Federico: The Ciprianos of Kellington, #4

Dedication

I want to thank my loyal fans for being there for me through thick and thin with this series and going through the many trials and tribulations of the Cipriano Brothers. I think that this was probably my favorite full length series that I have written to date and I’m glad that everyone has enjoyed it as much as I have written it.

Again, I thank you so much for your loyalty and love .

Chapter One

Where are you going? Federico asked trying to keep up with her pace. The fact that Michelle called him an ass was comical enough to try and get her to talk with him some more.

She stopped in her tracks, her hair swung around to slap her in the face as she asked, What the hell do you want?

I want to get to know you. And furthermore, why you called me an ass.

I call them like I see them.

Even though that would have hurt any other guy’s ego, Federico saw it as a challenge. You know I haven’t forgiven you for that sweetbreads incident.

And I’m supposed to feel sorry for you because you were too stupid to pick out your own food. You walked into that one, my dear, I didn’t.

Before she could walk off again, he caught her by the arm.

She stared at him with a shocked expression. Get your hands off of me now! She snatched her arm from his grasp and continued along the sidewalk.

Federico noticed how some people had been watching. He didn’t press her any further, for he knew he would find her again. He wasn’t through with this woman, not by a long shot. The familiar sound of the phone let him know his partner Henry was calling, probably wondering where he was with the supplies. Hey, man, what’s up?

Hey, don’t forget about the hand spades too, we need about six of them.

Thanks for reminding me, I was about to get into the truck before I got interrupted.

Interrupted huh, was she hot?

Federico snickered, his friend knew him all too well. She’s mesmerizing, Henry, you need to go to the French restaurant here and check her out for yourself, but hands off she’s mine.

Dude, you know I’m a married man, so all I can do is look and can’t touch, but if she’s all that you say she is, then she must be something. Just remember to bring the dang hand shovels.

Fine, mother dear, I’m heading back into the shop right now. I’ll see you in a few. Putting the phone back into the cell phone holder on his belt, Federico went back into the hardware store.

You must have forgotten something, Federico? Robert, the owner of Mackenzie’s asked, as he walked past with a box in his arms.

Yeah I did, I forgot the hand spades. He walked down the aisle where he knew they would be, picked out six spades, and brought them back up front to the register for Robert’s wife Anne to total up for him.

Didn’t I just see you in here? she joked.

Federico chortled a bit. I don’t know what you mean. This is my first time in this place. I’ve heard that they have pretty good prices here and just so you know, I also heard that there was a beautiful woman with bright brown eyes and a smile that could light up a lighthouse if she wanted to who works at the register of this store. He gave her a wink as he saw a sweet blush rush over her chubby cheeks along with a cute giggle. It made his day to at least make her smile and blush a bit.

That will be forty seventy-two.

Going into his wallet, he pulled out his card, handing it to her. His mind drifted back to when he held Michelle’s arm, the look she shot him was intense. He knew she would have smacked the taste out of his mouth for touching her. But honestly, he wanted to see how far he could go with this girl, hell he was interested in her big time and just because she wanted to cop an attitude with him didn’t mean that he wasn’t going to get his. Yeah, Federico was a stubborn man especially when there was a new woman involved, he didn’t mind being just a bit stubborn to get what he wanted.

Plus, he hadn’t forgotten that sweetbread incident, when he had gotten home he almost used up the entire tube of toothpaste and half a bottle of mouthwash to get the taste out. Along with the barrage of calls he had gotten from his brothers about what had happened at the restaurant wasn’t much of a help on his ego that day.

Federico, oh Federico.

He looked over to see Anne handing him his card along with a receipt and the bag with the spades.

Welcome back, here’s your receipt.

Thanks, see ya later.

* * * *

A knock rattled the small room. Sergeant Marks opened the door to reveal Renzo and Simone. They walked in with a look of wonder on their faces. Jaslyn, Delia, Filomena, Anais, and Saoirse sat in the room with a perplexed looking Gianni.

Is everyone all right? asked Renzo as he went to Jaslyn’s side.

Yes, we are all fine but there is a bit of a problem, Filomena said.

Sergeant is there any way we can have someone take Fiona out of here for a moment. I think we need to explain everything to everyone and some of the things I don’t want my daughter to hear, Anais told him.

Sure, let me get one of the lady officers to come. Marks walked out of the room once more.

But, Mommy, I don’t want to go. I want to stay right here, Fiona whimpered.

I’m sorry, sweetheart, but right now isn’t the time. I want you to go with the officer and behave until we come to get you.

All right, Mommy.

Soon, the door opened and Marks along with a young woman officer stood in the doorway while Anais shooed her daughter toward the two. When Marks came back into the room, all eyes seemed to zoom back on her.

First off, I want to apologize for getting everyone here involved in this mess. It was never my intention to get anyone involved with what is going on in my life. My name is not Anais Cormier, it’s Maiara Douglas and my daughter’s name is Fiona Weil. My ex-husband was very abusive toward me during our marriage. He would constantly beat me to the point to where I was black and blue with broken bones and everything when we lived in Ireland. Everyone from his parents to his friends tried to get us out of the country, but he would find us until we finally up and left without even telling anyone. I wanted to try and contact my mother, but I knew that would be the first place he would go looking for us. So we ended moving to small towns not big cities. When we moved to Ohio, I got in contact with Marks here because we had been living in shelters when we first came to the States. When I talked with him and told him of my situation, he set me up with a place for me and Fiona to stay, gave us money to get food and such, even helped her get into a school. She paused.

Everyone looked shocked as they waited for her to continue.

But soon, Byrne found out where we were again, he had been coming to Fiona’s school, watching her while she was playing in the playground. We decided that it would be best for us to leave right away and go under protection this time. She looked over at Gianni who had been sitting next to her. I haven’t talked with my mother in two and an half years. I did see her but she didn’t see us. We had driven back to Georgia and I parked down the street from her house. I watched her coming out of the house to check her mail, she still looked the same as I remembered. It hurt to not be able to pull up next to her house, get out of the car and grab hold of her. She felt the sting of tears well up in her eyes as an arm wrapped around her shoulder to comfort her.

Dear Lord, child, Filomena told her with sorrow in her eyes.

But why is he here now? Simone asked.

He’s after Fiona.

Everyone looked at each other puzzled.

Fiona, why would he want the child? Renzo asked.

Fiona is a very gifted child. She did everything early, from walking to talking. Well one day she found one of her dad’s racing forms, started looking over it and picked out the numbers for the next three races, Maiara told them as Gianni grabbed her hand. He went and placed the bets and won. Then he started using our daughter to place more bets. He would even take her to some of the seediest places in town to meet with bookies and place bets. I would get calls from some of his friends telling me they had seen our daughter at the bar even though he told me he was taking her to the park to play. I couldn’t say a word because one time I did and I ended up getting a beat down from hell. It wasn’t until there was a brawl at one of the bars that I had to put my foot down. That was when we decided to make plans to leave. That is the only reason why he’s been trying to find us and I won’t let him do that.

And we won’t let him do it either, Gianni replied. I’m not going to let this man take you away from here and us, especially me now that you are in my life.

Maiara looked at him and knew what he was telling her that he meant from the heart. Thank you but I can’t get you all involved, this is my fight.

Whether you like it or not, Maiara, we are involved and we won’t let you fight this alone. I know how you feel because I was in an abusive relationship too. Jaslyn told her.

Maiara couldn’t believe that someone like Jaslyn had been abused like her. She was so well rounded and had everything going for her she thought. Never would she have thought that she too was once abused.

Your brother identified her husband as someone he bumped into when coming from a flower shop in town. Maiara, I have the entire police force along with the FBI because it seems there is more to what is going on with your husband, Marks told the group.

Maiara looked over at him because this was the first time she had heard that there was more of anything. What do you mean there’s more?

I was given this information just recently by FBI as well as the GNDU, which is the Garda National Drug Unit in Ireland, about Byrne, Marks told them. It seems that he is part of a drug ring that has been smuggling drugs from Europe, Africa, South America as well as the United States. He’s in it too deep right now.

Maiara shook her head. I kind of figured he was dealing, but I didn’t think he was going this far. But if he was doing all this dealing and stuff, what happened to the money?

They don’t know where the money is, they’ve been trying to find out whether he has it in some secret account somewhere. You don’t happen to remember where that could be, do you, Maiara?

Rubbing her hand over her face while letting out a frustrated sigh, she thought for a moment trying to remember anything. But nothing seemed to come to mind. I’m drawing blanks right now. I’m sorry, but this is all too much for me right now...knowing that he’s in town. He probably knows where we stay now. I’m tired of running Marks and hiding from him.

Well, right now we have every able bodied man and plain clothed cop looking for him and his crew. We also have to get you both someplace safe. You’re right, he’s probably already found out where you live and where you are working.

I don’t want to leave here and I don’t plan on running anymore, Marks, didn’t you hear me when I told you that? Maiara hammered as her frustration was building up within. She was constantly in fear of this man, in fear of him taking the one thing that gave her life and a will to live—her daughter.

"I know you are tired of running, but for the sake of you and your child’s safety, you might want to go