The Body #2: Lucio and Janie

Chapter 23 (Janie): Grim

Copyright © 2024 by GroveltoHEA

The morning after Stefania had revealed that her daughter was Cosi's step-sister, I was eyeing the plate of scrambled eggs, toast and bacon Lucio had put in front of me. My mind wasn't on food, but on the conversation I'd had with the girls last night. I'd called my friends and had told Cosi that her step-sister was Stefania's daughter.

All the girls, as if they were in a choir, had said holy shit at the same time. 

"I knew there was something wrong with her," Cosi finally said, making us all laugh. "And it was her gene pool."

After we stopped laughing, I said what I knew we were all thinking. "Cosi, I'm really worried. You don't look good. At all."

She waved her hand. "It's the morning sickness. And my step-sister's overly salted food. I don't know how Nico can stomach her cooking. It's awful. I try not to eat much because I always feel so much worse after but he acts like it's awesome."

"Listen, I'm going to send you Lucio's cook. And I think, until you look and feel better, you need to put off Papa's Rule number three. We don't want you out there alone when you're like this. You'd be putting yourself and the baby at risk."

"I need to get away." She protested, but it was weak. "Seeing them together, knowing what I know..."

"What does your doctor say?"

"I haven't seen him yet. My step-sister's always around, and if I try to go out by myself, she insists on going with, and Nico's left strict instructions that I'm not to be left alone."

"Well, fuck him with a pitchfork," Ant said. "And you know I could make that happen. We'll come get your ass and spring you from prison. Chain her to a tree out back so she can't follow."

"He says he's worried about me, but...I don't know."

"Listen, tomorrow I'm stopping by," I said. "I've decided to start playing All Gracious Wife of the Head to the hilt. And tomorrow, I'm going to pay a visit to one of my people who is suffering. I'll bring you a huge get well soon basket, and we'll walk in your gardens and fucking Desti won't be invited. And Vic, I'm going to need a couple of your new listening devices for her living room and kitchen. Maybe the dining room, too. See if Nico and Desti talk about anything interesting while Cosi and I are out in the garden. You available tomorrow morning to listen so we can have it live?"

"Yeah," Vic said. "Stop by here first and I'll have plants for her living room and kitchen, and a decorative set of candleholders for the dining room, all wired for sound."

We'd chatted and as soon as we hung up, I went to bed, making plans that made my stomach churn. Which could explain why I wasn't eating the breakfast Lucio had brought to me.

"Ginevra," his voice said.

I looked up. "Is something wrong?"

He ran a hand over my upper arm. "I was going to ask you that, little ghost. You haven't eaten a bite in ten minutes."

"Not very hungry this morning."

He crouched down next to my chair, and we were still eye to eye when he spoke to me quietly. "You don't have to be there for the interrogations."

I knew what he was saying. If the interrogations and encouragement are getting to be too much for you, you can sit them out. They were a lot, and I hated every single horrifying minute of them, needing to give myself huge pep talks to get through each day, but they weren't what was bothering me now.

So I lied. "I want to be there for them."

Lucio saw the lie...but let me get away with it and changed the subject, his eyes full of respect.