Phantom Scars (34 page)

Chapter 64 -
Mia
Famiglia

Clark and Rhonda never came back to the apartment. They just had me pack up their stuff and put it in the van they had waiting for them. Apparently, they were eloping. At least that was what they told Emma. She hugged them both. Clark was smiling like he was really happy to be going away. They were putting him in witness protection. They were able to save the guy who had attacked us, and they turned him to testify against Victor. From what Tyson had informed me, it was Victor who was the danger, not Joseph. They still believed that other than his brother's dirty startup money, Joseph ran clean businesses.

My momma picked up Marie and Joseph from the airport and brought them back to the restaurant. I was nervous, when Joseph seemed to take such an interest in CJ. My momma explained that we had adopted him, and that just after we had decided to adopt him, Emma had found out she was pregnant, all completely true.

"That's such a common thing," Marie said waving her hand in understanding. "It happened with Heidi as well, remember?" she pointed out to Joseph, but I had no idea who Heidi was.

Joseph watched CJ get excited as I approached, and I noticed him smile wistfully. I had found out that he and his wife had never been able to have children of their own. I picked up my son, tickling his neck and causing him to squeal and then cuddle me tightly. I had to admit, I really loved holding my boy.

"You both seem to get along very well," he said curiously.

"He's my son," I stated plainly and pulled out his bottle for him.

The girls had moved to the back room, leaving me with Joseph. He sat down across from me. "I didn't think I could love a child who wasn't mine. That's why we never adopted. How do you do it? Do you love him less than your daughter?" he asked.

I shook my head no. "I love him as if he were my own flesh and blood, just like I love my daughter. They're both my kids," I said kissing little CJ's head. "It was hard taking care of him at first, because he was severely colicky. I was just getting used to the idea of being a father, but I really didn't have a choice other than to take over his total care, though, when Emma ended up pregnant and just so sick she couldn't care for CJ herself."

"What did you do then?" Joseph asked worried and curious.

"I did the only thing I could do. I learned to change diapers and make bottles, as well as feed, burp and bathe him. I spent a lot of long nights rocking him, feeling inadequate and like I'd failed as a father."

Joseph furrowed his brow. "What changed?"

I laughed. "Nothing, I suppose. I’ll always wonder if I'm going to mess up my kids. I worry that I'm not doing enough for them, or too much. I freak out a little when both of the kids start crying at the same time, and Emma is in the bathroom taking a shower."

"Your son loves you," he pointed out. Little CJ was holding my finger with one hand and was patting my cheek sweetly with the other, completely focused on my face.

"Yes, he does, I think that's the best part of it. You've seen how he gets excited when he sees me, the way he smiles and kicks his little legs. It really is the best feeling and makes the rest of it worth it."

He sighed. "Devin, I know who he is."

I felt myself stiffen, and I looked up at him with warning in my eyes.

"They have my brother, Victor, in custody, and I have no doubt his fate will be the same as Dante's in prison. They've made their own beds to lie in. Your son," he said with a slight smile, "had nothing to do with this mess. I will keep him safe."

I let out a sigh of relief and wondered if he knew who my Emma was. He saw me glance at the door the women were behind. "Yes, I know it's her as well. My brother, Dante, was a fool. He engaged in a deplorable business and bought a child from someone who didn't have any rights over her in the first place. Emma wasn't Wayne's child, she always belonged to Clark and Paige, and that was proven when Clark tracked Dante down with a vengeance. It's what a real parent would’ve done. When I saw Marie holding little Cara, I understood. I would not let anyone touch that child. Not even my sick older brothers. I don't know what happened. I don't understand why they turned out the way they did, but I promise you, Devin, your family is safe."

I stood up and hugged him tightly in my arms, squishing little CJ between us. He reached up and patted Joseph's cheek, causing him to smile.

I stepped back, smiling in relief. "Thank you, so much. You don't know how much that means to me."

He smiled. "You don't know how much it means to me that you let my wife come into your home to hold your most precious treasures, knowing the risk that followed. You let your family love her and welcomed her and me into your home, and it means the world to me to be here and see these sweet little ones doing well. Innocence is such a rare thing," he said looking wistfully at CJ. "I’d like to help keep the children innocent as long as possible, safe from any fool who’d ever consider harming them."

I hadn't realized, but Warren had come in and had heard almost everything. "You know, Joseph, we're really missing that wonderful Italian cuisine your wife makes, and I know my Abby would love for you to be at our wedding."

He smiled widely, and the men hugged, patting each other on the back. "
Mia famiglia
," Joseph said, as he pulled me into the hug. I hugged him back tightly, and CJ surprised us all by reaching for Joseph, wanting into his arms.

When we stepped back, Joseph was smiling widely at little CJ, laughing at his excited face. He knew something good was happening and knew Joseph was the cause, and he wanted to be part of it.

Marie came out holding little Cara, and she grinned at her husband holding my son. "That looks good on you," she said with a smirk.

CJ hammed it up, giving Marie and Cara a big smile, excited to see his sister.

"I believe you're right. You know, we'll have to move back here now, so I can hold him more often," he said kissing the top of CJ's little head.

My momma glanced nervously over at us, and Warren quickly hugged her to him and whispered something in her ear.

"Do you really mean it, Joseph?" Marie asked getting more excited.

"Yes, my dove, we should be close to family," he said smiling at the babies in their arms.

My momma let out a squeal and ran over, hugging Marie. "Sugar, you have to be my maid of honor!"

It was later that night when Emma was lying next to me in bed. "I knew they’d love them and keep them safe. They were just too good of people to be involved with Dante."

I looked at her shocked. "You knew?"

She smiled sadly. "I didn't want you to worry about me."

I rolled over, pulling her tightly to me. "I didn't want you to be scared. You know I’ll keep you safe."

"I know," she said simply, and we lay quietly for a while, enjoying the rare moment we got alone.

"Devin," she spoke my name softly, "I think we should have Joseph and Marie be Cara and CJ's godparents. They need to be part of our family, and what better Godfather can you get for protection than an Italian one?"

"That's not funny."

"I wasn't kidding."

"I didn't think you were." I closed my eyes for a moment.

I felt her lean over and kiss them. "I love you, Devin. I want to keep my family safe and have them be well taken care of. I have the money to do it now."

I looked at her confused. We had been so busy I hadn't been able to ask her how her visit with Mr. Preston had gone.

"Wayne took out a five million dollar life insurance policy on my mom. Since he's gone, it's mine. I put some away for CJ and Cara. I thought if Joseph and Marie were their godparents, we could stay here. The kids would be safe and protected, and we could be with your family. They're moving here, Devin. They're staying. If you don't trust them to love us, then we should leave."

"I do, I know they love us, Emma," I backtracked. She was right. I was just a little hung up on the whole Italian Godfather thing.

"So, do we stay or go into hiding?" she asked again.

"We stay, sweetheart. We stay and have our family's love and support." I kissed her nose, and she smiled.

The next day, we took the kids over to the Italian restaurant, where Marie and Joseph were working to open up again.

"My babies!" Marie clapped. "Joseph, darling, they brought the babies!"

Joseph put down what he was working on and started wiping off his hands quickly, as if he couldn't get to the kids fast enough, making me smile.

"We wanted to ask you guys something," Emma said, and I think that was the first time Joseph had ever heard her speak, because he smiled so widely at her it looked like his face might break.

"Of course, come and sit," he said pulling chairs out for my wife and his. He took little CJ from me and bounced him on his knee.

"Devin and I were talking, and…"

I grabbed her hand and finished her sentence. "We were hoping you’d both consider being our children's godparents."

Joseph and Marie both started talking excitedly to the children in Italian, kissing and hugging them both.

Joseph pulled me into his arms. "My son, we’d be honored." He kissed my cheeks and did the same to Emma, causing her to blush and him to laugh. "Your children," he said proudly, but then corrected himself, "our children," he said taking my hand, "will have the best of everything. I will promise you that." He leaned over and kissed little Cara's head.

"Joseph," Marie said with tear-filled eyes, "I have someone to pass on my recipes to now."

Emma hugged her tightly, and Marie kissed her forehead. "Emmaline, I know you have Abby, but I hope you’ll come to see me as a momma, too."

"I'm so happy to have you," Emma whispered, causing the women to break down in happy tears.

Of course, our sensitive little Cara started crying, because Emma and Marie were crying. This made little CJ upset, so he started grunting and waving his arms, like he was mad and telling someone off. This made us all start laughing, startling the children and causing them to stop and look at us wide-eyed and confused.

"I think he has some Italian in him yet," Joseph said smiling, as CJ pouted at him, looking offended.

"He’s one quarter Italian, actually," my Emma said smiling.

Joseph smiled widely and slapped his leg. "I knew it! My little bambino, we're going to make so much pasta you can do it in your sleep!" he said excitedly to CJ, who quickly lost his pout, squealing in agreement.

"Marie, my dove, we should name the restaurant Bambino's, after our babies."

She leaned over and kissed him. "It's perfect, Joseph. I can't wait."

I relaxed that night in my bed for the first time. My family was truly safe. No one was looking for us or hunting my wife. It was just me, my wife and my kids. We were safe and snuggled in our beds, and I kissed my wife softly, smiling wider as she responded enthusiastically. I was hers, she was mine, and there was no one to fight anymore.

All our wounds had finally healed.

Chapter 65 – Epilogue

Five years later…

CJ ran up the front steps and flung open the doors. "Nonno!" he shouted for Joseph, "It's my birthday!"

I was holding my little girl, Mary, and my new son, Devin Junior, in my arms. Cara came out of the kitchen, waving a wooden spoon and grousing at CJ just like my momma. "Dis is a pace of bidness, CJ!" I did my best to bite back my laughter. Marie and Emma came out of the kitchen, doing their best to hold back their laughter as well at my daughter's antics. A few of the lunch patrons let out a giggle, though, causing her to glare at them with her fists on her hips. She was sassy, just like my momma.

Mary reached out for Marie, and DJ wanted his momma. It was time to feed him, and I didn't have the proper equipment, so I had brought him by for lunch.

"It's your birthday?" Joseph asked CJ.

CJ nodded his head yes so hard I thought it would fall off.

"That can't be! How can you have another birthday already?" He turned to Marie, "Didn't he just have a birthday? I'm sure of it!" he said.

"Yes, I am, too. I'm sure there were pink party hats involved," she played along.

"NO, that was Mary's party, she turned three!" he said holding up three fingers.

"Really?" Joseph asked pretending to be shocked and took Mary from his wife. "Are you three, my dove?" he asked.

She smiled and nodded yes. She was timid and shy, just like her momma, but she loved her Nonno Joseph. I think this endeared her to Joseph even more.

"Do you think CJ is telling the truth?" he asked her, causing her to giggle and shake her head no.

"My little dove says no, it's not your birthday," Joseph said like it was final.

"But she's wrong! Momma, please!" he begged Emma.

"He's right, Nonno, it's his birthday, and he'll be turning six years old."

"Six years old!" Joseph gasped. "My heavens, you're nearly a man! I have to hold up two hands to count it out!"

CJ held up six fingers proudly. "Yup, and Grammy wanted me to come tell you that you
have
to come to my party."

"A party for your birthday?" Joseph asked teasing again. "Do we need to bring presents?"

CJ tapped his chin for a minute, thinking. "Presents would be good, but if you don't have any, you still have to come."

This made Joseph smile widely at us. "You've raised a good boy, Devin," he patted my cheek and kissed CJ and DJ on the head. "My boy, I'll be there, and I’ll not only bring one present, but six, because you're turning six, and we should celebrate it right."

We spent the rest of the evening at my restaurant. Yes, you heard me right. After my momma married Warren, she turned the restaurant over to Clayton and me. She became Warren’s receptionist instead, because she enjoyed having what they called afternoon delight. Needless to say, we all stayed far away from the office. Of course, that didn't mean my momma wouldn't walk into the restaurant at any time, greeting everyone like she still owned the place and took over our kitchen when she felt the need to feed people. Some things would never change.

Emma and I bought a house next to Marie and Joseph, because we were getting very crowded, and CJ needed a place to run out his energy with Cara. Clayton and Jennifer moved into the apartment above the restaurant and were now expecting their first baby.

Faye expanded her store as well, and she did custom cakes and confections now, as well as candy. Her shop was featured on a cable food channel, which brought her business hand over fist. She and Eli renovated the apartment above her store into a really nice residence, and they lived there with their kids, Evan and Adeline. When she wasn't knee deep in sugar, she volunteered for the local women's shelter, counseling battered women and studying karate. Her run-in with Wayne had left her stronger and determined not to be a victim ever again. She was a black belt now, and a scary little woman when provoked.

Joseph and Marie became known as Nonno and Nonna, which was Italian for grandfather and grandmother. My momma became Grammy; why, I didn't know, that was just what my kids called her, and Warren was Papa. They all loved their titles and answered to them with pride.

My wife did finally finish her accounting degree, and now did the books for both restaurants and a few other small businesses on the side, but she spent most of her time learning Marie's secret recipes with Cara. She would also pass them on to Mary eventually.

CJ ended up being good at sports. We started him in T-ball, and he was a natural. Sometimes, I saw someone standing at the far side of the T-ball field and wondered if it was Clark, but I remembered he was stuck in a wheelchair. Joseph said he had someone look into who it was and found out that it was Tyson. He was recording the games to pass on to Emma's dad. I made sure we all waved to him after that, so Clark would see we were happy and still loved him.

I also found out that the strange men Jessup had kept spotting before the attack five years ago had actually been security Joseph had sent to keep us safe. They had backed off a little, when they had realized we were getting suspicious, and that was when Victor's man had made his move. They were a constant presence in our life now, and they were most welcome and treated like family.

Victor had been sentenced to prison, and he did indeed meet the same fate as Dante, as did his buddies, once it got out that they were behind a kidnapping ring that took children. Joseph inherited everything once Victor was put away, and he turned it all straight over to the FBI, who quickly dismantled and took down the remaining crime family members. In the end, Joseph was left with some legitimate shipping businesses, for which he would seek my advice sometimes. He said I was a natural-born seaman, and that made all the difference. When I looked at the map, I didn't just see blue, but the climate as well, and I knew how to route the ships into safe harbors. He told me later that I would be taking over along with our boys when he retired. I guess Clayton was going to have to handle the restaurant on his own then.

The party for CJ was perfect. We made sure to invite Tyson and had him bring his camera to record everything. I talked to him a little about Clark and wondered if he would ever come back. He was safe now that the bad brothers had been taken down. He and Rhonda had made a life for themselves, but they didn't want to take any chances. Rhonda had children of her own, and Clark was welcomed by them. He spent his days doing computer research for the FBI. Law enforcement was in his blood, and he was too young and able-minded to just waste away in his chair. We were glad he had been able to make a life for himself, but that didn't mean we didn't miss him, especially Emma.

It was twelve years later that CJ finally met Clark for the first time. CJ had graduated high school, and I spotted Clark with Rhonda at the far end of the field after the ceremony. I pointed him out to CJ. "There, that man in the wheelchair, go get him and bring him here."

CJ looked at me confused, but he took off after them. We had told CJ he was adopted, we had shown him pictures and told him that Clark was his father, and he was who Uncle Tyson was always taking videos for, but we had yet to tell him all the details. That was a conversation we had planned on having soon.

Clark looked scared at first, but he just stared in shock. He was sure CJ would be upset with him. My son looked him up and down, taking in the scars and the wheelchair. He looked up at Rhonda and smiled. "You've been taking care of my dad?" he asked.

She nodded yes, and he pulled her into a hug. Then he grabbed the wheelchair handles from her and pushed Clark over to where my family was.

"Daddy!" Emma cried, flying into his arms, or arm. He still only had one working one. "I've missed you so much," she said with tear-stained cheeks, kissing him madly all over his face.

She looked up at our son, who seemed to have a confused look on his face. "Daddy?" he asked.

She gave me a worried look, and I put my arm around him. "It's a long story, Son, but in the end, I'm still your daddy, and she's still your momma. We have the papers to prove it."

CJ took a deep breath. "I've known from a pretty young age that I was adopted, but it never really seemed to matter before, so I guess it still doesn't." I hoped he would get through this okay.

"No, it still doesn't."

Joseph and Warren came walking up, and Warren introduced Joseph to Clark.

"
Fanno parte della famiglia che appartengo. Siamo fratelli
," Joseph said and looked to CJ, who was now fluent in Italian.

"He said we're part of the same family, we're brothers," CJ translated, smiling and hugging Joseph. "Nonno," he said like he would break out in tears.

"
Il cuore è pieno. Abbraccio tuo nonno di nuovo
," Joseph spoke again. "He needs you."

CJ turned to Clark and hugged him, causing him to break out in tears. They spent the rest of the night talking about CJ’s life growing up and his baseball scholarship.

I turned to DJ to see him watching the girls walk past; much like Clayton had done when he was a boy, and it made me laugh a little. "Where are the girls?" I asked Joseph; sure he had security on them somewhere.

He pulled out his phone and looked at two lights blinking on the screen. "They're by the concession stand. I have my men watching them."

I smiled and wrapped my arm around his shoulder. "Have I told you how much I love having your guards looking after my teenage daughters lately?"

He chuckled. "No one will touch my girls," he said smiling. "Remember, innocent for as long as possible," he promised. I just hoped he meant that they would be virgins until they were thirty.

Emma smiled at me, and I realized just how far we had come over the past twenty years. She was out and about, the perfect wife, into everything the kids were involved in, and she still had energy to take care of me and the house. Her scars had healed, both inside and out. I didn't know when or how it had happened, but our roles had changed, and she had started taking care of me instead of the other way around. She was still my innocent girl, my Little One, my Emma, but she was so much more.

She was my everything.

Author’s Note: I hope you enjoyed the story. Please take the time to review it and share it with others.