Marcello
I have made the confirmation call with the manager of the hospital where Roberto will be staying in Palermo. I want him to get the best treatment as we prepare for our wedding so that he will be able to walk his daughter’s down the aisle. Even though I would hate telling his traitor wife about his being alive, I have to at least tell Lorenzo about it. He is the only relative of Roberto’s that I know and feel like he has to know. I will tell him about it when he is transfered to Sicily so that he will be able to see him without travelling this far. Well, it will be inevitable for Rosa to know after that.
Elsa insisted on going back to the hospital in the evening since the patient had less of energy this morning and was asleep the entire time. She wanted to spend the whole day waiting for him to wake up so that she can fill him in with what has been happening when he was away. I had to drag her out of the room so that I could take out for lunch.
After telling her about the plans I have for her, she agrees to come back in the evening. I take her on a road trip through Bologna up to the Emilia-Romagna coast at the beach where we only walk in the sand and drive back after some crazy shopping. Elsa is still perturbed about spending my money but I keep assuring her that she just has to get used to it. She will be missed Viscuso soon. Everything that is mine will belong to her. I will spoil her like a princess.
***
We find Roberto awake when we come back to the hospital. It is such an emotional moment between father and daughter, I have to excuse myself after sometime. I will have my own time to talk to my father-in-law to be. I doubt that he would have any objections to me taking his daughter as my wife. She has been mine all along and nothing can stop me now from finally making her legally mine.
My phone rings with an incoming call. It is Jeff, the head of the security that I traveled with to Bologna. I pick it up.
“Pronto,” I respond.
“Federico is in Bologna,” he says, straight to the point. Everything around me seems to have paused after hearing those words.
“What? Where in Bologna?” my words come out in a rush.
“He is following you. That is my guess because we have spotted him around the hotel you are staying in with signora and now he is heading to the hospital. We are following his car and we are almost there, ” he responds.
Fuck,!
What does that moron think is doing? I have my fiance and father in law in here. This is too public a place for him to try doing anything bloody.
So he followed me all the way from Sicily to Bologna? Is he suspecting something or he just following me to kill Elsa and me?
“Is he alone?”
“SÌ. We have invaded the hospital security system and we noticed that he came around yesterday at around ten pm at the reception. He didn’t reach the VIP section,” he replied.
Shit!
That was after we had left.
Was is he calculating, that bastard? After helping Marco escape, now he wants to get me?
“Okay, follow him closely and keep me updated. I am going to make a few phone calls and call you back later,” I tell him before hanging up.
I dash into Roberto’s room, and find Elsa speaking softly to her father in a voice that is low as a whisper.
I can’t tell her about this. I know how stubborn she is she would insist on coming with me yet this will be much more dangerous for her. She will only be safe here with her father. I have to go and handle this myself.
“Is something the matter?” Elsa inquires, looking up at me.
“Nothing important. I am going to go out for awhile so I thought I should tell you, you know, in case you need me and I am not around,” I respond.
She gets up from where she is sitting beside the bed and walks to me. She holds her my hand in hers.
“Come on, Marcello. You look worried. Is it about Papà?”
“No. Papà is fine. It’s just some business. I am going out with some of my boys. Make sure you stay here with Papà. Don’t move out. If you need something, just tell any of the guards at the door. Call me if anything suspicious happens,” I tell her.
Her face immediately turns pale.
“Something is definitely going on here and I can see you are trying to hide it. It is not about papà. There is no need for me to be that precautionary if you just going out for business, ” she says, ger voice full of emotion.
“I will tell you when I get back. I promise,” I try convincing her.
“No, tell me now. What is it? Is it about Marco? Are you actually leaving Bologna?” she looks like she is going to burst into tears in the next few minutes. The last thing I want to do is lie to her right now. I would rather just not tell her anything.
“Trust me in this, baby. You don’t have to worry about anything. Remember what I i have just told you. If my phone doesn’t go through, call Gabrielle,” I tell her in my most serious voice.
She gasps.
“Trust me on this, baby. Just don’t go out. Everything is going to be fine.”
I kiss her before she can say anything and then walk out of the room when my phone rings with an incoming call. I know Elsa is going to be so mad at me but everything will be alright if she just follows my instructions. They are not hard at all.
“Pronto.”
“He has noticed that he being followed and has driven out of the hospital parking lot immediately after arriving.”
“I am on my way out of the hospital. Do your men have arms?”
“Yes, sir.”
“Okay, keep me updated.”
” Yes, sir. “