Chapter 70: Chapter 70

C H A P T E R - - - - T H I R T Y

In Mic and Ryan's guest bedroom, I was curled up on my side with my knees close to my chest. I turned open the phone, went to contacts, scrolled down, and pushed go.

I understood Falcone's "Talk" right away.

I muttered, "Hello." I hesitated and then, "I'm not sure if you heard my previous message, but I wanted to let you know that I drove over to Mic and Ryan's tonight and had enough to drink that it wasn't safe to drive home so I'm spending the night." I hesitated once more and continued softly, "I just... wanted you to know where I am. I hope you were still able to have a pleasant day, baby, despite what occurred this morning."

Then I flipped the phone shut and stared at it.

God, I was such an idiot.

I placed the phone on the nightstand after tapping it on my forehead.

Nearing midnight, it was. I haven't phoned in more than 10 hours.

Shit.

I thought maybe I should have texted, so I curled my hands under my cheeks and tightly shut my eyes.

The window started to scrape after that.

I sprang up to an elbow in the bed as soon as my eyes snapped open. My heart ached as I peered through the drapes that were open.

Isabelle was standing there, the left side of her face swelled, bruised, bleeding, and twisted, and she was partially lit by streetlights.

“Ginnie,” I heard her pained whisper.

I didn't consider. The panels of Mic's long, beautiful, satin nightgown, which had slits up each side nearly to my hips and would make Melinda salivate, tangled with my legs as I pushed the sheets aside and ran out of the room. I hurried over to the front door, unlocked it, threw it open, and rushed hysterically outside. I reached the edge of the house, turned, and fell into something massive, solid, and hard.

I turned to face Falcone from above.

Gia, come back inside, he commanded.

I circled him, whimpered "Isabelle," began to soar, and then abruptly came to a stop.

Back at the home and crouched down by the window of the guest bedroom, Isabelle was in a bad way. Her knees up, her head bowed.

I ran to her, yanked up the panel to my nightgown and dropped to my knees beside her.

“Honey, look at me,” I whispered but she didn’t raise her head and she was breathing funny. “Isabelle, honey, please,” I begged, reaching out to take her chin gently and lift her face to me.

I saw it and sucked in breath. It was worse close up.A lot worse.

Falcone crouched low at her other side, took her chin from my hand into his own and carefully pulled her head his way. He had his phone at his other ear and he spoke as he scanned my sister’s face.

“I need a pick up at Freeman’s for Gia and guards to stay with her at the warehouse until I get there. We were right, Isabelle was going to her and she’s here. Call Doc, he needs to head out, she’s a fuckin’ mess. Safe house. Then call Magtanggol, he’s up.” He stopped talking a moment then said, “Out.”

He flipped his phone shut and shoved it into his cargoes.

“You havin’ trouble breathin’?” he asked Isabelle.

“Ribs,” Isabelle replied.

“Fuck,” Falcone muttered. “Can you handle me carrying you into the house?”

Isabelle ignored him. “No cops.”

“Your plays aren’t workin’, Isabelle, you’re gonna try mine.”

“No cops,” she repeated and I reached out and grabbed her hand, holding on tight.

“You love your sister?” Falcone asked suddenly and Isabelle pulled her chin away from his hand, then she whimpered. “I asked you a question,” he pushed.

“She’s my sister,” Isabelle answered and the tears hit my eyes, no warning this time, they just hit them and spilled over.

And they did this because this meant yes.

I moved closer and held her hand harder.

“Then trust me to do right by you,” Falcone replied, knowing what she meant.

“You can’t fix this,” Isabelle told him.

“I sure as fuck can try,” Falcone returned and looked at me. “Let her go, I need to get her up.”

I let her go and Falcone leaned in and lifted Isabelle in his arms. This didn’t cause whimpers, it caused moans. I raced ahead of him, swiping at my face, opened the front door and left it open while I moved around the room turning on lights. Falcone came in and laid Isabelle down on the couch while I moved down the hall. Ryan was already out of his bedroom and I rushed to him.

“I’m so sorry, she found me, Isabelle’s here,” I told him quietly.

“Fuck,” he muttered and Mic came out, her eyes alert.

“Isabelle’s here,” I told her.

“Fuck,” she muttered.

I raced away and Ryan and Mic followed me. Isabelle was on the couch, Falcone was nowhere.

This alarmed me but I moved straight to Isabelle and got down on my knees by the couch. I took her hand again and she turned her head away.

“We’ll get you sorted, honey, promise,” I whispered.

“Don’t call Mom and Dad, Gia,” she told the back of the couch.

“Right now, I’m worried about you, Isabelle.”

She turned to face me. “Don’t call Mom and Dad.”

“I won’t,” I promised.

“Promise it and mean it and not like you meant it when I told you I snuck out and met Darren Cruz and then you heard he had the clap so you told on me. Promise it and mean it.”

Jeez. Darren Cruzwas ages ago.

“Isabelle, you kept sleeping with him and he had the clap,” I reminded her.

“He was cute,” she reminded me.

She was right. He was. Still, he had the freaking clap and she told me they didn’t use protection. What was I supposed to do?

Suddenly Falcone was crouched at my side. “Gia, reunion later if you’re lucky. Go get your shit,” he ordered and then held a dishtowel with ice to Isabelle’s swollen face.

I watched her eyes close when the towel Isabellely hit her skin and I could tell that felt good.

“I’m staying with Isabelle.”

“Go get your shit,” Falcone repeated and I looked at him.

“Baby, I need to stay with my sister,” I whispered.

“No, Gia, you need to trust her to my care and go get your shit,” he stated and scarily went on. “My boys’ll be here in five to take you to my place and I’m takin’ care of her. I followed her here and others followed me. She needs to be gone so your friends’ll be safe and you need to be gone. Get me?”

Oh shit. I got him.

“You’ll keep her safe?” I asked.

Falcone just looked at me.

He’d keep her safe.

I didn’t know where he and I were with our relationship but still, I lifted my hand, curled my fingers around his neck and leaned in to touch my mouth to his as my show of gratitude.

“Fuck me, I’m gonna be sick,” Isabelle groaned and my mouth left Falcone’s, my hand went away from his neck and I twisted to Isabelle.

“Do you need a bowl?” I asked, squeezing her hand which I still held.

“No, Gia, fuck, at you.” Her one unswollen eye not covered in an iced up dishtowel slid to Falcone. “She’s always been gushy. It’s sick. Even somethin’ stupid, like watchin’ TV, she’d curl up to me. Fuck.”

Falcone had no response.

“I thought you liked cuddling,” I stated.

“Yeah, when I was five,” Isabelle replied, I sucked in breath and prepared to retort.

“Gia,” Falcone spoke in a warning low voice and I looked at him.

“Right,” I whispered, turned back to Isabelle and pulled her hand to my mouth. “Whatever happens next, honey, and whatever we left behind, I love you and I always have. You can believe me or not. I don’t care. I need to say it and tell you I mean it. It’s your choice whether you believe it.”

Then I kissed her knuckles, let her go and raced through Mic and Ryan to the guest room.