Impossible Love 60
Maxieplus
"How did nonna go at the doctors grandad?"
"She has to slow down Antonio, she already knows this and she will take steps to rectify her lifestyle. Leave it to her please son."
"I will, maybe she can take Lukas for a day or two instead of coming here."
"Maybe you should just leave it up to her."
He was being forceful so I backed off and will keep an eye on both of them for a while.
Gran was in the kitchen and Angie was helping, the boys and Gianni were playing with the babies on the floor, grandad had collared me as soon as he walked in because he knew I would start asking gran about her doctor's visit. After our small chat on the terrace, I went to help entertain the babies. I laid down on my tummy and began talking to little Antonio he knows me now and smiled at my voice, the weight of Gianni's body was bought home to me when he moved over and covered me, making a few movements with his lower body.
"He's starting to recognize us and is trying to talk."
"He's the clever one of the three."
"Is he?"
"With a name like that, he has to be." I giggled.
"Antonio, a word if I may."
"Yes gran?"
"I won't be here tomorrow, my garden is looking very untidy, but can you drop Lukas off in the morning. I have to start teaching him about planting."
"Sure gran, I will talk to Alice." I almost grinned but it's not the right time.
"Alice will have to suck it up one day a week." Just a fact statement, not a request.
I didn't go on with the conversation, I changed the subject to cheese.
"Did you talk to your father's boys?"
"Yes Antonio, they want some more information." Tommaso said.
"Okay, we wait until price lists arrive and then we will have a meeting with them." I was being very efficient today.
"We don't know how much Iris is going to charge us for space and who is going to order or even fix up the display."
"I think she said no charge and her bottle shop boys will tidy up and reorder stock when needed, it's just a matter of them emailing stocktakes onto you. You can't be traveling all over Australia just to tidy up some cheese and biscuits." They looked at each other and smiled.
"Let's wait and see, in the meantime have you come up with a brand name it has to be registered, Stavros or Nina will do that for you."
"Not yet Antonio we are still trying to get our heads around it." Maxie smiled but I think he is excited.
We left for work and took Lukas with us, I think he wanted to stay home but when Gianni mentioned Alice's name he changed tack.
"What did grandad say Antonio?" Gianni asked as he carefully drove us to the market.
"She has to slow down, and we should leave it all up to her."
"Okay then we don't have to do anything then."
"She's going to come and help Angie twice a week in the mornings, then try and have Lukas for a day mainly for company, she knows she's been overdoing it so I think it's best we leave it up to her," Carlos said from the back seat.
"And you know this because?" I asked.
"We talk." Thank you Carlos.
"Good." Gianni said.
Nina handed us a price list for the biscuits and some sample boxes when we arrived, then she took two moaning boys up to her office for another meeting, she made Carlos carry a carton of cheap plonk when they left. I looked at the list and the prices were cheap, Nina had highlighted the most popular sample packets which she thought would be much better for them to sell, not whole boxes, I agreed with her but Giannis will keep the bigger ones, like buy in bulk.
I looked through Marketplace on the net and spied a cool room for sale, it was going cheap and I will get David to go and look at it. I have room in my warehouse or better still in one of the shops at the garden business. They will need to check and pack each order every night I suppose, and their first order from Matteo should be a large one with plenty to spare.
I cleaned up then sat with coffee out the front before the rush, I had spoken to Alice and she was okay to let Lukas go for a day or two she knows she gets him whenever she wants even for sleepovers.
We are all going to make grans life as easy as possible, I might go over on my day off and help with the garden, she is very proud of her veggies and vines but it's nearly a full-time job in itself.
I thought more about the cheese business, if they agree they should package it under Gianni's brand they will have to talk to Stavros about doing that, or grandad he would know, by doing it that way half the battle is over because Gianni's has become the number one seller in Australia and I did hear it was taking on the Cartasso brand head to head in Europe, I also wondered if he could break into the American market.
"So what nice things are you doing today Antonio?" Iris had bought out her coffee.
"Nothing much Iris, I have found a cool room and will get Dave to go have a look at it but that's as far as I have got."
"Good because I have run it all through Tony and he's in agreement we can do this little thing for the boys no charge."
"Thank you Iris at least we are on the same page. I won't charge them for the cool room it's cheap anyway. I might have it set up in the garden shop across the road, it's closer and they can work it from there," I looked up and saw Gianni come through the door he had coffee also.
"What's happening?" He asked, so I told him my plans or our plans. He was happy to go along with anything we decided but warned me not to go overboard, the cheese may not sell like I had envisaged it to.
"Well if it doesn't sell then they can get a temporary stall here and sell it off cheap to recover the money they spend."
"Seems like you have thought about everything baby, do I need to be involved?"
"I was thinking why don't they package it under the Gianni brand, but keep it separate from your business, I'm sure it can be done but I don't know how."
"Because you never went to college Antonio, leave it to me, grandad, and Stavros." He smiled, I will give him that one but if he keeps banging on about my lack of business sense I will have to pull him up. I know about business I just don't know the ins and outs of branding.
The boys came back looking flustered as usual Carlos complained his hand hurt from signing papers and Leon ordered a bottle of wine from Matt. I didn't have one and Gianni walked off to help Iris she had found some customers.
I left the guys there because they had started talking to some gay guys that had arrived with bags of shopping. I bagged wine and rang up the money while Iris and Gianni sold, then when it settled down again I opened a bottle and we sat out the back. Gianni's phone rang and he stepped out to the back car park. I figured it was work-related or maybe gypsy problems. He hasn't kept me up to date with this blackmail business he just said that the gypsy was handling it. I wanted to place it in the hands of the police, it's not that I didn't trust Menowin's men it's just that they do stuff things up now and then, today was one such day I was to find out.
He came back in and looked like he had murder on his mind.
"They lost them."
"Did they, well what a complete and utter surprise." I sarcastically said.
"Sorry Antonio, they slipped away last night they may be heading this way." I sat and stared at him until I found my thoughts again then I stood up and pulled my phone out.
"What are you going to do Antonio?"
"I'm going to ring the police like I wanted to do in the first place, they must be stopped."
"Leave it to the gypsy please."
"No I won't leave it to the gypsy, they are a bunch of fools Gianni. I won't deal with them again." Iris had decided this may be a good time to go and check for customers so she quietly crept out.
"I can't see how they could do it Antonio there were three men guarding them, they were still trying to get into bank accounts."
"Did they?"
"No Antonio." I dialed Shanes number and when he answered I told him I needed to see him and soon.
"Antonio, please leave it to us."
'No Gianni, you can bleat on about being the man of the house all you want, but you have to agree with me the gypsy are an incompetent lot at the best of times." He dropped his head.
"Yes I agree Antonio, another disappointment for me."
"Don't go there baby, it's just that you don't see it or you don't want to see it. I wanted to call the police in the first place not play silly gypsy games. If they couldn't get into the bank accounts then they should have been sent home anyway, it's been well over a week since they sent that note and nothing's happened."
He sat brooding but I didn't care, this is our children's welfare at stake, not some silly mafia game. I waited for Shane's visit, Gianni sat with me and the boys, and they discussed what they were going to do, and when Shane arrived I discussed with him what I wanted to happen. He took down all the details and I prised the names of the gypsy who were supposed to be looking after them out of Gianni then passed the note and envelope and the phone numbers over to him. He couldn't tell me much until he got back to the station and got on the computer so I thanked him and said I will await his call.
I sat with Stavros and told him everything that had happened and he said he would get the community onto watching us again. I was confident we were all safe, but I just wanted a bit more awareness.
Back at the table I downed a vino, Iris had joined me and Gianni still wasn't too happy.
"Are you okay Gianni?"
"Yes Antonio, just some little more disappointment."
"Well don't brood about it I'm sure Shane will come up with something."
"I will ring Menowin." I bristled.
"Menowin's an asshole Gianni, tell him nothing. This is our family business, not gypsy, it's about our son's, not theirs." I think I just gave him a direct order.
I had settled down by lunchtime and a call from Shane put my anger to rest, he said the two men concerned led him to a car rental place, he thought maybe they were driving down to Melbourne and he had released alerts all over the country. I was so grateful to him and very confident the guys will be found. I stared at my husband who was still a little down so I thought I had better clue Iris in on what has been happening, it affects her too she has to be vigilant and I will offer to get Shane to put some men outside the building.
"Iris do you want to go back home for a while just until it all settles down again?"
She smiled at me and said.
"I am home Antonio, and I have a baseball bat at the ready." I think she was enjoying this little drama.
"Well I would feel a lot better you stay with us for a few days, just until this is all over."
"There's no need for that Antonio, I will be all right." She smiled.
"Bring your things up tonight you're staying with us," Gianni's not taking no for an answer.
"Okay, to calm you down I will stay a few days. I have to have some security cameras installed anyway."
I have no idea what cameras she was talking about but good luck with that, and I was pleased she relented.
Gianni moped around most of the afternoon and I was moving between shops making sure everyone was accounted for and were alert. Phone calls to gran and Angie calmed me down more but I was still a little crazy at the gypsy.
We arrived at grans and I hugged Lukas he was so excited and struggled to get down, then he grabbed my leg and started pushing me into the back garden where he showed me his new garden pot. Gran had made a special big pot of herbs and some flowers for him to look after. He was so proud of his work and Gianni hugged him and we both looked at each other with pride.
"Sit with me for a minute." I led him over to the bench and we sat down.
"Baby, don't be down about this, let's just wait and see what Shane comes up with if they are caught you and I will decide what to do with them if that happens."
"They can only be charged with blackmail Antonio, maybe deported I think."
"That's right and when they get back home Menowin's men can deal with them then, but in the meantime, we have to be vigilant."
"He's growing up baby, do you think we are missing out?"
"No, he's still a baby wait until he starts getting into everything, that's when we have to watch him closely." I laughed and Gianni had just changed the subject beautifully.
I watched Lukas he was still a baby in my eyes and he was talking to his plants, he was also patting the soil gently, I think there were some seeds under all that dirt.
Biscuits arrived and gran set about getting some dinner ready for us to take home. I told her not to fuss we had a freezer full she laughed and mentioned that the boy's downstairs freezer was empty.
I have to go through my fridge and part with some food I had promised Maxie I would do that ages ago. The boys had found a bottle of vino and were sipping on it when we arrived back inside. I didn't want any at the moment but Gianni had one.
"I think you just aced Alice's plans gran."
"What do you mean Antonio?"
"The garden, he loves it, and Alice won't be happy all she has is a TV." I giggled.
"He spends too much time in front of it, it's time he was out in the fresh air." She didn't turn to look at me I suspected she was smiling to herself.
We arrived home to what looked like organized chaos, Angie had two unsettled babes in arms and the third was on the floor moaning. I picked Gianni up and cuddled him and the others relieved her of their nephews, the moaning settled down not long after, I looked at her and she started laughing.
"I have been trying to settle them down for the past hour, I think it's because they were expecting everyone home earlier."
Lukas started telling her about his garden and I thought maybe I will start one here for him, I have plenty of pots and seeds, and hang on a moment I have three colorful plastic trains out the back that will never be used. I will get grandad to drill some holes in them they will look stunning as garden pots.
Two babies were taken outside and Gianni grabbed the third off me and joined them. I asked Angie how her day went as I opened a vino, she didn't have any problems up until an hour ago they were happily playing on the floor. I was thinking about what gran said as I placed the food she sent home in the oven, so I grabbed a couple of big bags and started sorting out the freezer. Who wants twelve large size lasagne's anyway, not us.
"What are you doing Antonio?" Angie asked.
"I'm going to clear out the freezer and give a lot of food to the boys."
"Good because I like cooking and now I can do my job."
"Grans only trying to make it easier for you, but I must admit some of this food is three months old."
"Best you toss it Antonio give the boys the recent stuff and start all over again. Knowing your gran she will have it refilled in no time at all." She laughed then took a glass of wine and went to talk to the boys.
I started sorting containers that were more than three months old then I called Maxie up.
"How much room do you have in your freezer?"
"A lot Antonio, you know we aren't cooks."
"Well that stack over there is going to be chucked, and the other one you can load into your freezer." His eyes widened.
"Thank you very much."
"Thank gran and I have your dinner in the oven so give me an hour." He smiled and took the big bags down to his apartment.
I got a phone call from Shane just an update, there were no signs of the men yet but he's still confident they will be detained.
Today I have to go talk to grandad at my flower warehouse, Gianni wants to go to work and do a mini stocktake so he dropped me off, I will walk down there it's not that far to the market. I kissed him goodbye and set about having a round of wits with grandad and 'his' books.
"Good morning ladies, I trust you are all well today." I greeted my smiling staff.
"Good morning Antonio, no babies today?" One said, and I could feel the disappointment in the air.
"I promise I will bring them soon, they are sleeping at the moment, you know how it goes when they are that young it's hard to drag them around they get out of their routine." I think I was giving them a lesson, some harrumphed some laughed and some thought I was crazy.
"All right I will bring them in as soon as I can, okay?" The laughing started again and I will have to bring the boys in because my ladies will hate me if I don't include them.
"Good morning grandad how are you?"
"Good grandson, you know it's not good for business to ignore the ladies wishes Antonio."
"Yes I know that grandad, but the babies are so small and easier to manage if they are kept at home."
"Understandable Antonio, the ladies will just have to wait to see them at the club again maybe."
"Why don't you take the van and bring them in here for the whole day, problem solved."
"That wouldn't do son, I believe they also want to see your husband sometimes." He grinned. I threw my arms in the air and thought I might give my ladies a lesson in gay life, maybe they will understand that some men are not just raw beef, well some people like my Gianni that is, okay I get they like to perve on him.
"So what is so urgent today grandad?"
He smiled and placed the books on the table opening the first one.
"This is the florist shop, it's doing very well Antonio, you should be very proud of your staff."
"I am." And I am proud of Alice and Bianca they do a great job.
"Good because their wages don't reflect that now."
"Stop right there grandad, if the ladies want a raise give them one, don't try and con me it doesn't work anymore."
"Calm down son, there are protocols to observe when talking about staff and money."
"No there's not, just give the girls and the guys in the market garden a twenty percent raise and be done with it."
"That much Antonio, we must discuss this further."
"Is that all?" He blushed because he knows he can't fool me anymore. He closed his books and winked at me hopefully I won't have to go through this again until next year. I won't begrudge the ladies a raise they are the backbone of my businesses.
"Oh and grandad, get together with gran and Angie, borrow the van and bring the boys in one day,"
I said goodbye to the ladies and headed off to work. I ran some I walked some but it only took me less than six minutes. When I got there the boys were there, the van was there but Gianni was nowhere to be seen.
"Where's Gianni?" I asked Pedro.
"I haven't seen him yet Antonio, but when we got here the cafe was already open."
"Really? He left for here an hour or so ago the van is in the car park, he's got to be somewhere."
"He's not in Angelo's either, no one has seen him." He was just as confused as me, maybe he's over at Gino's stall.
I walked over to Gino's and he hasn't seen him either, that brick arrived and Ted tapped me on the shoulder, I relaxed.
"Antonio, he was seen by security opening up, and when I arrived the backroom lights were on and the door was open, do you think maybe we have been robbed?"
I ran back to the café followed by Ted and Gino, they all looked around and Gino found the first clue.
"The back doors have been broken into."
Sure enough, the hinge had been tampered with and when Ted showed me some blood on the floor I nearly screamed.
"He's been taken."
"Oh hell Antonio, call the police Ted," Gino said.
"The van."
I ran over to the van it was locked and looked untouched, and by the time I got back the news was going through the usual outlets, Angelo said he didn't see him and he was in early, he got on his phone and rang Shane his cousin the cop. Stavros had just arrived and was on his phone, and Sabine, my god how do I tell Sabine and the boys they were just coming up the market aisles.
"What's happening Antonio, the market has gone crazy." She looked at me for an answer. I sat down heavily at Stavros's table and said.
"He's not here, Gianni has been kidnapped." I didn't have to look her in the eyes I know how she felt as she also sat down, the boys rushed off and before I knew it, there were arguments all over the café, I had to do something so I screamed.
"Carlos and Leon leave my staff alone, they don't know anything, just leave it until the cops arrive." They started arguing with me and I told them not to touch the back door they will get their fingerprints all over it. Stavros said he had every man available on the job and they were looking at security cameras up and down the streets of Prahran.
I got up and went to the market office to look at the surveillance tapes, Jimmy was already onto it and he found something that happened at four this morning, two men were hanging around the back door of the café, they had some sort of crowbar and jimmied the door open then slipped inside. They were unrecognizable but I knew who they were Magdalena's father and brother. I then pulled my phone out and rang Tony to come and get Sabine she can't be involved in this, not in her shocked state. I then rang Angela I told her to be very vigilant around the flats and not to go out.
Grandpa arrived and so did a dozen cops. I had no idea where they would take him but maybe, just maybe they can track them with the security cameras that are dotted around the city. I have no idea if that was even possible. My hands shook my body shook and my mind was with Gianni telling him to hang on I was coming for him.
Alice and Bianca opened the flower shop and I told her that Lukas decided to stay home today, thank God he wasn't with Gianni he would be terrified. Maybe Gianni was their target after all maybe they were watching us and got him at this moment in time. I told all this to Shane the cop and he listened to Ted Pedro and Matt's versions then he spoke to Maxie Angelo Tommaso and the others, trying to piece together a bigger picture.
Tony arrived just as Sabine broke she was frantic by this time and wasn't getting any new answers. Iris was with Tony and she went to help at the wine counter there were no customers just some curious market people that were ordering coffees.
"Antonio, please shut the café down we have to preserve any clues, there's blood so it's now a crime scene, no one is allowed in."
I watched Ted usher some customers out politely and he then closed the doors behind himself and Iris. The lights were left on and in went a forensic team, a striped blue tape was used to cordon the place off and we all moved into the florist shop. I waited for what seemed ages not speaking and not answering Sabine, Carlos, and Leon's questions because I didn't have any answers.
"Please my love, come home, leave it to the cops." Tony was urging Sabine to go home, but she wouldn't hear any of it, she was staying where she was. The café will be closed for a few days they may as well go home nothing's going to happen until I get a ransom note anyway.
I gathered the staff up and I didn't have to tell them what was happening the whole community had known for a few weeks.
"Kids you all may as well go home, you will be paid for the day but I prefer you all go and chill out I will let you know if I hear something."
"But we want to stay Antonio, we are so worried about Gianni," Pedro said.
"Then why don't you all go into Angelo's at least I will know your all safe, and maybe you can help him out for the day." They didn't want to but the florist shop was getting rather crowded.
"Alice, close the shop, there are only well-wishers and concerned customers coming in anyway." She immediately turned the lights out and I looked at Gino.
"Go, and thank you my friend, I will let you know first if I hear anything." He was reluctant to go but he had to get back this is his busy time and by the way the market is filling up this isn't going to be a normal day for the traders. We all sat in silence as the time ticked by it was like waiting for the electric chair to be switched on.
Iris was a godsend she had ordered coffee from Angelo's to be delivered with sandwiches. He had looked at me and told me everything was going to be all right, he took my hand and placed it on his heart. I broke down then just that simple gesture made my heart melt. I grabbed some tissues and walked out the back into the carpark. I couldn't face anyone and I didn't want any sympathy. God knows what's happening with Gianni and I prayed and prayed he was going to be all right. I messaged Alice and told her I was going to walk home and to give me a five-minute start. I had to make sure the babies were safe.
There was nothing I could do at the market just standing around doing nothing was the worst thing. I started walking home and in my mind I knew Gianni would have fought to get free and they would have had to use restraints to hold him wherever he was. Visions of Luca's abuse came into my head, and I couldn't stand it anymore, and I hated the Gypsy so much they should have dealt with this ages ago. I stood in the main street and screamed, I screamed so loud everything around me was blanked out and I was all alone. I felt the pain when my head hit the pavement, then nothing.
I struggled to get off the gurney at the hospital, as the orderly parked me in the corridor and went to ready a doctor then I ran. I was unsteady on my feet but I escaped emergency and ran towards home, I haven't got time for this shit and I couldn't stay overnight my kids rely on me.
Catching the lift up I was confronted by just about everyone once again.
"Antonio, we just heard and were about to go into the hospital are you okay?" Leon said.
"I'm fine, any news." I wasn't angry I just wanted to be with my kids, I grabbed two Panadol's from the kitchen drawer and took them.
"Nothing new Antonio, the cameras followed them to the outer suburbs and the police are door knocking to see if private houses have had their cameras on."
"I have rung Menowin and he's going to alert the Gypsy," Leon said.
"Fat chance they will find them, useless lot of fucking idiots, they should have been watching us." Yes, now I was mad.
I walked over to the computer and turned it on, I was looking for messages from the kidnappers, everyone's eyes were on me.
I heard phones going off and grandad saying I was there and well, if there were any problems he will personally take me back to the hospital. Lukas came over and wanted to sit on my knees so I gently hauled him up and he started banging on the keyboard. I kissed his head while I waited for something to happen, I was expecting a ransom note but didn't know how they would get it to me.
Grandad sat next to me, he took Lukas and I fixed the keyboard.
"How much money have I got?"
"Not nearly enough son, please go and have a rest."
"Not yet I have to get some money together."
"They want seven million euros."
"How do you know?"
"The forensic team found a note in the café, with all the confusion this morning it was overlooked."
"Oh, so it was seven."
"Yes son euros, that equates to around eleven million Australian dollars, we don't have enough."
"Did they say where to drop it off?"
"No they said they would be in touch with you."
"I will speak to Sabine then."
"She has already promised to pay it, but had to be taken home she was too distraught Antonio, can you at least try and eat something?" Food was the last thing on my mind I stared at the screen and didn't answer him.
I heard people shuffling, Alice said to call her if we hear anything, Iris kissed me and the boys turned the computer screen off. I was taken into the bedroom and stripped then put to bed. They climbed in with me and Leon whispered.
"Sleep Antonio, Maxie and Tommaso will watch the computer, our Gianni will be all right, now go to sleep." He kissed me then Carlos kissed me. I closed my eyes but didn't go to sleep. I wept into Leon's shoulder for how long I don't know and I cried myself into exhaustion. I was up again around one am, my brain was in gear and when I went out Maxie and Tommaso were sitting by the computer talking. I made coffee and told them to go to bed, then I sat in silence watching the screen. I have never been so scared in my whole life. I found my phone and checked it, still nothing.
I sat there on my own for ages then made more coffee and stood on the balcony. I prayed to God and I prayed to Luca to help his brother and to help me, he must be so scared at the moment. All I wanted to do was hold him and tell him everything will be okay. I went back to the computer screen and heard Angie stir, one of the babies is unsettled, when she came out she had little Luca in her arms. I whispered good morning and took him while she made up a bottle, I placed him on the floor and changed his nappy as I kissed him just about all over. He smiled as I slipped a clean one on him then I put my finger in his hand and he squeezed it.
The bottle arrived and I started to feed him on the sofa, I watched as he took the nourishing food that will help him grow. My phone started ringing and Angie passed it to me, I looked it was Gianni ringing.
"Gianni!"
"Three six nine mount Dandenong road." Then whoever called hung up but he had a heavy accent.
I immediately handed Luca to Angie and rang Shane, he answered on the third ring.
"Hello?"
"It's Antonio, I just got a call from Gianni's phone, whoever rang said he was being held at three six nine mount Dandenong road."
"No they hung up I didn't recognize the man's voice but he had a heavy accent."
"Okay I will wait here for a call."
I knew the van was still at work so I rang Gino. It took some time and I told Angie what was happening, a tired Gino answered.
"I need to borrow your car, can I come down and get the keys?"
"I will only be a minute or two."
I ran for the lift and took it downstairs where Gino fully dressed said.
"Where are we going?"
I gave him the address and he ran for the car, as luck had it most new cars have a GPS fitted so Gino placed the address into it and he started the car.
"Oh dear god, I hope we are not too late."
"Calm down Antonio, he will be okay."
"I'm sorry I disturbed your night."
"I would have been pissed off if you hadn't." He smiled across at me.
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