The Twelve Zenati Pt. 14

"Yeah, most of it. I think by the time I came along Papa realised he wasn't getting a son, so he encouraged my interest in sailing. Jessa and Marcie had to stay home with Mama," she smiled. She had liked being special, his little princess until it all started going horribly wrong.

"Your sisters didn't get to sail?" Emma was shocked.

"Look," Olivia said starting to become upset as so much from their past was brought up by Apollo's appearance and all these questions. "We grew up in a very traditional home with an especially strict father who believed the only good thing about having daughters was being able to marry them off to men from the other twelve families, preferably those who sat at the Tables and increase his own standing within the family. We weren't encouraged to study which worked out well for me because I hated school. We were encouraged to learn to cook and clean house and stay healthy so we could bear sons, unlike my mother who he treated terribly when she failed to produce one," Olivia blurted angrily. "Is that what you want to know?"

"I'm sorry Olivia," Emma said earnestly, pulling her aside. "I never meant to upset you. I was just trying to get a feel for Marcella so I could find the perfect gift. It's hard when you don't really know someone."

"She stronger and smarter and braver than most people, and I hate her for that. I hate her for that and everything else she does. I hate her for making me feel stupid and small. I hate her for taking all the punishments I should have gotten growing up. I hate her for staying to help me here even when I tried to send her away so many times. I hate her Emma, we aren't close as sisters at all, and we never will be," Olivia burst into tears and fled the shop with Emma following in her wake.

"Olivia wait, I'm sorry," Emma looked around. "You have to stop crying or Genesis will be here any minute, and Noah needs him today," she nodded toward the bodyguard who was already on his phone.

"Shit," Olivia said miserably and walked over to tell them she was fine and to tell Genesis they were coming back to the restaurant.

"I don't believe you," Emma said into the silence as they began the short walk back. "Why would you call someone you hate to tell them a frog was in town?"

"She found my boat, I owed her that much," Olivia sighed. "Let it go please, Emma. Too much has happened to both of us. We won't ever be sisters in the real sense of the word. If you want to buy her a present, she used to collect owls, all sorts of owls." Then she fell silent and despite Emma's best attempts she didn't speak again until they returned to the restaurant.

When they approached the table again, she put on her best mask and presented her happy and content face to the men there. It wasn't much of a stretch because when she was with Genesis that was how she felt, happy, contented and protected from everyone and everything, including herself.

"Do you know what Monty Python says at times like these, Olivia?" Noah asked quietly across the table, making her look up at him in confusion. "No one expects the Spanish Inquisition," he smiled gently, and she could see he appeared as wrung out as she felt.

"You too?" she whispered and saw him nod almost imperceptibly.

*****

Marcella was surprised at the relief she felt when Noah responded so normally to her text. He had been a complete arsehole to her. She sighed again. It wasn't what he said, but more the tone he used that had rattled her and made her react. It was as if he had been jealous of the fact that she had hidden a fiancé from him and lied to him about needing a boyfriend to keep her father off her back. She sighed at her strangely mixed up feelings and began to pick her way back along the rocks toward the stone stairs. She'd begun walking toward the apartment block when she heard it. A shiver went down her spine, and she tried to ignore it, but there it was again.

"Oh God," she groaned softly. She should have known this would happen and been long gone. She had expected the Zenati to keep an eye on him and waylay him, not bring him straight to her doorstep.

"Chella!" the voice was close now and she knew she couldn't ignore it. She took a deep breath, but before she could turn, he had grabbed her arm and spun her around to face him, enfolding her in a giant bear hug.

"Apollo," she squeaked but didn't return the hug. Not that she could if she wanted to, he had effectively pinned her arms at her sides with his hug, probably so she couldn't slap him for coming here now instead of waiting until tomorrow. "What are you doing here?"

"Hey Marcie," Valdemar said quietly from beside her, making Apollo relax his hold on her. "Didn't expect to see you here. We were showing Apollo around and taking a ride up to the northern beaches," he said.

"We?" Marcella asked.

"Yeah, Fab's with us. Any excuse for a ride, you know?" he chuckled.

"I thought you were having lunch with Gideon?" Marcella asked.

"Yeah, his wife showed up too. She said she was a friend of yours," Apollo said easily. He looked at her, and she knew this persona, the easy-going relaxed, 'everyone's my friend' persona he used when in unfamiliar situations when he was trying to be as unthreatening as possible. She hadn't seen this persona for a long time she had to admit.

"Yeah, Viv is great. I love her," Marcella said in the same laid-back, easy tones. She could play this game just as well as he could and beat him at it. "I told you earlier that I had plans tonight, so I can't stay to catch up, sorry. We can catch up tomorrow. I think Viv is organising something for my birthday so that should be fun, right?"

"Wait, you can spare me a few minutes. It's been a long time since we saw each other," Apollo said, but the cheeriness of his voice didn't reach his eyes which were hard and cold, and she knew immediately that he wasn't happy being put off by her for another day.

"There's a reason for that, Apollo," she lowered her voice but not enough that Val wouldn't overhear her. "Let me go, I have somewhere to be," she pulled her arms from his, and he reluctantly let go as Val seemed ready to move closer.

"It's your birthday, go celebrate!" Valdemar said with a grin. "We'll look after your boy here and get him back to the hotel safely. He's staying at the Tall Trees down on the Esplanade if you get back early or your plans change," he offered letting her know where to avoid if she didn't want to see the man, and judging by the body language she was definitely not as happy to see him as he was to see her.

"Thanks, Val," she leaned over and kissed his cheek, something she had yet to do for Apollo. "These your bikes?" she indicated where Fabian stood propped up on the saddle of one of the three big road bikes.

"Family collection but hand chosen by me," he chuckled.

"Happy birthday Marcie," Fabian said as they drew closer.

"Thanks, Fab," she stepped toward him to kiss his cheek taking every chance she could to put a little distance between herself and Apollo.

"Well, have a great ride guys," she waved and went to cross the road to the apartment block.

"Chella, wait," Apollo said stepping toward her and grabbing her hand.

"Look, I have a date. I didn't know you were coming. I can't just put my life on pause because you deign to show up for the first time in over a year," She shook her head. "I'll see you tomorrow, I already told you that. Breakfast at your hotel, okay?"

"A date with who?" Apollo asked in a hard voice, losing the soft edge of his nice guy persona with the one question.

"It doesn't matter, the fact is that I made a commitment and I am going to keep it," she said pointedly.

"Chella don't go, we need to talk," Apollo recovered his nice guy persona. "I was more than a little surprised when I found out you were up here and dating a Zenati, considering our agreement," he hissed at her barely above a whisper. To anyone watching the nice guy persona was there in his expression but the tone and look in his eyes carried the threat. She was thankful Valdemar and Fabian couldn't see or hear from their standpoint.

"I'll see you tomorrow, Apollo," she said and tried to pull her hand from his grasp with a hard tug.

"Fine! Go then!" Apollo snapped angrily and flung her hand away, adding to the momentum of her pulling movement sending her staggering back onto the road trying to stay upright and not fall from the combined force.

Valdemar saw it happen as if in slow motion. He moved, but he wasn't close enough to grab her. The car that had just pulled out of the curbside parking space hadn't seen her until the last moment, and although he had been going slow, he had been accelerating out onto the road. He had clipped her spinning her around, and she had toppled to the asphalt before anyone could move enough to save her.

Marcella felt the knock to her hip and spun around seeing the car that hadn't been there a moment before and then she was spinning and falling, and then nothing.

"Get away from her," Valdemar growled stepping in front Apollo even though the guy was bigger than him in all ways as Fabian rushed to Marcella's side calling triple zero as he checked her over. Two watchmen appeared beside Valdemar to detain Apollo, and he finally turned to look at Fabian.

"Bump to the head, she's out," Fabian reported as the driver of the car sat staring in shock at what he had done.

"Don't move her until the ambo's arrive," Valdemar ordered and walked over to speak to the driver of the car who was shakily climbing out now. "Fuck!" he swore under his breath wondering who to call first and choosing Helena. He had to look after Marcella first and foremost, she was the injured one. Everyone else could wait. Then he turned to deal with the driver.

When the police arrived Valdemar handed them his card and told them he would be going to the hospital with his cousin and that if they wanted his statement, he would be there in the emergency room. He left Fabian with Apollo and the watchmen who had also witnessed the incident first hand to give their stories. He added that the driver of the car was at no fault especially as he had been just pulling out onto the road and going slow enough to stop almost immediately upon clipping the girl, despite having his foot on the accelerator a moment before.

At the hospital, Helena took over, and Valdemar called Gideon. Gideon was in charge today, and it was his decision to make whether to inform Xavier and Noah today or wait until Dominic was out of the woods. He went over everything in his mind since meeting Apollo that morning, wondering how he had missed the signs that he meant Marcella harm.

"Fuck!" he growled again. He watched in the eyes of his mind as Apollo had taken both himself and Fabian by surprise when he had veered off the main highway without warning and headed to the apartment block. They had barely caught up to him when Apollo had spotted her. There was nothing he could have done to stop the man but guilt and self-recrimination gnawed at him.

"I'm at the hospital," Valdemar growled as Gideon answered his phone. "Fucking Apollo pushed Marcella in front of a car. It wasn't going more than a crawl at the time, but she's unconscious. Your call whether to tell X and Noah today, but the watchmen would have told Orlando, so you better act quickly if you want to stop the chain mail."

"Mother fucker!" Gideon cursed loudly making both the driver and Vivienne jump from their seats in the car with him. "Get to the hospital fast. Run red lights, I don't care how just get there five minutes ago!" Without missing a beat, he spoke into the phone again. "We're on our way," he barked into the phone and ended in the call.

"Dominic?" Vivienne automatically questioned, believing something had gone wrong with his surgery.

"Marcie's been hurt. I need to see how bad it is before I decide what to tell anyone else," he said to Vivienne gripping her hand. "Like there isn't enough fucking drama going on today!"

"She's hurt bad enough to be taken to the hospital?" Vivienne gasped and instantly regretted it as she looked at the deep concern in Gideon's eyes. He gave her the small amount of information he had as they rode the rest of the way to the hospital and hurried from the car into the emergency department, prepared to demand answers. They were met with Marcella's shrill voice demanding to be let go.

"The watchmen have already reported it so you might want to call Gen to let her sister know before anyone else does," Val said as he met Gideon just outside the curtained off area where Marcella continued to berate the hospital staff.

"Fuck!" Gideon cursed and took a moment to think as he listened to Marcie continue to argue.

"I'm perfectly fine! I'm not staying here overnight!" she argued with whoever was trying their best to give her advice on her condition. "Nothing's broken! I barely have a bruise! Just give me the papers to sign to exonerate you from responsibility and let me go! I have somewhere else to be tonight!"

"Miss Gambaro, you need to calm down. We are just doing our jobs, and we are not finished yet," a patient voice Gideon recognised tried to reason with her. "You were unconscious, and we haven't worked out the cause of that yet."

"I bumped my head, it's not rocket science!" Marcella said exaggeratedly. "I bumped my head, and because I didn't have lunch today, I passed out, that's it. There is no need for all this fuss. I am perfectly fine," she gave an exaggerated sigh, "So if you just get me my belongings, I'll be going home now."

"You will stay and do whatever the doctor tells you to do," Gideon ordered moving the curtain slightly and stepping into the small area bordered by two solid walls and the curtain without caring if Marcella was decent or not. "Then the police would like a word. The people who witnessed your accident say you were pushed onto the road."

"Well you can tell them they are mistaken," Marcella bit back, neither surprised nor happy to see Gideon and more than a little thankful it wasn't Noah standing there being a controlling prick when she just wanted to go home and get ready for her date.

"The doctors know what they're doing," Vivienne said gently stepping close to the bed and taking her friend's hand for a brief moment before Marcella as always withdrew it.

"Oh God, you're here too?" Marcella groaned and lay back on the gurney. She knew there was no way she was getting out of here anytime soon now. "Why are you here Vivienne? I fell over, tripped on a gutter, I wasn't pushed," she sighed.

"Stay with her. Don't let her leave," Gideon instructed Vivienne. "I'm going to go and find out exactly what happened from one of the witnesses."

"Tell your witness that he's blind," Marcella snapped angrily.

"Why don't you give me Greg's number and I'll call him and explain why you won't be making it tonight," Vivienne said in a no-nonsense tone. "Because even if you do manage to get out of here tonight, I am not letting you go to a party with a concussion."

"You won't let me? I'm not a child, Vivienne. Besides, I backed you up when you needed me, and now you're treating me like I don't know whether I am well enough to go home or not?" Marcella snapped, her eyes blazing at her friend.

"Okay, tell me what happened, the truth. Then if you can promise me you will come back if you have any symptoms, I will help you get out of here," Vivienne allowed seeing how upset Marcella was by the situation.

"I was walking back from the cliffs. I told you I would go for a walk to sort through everything from lunch. I had just texted Noah to thank him for the gift and Apollo showed up with Val and Fab. We talked, I told him I had plans tonight and had to go. He asked me not to go and grabbed by hand. I pulled it to make him let go, and he must have released me at the same time I pulled, and I stumbled off the footpath. Honestly, there was nothing sinister about it," Marcella said. "I fell and bumped my head and woke up here," she finished lamely.

"So, you pulled your hand away from his because he wasn't letting it go when you asked?" Vivienne clarified.

"I was just in a hurry, and you know I don't like being touched. I pull my hand away from anyone who tries to hold it, you know that it's a gut reaction these days," Marcella shrugged.

"Okay, so you pulled your hand away, then you stumbled and just fell, you didn't run into anything? No one and nothing pushed you over?" Vivienne clarified again.

"No, I stumbled, probably over the gutter and fell," Marcella sighed. "It's not a big deal people fall over all the time. I am fine, just help me get out of here.

"You were hit by a car, Marcie. You fell because you were knocked over by a car. You didn't just fall or stumble on a gutter. You don't remember being hit by a car?" Vivienne asked carefully watching her friend's face cloud over with confusion momentarily before shaking her head in denial.

"No, I wasn't," Marcella said adamantly. "Don't you think I would know if I was hit by a car?"

"There are four witnesses to the fact that you were pushed in front of a car by Apollo. Because of that, you have to talk to the police. It's a big deal to be hit by a car, Marcie, whether you like it or not. I can help you get out of here, but you won't be going anywhere but home tonight especially if you can't remember how you got hurt in the first place," Vivienne said calmly.

"I think she should stay in overnight," Helena said looking gratefully at Vivienne now that it appeared Marcella was finally listening to someone. "We also need to do a CT scan to make sure there is no hidden injury below the surface of that hard head. She's taken quite a big knock, and she has to be in some pain even though she denies it."

"If you want any chance of going home tonight, with a nurse, rather than staying here, you need to do what the doctor asks," Vivienne said in a calming voice as if soothing a petulant child.

"Fine, I'll have the scan, and when it comes back and shows nothing is wrong, you will all release me and let me live my life the way I want to," she grumbled and waved her hand flippantly. It disturbed her that she didn't remember the car, but she doubted Vivienne would lie to her. She certainly didn't feel like she had been hit by a car. And Apollo? He wouldn't do that to her, not purposely. He had a temper and she had been on the receiving end of it more than once, but he would never try to kill her. She was sure of that fact.

"And you will give me Greg's number so I can cancel your date tonight," Vivienne said firmly determined to do at least that much for Noah after talking to Gideon about his reaction to Apollo's arrival.

*****

"We'll meet Val there," Genesis said without asking any questions after getting the story from the watchman who followed Marcella and reported to him as well as his superiors and ended the call. "Noah, we need to get back to the hospital now," he said abruptly then looked at Xavier. "You too," he said issuing orders in a brusque clipped voice that no one usually argued with.

"Dominic?" Emma asked in an almost strangled voice.

"No, Marcella's been in an accident, nothing life threatening, but we need to go, now." He stood and took Olivia's hand walking from the restaurant, knowing Noah would be following him wanting more information than what he had given at the table.

"I'll meet you at the hospital," Noah said to Xavier trying to swallow down the bile that rose in his throat and threatened to spill out all over the table they had been sitting at. Then he stood becoming light-headed and leaned on the table for a moment before forcing himself to straighten and follow his brother. "It's not life-threatening," he told himself over and over again with each step as he moved more purposefully to close the gap and had caught up to Genesis by the time they reached the valet parking and found the car waiting for them.