Ricardo grabs Gabby's hand as they make their way out of the room they stayed at, Gabby smiles widely as she clutches his arm and walks along.
"Will you be staying the night again?" she questions as they walk on their pace.
"Not here" his reply makes her sigh.
"When are you going back?"
"I was supposed to catch the first flight"
"Oh? Why?" she frowns when he does not elaborate his reasons.
"Some complications have occurred back home"
"Complications? Is everything alright in your family?"
"It's actually Melissa"
"What about her?" Gabby asks as she stops walking and tries to unfold her arm around from Ricardo who holds it in place and pushes her to keep walking.
"We had her in our grasp, but someone rescued her from our hands, Richard was supposed to make her talk but"
"Have you found the culprit?" she asks with a frown.
"The only thing we know is the culprit was a girl who was strong enough to beat my men and that's it"
"Oh" she clears her throat before.
"So, I need to go back home soon" he states, and she nods her head.
"I understand, don't worry wherever she is I am sure she is in good hands" Gabby smiles which makes Ricardo frown.
"When did you start to care about her welfare?" he questions, and she just shrugs her shoulders.
*******
"I need coffee" Gracie groans as she wraps the blanket around her and sits on the couch.
"Take her away" she closes her eyes as Tracie tries to grab her mother.
"Don't say that" Tristan chuckles as he holds his daughter which keeps on trying to touch her mother.
"She is the reason why I feel like zombie; can she not sleep at time for once?" Gracie pouts as she falls on the couch and sleeps in a fetal position.
"She is too young to know her time table, you rest I will go get your coffee and feed her"
"I love you baby girl, but this is not the right time for us" Gracie sighs as she pulls the cover above her head.
"I could have taken her with me if she was not sleeping" Nicholson's voice makes Gracie get up at once before wincing as she feels dizzy.
"You, you stay right away from my daughter"
"What?" Nicholson chuckles while everyone in the room stare at the brother-sister duo.
"You are the reason she does not fall asleep at night, you keep playing with her instead of letting her go to sleep...
And now her routine has been ruined along with ours"
"She sleeps fine" he mumbles.
"I don't care, stay away from Tracie" Gracie warns before she lies back down.
"Give her to me" Nicholson smiles as Tracie calls for him.
"Sign on the divorce papers first Tristan if you let him touch our daughter" Gracie grumbles from inside of the blanket.
"Don't be dramatic, let her stay with him for few days maybe you will get your sleep then" Tristan chuckles passing Tracie to her uncle.
"Coffee" she groans and Tristan sighs as he kisses on his daughter's hand and walks away.
*******
"Do we really have to go home today?" Angelo groans as he follows his mother to the dining room.
"You have missed your school for many days"
"No one will die if we miss few more"
"Your father wanted to fly you all back home last night after wedding, so you do not miss your school, you better feel happy you did not" she warns, and Angelo stomps his foot before he hugs his mother.
"Mom, please let's stay here one more day" he begs but Amelia shakes her head no.
"How about you stay here forever, we do seem to be short of staff in here. I saw lost of cleaning is to be done in rooms" Gabriel's voice makes the boy groan and step away from his mother.
"I just remembered we have test next week, better start catching it up" he sighs.
"That's why I got all of your tickets ready, you all have half and hour to get ready as we are leaving" he announces.
"Oh, come on" his children groan as they rush to eat their breakfast and get ready.
*******
"Good morning" Damon greets everyone as he pulls a chair for his wife before his eyes lands on Tracie who was eating food with both her hands before slamming her hands on the table.
"Someone loves their food" he comments taking his seat.
"No playing with food" Tristan warns his daughter as he tries to take the plate, but she screams and hits on his hand covering her food before smiling his way.
"You spoil her way too much" Tristan sighs shaking his head at Nicholson who just pretends to read the paper.
"Is she okay?" Nicholas asks as he walks in the room to find his daughter sleeping on the couch in a fetal position.
"Ignore me please" Gracie groans.
"You need to eat and then you can sleep" Nicholas chides his daughter as he makes his way to where she was.
"Tell Cole to stop spoiling my child, he can do that when he has his own" she groans as she hugs her father and lays her head on his shoulder.
"He will one day have to pay for it if he spoils her too much" he chuckles, and Nicholson turns around on his chair.
"All I do is watch her, how am I spoiling her by doing so?" he asks raising his brow.
"Because you just do that, watch her break things, scream, squeal and just play and do not stop it" Gracie voices.
"There is no harm in letting her do that"
"Oh, trust me, there is when she grows up and shows her cute little smiles to you and ask you to let her go on a date" Damien speaks walking in the room.
"And I know it will break your heart when you have to say no to her"
"Then I will tag along" Nicholson shrugs his shoulder.
"Poor Cole do not have someone to go on date, so he will tag along with his niece" Gabby's comment makes him rolls his eyes.
"Yeah, yeah go on joke on about it now that you have someone" he scoffs.
"Would you like to tag along with us on our date?" Gabby teases as she rushes to Nicholson's side.
"No thank you" he refuses.
"It's okay, we will not bore you" she grins making him push her away from him as she bends to stare at his face.
"Trust me I have gone out with Ricardo more than you, so I am not interested" he smirks as Gabby narrows her eyes at him.
"I knew you are in love with my man" she screams and both Nicholson and Ricardo groans.
*******
"No one threatens and give my Rare dirty eyes okay?" Gabby warns as she walks towards Ricardo and grabs his hand.
"You have seen us together so just play along" she states before they take their seat.
"We have also seen you two apart, what about it?" Gabriel asks as he steps towards the table and Gabby wraps her arms around Ricardo's head hiding him head on her chest.
"I just got my happiness back, don't you dare scare him away" she warns her father who sighs shaking his head.
"Fine, but one day I will catch him alone without you nowhere in sight and you will not have a single clue about that day, as if it never happened" Gabriel warns as he takes a seat and Gabby narrows her eyes as she looks around the room once before slowly letting go of Ricardo, who clears his throat not looking at anyone else after what occurred.
*******
"Get all of your asses in the car, now" Gabriel shouts at his sons who runs out of the house in a rush.
Gabby ignores all the shouting and screaming before focusing on Ricardo who was about to say his goodbye.
"I will call you as soon as I land" he states and she sighs.
"I will be staying here for few days but can we meet once I am home?" she asks and he smiles caressing her cheek.
"Let me know when you are planning to leave, I will make arrangements to book you a flight ticket back to me...
I will be receive you from the airport" he promises and she smiles hugging him.
"I Love you" she sighs and he holds her tightly.
"Always" he whispers kissing on the top of his head before he gets in his car.
"Enjoy missing me" she waves him goodbye and Ricardo throws a flying kiss her way before the car starts to move.
"Gabby" Throne voice makes her turn around to face him and the man walks towards her.
"What?" Gabby asks as he just stands but does not say a word.
"I know my apology does not make sense or shit now after what I did but if it's any worth I really am sorry for how I behaved and hurt you...
Also, would you help Lily for the wedding preparation?" he requests and her eyes widens.
"Dad said yes?" she asks in excitement.
"I now see his point" he shrugs his shoulder and Gabby squeals as she jumps in his arms.
"Of course you idiot" she laughs thrilled about the upcoming wedding for her sister.
*******
Ricardo texts his brother informing his brother about he was on his way home before he takes a deep breath and puts his head on the head rest and closes his eyes to rest a bit.
The car stops for a moment and Ricardo's eyes snaps open as the both side of his car door opens at once and two men sits at the either side of him.
"I told you did I not, my daughter will not always be at your side" Gabriel voices and Ricardo sighs before he eyes at Damien who puts his gun out and on his lap before he eyes at the front of the car where Nicholas waves his hand from the driver seat.
"Your precious is not just your precious but my precious daughter as well. I knew, I fucking knew the moment you walked in my house getting my daughter all excited for you, so much that she kept glancing at the door instead of cake...
I knew that moment that whoever she is wasting eating cake on is nothing but trouble. And then you go gift her a car...
A fucking car to my daughter, how dare you. I have kept all of this pent up frustration on the fact how you pushed me aside from my own daughter's life and became someone who fulfilled her demands that I should have, that I had the right for...
You took my right to buy her a new car, to teach her how to drive and I will never forget it" Gabriel groans as he glares at Ricardo who stays quiet.
"You think you can just walk into our daughters life and became the hero we never been?" Damien asks as he wraps his arms around Ricardo's shoulder.
"You think someone like you who was born yesterday, who is knowing his way to the world we have been ruling can just walk in and becomes the know it all" Nicholas adds his two cent.
"She is my first child, do you have any idea how much she means to me? She made me win against Nicholas for the first time in my life I won something except my wife's heart...
She is the symbol of my togetherness with my wife, the foundation..."
"Gabe, I think we all get it" Damien stops his brother who sighs before he narrows his eyes Ricardo.
"Your friendship has always bothered me" he grumbles.
"Because she is the symbol of togetherness with your wife I would like to be part of your family" Ricardo dares speak.
*******
"Damn he is good" Damien whistles at the statement of Ricardo.
"You made her cry"
"And I will forever punish myself for that sin"
"And now she says you are her source of happiness" Gabriel sighs as if he was talking to himself before he glances back at Ricardo.
"I cannot punch you in the face that my daughter tried to protect but be warned, with this relation I have not only agreed to let her go but I am giving away my pride to you so you better not break it" Gabriel warns and Ricardo nods his head in understanding.
"What? That's it? I brought my gun, the least we can do is shoot his tire, handcuff him and leave him in middle of nowhere" Damien groans.
"So, when someone in the family hears about it we will look like a villain in their life? No way am I going to take an anger from Grace for that" Nicholas states.
"Kathleen will have my ass whopped, dang it looked so great in my head. But guess it's your lucky day Russo, the next time I hear you hurt Gabby, I will practice on your balls with my bullets" Damien warns as the car slows down and he gets out.
"Don't drag my family in your games, else you will not have anyone left to drive you back and forth or maybe you will not be able to even drive" Nicholas smiles as he too walks out of the car leaving Gabriel and Ricardo alone.
"Be glad your father asked my daughter's hand for you first before I found you took her to your bed, else this conversation would have gone differently" Gabriel pats on Ricardo's shoulder as he walks out with the doors wide open and Ricardo stares out of find he was on the airport.
"Dad, the flight is leaving" one of Gabriel's son shouts making Ricardo take the breath he has been holding as he slowly relaxes and slides down on the seat.