Family Business

Protecting

EJ's pov

When I went back to my room, I knocked softly on my bathroom door.

"Claire, it's Uncle EJ. Open the door and let me in." When I didn't get a response, I knocked again, a little louder this time. "Claire, it's Uncle EJ," I repeated. "Let me in." Still no response.

Even though I knew she was probably fine, I began to panic. Rifling through my desk drawers, I finally found the key after an agonizing three minutes of frantic hunting. Unlocking the door in a hurry, I stopped suddenly upon entering as I saw my dumbass niece sound asleep in my bathtub, using one of my towels as a makeshift blanket. I stood there for a minute, chuckling at the site. God, she's such a stupid little kid, I thought to myself as I shook my head and smiled.

Picking her up carefully so as not to wake her, I carried her into my bedroom. Cradling her in one arm, I pulled back the duvet on my bed and gently laid her down on her side.

When she stirred a little, I whispered, "Shhh, go back to sleep, brat," as I covered her up and gently rubbed her shoulder.

Changing out of my suit, I threw on a t-shirt and jeans. Moving it to block my door, I slept in my desk chair that night with my Ruger 9mm in my lap.

The next morning

When I awoke, Claire was still asleep in my bed, mouth agape drooling on my pillow. There go those sheets. I'll have to ask Lorenzo what type of detergent gets out bratty girl slobber. Honestly, how long will it take to rid her of her brutish American mannerisms? Ah, if only everyone could be as sophisticated as an Englishman, the world would be a much cleaner, neater place.

Tucking my pistol into my waistband and concealing it with my t-shirt, I crept down the hallway to take a peak into the guest room Sal had been occupying during his stay. The room was cleared of all his belongings and it was obvious his bed hadn't been slept in. Satisfied he got the message, I went back to my room to shower and change for breakfast.

When I got down to the dining room, my father was already seated at the head of the table sipping his espresso. Waving the servant off, I poured myself a cup of tea and sat down.

"Buongiorno, Padre (Good morning, Father)."

Setting his newspaper down, Father returned the greeting, "Buongiorno, figlio mio (Good morning, my son)." Eyeing me closely, he inquired, "Did you by any chance speak to Salvatore last night when you came home?"

I'm assuming Salvatore packed his things and left in the middle of the night without saying a word to anyone since Father's asking me about him.

"No, Padre, ma stamattina mi sono accorto che la sua stanza era vuota (No, Father, but this morning I realized his room was empty)."

"Hai qualcosa che vuoi dirmi, Figliolo (Do you have something you want to tell me, Son)?"

"No, signore, posso onestamente dire che non ho idea di dove sia Salvatore (No, sir, I can honestly say I have no idea where Salvatore is)."

Father narrowed his eyes as he stared at me intently for a few moments before returning to reading his newspaper.

Sighing in relief Father was satisfied with my answer, I released the breath I'd been holding before taking a long sip of my tea. Convinced he was letting the matter drop, I allowed myself to relax a bit until I heard him intentionally clear his throat, indicating otherwise.

Claire's pov

When I woke up, I was really confused since I wasn't in my bed. Rubbing my eyes and looking around, I realized I was in Uncle EJ's room. How the Hell did I get in here? I wondered. Trying to recall the events of last night, I became even more confused. The last thing I remember was cousin Sal lying in my bed next to me reading to me from some creepy fairy tale book.