"You should get some rest," Valeria placed a hand on Javan's shoulder and gently pushed him back to a lying position.
"I am fine," he told her.
"That's a lie. If you want to get back on your feet that quickly, then you need rest."
He closed his eyes and took deep breaths.
"We should leave this place," she said quietly. She was sitting next to him on his bed. She watched his every expression as she spoke. His muscles tensed but his face gave no emotion away.
With his eyes still closed he asked, "Alvan is suffering too. It would be selfish to leave him."
"He is far gone. You can see that in the way he treats his wife. He turned out to be just like him."
"You are supposed to be his mother too, you know. I am not leaving. We can't even run away, he will find us anyway," he opened his eyes and looked at her.
"I don't think you get it. A part of you hopes that there is still some good in your father, I waited 28 years of my life and see where that got me. Your brother is going to end up just like him."
Javan propped himself up on his elbows, "Even if neither of them changes, I am going to stay to help Gia."
"Why is that?"
He sighed and just looked out the window, "I don't think she had anything to do with Luca's death."
"What are you saying?" she looked at him in confusion.
"There is a lot going on right under our noses. The only way we can get to uncover them is if we stick around to find out."
"Are you saying you want to stay here to fulfill your curiosity?"
"That's not what I'm saying, mom. Alvan is just confused and father is feeding on his rage and confusion. He needs us to help him see that. He loves Gia. I know it. He's just conflicted."
"What if you're wrong?"
"Then so be it," he said and laid back on his bed.
Valeria sighed and just remained by his side. "At this rate, you are going to get yourself killed. Just look at yourself right now," she said, her voice trembling with emotion.
He wrapped a hand around her smaller ones and squeezed it gently, "I'm going to be fine. I just need a little bit of rest."
He eyes were already closing and he drifted off to sleep.
Valeria's eyes watered as she looked at him. He had a slightly broken lip, dark circles under his eyes and the rest of him was covered with small bruises littered all around. She couldn't think of any way to save her son from his own father.
The next time he opened his eyes, it was almost noon. He put on a pair of clothes and decided to walk round the house. His head was a mess and he was confused and angry. His eyes caught a redhead stomping out of the mini library at the house. Vinnie had walked in minutes ago. He slightly disheveled appearance and her impatience to get away from him had him worried.
"What are you looking at?" Nadia, his cousin, asked him.
She looked up him and eyed him suspiciously. "What happened to your eyes?"
"Nothing. I have just been having nightmares because of this horror movie I watched."
The teenage girl narrowed her eyes at him. "You aren't so smart for an adult, are you?"
He cracked a smile.
"Vinnie! I was looking everywhere for you," she said and turned to her brother.
Javan used the chance to slip away. He went to his car and drove off. He drove downtown at highspeed and stopped at one of his father's clubs. He went into the VIP section to meet with someone.
"How is she doing?" he asked as soon as Javan stepped in.
The club was surprisingly lively even though it was only midday. It was the perfect place to meet.
"Not so good. Gia is a smart girl but she's driven by anger and hurt and she's naive too."
"I trust that she would learn with time," the man with a baseball cap that covered most of his face said.
"I don't doubt that. She needs guidance, else she's going to end up in a really messy situation."
"Did something happen?"
"A lot has been happening. Reach out to her as soon as you can," Javan said and got up from his seat.
"Javan?" the man said and stood up too. "Thank you for doing this."
Javan nodded his head. "The gala is in four days," he reminded him and left.
He glanced at his watch and drove off to Omri's office, his heart thrumming with anxiety.
He took in deep steady breaths before going upstairs to the meeting room. Alvan was already there with two other men he was familiar with. He sat next to Alvan and they all waited for Omri and Renzo.
"Father was in a bad mood yesterday," Alvan said quietly.
Javan just shrugged and said nothing in response.
Alvan just sighed and just focused on the door. Omri strolled in with Renzo at his heel and the four men in the room stood up. He sat down at his seat which was at the edge of the table and Renzo sat on the seat at his right hand side.
The two brother were mostly quiet all through the meeting. They only just listened and kept their opinions to themselves.
"Javan will do it," Omri said in that his voice that was thick and frightening. All eyes turned to Javan and he just looked straight at his father.
It took everything in him not to cower at the man's dark gaze. He looked just like his father, something he hated that so much.
"I will do it," he said.
"That settles it then. We have someone in charge of finding Bubba. Alvan will supervise you so you two must work together," Omri said.
Javan glared at his father. The sick man knew that he was on to him and he was just trying to keep him distracted.
"Since that is settled, we have another problem. It's about Helix Romano," one of the men said.
"You two can leave," Omri said to his sons.
Javan hesitated but Alvan was already on his feet. He wanted to be anywhere other than next to his father. Javan glanced at Renzo and he subtly shook his head.
The two left the room and waited in Omri's office.
"Did something happen yesterday?" Alvan asked.
"You should be more worried about Gia than me."
"Just stop," Alvan said with a sigh.
"She is still the same girl you know. Something happened to her, something really bad. She's just a little lost and she needs you."
"What do you know? You've hinted about this before and you said something yesterday about Lucas's death. Is there something I don't know about?"
"Gia was right about you being cold and angry. Maybe if you keep a more open mind, you'll see things as clearly as I do."
Alvan just stared at him, "Are you going to tell me or what?"
"I can't. You're on your own here."
"Why can't you just tell me? Just say it. It's not that hard!" Alvan said in annoyance.
"I don't have any proof of anything. I just have suspicions. That's why you need to find out on your own. You might actually find proof."
"What if you're wrong?"
"What if I'm not?"
"Why do you badly want to prove her innocence? Why are you trying to protect her?"
"Because I know that you still love her. She somehow makes you a better person. You were different when you two met. There were subtle changes about you, I noticed them. Your eyes had more light in them and everything changed after whatever happened between the two of you. You need her even more than you know."
"You sound ridiculous."
"Somewhere within you, you know that I'm right," Javan said and watched his brother shift uncomfortably in his seat.
"That's bullshit. Whatever we had, it's past buried and forgotten."
"You still want her but you're just too stubborn. She isn't the monster you paint her to be. I think you know that but you are just conflicted."
"Not that word again. I'm not having this conversation with you. I'm out," Alvan said in annoyance and walked out.