Chapter 11 -
Lucia on the other side didn’t pay much heed to her, only glancing at Leo once in a while, instead of returning the heated gaze of her husband. And for Don Emilio’s side of the table? It was a no go area for her eyes. Surprisingly, the person she was expecting to cause enough trouble was casually silent throughout, never saying a word or spoken to at dinner. And if not that she hated his guts already, she would have gotten along with baldie whose name she didn’t know yet. But, his place on the table suggested that he was a member of the madhouse family.
Rosa was the one to escort her back to her room, leaving all of them behind at the table. With all the disaster that happened on the night she should be celebrating a one year anniversary, Nia managed to get some sleep, though hungry and disturbed.
The sound of a gunshot served as an alarm clock the next morning. Her heart in her mouth, she scrambled out of bed in a frenzy at the sound of a noise she’s never had the courtesy of knowing. Before her brain could process things, for a second, Nia didn’t recognize where she was. The room, the chandelier and the large bed, all of it was nothing compared to her apartment back in town. But it became clear slowly, her situation dawning on her—she was living day one officially as a captive because of Alex, and kidnapped by Leo DeSanto. The sound of the gunshot came again, piercing through the silence of the room. Despite the fact that a gun being fired early this morning was a major concern, something else outweighed it, a small yelp coming from behind the door of her empty closet.
She couldn’t be mistaken, or imagine things. Just to confirm her suspicions, Nia tiptoed to the closet door, somewhat afraid of what she might find. Then at the other side, she saw a small boy crouched down on the floor, his small head bowed and his arms tightly hugging his knees to his chest. She was certain he didn’t hear her come over, or how she slipped into the closet from the door which was opened slightly. The sight of the boy made Nia’s heart drop, and things didn’t get better when the gunshot came again. He wrapped himself tighter, his body shivering, and her instinct to shield him from what was happening outside, overcame her.
Immediately their bodies touched, the boy raised his blonde head, and she saw huge hazel eyes staring right back at her. The very color of her own eyes, though his was confused, like he was trying to determine if he had seen her before.
“Hi!” Nia said awkwardly, failing to sound cool.
The boy tilted his head to the side, still staring at her.
“What’s your name?” She asked for starters.
And he regarded her for a moment before his soft childish voice came. “Gaby.”
She nodded, plastering a smile on her face to not appear frightening. Nia might not know who the kid was, or who his parents were, but she just wanted to make him feel better, despite the circumstance they were in.
“So, Gaby” she began, taking a sitting position opposite him, “are you lost?”
As if he remembered something he shouldn’t, his huge eyes went distant, and a certain kind of fear crept into his small facial features.
“Hey! Gaby,” she tried to reach for him again, but he scooted away from her incoming touch, like she was going to burn him. Nia didn’t like that, she didn’t know why the little boy did that but she knew a kid his age shouldn’t act the way he did.
Her eyes remain fixed on him as the boy suddenly sprang into action, running out of the closet and disappearing into the bedroom. Nia followed immediately, determined to know where he was going in the midst of the chaos happening. But she was slow compared to a five or six year old burst of energy. That didn’t deter her from giving up the chase, she followed Gaby, through the hallway, down the stairs, and then the large living room. But before he could make it out of the large glass doors, the gunshot rang out again, making the boy freeze in tracks and hide behind a nearby couch.
“Tell your men to let me and my son go, Christian!” A scream—Lucia’s scream came from outside, at the same time, she saw Gaby shrink further into the couch.
It was at that moment, after putting the piece together, she realized Gaby was the son Lucia and Christian were arguing over dinner.
None other than Christian’s calm and collected voice came forth in a command. “Drop the gun Lucia and get inside.”
What is it with these DeSanto men, Nia thought while taking careful steps to Gaby by the couch. Her heart felt heavy for him, having been born to these two as parents, and into a nonfunctional household.
But as of last night, she knew the boy wasn’t around, and how he managed to end up in her closet was beyond her. Either way, she was going to pour her pent up love and affection on him.
“Gaby,” she smoothed his blonde hair that was just like his father’s, gently. “Why don’t we leave and do something?”
His inquisitive voice asked, “like what?”
Exactly, like what. She was a prisoner in this mansion and shouldn’t even leave that room per Rosa’s advice. But Nia couldn’t just leave the small boy on his own with no one around to stop the maniacs outside.
“What about we look for…” she was thinking of who or what to say when the boy spoke for her.
“…Uncle Nardo,” his small voice spoke cheerily for the first time in the little while she’s known him.
From the way his face lit up at the suggestion of Leo, it was obvious Gaby adored the older DeSanto brother. Besides, he was the boy’s uncle, he might have been bad to her—no kidding, but she doubted he would be the same jerk he is to his nephew.
Lucia’s exasperated voice broke through her thoughts. “I swear Christian, if you don’t let us leave this place, I’ll aim perfectly, and this time you’ll drop dead.”
Nia was in a tight situation, her thoughts reeling as she tried to make a decision. It was between waiting long enough for the boy to hear his parents kill each other, or take him to the one person she didn’t need to see. If she was being true to herself, this wasn’t about her, it was about the little boy she felt protective towards. And if he wanted to be with Leo, then she was going to take him to Leo.
Keeping her voice calm, in contrast to the ruckus, she reached for Gaby’s hand. “Alright, let’s find uncle Nardo.”
The boy jumped from his position on the couch, leading her along to where Leo's bedroom might be in the large mansion. Outside, Lucia’s furious voice still echoed through the air, countered by Christian’s sharp commands. Nia didn’t know the dynamic between the two, or what must have happened to have them both acting this way. And the fact that no family member was willing to intervene said a lot. She just hoped that Gaby won’t be stuck in their crossfire, that’s if he wasn’t already.
She tried to focus on the task ahead—which entailed a boy leading her up the stairs again, then another stairs she hadn't seen before. He was practically taking her on a tour to the part of the mansion she was sure would put her in more trouble. Gaby rounded multiple corners, with him dragging her along mostly while he skipped merrily down a hallway that felt endless, except it had only one looming door. Sure enough, he was the type who cherished solitude, exceptionally fitting into his enigmatic style.
When they reached the door, Gaby didn’t bother knocking, all too familiar with his uncle, he opened the object, dragging Nia into what looked like a study. It had a dark wooden table and chai set right in the middle, two leather chairs at the other side of the table. More leather chairs in every corner, and the faint scent of tobacco lingering in the air. Her eyes drifted from object to object until they landed on Leo dressed in white shirt and navy blue slacks.
He was standing near the window, his back to them as he spoke into a phone. “Make sure you scour every nook and cranny of the city for him. I need a report as soon as possible, Santiago.” His voice was low, measured, something similar to Christian’s commanding tone outside.