“I know my boys better than anyone else. I know exactly what it would take to get him drinking again, and then he’ll help himself right out of his new job. Push me and I’ll show you the real Nick.”
“You don’t mean that, Patrice.”
“No? You don’t want to be on my bad side, Rena. I can turn all of them against you, and I’ll start by showing the world what a little whore you are. Do you think you and Nick weren’t seen? Weren’t photographed? The tabloids love a good scandal. Could you say the same about your parents?”
As disgust rose in her throat, Rena’s temper soared. “I don’t know what happened to you or why you’re as bitter as you are, but I guess I should have expected this phone call. I heard about how you threatened Julia. You scared her, but you don’t scare me. And you don’t have the control over your sons that you think you do. Not anymore. They are so much more than who you see when you look at them. And they love you, even though you don’t deserve it. You want to hurt me? Bring it on. Try to turn them against me. You’ll lose. And then, maybe, you’ll finally see how loyal and loving your sons really are.”
Rena waited for Patrice to counter with her own threat.
She readied herself for whatever form it would take.
Patrice said nothing for a moment, then there was a sound as if she and the phone had dropped to the floor.
Does she really think I’m going to fall for this?
“Patrice? Patrice?”
She didn’t answer. Rena heard ragged breathing and a faint moan in the background.
It’ll be a cold day in hell before I call 911 for her.
“Patrice. You can stop pretending. You’re not fooling anyone.”
Rena hung up her phone, then started pacing back and forth. No one believes Patrice had a heart attack. This is just another attempt on her part to use the sympathy card.
Rena tried to call Patrice back, but there was no answer.
Dammit.
She almost called Nick, but she thought about what Patrice had said about driving him back to drink. Was this part of her plan to do that?
She called Luke instead. “Luke, I think your mother just had another episode. She was on the phone with me. Should I call nine-one-one?”
He asked her for the details of exactly what had happened then, said he’d send an ambulance over and meet it there. He hung up without another word and Rena sank into the chair behind her desk.
Gio and Julia walked in, arm in arm, laughing over something. They took one look at Rena and froze. “What happened?” Gio demanded.
“Your mother may have collapsed. Luke is on his way to check on her. I was on the phone with her when she fell.”
Julia rushed to Rena’s side and put an arm around her. “That must have been terrifying, but you did the right thing by calling Luke. He probably has a hundred doctors looking her over by now.”
Gio frowned. “I should go, too.”
Rena stood. “Gio.”
Gio stopped on his way out the door and turned to look at her. “Yes?”
She wanted to tell him what Patrice had said to her. She didn’t believe for a second that Patrice was actually ill, but she couldn’t explain why she thought that without revealing how she felt about Nick. “Do you want me to call Nick and Max?”
“No,” Gio said. “I will.” He strode out the door, half dragging Julia behind him.
Rena sat back down at her desk and covered her face with both hands.
Is it a sin to not pray for someone to live?
***
Nick sat in the main library of his mother’s house with Gio and Luke. Like Gio, Nick was still dressed in his business suit. Luke was in scrubs. The only communication they’d had since they’d arrived was a nod of acknowledgment toward each other.
Luke finally broke the silence. “Does anyone know if Max is coming?”
Gio crossed his legs at his ankles and leaned back in his chair. “He’s in the British Isles looking at some property. I told him we’d keep him informed and tell him if he needed to be here.”
Nick asked, “Has anyone seen her yet?”
Luke folded his arms across his chest. “No one besides her physician. He turned the emergency team away. He claims this is a condition she’s already under treatment for.”
After running his hand through his hair, Gio said coldly, “How possible is it that this is all for show?”
Luke looked at the door with a skeptical expression. “I don’t like to think badly of anyone in my profession, but her doctor is suspiciously territorial. He wouldn’t let me see her or her records. Granted, I’m a surgeon, but I’m definitely qualified to recognize the severity of what he’s vaguely calling episodes. So I have to ask myself, what is it he doesn’t want me to see?”
Nick looked from brother to brother and said, “I’m surprised neither of you stormed in there demanding the truth.”
Gio shrugged. “I don’t even want to be here. I damn well don’t want to be in there.”
Luke shook his head and balled his hands on his knees. “I can’t bring myself to accuse her of something I don’t have any proof is a lie.”
Nick walked over to sit at his father’s old desk. “It’s easy to understand why Father wanted another family, isn’t it? Look at us. What is there about us that anyone could love?”
Gio stood and joined Nick. “Father loved us. He did. What happened between him and Mother didn’t change how he felt for us.”
“I wonder if he and Mother were ever happy,” Luke asked quietly as he also joined them. “I’ve tried to remember a time when I saw them hold hands or laugh together. I don’t think I ever did.”
Nick rubbed a hand over his chin in frustration. “I’m so tired of wondering why we are the way we are. Maybe it’s time to just let the past go and move on.”
Gio stared straight ahead and grit his teeth. “If only it were that easy.”
“Gio, we need to talk,” Nick said.
“Talk away.”
“Not here.”
“I’ll probably be returning to Cogent for a few hours after this.”
“It’s not about work.”
“Okay, I have all day tomorrow.”
“Saturday?” Nick repeated the word, stalling. “Sunday would be better for me. I’m often tied up on Saturdays.”
Luke and Gio both gave Nick a confused look, but Nick pretended not to notice. Although he had decided to tell Gio about Rena, doing it while waiting to hear about the health of their mother didn’t feel right. And there was no way he was going to miss seeing Rena to break the news to Gio. Sunday or nothing.
“Fine,” Gio said. “Come for dinner. Julia loves to have company.”
“Where is she?” Luke asked.
“All things considered,” Gio said, “we thought it was better if she didn’t come.”
“She and Mother are still fighting?” Nick asked.
“No,” Gio said firmly. “I don’t let them anywhere near each other. Julia is too important to me.”
There was a time when Gio’s comment would have angered Nick. He remembered accusing Gio of choosing Julia’s side over their mother’s. At the time he had believed Gio was wrong, but he could only imagine what his own reaction would be if he heard that his mother had threatened Rena.
A bald, heavyset doctor dressed casually in khaki pants and a polo shirt entered the library. “Your mother is feeling better now, and she’d like to see all of you.”
Like men headed off to the guillotine, the three brothers followed the doctor to their mother’s first-floor bedroom suite. She was dressed in a silk peignoir and sitting up beneath an ornate comforter in the middle of a king-sized bed. She lifted a hand slowly as if it were a difficult feat and beckoned her sons to her side.
“The doctor says I’m fine. I’m so sorry to have worried you.”
Luke stepped forward and studied his mother’s face. He lifted her hand in his, taking her pulse at the same time. “What are these episodes?”
She pulled back from him and folded both of her hands on her lap. “Talking about it only makes it more real and I don’t want to get upset, so please, respect that.”
Nick stood beside Luke. “It’s not like I’m asking the question. Luke might know something that could help. Or”—he looked across the room at the hovering physician—“no offense, know a specialist in the field. What would it hurt to let him look over your medical records?”
Tears came to his mother’s eyes. “Why do you always have to push, Nick? Can’t you for once do what I’m asking of you?”
Gio took his place beside Nick. “Nick is merely concerned that you might not be getting the treatment you need. We want the best for you, Mother.”
Patrice went pale and raised a shaky hand to her chest. “I’m tired. Please leave me.”
Not one of the brothers moved at first. Nick wondered if Luke and Gio felt as torn as he did. Part of him wanted to call her out and demand to see her medical records. Part of him felt like the world’s worst son who wanted to apologize for doubting her.
Gio was the first to speak. “Get some rest, Mother. I hope you feel better.”
Luke bent and gave Patrice a kiss on the cheek. “Call me if you need me.”
Nick hovered over his mother and she took his hand in hers. “Nick, I’m sorry I snapped at you. I’m not myself right now. Please, forgive me.” A tear rolled down her cheek and Nick wiped it away.
“Don’t cry, Mother. There is nothing to forgive.” He gave her hand a final squeeze and followed his brothers out into the hallway.
Luke looked at his watch as soon as they were alone. “I hate to rush off, but I postponed a surgery and I can’t push it back it again. I have to go.”
Gio turned to Nick. “I’m heading back to Cogent.”
Nick nodded. “Me, too. I have my own car, though.”
Gio paused. “I have time now if you’ve changed your mind and want to talk about anything.”
Having had his fill of family dealings that day, Nick said. “I’ll talk to you on Sunday.”
Chapter Fifteen
Rena rang the doorbell of the townhouse, and when no one answered she rang it again impatiently. She was hungry and tired, and she really wanted to go home. But there was someone she had to speak to before she did.
An older man, still tall and broad, answered the door with a smile. “Hello, we’ve met before, haven’t we? Gio’s secretary, Rena, right?” Rena nodded and was taken by surprise as he lifted her off the ground in a bone-crushing hug. “Welcome. The boys talk about you all the time.”
“Please put me down.” Once back on the ground, Rena stepped back and adjusted her clothing. She did remember meeting him. He was one of Nick’s uncles.
A beautiful older woman with a warm smile stepped into the doorway and held out her hand in greeting. “Did I hear him say Rena? I’m Maddy’s mother, Elise. I’ve been looking forward to meeting you. Come in, come in. Alessando’s manners have become awful as he gotten older. Are you looking for Maddy? She’s upstairs feeding Adam, but she should be down in a minute.”
Rena shook her hand, then followed the couple into the foyer of Maddy’s home. “This is probably a bad time. I can come back.”
“No, please,” Elise said warmly, “if you wait for a convenient time to visit a new mother you’ll never find one. We’re only here for a short time ourselves. Richard lured us over with a promise of fresh eggplant Parmesan. I don’t like to tell Maddy’s husband often, because it’ll give him a big head, but it’s as good as Alessandro’s mother used to make.”
Alessandro patted his heart and spoke to the heavens. “Mama, she doesn’t remember your sauce like I do.”
Elise laughed and told Rena in a confidential tone, “I do.” She motioned toward the living room. “Please, join us for coffee. Or stay for dinner if you’re hungry. We have more than enough.”
Rena reluctantly sat and accepted a cup. She’d come with the intention of giving Maddy a piece of her mind about her loose tongue, but there was also something very tempting about meeting one of the infamous Andrade uncles. Rena knew the stories of Alessandro and Victor well. She’d grown up hearing about their private island near Italy, and then had witnessed the fallout amongst the family after Nick’s father died. A situation which had gotten worse when the uncles had sold the island, which should have been Gio’s inheritance, to a stranger. Gio had come back from a family wedding several months ago and had simply said that not everything he’d thought about his uncles had been true. Luke had told Rena that Gio and one of his cousins now co-owned the island, an agreement the family had come to in the spirit of reunification.
Alessandro was one of the uncles Patrice had spent a lifetime raising her sons to distrust. Rena hadn’t expected to meet them, but she considered herself a good judge of character. She welcomed the opportunity to meet the people Patrice said had never accepted her.
She tested the waters, hoping to prompt a reaction that would reveal their true nature. “I’ll be honest, I’m not here because I’m happy with Maddy.”
Alessandro sighed and took a seat beside Rena. “What did my darling daughter do?”
“It’s more about what she didn’t do. I told her something in confidence and she told others about it.”
Alessandro nodded with understanding and called to Elise, who was walking back into the room with sugar for Rena’s coffee: “She’s upset because Maddy’s telling everyone that she’s seeing Nick.”
Rena covered her eyes with one hand and swore.
Elise sat beside Rena and touched her shoulder gently. “I told her it was none of her business, but Maddy thinks everyone can benefit from a little loving nudge. She’s not doing it to hurt you.”
Raising her head, Rena said, “How do I stop her?”
Alessandro shrugged a broad shoulder. “How do you tell the leaves not to fall from the trees? It’s her nature.”
Rena looked back and forth between Alessandro and Elise. They weren’t angry with her for having an issue with their daughter, nor defending Maddy. They appeared comfortable with themselves and their faults. Although that realization wasn’t helpful to her situation, it didn’t make them people Rena could imagine spending a lifetime despising. There had to be something she was missing. Had they hurt Patrice and been as careless about her pain? There was only one way to know. “So, you don’t care how much your daughter hurts others? It’s her nature?”
Alessandro sat forward. “Maddy would never intentionally hurt anyone. She’s all heart.”
Elise leaned in, concerned. “Rena, I’m sure she has no idea this is bothering you as much as it is. I’ll talk to her with you. She means well, but sometimes she crosses the line.”
“Who crosses what line?” Maddy asked as she breezed into the room with a young baby in her arms.
Alessandro stood and took Adam from her. He cooed his reprimand while making funny faces at his grandchild. “Madison, you owe Rena an apology for telling everyone something she told you not to.” The baby gurgled up at the large man. He tickled his neck with one finger and said, “Tell Mommy to apologize, Adam. You think it’s funny?” He tickled the baby again. “It’s not funny.”
Elise put her hands on her hips and raised her eyebrows at her daughter.
Maddy smiled sheepishly. “I didn’t tell that many people.”
Rena stared her down. “I asked you not to tell anyone.”
“Nick is lucky I haven’t seen him yet,” Alessandro said. “Andrades treat their women better than he’s treating you, Rena. One day you’ll be grateful Maddy made him step up and act like the man he should be.”
“Who did you tell?” Rena demanded.
Maddy didn’t meet her eyes. “My parents don’t count. I tell them everything. Same thing with Richard. A wife doesn’t keep secrets from husband.”
Rena waited.
“Does Nicole count? She’s family, and she also had a secret relationship that turned out well after the dus
t settled. So, I knew she would understand.”
Gritting her teeth, Rena held her silence, knowing that Maddy would keep confessing as long as the pressure remained.
“I may have told Abby Corisi and her sister, Lil, because we have a bet going about who is the best matchmaker, and I wanted to claim you as a point for Nicole and me.”
Rena raised an eyebrow.
“Okay, and I also told Nick’s mother, because she wanted to know why he was too busy to see her lately.”
Rena stood. “That’s where you went too far. Don’t tell Patrice another word about me. You understand? Nothing. By talking to her, you may have ruined everything.”
Maddy’s expression revealed her confusion. “I’m sorry. I thought she’d be pleased he’d found someone nice.”
Elise looked at her husband quickly. “Maddy, I didn’t know you were talking to Patrice.”
Maddy swung to face her parents, her confusion growing. “I have been for a while now. I thought I’d told you that.”
Alessandro’s expression darkened. “No, you didn’t.”
Elise wrung her hands in front of her. “Maddy, don’t go see her anymore. She’s not a happy woman.”
“Of course she’s not happy,” Maddy defended, “she’s very ill. Which seems like a reason I should go see her. She loves hearing about the family.”
Rena muttered, “I’m sure she does.”
Maddy threw up her hands in frustration. “She’s an old woman.”
Elise protested, “She’s not much older than us.”
“And from what I hear, maybe not as ill as she’d like people to think.” Alessandro handed his grandchild to his wife and walked over to his daughter. “Maddy, not everyone is as good of a person as you are. Some don’t deserve your trust.”
Rena put aside how she felt about Maddy’s betrayal long enough to agree. “You don’t know what Patrice is capable of. Don’t give her more ammunition to use against us.”
Shaking her head, Maddy said, “She’s not like that.”
Rena weighed her options, then said, “Did you tell her about Julia? Because Patrice threatened to break them up before the wedding. And she almost succeeded. She says she has photos of Nick and me that’s she’s going to send to the tabloids. She’s using you, Maddy. Stop helping her.”