wasn’t as hard pressed as Brittney had been.

No, she was more subtle than that. She definitely had something up her sleeve and I wasn’t blind to know what it was. Is that the reason for my cousin’s sudden change of demeanor? Was he finally beginning to see the woman she really was? Is that too much to wish for on my part?

“I’m worried about Dom.” I quietly say in the night as I held Gabby close to me in bed.

She sighs heavily against me. “I wasn’t sure if it was just me since I don’t really know him all that well or if there really was something that might be going on.”

“He’s not normally this quiet.” I admit.

Lifting her head to look down at me, her wavy hair falling all over my chest, her cute little eyebrows furrow in concern. “If you’re worried then it’s something to take seriously. Have you talked to him about it? What does Papi Gio think?”

I haven’t even gotten that far on either account. I was afraid that if I ask Dom about what was going on in his head he was going to snap at me or worse that he was going to close me out completely. He wasn’t ever one to keep his mouth shut about anything unless it was something that was truly getting to him.

And it was apparent that something definitely was.

“I’ll talk to him tomorrow.” If I could find him that is.

Lately he’s been disappearing. I wasn’t sure where he goes off too during the day. I only see him at breakfast and dinner. The rest of the time he’s MIA. It wasn’t like he was going off the property either. At least I hope he wasn’t. Even though it’s been quiet around here, that didn’t mean the danger was gone.

“I’ll ask Ivy. Maybe she knows something.” She mumbles, her tone telling me she doesn’t believe that one bit.

And neither do I. I highly doubt Ivy knows anything about my cousin. She was so disinterested even a five year old could tell. Maybe he was finally starting to see it and he was becoming depressed. Sighing deeply I squeeze her tightly to me.

“I guess it wouldn’t hurt to try.”

***

I couldn’t sleep at all last night.

Not with knowing something was up with Dom. Getting up earlier than usual I leave Gabby there sleeping peacefully in my bed and head downstairs. It was still dark outside but the grandfather clock in the hallway showed it was just past five in the morning.

I needed to take a run to clear my mind and hopefully come up with a way to get him to open up to me when I ask him what was bothering him. But heading to the foyer to put my shoes on I notice the study light on underneath the closed door. Frowning, I head over and lightly knock.

No one answers so turning the knob I slowly open it to reveal it to be empty and the fireplace ablaze in the large hearth. Still frowning, I walk in further and look around the room. The leather chair at the big mahogany desk was pushed to the side like someone had been sitting there and causally got up without bothering to push it back in place. Sitting there on the desk in front of it was an empty lone whiskey glass with the bottle placed next to it, only a drink left inside.

I silently walk to the desk, picking up the glass to feel it slightly still warm. Looking around the room one more time I decide that whoever had been in here previously must have just left right before I came down. I wasn’t sure if it had been Nonno or someone else that shouldn’t be in here.

Putting the glass back down. I go to walk over to the window where the curtain was left open. Strange since Nonno was always so particular when it came to his windows being exposed like that. I take two steps when something on the floor catches my eye.

A hand was on the ground face down just behind the desk. Instant fear and alarm hits me as I race to the other side fearing the absolute worse. Thinking it was my grandfather after all I was equally surprised to see it wasn’t him, but Domenico who was lying face down not moving.

“Shit, Dom?!” I cry out, quickly falling to the ground next to his side as I push the chair further away.

Grabbing his shoulders I turn him to his back. His eyes were closed, and he wasn’t moving. Shaking him I start calling out his name with no response. I check his pulse to feel it slowed, but there.

“Fuck, Dom wake up!” I was beginning to go into hysterics thinking that somehow they have gotten to him, thinking that Ivy had a hand in this when he suddenly belches an enormous burp in my face. The strong reek of alcohol hits me like a sledgehammer, and I nearly gag from the offensive stench.

I look back down at him as he licks his lips sloppily. Looking back up at the empty bottle of whiskey I soon understood that he was passed out from being pissed ass drunk. More than likely slipped right out of the chair falling to the ground. Not soon after I realize this he begins snoring loudly.

Roughly pushing him off me I wanted to smother his face and let him die of suffocation. Leaning against the chair I take a deep calming breath staring at his limp body and my mind begins to wonder in a new direction. Dom wasn’t one to get himself flat out drunk like this. Not in Nonno’s study and definitely not alone.

So, why was he here?

There was definitely something going on with him and I was going to find out. Even if I have to force it out of him, I was going to discover what it was that was making my cousin lose control like this.

Because I hated the silent, keeping to himself Domenico and I just wanted my crazy, outgoing, don’t give a flying fuck, cousin back that I know him to be.