The Search

Chapter 8.

Alessio

"You found her." I voice out in the lobby as James lights a cigarette slowly walking up to me.  The boys follow close behind, as well as some guards. 

"What makes you say that?" He asks with a shit eating grin.

"I haven't seen you smile like that since your kids were born." I note adjusting my cuffs, "James I hate to break it to you, you are never happy."

He shrugs and moves to the side lazily holding an arm up indicating for me to lead the way.  I step by him smirking as we go to the many cars waiting outside.

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When we arrive I have to calm myself down.  I'm excited to see my daughter for the first time in eighteen years, she doesn't know how much she means to me. 

I wonder if she's grown, she's probably gorgeous just like her mother was. 

I wave a command at the guards to stay outside and I kick the Diner door open, the bell ringing above.

A groggy voice comes from the stairs, "the Diners closed." A grey haired man states unmoving. 

"I'm not here for the food and I think you know that." I voice stepping forward, to the stairs. 

"Are you here for me then darling?" He smiles stepping forward still blocking the way. 

"Move or I will move you." I say, not giving a shit anymore if I am discreet or not.

"You can move me any day sugar, honestly, I'm ready when you're ready." I wave more guards to grab him and they step forward easily doing so.

He fights in response, sending curse words my way.  I couldn't care less, my daughter is a few feet away.  I hurry up the steps, my sons hot on my tail and as soon as I kick down the door we all gather inside.

It's a small bedroom apartment and right across from us is a shocked looking Jade, eating Chinese food, and watching a chick flick.

She turns her chair fully facing us, "you guys never learnt how to knock did you?" She asks smiling at all of us.  But then she lets her eyes wander to mine, connecting them, "hi papa."

I soften, "hi princess, come here." and I take note of how much of her accent she's lost, 

She sighs and stands up, softly skating with her fuzzy socks until she's right in front of me.  Many inches shorter. 

I push her hair back cupping her cheeks, "you've grown up, you look just like your mother."

She smiles, grabbing one of my hands and pushes her cheek against it.  Alexander steps up, his eyes a new type of shiny.

"Bambina, you're so beautiful."  He exclaims hugging her.  Hudson and Luca go around him, each of them giving their sister a hug. 

The only one who doesn't is James, but then again he was never good at this stuff.

He only smirks, "I knew your voice a mile away baby sister, you should have been a bit more careful."

She leans her head back a little, smiling, "where's the fun in that?"

We all shake our heads in response following her to the couch.  Some of us sit, some of us stand.  Well she stands forcing us all to sit. 

She even forces James to sit on the ground.

She sighs putting her hands on her hips, "let's cut to the chase, what would you like?"

"You're coming back home with us." James exclaims.  He lights another cigarette, blowing out the smoke smugly.

A flash of worry crosses her face, "home home? Like the hotel home or Italy Home?"

"Italy bambina," I state leaning forward so my elbows are on my knees.

"Uhm no?" She states, I can tell she's a little concerned now.  Shocked or scared? I can't tell.

"It's funny thinking you have a choice," Alexander says seriously.

She laughs sarcastically, "yeah I do, I'm 32, I'm an adult and as far as I know, I'm not 14 living in your 'Man rules the world' way of life."

"You have more power than you give yourself, you can have anything, absolutely everything you want.  As long as you stay on the property." I smile standing up.

She shakes her head following my movements, "no, no Papa, I'm not leaving."

I check my watch, "the plane leaves in two hours, need anything before we go?" I ask.

"I'm not going, so that's a no." She states trying to walk past me.

I softly grab onto her wrist dragging her back, "you need to think wisely about what you're about to do." I stare down at her.

My grip tightens the more she stares back in defiance, she would look down when she was younger. She picked her battles wisely and now it seems to me she's forgotten how to.

I lean down, speaking through gritted teeth, "get what you need, or we will get it for you."

Her breathing picks up, and she still stares back giving me no time of day. When eventually she leans up looking me straight in the eye. "Fuck. You."

I shake my head sighing before putting out my other hand, James puts the needle in my hand, she'll go to sleep for a few hours and by the time she wakes up we'll be in the plane on our way home.

I quickly tilt her neck injecting it easily, even though I cringe at the look on her face. She looks at me with tears in her eyes, pleading with me to let her go.

But as her body droops and her eyes begin to shut, I cradle her close to my body. "Never again bambina, never again."