Angel Face

Did You Find Anything?

LXVII

After a long labor, Adric Jack Felton was born, a healthy beautiful baby boy. And if the time he spent in the arms of family and friends was anything to go by, he was going to be spoiled rotten.

When the time came for them to go home, Clarissa and I both agreed that it would be better if they stayed with me. Not only because then I could help out whenever she needed, but also because this will enable her to have someone move her things to her new brownstone in Upper West Manhattan that Jack and she had bought, and set everything up.

So, I went baby shopping and got everything they could need, with a little help from my mom. And later, Richard and Nick helped me set-up the baby cot, in Clarissa's room at the apartment.

Taking care of Adric was a joy. He slept most of the day away, but whenever he was awake and not feeding, he would just squint his blue eyes and take everything in. He was adorable, even when he blankly stared at any new face. Overall, he was not very fussy, except for the nightly cry fest. One of us has to always stay awake with him to entertain him, otherwise, he tests the limit of how loud he can go with his cries.

It has been almost a week since then. I had to adjust a few appointments when I couldn't bare going out after staying awake almost the entire night with Adric. But finally today, I managed to keep my appointment with my therapist.

I was on my way back from the grocery store, after picking a few things that Clarissa wanted me to, when I got a call from Gerome, Nadia's dad, and the person keeping the Italian mafia in control for the time being. "Hello, Gerome. How are things back there?"

"Barely holding up." He sighed. "Members are getting nervous and starting to ask questions. They know that with Severino dead, Val is the new head. But with him being absent and knowing that he walked away years ago, there's an internal rift. For now, I'm just making sure everyone lays low."

"Thank you so much, Gerome. I can only imagine how hard it must be." I muse, sympathetically. "Nothing that I can't handle, bambina. You tell me, how Val is? Any sign of waking up?" My steps faltered but continued walking. "There seems to have been some improvement but still no idea when he would wake up." I repeated the last information Clarissa had volunteered.

"How are you, cara? It must be hard for you. Watching him be like that." A gust of wind hit me out of nowhere, whipping my hair all over my face. Muttered curses escaped me. As if the question wasn't a blow enough, it had to materialize. "What was that?" His voice filtered through as I struggled to get the hair off of my face. What was I supposed to say? Oh, I don't know, because let alone watch, I haven't given him a peek in weeks. No way.

"Nothing. It's hard but I'm getting by. I just hope he wakes up soon." Truth. "He better. I'm looking forward to retirement." I smiled at his attempt at humor, even though the sorrow was ever-present. Unlike his father, Gerome truly loved Duncan as his own.

"Now the reason why I called." His voice had grown serious, making me automatically brace myself. I waited for him to continue. "About that favor you asked of us." I froze, feeling a prickle of awareness at the back of my neck. I glanced back and around for anyone out of place or suspicion. But came up empty. There was hardly anyone on the sidewalk other than me.

I hurried my steps any way. "Did you find anything?" I asked, distractedly, as I rushed up the stairs leading to my apartment building. I gasped when I felt a hand grab me and whirl me around. When I saw who it was, I glared at him.

"Evangeline?" Gerome called from the other end. "Yeah, I'm here. Just hold on a minute." Not taking my eyes off Ryker, I lowered the phone and put it on hold.