Wait, how old could the girl be? Careful not to draw her attention, he gave her a quick once over. Early teens. Could he be her dad? He dismissed the panic bell somewhere in the recess of his mind. There was not a trace of resemblance to him in the girl. Then again, some people have said they did not see themselves in their children yet their sons and daughters were spitting image of their parents. No, if he fathered Ella, Irena would have told him, she wouldn’t keep that from him. Except…no, he must stop this insanity.
Ella laced her fingers with his and he couldn’t help but stare at their joined hands.
“Have you seen much of the city yet?” Ante asked. “No.” Ella pressed her lips to a thin line. “We arrived two days ago. Mom won’t let me out on my
own and all we ever do is train in this room.”
“Train for what?” Dario used the moment to disengage his fingers from Ella’s.
She slid her hand to his knee. “I must be prepared for any unexpected visitors. How are your legs? Hope I didn’t break anything.” Thankfully, she sprang on her feet moving her hand from his leg. “Jeez, I totally forgot about the ice pack I was gonna get for you. Where’s my head?”
“I’ll be fine.” Okay, the girl had some teenage crush on him. Whatever had her mother put in the girl’s head? Ella saw him as a real knight in shining armor on a white horse. He must ensure she understood he liked, no, loved her mom. And he’d love her like a daughter he never had, but this fondling and strange attention had to stop.
“Ella,” he said getting on his feet. His knees protested, mostly due to long sitting, so he shook his legs lose. “I’d like a word with your mom. Irena, is there a place we can talk?”
“There’s a small balcony off the side.” Irena turned to Ella and tilted her head in warning typical for moms. “Remember what I told you. No prodding.”
“No worries.” Ante winked at Ella, making her blush a new. “So, your mom told you stories about us, eh? Bet she conveniently forgot a few where she embarrassed herself.”
Ella’s adorable giggle lit up the room, and Dario couldn’t help but laugh along. She parked her bottom next to Ante. “Do tell and don’t leave out anything.”
Dario cringed and turned to Irena. He almost smiled at the future retribution in the glare she sent his brother. Okay, this was a bad idea leaving Ante alone with her daughter. Who knew what stories he’d spout?
However, Irena followed Dario out to the balcony and closed the glass door. He skirted around a hot pink yoga mat rolled out on the narrow patch of cement.
“Now you know why I had to run from your place. I left her alone for too long.” She crossed her arm over her ample chest. “Don’t worry about Ella’s attention. She adores you, that’s all.”
“Why didn’t you tell me you had a child?” He didn’t intend for his tone to come out as scalding, so he tucked loose strands of her hair behind her ear and softened his expression. “Yes, I find her attention rather intimidating. Kids scream their lungs out over some teenage pop star.”
“Ella’s not your typical teenager. When she was little, she wouldn’t go to sleep before I told her at least one story of our youth. Today’s kids don’t have what we had. Freedom from all this technology, that kind of life it’s foreign to them.” She drew in a long breath and blew it out. “So much has happened I’m afraid I don’t know where to start.”
He took hold of her trembling shoulders. Perhaps he’d over analyzed Ella’s reaction. Poor girl must be craving a fatherly figure in her life and assumed he’d fill in the position. And he gladly would if Irena would let him. “From the beginning, or in our case a new beginning.”
She only chewed her lips and turned her head away from him.
Her silence unnerved him. “Come on, Irena. You know you can always count on me. Babe, you’re shaking. Are you cold? Stupid of me, you’re wearing a tank top and yoga pants and I didn’t think before we stepped out into the cold air.”
She wrapped her bare arms around his chest and he pulled her to him. A part of his body reacted to her closeness. Dammit, now was neither time nor the place, but she always had such effect on him. He took off his jacket and draped the bomber over her shoulders.
“It was a mistake to return to my home town. It doesn’t take an idiot to figure out I’d run back to you. I never should’ve sought you out, but I just couldn’t help it. And I didn’t know where else to go. We’ve been on the run for so long.”
“No love.” He kissed her forehead. “That’s crazy talk. Whatever kind of trouble you’re in, I’ll help you.”
She tilted her head up, worry lines marring her beautiful face. “I was afraid you’d get involved, but it’s dangerous. You risk losing everything you worked hard for and perhaps your life and the lives of your loved ones.”
“That is why you need to tell me everything. I need to know what I’m up against. I figured you’re on the run from Fred and…” He didn’t know whether to tell her, but judging by the receptionist’s reaction, she already knew. “We bumped into him in the lobby. You’re lucky that young guy was working the front desk. What would happen if there was someone who would’ve accepted two hundred bucks Fred offered in exchange for the info? Fred already paid a visit to your mother. You’re not safe here or any hotel. Please, consider moving in with me.”
“You went to my mom’s? Oh, my God, after all she put you through?” Irena pulled away from him and gripped his jacket tighter. She turned and faced the cast iron railing, her shoulders rigid. “God, this is so hard. I knew I shouldn’t have involved you in my mess.”
“Your mess is my mess now.” He placed his hand on her shoulder. “Please, there’s plenty of room for you and Ella and you can train in the rec room in my building.”
She tilted her head, placing her cheek on his hand. “Fred is very cunning, all he has to do is ask around this town. Someone will tell him where you live.”
Thankfully, no one could enter his condo building without punching the code into the security system or if someone buzzed them in. And that was the flaw, for gullible tenants often pressed that buzzer and let door- to-door salesmen inside.
Dario cupped her chin in his fingers. “What does he want from you?”
She closed her eyes and pulled her lips, stifling a sob. “It’s a long story. Come. Let me ask Ella if she’d want us to stay with you, although, I already know the answer.” Halting by the balcony door, she turned to him. “Did my mother have a word for me?”
“Of course she did. Fred has agreed to pay for her knee replacement surgery. If you return to him. If you don’t, he will stop the payments to your father’s nursing home.” Dario propped his hands on his hips. Should he tell her the rest? Better not, it would only upset her more. Over the years Irena had plenty of reasons to go insane, but her mind seemed rock solid as always. No, Fred spread lies about her being mentally unstable. Irena was a pure diamond that couldn’t be cracked under pressure.
“So my mom confused me for an obedient, gullible daughter? They don’t need Fred’s money.” Irena pushed the door open and stepped inside the hotel room.
Ella’s back slid down the chair. She held her stomach and shook with laughter. She sat upright and wiped her eyes, ending her merriment with a long sigh. “Is it true, Mom? Did you slip at the classroom door and skid to your desk on your butt? Oh, if that was me I’d change schools.”
Irena glared at Ante. “I knew we shouldn’t leave you in charge.”
“And you treated us with some epic falls nine more times that day as I recall.” Ante pointed at her. “No one’s beat your record. Yet.”
Ella threw her back against the chair as she erupted in a new set of giggles. Irena’s shoulders shook and she joined in with her daughter. “It’s all funny now and it’s great to laugh with you again.”
Irena’s merriment loosened a knot in Dario’s chest. This short moment took him back to their careless teen days of endless summers and innocence. She reached for her purse and pulled out her wallet. “I’ll call the front desk and ask them to have my invoice ready.” She handed a stack of bills to Dario. “Will you pay while I talk with Ella?”
He pushed her hand away. “Keep your money. I’ll take care of your stay here. Just pack up and come down.”
Ella sprang to her feet, glee on her face. “Where are we going, Mom?”
Irena darted her gaze at him and he shook his head. If she told her daughter they’d be staying with him, the girl would never stop hugging him. The day was wasting away and they had many things to accomplish.
“I’ll tell you in a minute. Go pack.” Irena walked him to the door. “We’ll be down in a few.”
“All right.” Dario kissed her lips and nudged Ante to follow him to the hotel’s lobby.
Once outside Irena’s room, Dario turned to his brother. “Ella’s behavior strikes me as odd. I don’t know what is going on here. Have you seen how she looks at me?”
“I see that kind of look every time my little girl looks at me.” Ante’s lips stretched into a mocking smile.
Dario dismissed his brother’s comment with a wave of his hand. “No wonder, genius, your child is looking at her daddy.”
“And Ella is looking at hers.”