Legend (Requiem MC #6)

Chapter Fifteen It Is On!

Legend

Justice cleared his throat and said, “We want to send two of our men with you all, as escorts.”

I shook my head and asked him, “Is it needed?”

“Protection is always needed,” Tito said.

Rocky nodded as he agreed, “That’s our life’s motto. We live that everyday.”

“We understand how important Glory is to you all,” Tito said. “We do not have an objection.”

“They will escort you on their bikes,” Justice explained. “That way, they have a lot of maneuvrability.”

The two bodyguards nodded.

“That will be totally cool,” Tito said.

“Si, we will look like badasses with like the Hell’s Angels escorting us,” Rocky said.

“Big roaring Hogs. Totally badass,” Tito agreed.

With a pause, Glory, Justice and I stared at them. Then we all burst into laughter.

Justice was shaking his head as he commented, “I’m not sure how cool having just two bikes will be.”

“Yes, but these guys are as large as you two,” Glory told them.

“Si?” Rocky asked her. “As large and riding motorcycles too?”

Nodding, she chuckled. “Riding a large Harley, yes. Like you said Hogs . They’re loud too.”

“The bikes or the riders?” Tito joked.

Glory laughed. “Both. Yeah, both.” She looked over at me. “One of them is unusually quiet though.”

I felt sure she was talking about Duke. Ever since they had that spat he had been a quiet guy for sure. “The man or his bike?” I asked her with a grin.

Glory shook her head.

Zed came over with a metal coffee pot in his hand. “Need a fill up?”

I raised my cup. “Yeah.”

“Uncle Zed, I never saw you as a waiter.”

Pouring coffee into my cup, he said, “I am many things, little Glory.” He smiled and turned to the two big guys on the other side of the table, offering the pot.

They raised their hands up at him.

“We’ve had three cups.” Tito shook his head.

“Yeah, gotta watch our blood pressure, ya know?”

“Speak for yourself, brother,” Tito teased. “I’m younger than you, so I don’t have to care.”

“Bene, he is two years younger, so he is a baby.” Rocky smiled.

Zed gave them nods as he looked amused. “Reminds me of Liberty and Fate’s arguments.” He chuckled then looked over at Glory. “Gonna miss ya, baby girl. You just got home less than a week ago.”

She shrugged. “We’re only visiting there, Uncle Zed.”

He nodded. “Well, I hope so. But this Deacon thing has gone on for months now.” He looked over at me. “Your dad was hoping you two would stay there until Deacon has been taken care of.”

Glory looked from him to me. “I’m not sure about that part.”

Zed leaned down and kissed her cheek. “Take care of Legend.”

She patted his arm tenderly. “I will.”

I looked back and forth at them and retorted, “I’m a full grown man.”

Zed laughed. “Yes, you are, Doc. But you tend to forget your weapon most of the time.”

I opened my mouth to defend that.

Raising his hands, Zed said, “I know, I know. Your medical bag is the priority.” He chuckled. “So Glory here can carry the weapon. She’s a crackshot. The best in the MC in fact.”

“Don’t tell Redemption that,” Justice spoke up as he laughed.

Zed shrugged. “They had their contest a year ago. She won.”

My cousins now turned to stare at Glory.

She caught this incredulous reaction and laughed. “I was a tomboy.” She shrugged. “Trained in all the major defenses just like my brothers. Jiu Jitsu, Karate, kickboxing, barfighting, knife accuracy and multiple armed weapons.”

The two guards both stared at her with wide brown eyes.

We again laughed at their astonished expressions.

“It doesn’t hurt that she was born a Walker,” Zed said. “They are all bull headed, strong and hard to beat.” He shrugged. “See, I met the Louisiana Walkers just recently and they were just as fierce. Every last one of them.” He gave us all a nod. “Ok, drive safe and Godspeed.” He took his pot and moved away.

My two cousins looked over at Glory.

“Are you armed right now?” Tito asked her.

She nodded at him. “Why sure. We are at war.”

They both then looked over at me.

I snickered as I shook my head. “Nope. Gun is in my room.”

They both shook their heads in disappointment.

“See?” Glory told me. “I’m always telling you to carry.”

“She is right,” Tito agreed.

“Diavolo sì,” Rocky said.

Glory glanced over at me.

“Hell yeah,” I translated it for her, then I shrugged. “I will try to stay armed, ok?”

She shook her head and replied, “You are impossible.”

My cousins chuckled. They really seemed to like Glory a lot.

I felt relieved as their approval was actually more important to me than anyone’s. These two helped to raise me. They were always there for me and in my corner.

I looked up at Glory. “How long will it take you to pack?”

Shrugging, she asked me, “How long are we staying there?”

I had no idea, but I hoped it would be brief. “I’m not sure. Maybe a week?”

“It might be a longer visit,” Tito stated quietly.

I looked over at him. “And why is that?”

He bit at his lip and didn’t answer.

“Your dad has all kinds of plans,” Rocky spoke up.

“Like?” Glory asked him.

Shrugging his large shoulders, he grunted.

“Like a welcome home event,” Tito replied.

“Si, then maybe an engagement party,” Rocky suggested.

Glory looked over at me again.

I slowly shook my head. “He plans to take over. Like I said.”

“What’s with the parties?” Glory asked.

“Social standing,” I told her. “For Stephano Descalia, it is all about making deals.”

Glory looked confused. “But you and I have no social standing. How can we make any deals?”

Tito and Rocky chuckled.

Looking over at them, Glory asked, “And what is so funny?”

Their laughter paused but they kept grinning.

“Gio is correct,” Tito said. “His father has parties and attends parties simply for the business deals. The man could sell cobras in Saudi Arabia.”

“Nah, brother,” Rocky argued. “I told you, he could sell sand in Saudi Arabia.”

Glory stared at them, then laughed. “He’s that slick, eh? Ok, well, I’ll pack for a week.” She shrugged her shoulders.

“Um, how many gowns do you have?” Tito asked shyly.

“Gowns?” She stared at him.

“Si, like evening gowns.” He nodded at her.

She shrugged. “I might have two?”

I raised my head. “One of them isn’t red, is it?” I didn’t know what I would do if she wore that particular dress. She wouldn’t wear it there though…I paused. Or would she?

Glory swung her gaze over to me and grinned.

I laughed. “Damn, Glory.”

“Bene, I hope that’s enough gowns,” Tito replied as he missed the inside joke altogether.

“Oh, for the parties?” she asked. “Well, that’s what I got.”

“Non è un grosso problema,” Rocky said. “It’s not a problem, Tito. Maria and Francie will take her out for dresses.”

Glory’s eyes rounded a bit. “Take me out…”

The two men nodded.

“You will have so much fun, Miss Glory,” Rocky said.

Tito agreed as he chuckled. “They will be jumping over the moon about this.”

“Si, si. They will want to take her shopping till there is dropping…”

Both men laughed.

Tito was chuckling as he went on, “Take her to have her nails done, hair, and makeup.”

“You will feel like a Barbie doll.” Rocky laughed.

“Or like some reality TV star, maybe?” Tito added.

“Oh, no…” Glory laughed. “I’m not Barbie or Kardashian material. So I won’t be doing any of that.”

The two men stared at her and then slowly shook their heads. They looked as if they knew it was inevitable. They did believe that Glory would be getting the full treatment.

I listened to this as I smiled. I remember Maria well. Her cooking was a delight unto itself. Dinners at home were better than any five star dining out. Now that I thought about it though, Francessca or Francie as they called her, had been just a teen when I left. But she was already a powerful force, an extension of her mother. It just occurred to me as my two cousins explained what we would encounter once we arrived at the Moon Estate…those two women could probably hold their own when it came to Glory. They were more than likely right. She would be trying dresses on and having makeovers.

Even on her own, Maria was a force to reckoned with. The only person who ever stood up to my father, Stephano. Yes, she was his sister but if the subject was important enough, she would go toe to toe with him. In fact, she had done that very thing over me. I now had flashes of the argument they had over me. Maria knew I wanted to be a doctor and she supported that. Two days before I left, she and my father had a huge fight. I didn’t like the fact that my choices were tearing the family apart and that had been in part…what ultimately pushed me to leave.

That had been over ten years ago. Did I feel bad that I just up and left my family? Yes, I did. Did I miss them like crazy? Yes. But if I had contacted any of them or if I went to visit…I would have been trapped in that mafia life by now.

“Legend?”

I raised my head to smile at Glory. “Yeah?”

“You looked a bit lost there for a couple of minutes.”

I shook my head. “I was just remembering Aunt Maria. You are gonna love her. Best cook in the world. Pushy and loud when she needs to be and a force of nature all on her own.”

“Otherwise, she is just like you,” Justice interjected as he laughed.

“Oh, sarà acceso. It will be on!” Tito laughed with him.

“No, they will get along great,” I said. “But I think my dad might end up on the wrong side of the stubborn fence.”

Tito and Rocky stared at me then they both looked serious as they slowly nodded their heads.

“Forse,” Tito said. “Maybe.”

I stood then grabbed our plate and my cup. “Ok guys, give us about an hour.” I turned to my girl and said, “Let’s go and pack.”

Nodding, she stood with me and asked, “How do you say ‘road trip' in Italian?”

“Viaggio su strada,” my cousins, Justice and I all replied at the same time.

Laughing at the joint answer, she took the dishes from me and exclaimed, “Viagra astrada!”

We all stared at her then laughed at her mangling of the language.

She stuck her tongue out at me in defiance then said, “I’ll come to your room when I’m packed.” She turned to Justice and said, “Better let the two enforcers know.”

He nodded. “They’re ready. I left them in the garage. They were having their bikes checked.”

“We’ll be waiting,” Tito said as he waved at Glory.

She smiled at him and his brother then hurried away.

“Wow, she really looks excited,” Justice said as he watched her go into the kitchen.

“Yeah, I noticed that.” I nodded.

“Maybe she wants to meet your family?” Rocky suggested.

“Forse,” Tito agreed.

“Some of her enthusiasm is about that,” Justice said. “But you all had better keep an eye on her. She has that glint in her eyes.”

I stared at him. “You noticed that too?”

Justice nodded. “Hell yeah. It means she is determined about something. She always had that look whenever she spotted you.” He shrugged and looked curious. “Now, she has you. So, what is this about?”

I had an idea of why. “My dad. She plans to take him on. To make sure I am free of him.”

“Oh, no,” Tito muttered. “Fireworks are gonna go off.”

“Si, so thank heavens,” Rocky added. “We won’t be in the middle of that.”

Justice stared at them. “Why not?”

“We escort the family when they go out,” Tito explained. “And yes, we are at the dinner table.”

“Of course we are!” Rocky laughed as he patted his wide girth. “We never miss a meal made by Mama.”

“But we won’t be around otherwise,” Tito said.

Justice looked confused as he asked them, “So how does that let you out of the arguments?”

They both scoffed.

I turned to Justice and explained, “Italian etiquette.”

He cocked his head at me and asked, “What?”

“No, no…it is Mama etiquette, Gio.” Rocky nodded firmly.

“Yes, that’s what it is.” Tito rolled his eyes. “You never…”

“...argue at Mama’s table,” Rocky finished for him.

Justice stared at them then he laughed.

“And we sit up front in the limo,” Tito said. “So we can’t hear if they are arguing while they are out and about.”

“I admit, we are lucky,” Rocky said. “Because most of the time, we wait for trips as that is when we will be on duty. We have a separate security force that watches the house and the grounds.”

“So, we are personal guards.” Tito smiled.

“But we don’t have to get involved personally ,” Rocky finished.

Both men laughed.

Justice grinned at them. “You two are fun.”

“They are,” I agreed. “Best cousins ever.”

Both men beamed at me.

“Do not be telling everyone this,” Tito asked.

“We have a rep to protect,” Rocky added.

Justice laughed. “No, with your sizes? I think your reps are safe. If you will come with me in a few minutes, I will introduce you to Duke and Steel.”

I gave them a nod. “And I’ll see you both at the limo.” I took out my cell phone and checked the time. “Yeah, in an hour or so. See ya later, Justice.”

He nodded at me. “Good luck on this trip, Doc.”

I nodded and headed away. I decided now would be a good time to call my father. I pulled up the number and hit call as I went down the hallway.

After two rings, he picked up, “Giovanni!” He greeted me in a happy tone.

“Hello Dad,” I replied. “We are coming in the limo. We will have two Requiem enforcers escorting us on their Harleys.”

A pause then he said, “I sent your cousins for protection.”

“Yes, I know and they are capable. However, Glory’s family insisted.” I put it in terms he would understand.

“Si, si,” he replied.

I went on, “I do want you to know that this is simply a visit.” I didn’t want him to hear of Jarret's idea. We stay there until Deacon is dead or caught. “A week at most.”

A pause.

Then he spoke, “Perché?” Why? “Do you have work? Or something?”

“I am not moving home,” I stated firmly. “We will make visits but my home is with the Walkers and the Requiem MC. And it has been for ten years. I just want to make sure you understand that from the start.”

Silence.

“Dad?” I asked.

“Bene, just come. You have neglected us for a decade, Gio. So a visit is needed.”

I knew he was talking around this subject of me staying at home. He would attempt to get his way when we were there. I knew the drill. The more things changed, the more they stayed the same. “Ok, we will see you soon. The trip should be seven hours at most.”

“Ci vediamo allora,” my dad replied. We will see you then.

“Yes, we will see you then.” I ended the call. Shaking my head as I got to my door, I went into my room. I headed to the closet to get my duffel bag. Yeah, I used that instead of luggage. Was what I used when I left home and it made strapping it onto my bike really convenient. Yeah, this was a full stretch limo but for just a week’s stay, it would do.

It didn’t take me long to pack my clothes and an extra pair of shoes. I paused as I spotted my best suit as I called it. I knew there would be at least one party. I grabbed a hanging clothing bag and put the suit in it. It wasn’t that I like parties, it was that I knew there would be one. In fact, I’m sure there would be more than one. However, I intended to talk to my dad about that. We didn't need to be known by all the organizations and the families, because we weren’t staying. This point wasn’t going to go over well, but I had already made my position clear as of today. As of five minutes ago.

I sighed and packed up some toiletry items into a small zip bag then stuffed it into my duffel. But I did know I would still have to argue my point. I just hoped it worked. If not, Glory would get involved and that would bring a volcanic eruption from Mount Descalia. Mr. Bad Moon against All that is Glory. Wow… Ring the bell and cover your ears as they both could bring it.

A knock sounded on my door and before I could call out, the door opened.

Glory beamed at me and called out, “Hey, sexy man.”

I stopped and stared at her. It suddenly hit me all over again that this beautiful, capable, smart mouthed woman was all mine.