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“I’m tired of resting,” Isotta whined. “I need a change of scenery.”
Rosa folded her arms under her ample chest and patted her foot impatiently. “Fine,” Rosa relented. “I will help you relocate, but you will still rest. Is that understood, ma’am?”
“I’ll do anything you say,” Isotta replied, standing to her feet. “I just want to get out of this room.”
Rosa immediately moved to her side and wrapped her arm around Isotta’s waist. “We will go slow,” she insisted. “If you need to rest, just let me know.”
Isotta nodded her head. She was so grateful she would have agreed to just about anything. They walked slowly, navigating the long hallway and negotiating the stairs. Isotta had to pause once while descending, but after a moment, she was able to get up enough gumption to complete the descent.
“Just a little farther,” Rosa encouraged. They were in the theatre room. Rosa thought that was a good place for Isotta to go. She could sit up in a reclining position, be entertained on the big screen, and even take a nap if she was so inclined.
“Okay,” Isotta agreed. “I think I can make it.”
They took the next few steps and reached the seats. Rosa positioned her to one of the ones in the center for optimal viewing pleasure. Once she helped Isotta sit down, Rosa reached for the recliner control and put Isotta’s feet up.
“I’m going to get you a blanket, your next round of meds, and something for you to eat because you don’t need to take your medicine on an empty stomach.”
Rosa handed Isotta the remote and left the room. Isotta didn’t feel alone, though. Actually, she was pretty excited. It was the change of scenery. That’s all she really wanted. Isotta physically felt better, but she still had a lot on her mind. She hated the way the situation went down with her family. Isotta appreciated Massimo standing up for her, with her, but she hated that the one time he did, it was against her own flesh and blood. Isotta felt bad about how things transpired, but she was grateful he did.
Standing up to her grandmother was incredibly debilitating. If it were another circumstance, she never would have. Maybe at some point, she would be ready to tell her family what was happening to her, but for the moment, all Isotta wanted to do was veg out in front of the big screen. After readjusting the blanket Rosa gave her, Isotta hit the on button and started to surf the channels to see what she wanted to watch.
“Alright, ma’am. I brought your favorite strawberry pancakes with scrambled eggs with cheese. I also brought some fresh fruit for you to snack on after you eat your breakfast and take your meds.”
Rosa sat down on the sterling silver tray that had everything laid out.
“I’m going to finish up some more of the cleaning I need to do, and I will check on you in a little while.”
“Thank you, Rosa.”
Isotta picked up her plate and inhaled deeply. It was her favorite breakfast combination. After she said her grace, Isotta started to eat and enjoy the movie she selected.
“What we’ve done has not been enough,” Alessandro insisted. “It’s not enough.”
“Patience, son,” Carmine insisted. “You must be patient.”
“It didn’t even work. We gained nothing,” Alessandro fussed.
“Alessandro,” Carmine said, demanding his son’s full attention. “We will get them. We will get them all. Be patient.”
“But that’s the thing, dad. I’ve been patient. I’ve been extremely patient. I could have killed him at his wedding reception, but I held back. I could have gone to the Conti house and demanded they tell me where Valentina was, even if it was at gunpoint. They would have told me,” Alessandro seethed. “But I didn’t, so don’t tell me about being patient. I’ve already demonstrated just how patient I’ve been.”
“I understand,” Carmine said, trying to convince his son. “But even more patience is required to deal a lasting blow to both their families and their businesses.”
“How much more patient do I need to be?” Alessandro asked. His fists were balled up by his sides. His veins stuck out in his throat. He brewed.
“We have to strike fast, but we also have to strike smart.”
“Damn being smart! Damn, being even more patient! I want vengeance now!”
Gabriel sat in their company’s conference room with his father and his brother. He’d been silent, bearing witness to Alessandro’s emotional breakdown. He got a slight kick out of it, especially since Valentina was still safe. That’s what Gabriel cared about most. She was the innocent victim in all of it, so he wanted her to remain safe. Gabriel was willing to go along with hurting the Ricci’s and even Valentina’s family, but not her.
“Then let’s get a little vengeance now and plan for the rest,” Gabriel proposed, tuning back into the conversation.
“That’s a good idea, bro,” Alessandro uttered. He was already thinking about ways they could deal with a personal blow while planning on dealing with a serious business blow. “That’s a damn good idea.”
“Have you thought about the risks to your plan?” Carmine inquired. He could see the change in his son’s disposition, and he understood it. There had been times when he was blinded by anger, too. He had acted out in the past, and it cost him dearly. Carmine also knew the repercussions of acting without thinking. He didn’t want those kinds of repercussions for his son, neither of them.
Alessandro pondered his father’s question. “Whatever the risk, it’s worth it.”
