1 Love Is Patient, Kind and Above All True
2 Chapter Twenty Two
"Ugh." Jaime's head was pounding. All she could see was black. Jaime was felt her head and found herself blindfolded. She finally got enough strength to try lifting her head. Jaime was lying on a floor of hard cement. She could feel the grit of dirt underneath her cheeks. Hard plastic fasteners bound her hands. It was very effective she couldn't move her hands without hurting her wrists.
Her legs were also tied together. She struggled to get herself into an upright position. Once sitting up, Jaime groped behind her for some leverage. She backed herself up until she reached a rough beam that was made of steel. Jaime propped herself up against the beam and rested her pounding head.
What happened?
Jaime did not remember a thing. The last thing she remembered was being so happy to get back to Venice. She also remembered losing her father's goons in the airport. Everything after that was blank. "Is anyone there?" Jaime asked into the darkness.
Silence. Jaime knew her Father wasn't happy about her leaving Rome and not returning to Korea with him and Christian but he'd accepted it. That was about the only good thing about her Father, he never forced anything upon her especially if she was determined and dead set against it.
The two-day visit with her father hadn't gone very well. It wasn't a minute before she stepped into his study that he had begun with a barrage of guilt trips about leaving the family and disappearing for months, almost a year. She stood there silent, her anger coming to a boil.
"What do you expect Baba?" she had yelled. "I have not hid my disappointment and disgust for you! I loathe you!"
"How dare you treat your Father with such disrespect? Have I not always given you what you've wanted? How have I hurt you?" he asked demanding an answer.
"Do you have to ask? Look at what you are?" Jaime had a hard time controlling her anger and her tears.
Her father looked confused and dumbfounded. "What is it I am Jaime? Am I not a father who loves his family? A man who tried to raise you as best I could?"
His eyes pleaded with her to forgive the uncovered transactions her father had committed. "No! You were none of those things. If you were, you wouldn't have begun this 'business'! How can you drag Christian and Lawrie into this? I mean, fine you choose to be the man you are, but you force your sons into the business. Thank God I wasn't a son, or you would have done it to me!"
Her father's gentle eyes turned hard. "Stop it! You will respect me as a father! I have done nothing to hurt you. I've done nothing except to protect you. Just as I protected your brothers. I promised to do this and will continue to do so even if you continue to run."
"I can't believe you! How many people have you hurt? Protect your family and hurt the innocent people we love. Can't you see how deluded that is? I'd rather you forget me then hurt the people I love." Jaime's body flowed with adrenaline.
She shook with anger. In her mind she pictured Donnie's face, then Natie's, lastly, a child's face smiling at her. Jaime saw Francesca's little face. The Bartolli's daughter. She had trusted Jaime and Jaime had promised to protect her. But she was gone. She sat down on the couch, which had its back to a shelf of books.
"Jaime," he said softly, "I am just trying to protect you. Don't you see that? I love you. You're my only daughter." His voice caught in his throat. He had turned away from Jaime's scrutinizing eyes.
"The best way to protect me is to stay away from me," she growled. "I am safer away from you. Hasn't the past proven that?"
Her father turned around wounded by the mention of the past. She knew he knew what she meant.
The knock at the door interrupted their conversation. Christian walked into the room. She knew he felt the tension in the room. "Baba. The appointment is here." He had eyed Jaime as he spoke. Jaime nodded her head in greeting to her younger brother. He nodded back.
"Fine," he replied rasply. He straightened his posture, composing himself for what seemed to be an important visitor. "When you see Jaime up the stairs, send him down into the library. Jaime." He looked at her, tipping his head towards the door.
"You're actually going to send me away when you were the one who 'summoned' me here in the first place? You've got to be kidding?"
Her father had a strange look on his face. Jaime dismissed it and grabbed her jacket that she had thrown onto the leather chair across from the couch. She was disgusted with the both of them.
Jaime stood up and looked at her brother and her father, she just shook her head. "You know why I don't ever want to see you again. Just look at Christian. I don't ever want to be your lackey." With that she walked out the door in disgust and ran up the stairs on her right. She stopped at the top, looking down at her brother who had followed her out of the room and into the hallway.
Jaime pretended to head to her room, and as soon as Christian had seen her walk into her room he left to get the 'appointment'. She had managed to leave the door open a crack and see Christian as he brought down the hallway a familiar brown haired man. He was well groomed and in an Italian suit. Jaime felt a shiver down her spine. It had been Roscoe. She had walked a little further out of her room to get a better view when she made eye contact with Roscoe. He sneered at her as he was led to the library.
The memory brought a shiver down her spine now as she sat in the smelly dank room. What had Roscoe been doing at her Father's house?
***
Jason had listened to the conversation between Donnie and Mr. Nam. He definitely knew something was wrong. And now he was worried. The phone conversation had shaken up Donnie and agitated the already frightened man.
"What are you going to do?" Donnie pleaded.
"I'll go to Rome. It was the last place that anyone saw anything." He leaned against the end table on which the phone sat. He had listened to a man who had no clue his daughter was gone. Jason was sure he would now, with the way the conversation had ended, so abruptly. He didn't understand why Donnie had hung up on him.
Donnie nodded. "Will you go alone?"
Jason looked towards the patio – Elizabeth. He didn't know what to do. He wanted to protect her from the danger, but knew she would worry and eventually find out that Jaime was missing. "No. Elizabeth will be coming with me. Pack her stuff and book us two flights to Rome."
~~
Jason walked out to the patio where Elizabeth had been waiting impatiently. "Jason, what is the matter?"
He thought of how he could explain to her what was happening without panicking her. "Elizabeth, do you know why Jaime went to Rome?"
"No," she shook her head.
"Well she went to see her father." He hated divulging information that Jaime wouldn't want known, but it was the only way to go about his plan. "We need to go there and see him. We just talked to him and he said Jaime got on her flight."
Elizabeth seemed to begin to grasp what was happening. "Do you mean, she was supposed to be on the flight?"
"Yes. But when Donnie went to pick her up she wasn't there. We think that something happened to her and I need to go speak with her father."
"But wouldn't he have expected her to call him when she got back?"
"No," Jason stated.
Elizabeth seemed confused. "How come she didn't tell us that she went to visit her father? She made it seem like a big deal…I suppose it is when she's missing," she pondered.
"Elizabeth I knew she was going," Jason corrected her.
Her head picked up at the idea that Jason had been told. She studied at him closely before speaking. Elizabeth seemed to hesitate before anything was said. "Jason, why did she tell you…and not me?"
Jason said quite simply, "Because she trusted me." The words seemed to stun Elizabeth. Jason hadn't meant to hurt her feelings. It was just the simple truth. "I knew her for a longer period of time Elizabeth. I also know a little bit about her family…"
"Oh," she said quietly.
Donnie interrupted the conversation. "Mr. Morgan, your bags are packed and the car is waiting to take you to the airport."
Elizabeth looked at Jason, "Why are we going to the airport?" She seemed to chide herself as she asked the question. "Never mind. I forgot you told me we were going to Rome."
Jason looked at Elizabeth closely. She was acting a little bit strange. "I'm sorry we didn't get to finish our talk. We can do that on the plane if you want? We just have to hurry and get to the airport."
And so Jason followed Elizabeth out to the car and where they went to catch their flight to Rome while Donnie stayed behind at the House.
2 Chapter Twenty Two
"Ugh." Jaime's head was pounding. All she could see was black. Jaime was felt her head and found herself blindfolded. She finally got enough strength to try lifting her head. Jaime was lying on a floor of hard cement. She could feel the grit of dirt underneath her cheeks. Hard plastic fasteners bound her hands. It was very effective she couldn't move her hands without hurting her wrists.
Her legs were also tied together. She struggled to get herself into an upright position. Once sitting up, Jaime groped behind her for some leverage. She backed herself up until she reached a rough beam that was made of steel. Jaime propped herself up against the beam and rested her pounding head.
What happened?
Jaime did not remember a thing. The last thing she remembered was being so happy to get back to Venice. She also remembered losing her father's goons in the airport. Everything after that was blank. "Is anyone there?" Jaime asked into the darkness.
Silence. Jaime knew her Father wasn't happy about her leaving Rome and not returning to Korea with him and Christian but he'd accepted it. That was about the only good thing about her Father, he never forced anything upon her especially if she was determined and dead set against it.
The two-day visit with her father hadn't gone very well. It wasn't a minute before she stepped into his study that he had begun with a barrage of guilt trips about leaving the family and disappearing for months, almost a year. She stood there silent, her anger coming to a boil.
"What do you expect Baba?" she had yelled. "I have not hid my disappointment and disgust for you! I loathe you!"
"How dare you treat your Father with such disrespect? Have I not always given you what you've wanted? How have I hurt you?" he asked demanding an answer.
"Do you have to ask? Look at what you are?" Jaime had a hard time controlling her anger and her tears.
Her father looked confused and dumbfounded. "What is it I am Jaime? Am I not a father who loves his family? A man who tried to raise you as best I could?"
His eyes pleaded with her to forgive the uncovered transactions her father had committed. "No! You were none of those things. If you were, you wouldn't have begun this 'business'! How can you drag Christian and Lawrie into this? I mean, fine you choose to be the man you are, but you force your sons into the business. Thank God I wasn't a son, or you would have done it to me!"
Her father's gentle eyes turned hard. "Stop it! You will respect me as a father! I have done nothing to hurt you. I've done nothing except to protect you. Just as I protected your brothers. I promised to do this and will continue to do so even if you continue to run."
"I can't believe you! How many people have you hurt? Protect your family and hurt the innocent people we love. Can't you see how deluded that is? I'd rather you forget me then hurt the people I love." Jaime's body flowed with adrenaline.
She shook with anger. In her mind she pictured Donnie's face, then Natie's, lastly, a child's face smiling at her. Jaime saw Francesca's little face. The Bartolli's daughter. She had trusted Jaime and Jaime had promised to protect her. But she was gone. She sat down on the couch, which had its back to a shelf of books.
"Jaime," he said softly, "I am just trying to protect you. Don't you see that? I love you. You're my only daughter." His voice caught in his throat. He had turned away from Jaime's scrutinizing eyes.
"The best way to protect me is to stay away from me," she growled. "I am safer away from you. Hasn't the past proven that?"
Her father turned around wounded by the mention of the past. She knew he knew what she meant.
The knock at the door interrupted their conversation. Christian walked into the room. She knew he felt the tension in the room. "Baba. The appointment is here." He had eyed Jaime as he spoke. Jaime nodded her head in greeting to her younger brother. He nodded back.
"Fine," he replied rasply. He straightened his posture, composing himself for what seemed to be an important visitor. "When you see Jaime up the stairs, send him down into the library. Jaime." He looked at her, tipping his head towards the door.
"You're actually going to send me away when you were the one who 'summoned' me here in the first place? You've got to be kidding?"
Her father had a strange look on his face. Jaime dismissed it and grabbed her jacket that she had thrown onto the leather chair across from the couch. She was disgusted with the both of them.
Jaime stood up and looked at her brother and her father, she just shook her head. "You know why I don't ever want to see you again. Just look at Christian. I don't ever want to be your lackey." With that she walked out the door in disgust and ran up the stairs on her right. She stopped at the top, looking down at her brother who had followed her out of the room and into the hallway.
Jaime pretended to head to her room, and as soon as Christian had seen her walk into her room he left to get the 'appointment'. She had managed to leave the door open a crack and see Christian as he brought down the hallway a familiar brown haired man. He was well groomed and in an Italian suit. Jaime felt a shiver down her spine. It had been Roscoe. She had walked a little further out of her room to get a better view when she made eye contact with Roscoe. He sneered at her as he was led to the library.
The memory brought a shiver down her spine now as she sat in the smelly dank room. What had Roscoe been doing at her Father's house?
***
Jason had listened to the conversation between Donnie and Mr. Nam. He definitely knew something was wrong. And now he was worried. The phone conversation had shaken up Donnie and agitated the already frightened man.
"What are you going to do?" Donnie pleaded.
"I'll go to Rome. It was the last place that anyone saw anything." He leaned against the end table on which the phone sat. He had listened to a man who had no clue his daughter was gone. Jason was sure he would now, with the way the conversation had ended, so abruptly. He didn't understand why Donnie had hung up on him.
Donnie nodded. "Will you go alone?"
Jason looked towards the patio – Elizabeth. He didn't know what to do. He wanted to protect her from the danger, but knew she would worry and eventually find out that Jaime was missing. "No. Elizabeth will be coming with me. Pack her stuff and book us two flights to Rome."
~~
Jason walked out to the patio where Elizabeth had been waiting impatiently. "Jason, what is the matter?"
He thought of how he could explain to her what was happening without panicking her. "Elizabeth, do you know why Jaime went to Rome?"
"No," she shook her head.
"Well she went to see her father." He hated divulging information that Jaime wouldn't want known, but it was the only way to go about his plan. "We need to go there and see him. We just talked to him and he said Jaime got on her flight."
Elizabeth seemed to begin to grasp what was happening. "Do you mean, she was supposed to be on the flight?"
"Yes. But when Donnie went to pick her up she wasn't there. We think that something happened to her and I need to go speak with her father."
"But wouldn't he have expected her to call him when she got back?"
"No," Jason stated.
Elizabeth seemed confused. "How come she didn't tell us that she went to visit her father? She made it seem like a big deal…I suppose it is when she's missing," she pondered.
"Elizabeth I knew she was going," Jason corrected her.
Her head picked up at the idea that Jason had been told. She studied at him closely before speaking. Elizabeth seemed to hesitate before anything was said. "Jason, why did she tell you…and not me?"
Jason said quite simply, "Because she trusted me." The words seemed to stun Elizabeth. Jason hadn't meant to hurt her feelings. It was just the simple truth. "I knew her for a longer period of time Elizabeth. I also know a little bit about her family…"
"Oh," she said quietly.
Donnie interrupted the conversation. "Mr. Morgan, your bags are packed and the car is waiting to take you to the airport."
Elizabeth looked at Jason, "Why are we going to the airport?" She seemed to chide herself as she asked the question. "Never mind. I forgot you told me we were going to Rome."
Jason looked at Elizabeth closely. She was acting a little bit strange. "I'm sorry we didn't get to finish our talk. We can do that on the plane if you want? We just have to hurry and get to the airport."
And so Jason followed Elizabeth out to the car and where they went to catch their flight to Rome while Donnie stayed behind at the House.