Chapter 5

I was caught. Me, who had to live by my wits for most of my life, now I was facing my worst enemy.

"Hi, Marcia, long time no see."

"You miserable dog, you! Do you know how many times I went looking for you? I thought we were a thing. Daddy thought so too, when I told him. Why did you run out on me?"

"Would you believe that I went to the store, was hit in the head; and had a sudden loss of memory?" She glared at him. "Well then, maybe because you were in love but I was not. You were smothering me. We never talked about us, it was always what you wanted, never what I thought. I got tired of just being your date at yet another party. There was never anyone else, but you just seemed to want to drag me along."

Marcia slightly nodded her head.

"Paulie works for Daddy, you know? I knew this was one way that you would come back. You can go to his funeral, now."

I lunged for her, grabbed her, and then she placed her arms around my neck and kissed me.

"Kidding! The boys only took him out to a nice dinner. It did not take much to convince him to help. Even he thought we made a nice couple. When he told me about that Bimbo he had set you up to work for, I got this plan ready."

Now what I going to do? Marcia had been held for ransom five years ago when I had rescued her. Paulie had told me that her father was very appreciative and wanted to thank me in person. Paulie mentioned that it was the kind of invitation that I could not refuse.

Gino was about twelve years older than I was. He had sent a car over for us. We were taken to, what I assumed was his estate. The three of us were served what, by my appetite, was one of the best meals I ever had. Later a drink was served and we made a toast. "To friends!" he said. "If you ever need anything, tell Paulie. It will be taken care of." He reached into a drawer near his chair and handed me something. I opened the box and inside was a ring. It was heavy gold with a design and a small stone set in the middle. I put it on, and it fit.

Gino said, "I won't insult you with more money, now, but you are a family friend, and are under our protection. It will be of great interest for you to know that if anyone does kill you, a vendetta will result," He laughed and added, "Then we shall dance and drink at your funeral."

I had been invited to several social events since then. At least once a year there was some family event where Gino would introduce me and hug and kiss me on both cheeks. I had watched Marcia grow up. When she was to graduate high school, I got a call from Paulie. There was a problem at Gino's, would I go there and do him a favour?

What kind of a favour I wondered. Gino was by this time like my brother. There was nothing that we would not do for each other. By now the guards knew me, my car, and Gino had given me the security codes to the house and grounds. I drove up to the door, went to the door and the butler and two guards were before me. "You need to see Gino, right now, things are really bad," one of the guards, said. I knew him, his name was Sal and I knew he had been with Gino many years.

I followed him into the library. "Ryan," Gino said, tossing his hair with his hands. "It's Marcia, go talk to her, try to make her understand our point of view on this." Since I was not sure what our point of view was, I went up to see Marcia. I knocked on her door and heard her sobbing.

There was a soft "Yes?"

I look back to when I entered the room, as the beginning of my being her puppy dog. Ever since I had rescued her, and watched her grow up to be a young lady, I knew there was nothing she would ask me that I would not do for her. She was family. My family, and just as Gino had told me years before, family always took care of family.

"What's up, princess?" I said.

She ran up to me and put her arms around me.

"Oh, Ryan, Papa is so unfair. He insists that he must send bodyguards and drive me to my Prom. Any boy who ever tried to take me out was never good enough or was chased away by the guards if they even tried to hold my hand, let alone kiss me. Now no one will even take me to the Prom. It's just not fair."

"Let me talk to Gino, and see what I can do," I said.

Gino and I had a long talk. That meant he talked and I listened. After he finished, I asked him one question.

"Gino, if you are so afraid of Marcia being kidnapped again, why did you send her to a regular school? You certainly could afford a tutor and kept her in this castle."

We both knew that since the ransom, there was an unreasonable fear in Gino that it would happen again. I had made sure there was a clear message left on the dead bodies of the kidnappers, to never bother the family again. In the weeks that followed, several other bodies were found with pieces missing.

Gino said, "Because I wanted her to have a normal life."

"Going to the Prom is a one-time thing, Gino," I said. "Every girl wants to go, and without it, she will not have a normal life. Now what will you do to allow it, so she can attend?"

I knew that I was in deep trouble, when I saw the smile on Gino's face.

"Go ask Marcia to join us."

I went back up, knocked, then entered.

"I spoke with your dad, and he has something to say to you. Would you join us downstairs?"

As we entered, Gino said, "Please sit down, both of you."

Gino then went on how terrible it had been not to have been able to protect Marcia when she had been kidnapped. Actually three guards had been shot, the car bombed and gassed, and three of the kidnappers had been killed in the attack.

"I only wanted to protect you and yet let you have a normal life. Yes, you can go to the Prom." Marcia got up and ran up to him, tears running from her eyes, she kissed him.

"Ryan will be your driver, date, and bodyguard."

She looked at me. I stared at her then saw the smirk again on Gino's face.

"Oh, Papa, thank you. Will he take me to dinner and can we stay out all night?"

"Of course, sweetheart. After all, I'm sure your date wants to make you happy."

I had my mouth open.

Marcia came up to me, closed my mouth, kissed me, and said, "I think you can make me very happy," as she skipped to her room, grinning like a Cheshire cat.

After that night of fighting off a sixteen-year-old attacker for twelve hours, I thought my torture was over. No such luck. Every social event, dinner, and family get-together saw me with Marcia. Pretty soon the sly winks and casual comments had us as a couple headed for the altar. How had this happened? Marcia was no help, every time she saw me, or when we were together, she would run up to me with a huge, serious kisses and hugs. It was becoming a family joke for us to 'get a room'. I found myself spending more and more time over at Gino's. I even had my own rooms there now. One day Gino asked me to join him for a walk. Sal and Vince followed us and both tried to hide smirks on their faces.