Viola's Risk (The Twin Destinies Saga Book 2) (10 page)

The house Angelica had Liam drive them to was much smaller
and a lot cozier than the two mansions they’d taken them to before. It was more
of a Victorian era home and Viola loved it. She wished they could just stay
there instead of returning to the enormous mansion she knew they’d be going
back to once Thomas apologized.

“Please, make yourselves at home,” Angelica said as they
entered.

“This is gorgeous Mom,” Cora gushed.

“I love this place,” Viola said in awe.

Both guys turned around and went to retrieve all of the
shopping bags from the SUV, hoping that everything the women needed would be in
them so they didn’t have to play middle men to get things from the mansion or
go shopping for them.

While Angelica gave the girls a tour, they set the bags down
by the couch and headed into the kitchen for something to drink.

“How are you feeling?” Liam asked him as he unscrewed the
cap from an ice cold bottle of water and handed another one to Dominic.

“I’m doing okay. Just wondering what all happened while I
was out,” Dominic tested the waters to see if Liam would be open to filling him
in.

“Yeah, I figured you might be wondering. To make a long
story short, Viola sensed you were in danger, jumped from the moving SUV she
was in with Angelica and Cora, ran all the way to where we were by sensing you,
got there just as Sage shot you and flipped out on Anna and Sage. We were all
lucky she went after Anna first and Sage was able to get through to her before
she killed Anna and started on him,” Liam summed the events up and Dominic
stared at him in shock.

“Wow. So what was the whole deal with Thomas? Everyone
looked pretty upset with him when I woke up,” Dominic asked as he took a drink
of his own water.

“He arrived on the scene and started ordering people around
and demanding information as to what happened. Viola was still pretty volatile
at that point and when he told her what she was going to do, she stood up to
him and demanded the respect from him they both deserve. It got even messier
when Angelica took the girls’ side over her mate. She gave him an ultimatum and
he didn’t back down so here we all are,” Liam said with a shrug.

Dominic raised his eyebrows at the man’s casual reaction to
everything, “So, I missed a lot huh?”

“Yeah. One thing I advise is to never make one of these
women angry at you. If you survive it, you’ll regret it for a long time after,”
Liam said just before the women walked into the room chatting as if nothing had
happened today.

“So, is anyone hungry?” Angelica asked them all with
concern.

Everyone responded with, “I am,” at the same time and then
burst into fits of laughter.

“How about we order take-out and go pick it up?” Angelica
asked as she opened a drawer full of menus.

“Sounds good to me,” Viola said and went over to see what
options were available.

“I’ll go pick it up. What are we having Chinese, Italian,
burgers and fries?” Liam said as he came over and stood next to Viola, as the
selection of menus were
laid out on the counter
for them to look through.

“Italian sounds amazing,” Cora said just as her stomach
rumbled.

“I was thinking Chinese,” Viola said and the girls looked at
each other and laughed again.

“Please don’t make me drive all over the place,” Liam
groaned.

“What sounds good to you guys?” Angelica asked them.

“Whatever you all decide on, I’ll find something to eat,”
Dominic said, choosing not to get into the great food debate.

“Smart man, I agree with him. You guys decide what sounds
good and I’ll find something to eat,” Liam agreed and gave Dominic a fist bump.

“So Mom, it looks like you’re the tie-breaker. Italian or
Chinese?” Viola asked her with raised eyebrows.

“Hmmm, Italian sounds delightful. Sorry Viola,” Angelica
said as Cora grabbed the only Italian food menu in the pile. “Trust me, once
you taste this food, you will be craving it.”

“Okay, I can do some lasagna with extra garlic bread,” Viola
said as Dominic stepped up behind her, wrapped his arms around her waist and
leaned his chin on her head.

“That sounds perfect. Make it two orders,” he said and
placed a quick kiss on her head.

Angelica pulled out a sheet of paper and a pen and started
writing down everyone’s orders. Cora chose the meat ravioli with marinara sauce
and Liam picked the spaghetti with meatballs. Both asked for extra garlic bread
as well.

Once everyone’s orders were placed, Angelica called in the
order, paid by phone with her credit card and left Liam’s name as the person
picking up the order.

“What did you get?” Cora asked as Angelica hung up the
phone.

“Their chicken fettucine alfredo is my favorite. I always
order it when we get Italian,” Angelica said and turned toward the fridge as
tears welled up in her eyes.

“It’s okay to be upset, Mom,” Cora said in a gentle voice as
she moved over to her. “If I were you, I’d be furious.”

“I just need a minute. I’ll be fine,” Angelica said and they
could all hear the tears in her voice.

Liam grabbed the keys from the counter and looked at
Dominic. “Wanna come? We can let the ladies have some bonding time.”

“Sure. Let’s go,” Dominic said as he gave Viola a quick
squeeze and she tipped her head back for a kiss with a look of pure gratitude
in her eyes.

Liam gave Cora a quick kiss and they left to go get the
food.

As soon as the door clicked shut, Angelica’s tears came flooding
out as choked sobs as she finally let go of the pain filling her heart at her
broken family.

Both girls wrapped their arms tightly around her and crooned
anything comforting they could think of to her. Their hearts broke for the pain
she was in because of them.

After about ten minutes of Angelica’s sobbing, Viola pulled
back and looked at Cora.

“Maybe we should just call him and apologize,” she suggested
even though it was against her normal behavior.

“No!” Angelica cried out at Viola’s suggestion. “Don’t you
dare.”

“Why? This is tearing you apart and that was never our
intention,” Viola said, hurting for their mother. It seemed all of this
adversity had worked to help them form a mother/daughter bond she hadn’t even
realized was forming.

“Yes, this is hard for me, but the two of you are right. His
behavior is not acceptable and you should not tolerate it. I am proud of you
for standing up to him, because most people are too scared to. That is how I
know you will win this war. I am so proud to have you both as my daughters,” she
said touching each of their cheeks as the tears began to dry on her cheeks.

Neither of the girls knew what to say in response to
Angelica’s statement so they just stood there feeling awkward. Angelica
understood how they were feeling and didn’t push them. She was touched they
were trying so hard to help her feel better.

“How about we set the table for dinner so we’ll be ready
when the boys return?” she asked them, trying to make them feel more at ease.

“Sure, we can do that,” Cora said and moved toward the
cabinets to pull out the dishes as Viola moved over to the drawers and started
searching for the silverware.

“I am going to go freshen up for a minute,” Angelica told
them.

“No problem. Take your time, we’ve got this covered,” Viola
said with a sympathetic look.

Angelica exited the room and the girls gathered everything
they needed to set the table for dinner.

“Do you think she’ll be alright?” Viola asked Cora, worry
filling her voice.

“Yeah, she’ll be okay. I’m sure all of this is a huge shock
for her though,” Cora said with a look toward the doorway their mother had exited
through.

“It’s got to be. I didn’t expect for her to leave him in our
defense,” Viola told her.

“Neither did I. It all spiraled out of control so fast I
couldn’t keep up until she’d already done it,” Cora admitted.

“I was just so tired of being left out of the loop,” Viola
confessed as she sank down in one of the dining chairs.

“I don’t blame you there. I told him it was a horrible idea
to leave you out, but he insisted. I don’t have your backbone to stand up to
him the way you did Vi. I wish I did, because all of this could have been
prevented if I had,” Cora told her sister with regret filling her voice.

“Don’t worry about it Cora. It’s all behind us now,” Viola
said, exhaustion catching up to her.

“Are you hurt from the jump out of the SUV? I so can’t
believe you did that,” Cora asked her sister with awe in her voice.

“I am so sore it’s not even funny. I hope there’s a huge
bathtub in this place where I can soak in a nice hot bubble bath before bed,”
Viola said with a wistful voice.

“I’m sure a soak in a hot bath can be arranged my dear,”
Angelica said with a warm smile as she entered the room. “The table looks
wonderful.”

“Thank you,” Viola said without getting up.

“Would either of you like something to drink with dinner?”
Angelica asked, moving toward the kitchen doorway.

“Yes, please,” Cora said. “Would you like some help?”

“No, please have a seat and rest. I’ve got it,” Angelica
said with a smile. “I enjoy doing things for you two. I missed so much while
you were growing up.”

Just then the front door opened and the guys entered with
their take-out. What surprised the women was Thomas walking in behind them,
with a hard look on his face.

Dominic and Liam brought in the food and set it in the
center of the table while Thomas hovered in the doorway. Angelica glanced at
her mate, then proceeded into the kitchen to gather drinks for everyone for
dinner, as if he wasn’t there.

Cora and Viola sat at the table feeling awkward and
fidgeting with their silverware while the guys unpacked the food, not saying
anything. Viola could tell they felt awkward now with Thomas there and the
current situation. She wished there was something she could do to ease the
tension that thickened the air around them.

The silence was deafening as Angelica returned from the
kitchen with glasses full of ice. The only noise was from the movement of the
guys sorting the food and her placing the glasses down on the table with loud
thuds, before heading back into the kitchen.

Cora and Viola looked at each other and had one of their silent
conversations, wondering what was going to happen next. Neither girl was
willing to speak first and give Thomas the satisfaction of backing down from
the pressure.

Again, Angelica returned with a couple of bottles of
sparkling cider and began pouring. Once each of the glasses were full, she sat
down at the head of the table, continuing to ignore her mate, who still stood
in the entranceway waiting to be acknowledged. She gestured for Liam and
Dominic to take their seats beside each of their mates before opening the
container holding her chicken alfredo and scooping it onto her waiting plate
with her spoon.

The girls each shrugged and followed their mother’s lead.
Viola had to give their mother a lot of credit because she wasn’t sure she
could hold out as long as Angelica had if she’d been in the older woman’s shoes
right now. Admiration for her mother made her smile as she closed the now empty
take out box and placed it back in the center of the table.

“Thank you gentlemen, for going to pick up this delicious
meal,” Angelica said from the heart.

“You’re welcome. It smells amazing,” Liam said, before
digging into his spaghetti.

“Thank you for having me at your table ma’am,” Dominic said
as if he felt like he didn’t belong there with them.

“You’re family now, you are always welcome at my table,”
Angelica said with a smile.

Viola beamed at her mother with pride and for the first time
that she’d acknowledged, love.

“Ahem,” Thomas cleared his throat from the doorway,
expecting their immediate attention. When it wasn’t given, he cleared his
throat a bit louder. The group at the table still continued to ignore him as
they ate their meal and made idle conversation.

“Excuse me,” Thomas said and Angelica looked up at him,
setting her fork on the plate.

“Oh, did you have something to say?” she asked in a
sarcastic voice.

“Angie, please don’t be this way,” Thomas said in a pleading
tone.

“You know where I stand on this. You were wrong. Now, unless
you came here to apologize and to make things right from here on out, we’re
going to finish our dinner and you can leave,” she said, waiting for a moment
to see what he would do before picking up her fork and resuming her meal.

The others around the table had paused eating their meals,
to take in the exchange between the two. Even after Angelica had resumed
eating, they remained paused, waiting to see what Thomas would say or do next.

“You can’t put me in this position Angelica. I am the
leader, I have to lead,” Thomas told her.

Angelica put her fork down and pushed her chair back from
the table, rising to her feet. She walked over and stood in front of Thomas,
fury in her eyes.

“Leading is one thing. You can lead and still treat the
people you are leading with respect and dignity. Those are our daughters and
you are doing a great job of pushing them away with your version of leading.
You have not inspired trust in them. You have not earned their respect. Yet you
demand it from them. We both know you can do a much better job than what you
are doing now. You are a father first Thomas. I know it is an adjustment, but
you are going to have to figure it out the same as the rest of us are. Not once
have you sat down and talked to them about anything other than this prophecy,
their training or what they are and are not allowed to do. You have not made
one attempt to get to know them as people. I am so disappointed in you, and I
never in a million years thought I’d ever feel that way about you. No matter
how much I love you, I cannot let this lack of respect continue,” Angelica told
him and everyone could see her words hit him like a slap in the face.

Thomas opened and closed his mouth several times, trying to
find the words to respond to Angelica’s speech. He didn’t know what to say. As
he thought through everything she’d just said to him, he began to realize the
truth to her words.

His eyes moved from Angelica to their daughters who were
sitting at the table looking at him like the total stranger he truly was to
them. She was right. He hadn’t put in the effort as a father. He’d let himself get
so wrapped up in the prophecy that he did not see he was destroying his chance
to bond with the daughters he was trying to protect.

Taking a deep breath, he put his hand on Angelica’s shoulder
before moving around her and walking over to the dining table. His mate was
right, it was time for him to fix things with Cora and Viola, before it was too
late.

“My beautiful daughters, I am so sorry. The two of you and
Angelica are my world, and I have been blind to how I’ve been acting. I was
focused on all of the wrong things instead of the gifts I have been blessed
with. I promise, if you will give me the chance, I will try my very best to do
better. I can’t promise to be perfect, but I can promise to try,” he told them,
pouring his love for his family into the words he spoke.

Viola stood up from the table, the legs of the chair
scraping against the wood floor as it slid back. She walked around the table
and stood in front of their father, looking up into his eyes.

“I know I have not been the easiest to deal with since we
met a few days ago. This has been a lot to take in and get used to. I will also
admit I haven’t given either of you much of a chance until today, when I’ve
really gotten to know our mother and come to respect and admire her. I would
like the chance with you, but I can’t keep being left out of the loop on
things. I needed to know what was going to happen today before it happened.
Yes, I probably would have objected but I also know there are some things that
just have to be done. I am not a small child that has to be protected, those
days are long past,” she said, squaring her shoulders and hoping he would not
reject her words.

Cora stood and came over to her sister’s side in front of
their father.

“She’s right. You need to listen to us a lot more. Neither
of us are stupid, and we’ve been through a lot. There are a lot of things about
Anna you don’t know, but we do. Viola could have contributed to the plans for
today in ways you will never know because you didn’t give her a chance and
wouldn’t listen to the rest of us when we tried to explain this to you. Yes, we
are both stubborn, but there comes a time when being stubborn is both stupid
and foolish and hurts those around you,” Cora said, as Angelica came around and
put one arm around each daughter and smiled like the proud mother she was.

“Do you see now what I’ve been trying to explain to you?
These are not the babies we gave up all of those years ago trying to protect.
These are young women with strong minds and good heads on their shoulders. They
are stubborn, yes, but then so are we. They are also sensible, loving, kind,
considerate and strong. They will succeed, not because you order them around,
but because we nurture who they are as individuals. It’s time to stop being their
commander and start being their father,” she said, with hope in her voice that
their words were sinking in.

Thomas stayed quiet for a few minutes to let everything sink
in and chose his words carefully before speaking.

“The three of you are my heart and soul. I am sorry if I’ve
caused you any pain with my actions. All I can promise is to do my best to
listen with a more open mind. I can’t say I will always use your suggestions,
but I will at least take them into consideration. If you can forgive me, I want
that opportunity,” he said as his eyes and face softened with the emotion in
his heart.

“That’s all we’re asking for my dear.” Angelica said with a
smile and tears of joy streaming down her cheeks.

Thomas stepped forward, wrapped all three women in his arms
and held them tight. Liam sighed with relief in the background, which brought
the foursome back to their surroundings and Liam and Dominic’s presence.

They pulled apart and the girls each returned to their seats
with smiles on their faces. Angelica looked up at her mate with pride and
happiness.

“Are you hungry my love?” she asked him.

“Go ahead and eat. I’ll pick something up later,” he said,
escorting her back to her seat at the table.

“There’s more than enough chicken alfredo here for both of
us. I’d be happy to share,” she said as she headed into the kitchen and brought
out another place setting for him. She moved a large portion onto the new plate
and sat it at the opposite head of the table for him, before returning to her
seat.

Thomas gave her a smile filled with gratitude as he took his
seat and the family returned to their meal, complete as a family for the first
time since their reunion.