Chapter 129

Having not heard Natalia's almost silent whisper, and completely unaware of exactly what was going on before him, Robert spoke as if there was nothing unusual about this encounter. "Oh, Mrs. and Mrs. Spencer-Rivera." He started, a little surprised to see his bosses on a Sunday. "Yes, this gentleman is wanting the room number for one of our guests. I've tried to explain that we can't just give out that information and that if he just gave me his name I could call up to the room and ask our guest permission, but he refuses."

"I do not need her permission!" The man bellowed. "You will direct me to my daughters room or…"

Olivia released her wife and stepped forward into the man's personal space, effectively cutting him off. He had her wife and sons eyes and facial features. Her eyes narrowed on the man who had caused her love to live such a hard life. Just as she went to speak, a hand landed on her shoulder. Turning her head, Olivia was met by the pleading eyes of her wife who was holding their trembling daughter in her arms.

Ignoring the man standing not more than six inches from her, Olivia directed her attention to Natalia. "Take Emma up to Isabel's room." The girl was crying and shaking in Natalia's arms, having been frightened when the scary man screamed at Olivia.

Louis Rivera stepped around Olivia and into Natalia's personal space. Not caring an ounce for the scared girl in her arms. "No, you will take me to Isabel's room. NOW!"

Emma jumped in her ma's arms at the loud shout. "Mama." She cried, clinging tighter to Natalia's neck.

Natalia held her daughter protectively against herself. Olivia coming to stand beside her with one hand on the small of her back and the other joining hers on Emma's back. A scowl directed at the man scaring her little girl. "Papa! You will calm down or I will have security escort you from the premises." She stated confidently. "You're scaring my daughter."

"No me vuelvas a desafiar Natalia. Llévame a mi hija en este instante." (Do not deny me again Natalia. Take me to my daughter this instant.)

Natalia calmly turned to their front desk manager. Acting as if her father had not even spoken to her. "Robert, please take Emma up to my sister's suit. Call Ava on your way to meet you if she isn't already there."

Before Robert could reach for Emma, Louis gripped Natalia by her arm, spinning her to face him once more. "Do not ignore me child."

"HEY!" Olivia hollered, grabbing the man by the wrist that was holding her wife. "If you value that hand you will remove it from my wife." She growled

Glaring at the woman who dare stand up to him, he wretched his arm away from her, releasing Natalia with the movement. "I will do whatever I please with my own daughter and there isn't a thing a puta (bitch) like you can do about it."

Emma had started to cry uncontrollably as she clung to Natalia. "Mama. Don't let him hurt mommy."

Stepping further away from her father and behind the front desk as she saw the security Robert must have called approaching, Natalia sat in the chair and attempted to sooth her terrified child. She ran her fingers through her hair and rubbed her back, ignoring the sting in her own wrist were her father's hand had been. "Shh, shh baby, it's okay. Nobody is going to hurt anyone. Look, Scott, and Daniel are here. It's okay Em."

Emma turned her face to look for Scott and Daniel, two of the Beacon's security team, who were all but running to the scene unfolding in the hotel's lobby. The men each grabbed one of Louis's arms and pulled him away from their boss as Olivia rushed to her baby girl and knelt down beside her, rubbing her back along with Natalia and whispering soothing words.

"Unhand me this instant you buffoons." Louis screamed.

The two men merely tightened their hold on the angry man. "Would you like us to hold him and call the police ma'am." Scott asked.

"No, take him to my office and keep him there. Natalia and I will be in as soon as we get Emma settled with Rafe and Ava." She stood and looked Louis directly in the eye, making certain the man understood that she held zero fear of him. "It would be in your best interest to take this time and adjust the way you choose to approach this situation." Without so much as a second glance at her father-in-law, Olivia assisted her wife in getting to her feet, Emma still safely in her arms, and the three headed to the elevator and up to Isabel's room.

Rafe answered the door when Olivia and Natalia knocked and knew instantly that something wasn't right as his little sister all but leapt into his arms, causing him to stumble back a couple of steps. Olivia held up a hand to stop his questioning as she guided her wife into the room with the arm that was wrapped around her waist. Once she got Natalia settled onto the couch, Isabel taking the seat next to them and Ava replacing Olivia as she stood, she directed Rafe to bring Emma into the bedroom.

Rafe held tightly to his sister as he sat on the edge of the bed. He kissed her head and raised his questioning eyes to his mom. "What's going on mom?"

Ignoring her son, Olivia knelt down in front of the two and tried to coax Emma into looking at her. "Jellybean, can you look at mommy please." Keeping her body tucked tightly against her brother, Emma turned her face towards their mother. Olivia reached out and wiped away the tears streaming down red cheeks with the pad of her thumb. "It's all okay now Em. I know it was scary, but he's not going to hurt anyone. He's just an upset guest baby." She tried to smile reassuringly at her youngest. "We deal with complaints all the time. Right?"

Emma nodded. "Yes, but he was really mad, and he yelled at you and at ma, and…and…" She trailed off as her tears started again.

Olivia's heart broke as she watched her baby fall apart in front of her. Knowing there wasn't anything she could do other then try to comfort her the best she could. "I know baby, I know. But it's nothing we haven't dealt with before." She soothed, rubbing up and down her daughters back as the girl clung tightly to her big brother.

After a few moments, her tears slowed and she raised her head once more. "Mommy?"

"Yeah baby."

"Why did mama call that man papa?"

Olivia hadn't realized Emma had caught that. She had hoped they could pretend he was just another pissed off guest until Natalia had a chance to process seeing her father again. As she looked into the angelic face before her, she knew she couldn't lie to her. Emma only ever referred to Natalia as mama instead of ma when she was upset, sick, or extremely frightened. Lying to her would only make matters worse in the long run. As her eyes looked further up, she saw the fire burning in her sons brown orbs and the tight set of his jaw. Nope, lying about who the man was wasn't an option anymore.

Deciding to at least try and prolong that particular subject, she chose to try another route, at least with the littlest Spencer-Rivera. "You know Em, I think we should wait and let your ma talk to you about that in a little bit, but I bet if you call down to the kitchen you can get a Spencer special Sunday brought up and I can call Jane and you can watch some movies with her. Would you like to do that while I take care of few things?"

Emma thought about that for a minute. She was still scared, and she wanted to know who the man was that her ma called papa, but she knew Jane would always protect her and her mom was offering a Sunday before she even had lunch, and not just any Sunday, a Spencer special. That meant twice the ice cream, twice the sauce, and three times the sprinkles, not to mention double cherries. Her eyes brightened a bit and her mouth watered at the mere thought. "Okay mommy. Can I watch The Little Mermaid?"

"I will have Jane bring her copy with her, how about Rafe helps you find something to watch in the meantime while I go call Jane and check on your ma." Olivia offered, pleading with her eyes for Rafe to please agree and hold off on any further questions until Emma was settled.

Rafe seemed to understand and quickly removed Emma from his lap, playfully tossing her on the bed as he reached for the remote. "Yeah munchkin, let's find something cool to watch and let the moms do the boring stuff."

Emma squealed as she bounced on the bed after being thrown. "Yeah!" She smiled, and Olivia was relieved to see the fear leave her daughter to be replaced by joy, for a few minutes anyway. She knew it wouldn't last, but the longer she could distract Emma, the longer she could focus on her wife, who seemed to have slipped into a slight shock on the way up from the lobby.

"Okay baby, go ahead and call down to the kitchen and Jane will be here shortly." She kissed Emma's head, followed by Rafe's with a whispered 'Thank you' before slipping from the room to check on her wife.

Emerging from the bedroom, phone held up to her ear, Olivia made her way to the couch where Natalia was silently leaning against Ava, Isabel looking on with longing, wishing she knew what had happened and how to make her sister feel better. Kneeling to the floor in front on her love, Olivia finished her conversation with Jane and hung up. Tucking the phone back into her pocket, she placed her hands on her wife's knees.

"Natalia, honey. How are you feeling?"

Natalia's eyes fixated on her wife's as she reached to cover one of Olivia's hands with her own. "I don't know." She responded sadly.

Before Olivia could comment further, Rafe came out of the bedroom, closing the door quietly behind him. Blinded by his anger, he didn't notice how distraught his mother was and almost shouted the question that had been plaguing him since Emma brought it up. "Is it true?" He all but spat.

"Is what true?" Ava asked at the same time Natalia sat up and muttered a quiet "Yes."

Pushing herself from the floor, Olivia stood and walked over to her son, Natalia following, her sons anger and obvious worry having shook her from her shook. "Rafe, you need to calm down." Olivia stated sternly.

"Calm down, calm down mom? Really? The man that forced my mother from her home and made her raise me all alone is here and obviously did something to one or both of you; given how upset Emma is. How the hell do you expect me to calm down?" He seethed.

Isabel gasped and jumped from the couch. "Papa is here?" She asked is disbelief.

Olivia held up her hand as Natalia opened her mouth to answer. "Yes, your father is here." She answered the questioned and then narrowed her eyes at her son. "Now, everyone needs to sit the hell down and shut up so Natalia and I can explain what happen. Then I am going to take care of the problem."

Hearing the finality in his moms voice, Rafe grunted and flopped into a chair. Ava stayed where she was on the couch, knowing this had to be difficult for her ma and not wanting to make matters worse. Isabel took the seat beside Ava, leaving the other end of the couch free for Olivia to sit in with Natalia perched on her lap.

Natalia took a deep breath and met her sisters frightened and concerned eyes. "Yes, papa is here. When Olivia, Emma, and I arrived, he was shouting at the front desk. He wanted to know your room number and they refused. He scared Emma because he was shouting in Olivia's face and then made it worse when he yelled at me while Emma was in my arms. Security was called and he is currently waiting in Olivia's office for us."

"He's still here?" Isabel asked, fear lacing her words.

"Yes." Was all Natalia said.

"Don't worry Isabel, nothing is going to happen to you or to Natalia. I promise." Olivia assured her.

"Why Ma? Why is he still here? Why didn't you have Scott call the police if he was acting like that?" Rafe questioned; anger still very present in his tone.

"Because Rafael, no matter what, he is my father. We are giving him the chance to calm down and then we are going to speak to him. We will not be giving him your room number Isabel, it is up to you if you want to talk to him or not, but, I have a few questions for him, things I would like to say, and I would like to make it clear that behavior like he just displayed will not be tolerated a second time in one of my hotels."

Isabel thought for a second, but her decision was easy. She would not let Natalia face their fathers wrath alone, not again. "I want to go with you to talk to him. I knew he was going to be upset after our last conversation, but I really didn't think he would come here. I don't even know how he found out where I was."

"Same as you found us." Olivia supplied. "Between the trial, and Natalia being co-owner of an up-and-coming hotel in the same city as your parents, I'm sure it wasn't too difficult for him to find out where we live. Since you were here to see Natalia, I'm sure it also wasn't hard to guess which hotel you would be staying at."

"I suppose you're right. When are we going to speak with him?"

Natalia stood from Olivia's lap. "Now. I don't want to drag this out any longer then we have to, and, if I know papa, keeping him waiting for too long is only going to make his already unpleasant mood worse." Holding out her hands, she helped Olivia from the couch.

Isabel stood as well. "You're right. Might as well just get this over with."

"I'm going with you." Rafe spoke up, standing and walking towards his mothers.

"Me too." Ava added.

"No." Olivia stated with conviction. "You two are going to go down and make sure Robert doesn't need any help. There were several guests in the lobby when this occurred and I'm sure more heard his shouts as Daniel and Scott escorted him to my office. I don't want this to cost us any future bookings. Go down and help Greg and Robert smooth over any complaints. Your ma and I will call you when we are finished speaking with Mr. Rivera."

"But…" Rafe tried but was stopped by Olivia holding up her hand.

"No Rafe. This is the best thing you can do to help us right now. All of us going in there is only going to irritate him further. We will let you know everything that happens, but right now, I need you and your sister to take care of our hotel and let me and your ma take care of your grandfather."

Rafe could see she wasn't going to change her mind, so he chose to drop it. "Fine, but that man is not my grandfather, and if he hurts ma, I swear…"

"I know bub. I know." Olivia walked over and kissed his cheek. "Don't worry, I won't let anything happen to your ma."

Rafe nodded and he and Ava headed down to see if they were needed at the front desk just as Jane appeared with Emma's Sunday and the Little Mermaid in hand. Olivia gave Jane a brief description of what occurred so she would be able to comfort Emma if needed before she, Natalia, and Isabel headed to her office.

As they reached her office door, they could hear Mr. Rivera still ranting. Demanding to be released and for one or both of his daughters to be brought to him. Olivia straightened her shoulders and plastered on her business face. "Honey, why don't you and Isabel wait in your office, I would like to have a word with your father before either of you go in there."

"No, Olivia…"

"Yes." Olivia cut off her protest. "I will be fine, and I think you two could use a moment to talk before you see him again. I can handle him."

"I know you can, but you shouldn't have to."

"Come on, you know dealing with his kind is like therapy to me." Olivia joked, getting exactly what she wanted from the comment as her wife smiled a small smile at the not so funny joke.

"Okay, I'll let you have your fun, but please remember, he is my father."

"I'll be as gentle as a lamb." Olivia winked, giving her wife a kiss before opening the door to her office as Natalia shook her head and guided Isabel into the door on the opposite side of the hall.

The three men in the room turned their heads as Olivia entered. Scott and Daniel unsurprised to see the terror of the Beacon, bitch on wheels, dragon lady, enter the room instead of the calmer women they had become accustomed to since Natalia came into their bosses life. Scott swallowed thickly before addressing the woman before him.

"Mrs…Mrs. Spencer-Rivera, would you like us to stay." He stuttered, trying to remember that this was not the same woman who, once upon a time, on a bad day, would fire anyone who crossed her path.

"That won't be necessary. Thank you Scott. I believe Mr. Rivera can control himself." She gave the man a predatory glare. "Isn't that right?"

Louis gave only a curt nod as Daniel and Scott released their hold on him and moved toward the door. "Call us if you need anything Mrs. Spencer-Rivera." Daniel said.

"Of course. Thank you both." Once the office door closed behind them, Olivia moved to sit behind her desk and gestured to the seat across from her. "Won't you take a seat?"

Ignoring her, the man remained standing with his arms firmly crossed over his chest. "Where are my daughters?" He growled.

Olivia folded her hands in front of her on her desk. Louis Rivera was far from the first controlling and self-entitled man she had dealt with in her life. Not only did he not intimidate her in the least, the thought of bringing the self-righteous man down a notch or two, thrilled her.

"Hello Mr. Rivera. I don't believe we were properly introduced." She stood and extended a hand to him, already knowing he wouldn't take it. "I'm Olivia Spencer-Rivera, owner of this establishment, and, of course, your daughter-in-law."

Mr. Rivera scowled at her. Stepping to the desk he leaned forward, bringing their faces mere inches apart. "A dique de perra rico (rich bitch dyke) like you is no more a daughter-in-law of mine then Natalia is a daughter. Now, I am taking Isabel home with…."

"No!" Olivia slammed her hand on her desk, making the man jump in surprise at her our burst. "You may think that your children belong to you, that they are mere possessions that you can manipulate to do as you wish or toss out like trash when they no longer suit your needs, but let me assure you, they are not. You, Mr. Rivera, have two options and only two. You can either sit here and have a civilized adult conversation with me, and if, and only if, I deem fit I will call Natalia and Isabel to join us after I've said my piece, or, I can have my security escort you from the premises. Isabel made her choice to stay here and get to know the sister you took away from her and Natalia has lived twenty years without you, I don't see why she would need or want you now. As you said, she is no longer your daughter. So, what will it be Mr. Rivera? You've already lost one daughter, are you prepared to lose a second?"

"Say whatever you need to say and bring me my daughter." He seethed, finally taking the seat across from her.

Olivia sat as well, smirking to herself as she did so. "Okay Mr. Rivera, I'll cut straight to the chase. Isabel has expressed no desire to see you at this time and I will not force her to." As the Latino began to open his mouth, Olivia raised a hand to stop him. "I have the best security team this side of Chicago, so don't think for a second you will get within one hundred feet of her if she doesn't want you to. However, Natalia does wish to speak with you, why is beyond me, from what little I've seen you are no more than a self-imposed man who believes he ranks above not only his children but women in general.

You abandoned her when she needed you most, left her, when she was only a child herself, to fend for herself and the child growing inside her. You gave no regard to her wellbeing or the wellbeing or your grandchild, and now, here you are, twenty years later trying to take the one person from her childhood family that wants to be a part of her life away from her again. As a parent it is your job to protect your children and you failed at that twenty years ago and what you've shown and said today proves you haven't changed in the slightest. However, I will do anything and everything in my power to make my wife happy, and, for some unknown reason, seeing you, having a chance to speak with you, would make her happy at the moment, so, I'm here to make that happen. You give Natalia the chance to say whatever it is she feels she needs to say to you, and I'll convince Isabel to come and speak to you as well."

The man gave a self-righteous smirk and shook his head. "You think you hold the cards here but let me explain something to you. You hold nothing. I am Isabel's father. She has always had a rebellious side, always tested her limits, but, when push came to shove, she has always done as she's told like a good daughter should. Whether Isabel comes with me now, or after I've left and called her, she will come home. Unlike some people, she knows better than to disobey her parents and turn her back on her family."

Olivia stood and leaned on her desk, leering at the man before her. "There's one thing you're forgetting Mr. Rivera, she is no longer a child. You see, when you intimidated your daughter into doing whatever you saw fit for her to do, she was alone, you had taken her sister from her, trained her brother to be just like you, and her mother was too scared of losing another child to say anything against you. Now, well now Isabel isn't alone. She has her sister back, her nephew, her nieces, and she has me. And in case you're wondering, men like you don't scare or intimidate me in the slightest. I've married, chewed up, spit out, and divorced men worse then you more times then I care to admit. So, if you think for even a second that you're going to walk out of here and Isabel's going to come crawling back to you with her tail between her legs, you've got another thing coming."

Louis matched Olivia's stance, bringing their faces close once more. "You are sorely mistaken if you think you will take my daughter from me Ms. Spencer."

"It's Spencer-Rivera." Olivia growled. "And no, I have no intention of taking Isabel from you, she is her own person capable of making her own choices, I am merely giving her another option." She sat back down, satisfied as she saw the realization that she wasn't going to back down and that he would, in fact, have to speak with his eldest daughter if we wanted to see his youngest, cross over the man's eyes.

With a huff, Mr. Rivera sat as well. "Don't think for a moment that I care what you think, or that you have won this battle Ms. Spencer, I have merely grown tired of this conversation and would like to get on the road with Isabel before night fall. If speaking with Natalia will make that happen faster, then, so be it. Send her in."

Olivia grinned to herself, knowing the man was just trying to save face. Without a word, she got up from her chair and moved to the door. Stepping into the hall she took a deep breath hoping to tamp down the rage she felt building inside. Closing her eyes, she took several more breaths before opening them and walking across to her wife's office door.

The second she stepped inside; her arms were filled with a very worried Natalia. "Are you okay? Did he do anything to you? Did he say something?"

Olivia couldn't help but chuckle as she hugged her wife back. "I'm fine sweetheart. Did you forget the heartless bitch I used to be? Literally."

Natalia swatted her arm. "That's not funny, and you were never heartless. Moody and maybe even a little mean, but not heartless."

"Gee thanks, that makes me feel loads better." She joked, tightening the arms around her love, and kissing her chastely.

"So really, how did it go?"

"I'm not going to say he's the most pleasant man I've ever met, but he did agree to speak with you."

"He did?" Natalia asked, completely shocked that he would agree. "How did you manage that?"

"I have my ways. He's not happy about it, but he's willing to speak with you."

Natalia instantly felt nervous as she thought of actually speaking with her father. She bit her bottom lip as she pulled out of the embrace and began to pace. "Okay, good. Umm…"

Olivia caught her by the waist and brought her back into her arms. "You don't have to do this honey."

Natalia shook her head. "Yes, I do. I need to tell him that he didn't ruin me as he thought he would. I need him to know that although yes, I did struggle, I wouldn't trade any of it. He thought I was just going to end up being another teenage welfare mom who didn't make anything of herself. Well, I'm not, and I never was. I never took any government assistance, not ever. I have been to a few shelters in my time, but I never took a single hand out. I volunteered at every shelter Rafe and I ever had to eat at. I always earned my and Rafe's keep. And now," Her facial features softened as she looked into the green depths of the woman that owned her heart.

"Now I have the most amazing wife, two beautiful daughters as well as my son, and because of you, I have two thriving hotels and a third that will be just as successful. I want him to know that I am happier than I've ever been, and that no matter how hard the road was to get here, I am so grateful that I'm here. He did not break me. If fact, if not for what he did, I probably wouldn't be here, and I wouldn't have you and our daughters, and I wouldn't trade my three favorite girls for anything in the world."

Olivia had tears in her eyes at the earnestness of her wife's statement. "I love you Natalia Spencer-Rivera. You are so amazing. I am so lucky to have you in my life."

Natalia kissed her again. "I'm the lucky one." She murmured as they separated. "And now, I need to go talk to my father."

Isabel stepped closer to them. "Let's go get this over with. Shall we?"

"Um…" Olivia started.

Natalia knew that 'um'. "What did you do?"

"I may have used Isabel as a bargaining chip."

Natalia pulled away from her wife's arms. "What do you mean you used my sister as a bargaining chip?"

"It's not as bad as it sounds."

"Olivia."

"Okay, okay. I may have told him that Isabel would speak to him, if, he talked to you first. And, if Isabel doesn't want to, then she doesn't have to."

"Really Liv?"

"Hey, you wanted a chance to speak your piece with him, I made that happen, what more do you want from me woman." She said in jest, pulling her wife back to her by her waist.

Natalia merely shook her head and went willingly into her lovers arms, grateful for the respite from the overwhelming emotions seeing her father evoked in her. Pressing their bodies firmly together, she sealed their lips together in a kiss meant to calm her own nerves as well as reward her wife for being so, well, Olivia.