The Twelve Zenati Pt. 34

They left Benita still sceptical of everything they had said, but she was resigned to her fate and promised to do as the Gambaro's asked. From there, they had gone to a doctor's clinic, and Marcella had been scanned from head to toe. Although the doctors had tried to be as unintrusive as possible, she had been uncomfortable with the thought that Konrad would have done something to her that she couldn't remember. Memories of her uncle's threats and violations threatened to overwhelm her, and her eyes misted more than once as she held the tears and her warrior, who wanted to lash out at anyone who touched her at the point, at bay.

They found five tiny trackers or what appeared to be trackers of some description hidden in her body. She had received bruises she couldn't account for during her night on the boat, or at least that is what she thought when she had woken in Konrad's home the next day. He had been such a gentleman to her and overly pontificating that he would never violate her personal space without her consent or hurt her. Imprison her perhaps, but not hurt her. She'd been wrong, she realised. His willingness to give her the freedom to leave both in Brisbane and Adelaide made more sense to her now.

The discovery of so many trackers or bugs or whatever they were had floored Marcella. She admitted, if only to herself, that she had always been wrong when she had believed someone cared for her. Not that she thought Konrad cared that much, but she hadn't thought he would hurt her, and he had, just not in a way that showed on the surface. She retreated within, but didn't give up control to the other voices that pushed forward in her weakness. Instead, she became zombie-like, moving and following instructions without any interaction beyond that. She didn't speak or show any emotion. Instead, she was an empty shell. Even when they told her she could change back into her clothes instead of the hospital gown, she didn't react or speak except to do as she was told.

Noah had been with her the whole time, and despite his best efforts, he couldn't stop the fading light in her eyes from taking her over. Her eyes were dull now, and she seemed to look through everyone around her as if her mind had just checked out and she was barely going through the motions. He had been prepared to hold her if Chella appeared upset by the findings or fight with the warrior version of her if she rose to the challenge but this zombie persona? He had no idea how to help her, and he worried if anyone could.

*****

Marcella remained quiet and nonreactive to the people around her despite their best efforts as they returned to Darwin. Except they didn't land in the city as she had been expecting but rather on the large property she had visited before. Nobody else seemed concerned by this turn of events, so she followed them as they left the jet and took in the surroundings. She could see the small hill not too far away with the zip line mount, and she knew on the other end of that would be the treehouse.

"Home run," Marcella whispered to herself but realised she'd been overheard when Noah gave a small chuckle making the other members of their party turn to look at them as they stepped into one of the golf carts parked near the runway.

"Best game, ever," Noah whispered back with a broad smile and slid behind the wheel. "Marcie, you are safe here. Safe with me. Safe with my family," he turned to look at her and took her hand as she sat beside him. "That home run happened because I know you. I know you need to be challenged as well as trusted to keep up with me. I am still here trying to prove that if you tell me what you need for you to trust me to have your back." He said earnestly. "Please, don't withdraw and hide again. We have only just got you back, Marcie," he said, but she made no reaction at all to his words. He could only hope she was taking in everything he said because they needed to do one more thing before retreating to their cabin, where they could talk, and she could rage at him if she needed to. "I am sorry, but we have to face one more hurdle before we can go to our cabin and shut the rest of the world out for a while. I promised Zanto we would see him as soon as we arrived," he said. "I need to keep my word to him, Marcie. Will you come into the clinic with me?"

"Okay," she nodded, not entirely sure what she could say to a man who had almost died because of her and her fucked-up family, but she would at least face him if he had asked to see her and apologise.

"Thank you," he said with a soft smile and pushed the ignition button. He steered their cart toward the clinic glancing at her stony face, often trying to work out what she was thinking or feeling.

Marcella closed her eyes as the voices in her head began fighting amongst themselves again. Everybody had an inner voice they battled with every day. It was one of the mantra's she'd used over the years to maintain control of her world. The key was not to let the fear and anger take over. She had nothing to fear or be angry about here. If anything, Zanto had reason to be mad at her. Guilt sat heavy in her gut, but it wasn't accompanied by fear, and she blew out a breath pushing the voices from her mind.

"He wanted to come to Adelaide to get you, but Helena wouldn't let him fly yet. But, trust me, he is going to be happy to see you," Noah encouraged as if guessing the reason for her large breath.

They pulled up outside a small building with the front wall made of glass illuminating the clean open space within. It looked more like a boutique hotel than a clinic to Marcella, who felt a small amount of relief about not having to walk into another overly sterilised hospital. She didn't fight Noah's touch as he placed a hand on the small of her back as they walked in.

"Thank God you're here," Zanto said as they walked into the clinic. "I swear you give my sisters a simple task, and it becomes bigger than the raising of the Titanic. Let's go before they come back. You have a cart, right?"

"Whoa, whoa, whoa!" Noah held up his hands as if gentling a horse. "Where's Helena?"

"I knew you would ask that!" Zanto grinned and handed over a note. "She left that to explain she is off being a ditz with the rest of my silly cousins and sisters and that I am allowed to go to the beach house as long as you and Marcella escort me. Well, you can play chauffer, and Marcella can escort me." He grinned at her and took her arm, bending it to thread his arm through hers. "I can't walk far yet, but I can hobble my way to the cart with your help."

"Are you sure?" Marcella looked up at the tall man who dwarfed her and blinked.

"Pfft, I know you won't let me fall. It's not in your nature to abandon anyone you care about," he chuckled. "Not even my controlling, emotionally retentive cousin, who is about to drive slowly and carefully, so I get some time with his girl in the back of the cart," Zanto said as he grinned and winked at Marcella.

"He's not so bad once you understand why he is so overbearing and glaringly idiotic at times," Marcella shrugged. "You must know that if you bothered saving his life," she said, the half-smile she had allowed herself draining from her expression. "I'm so sorry this happened to you, Zanto," she said quietly.

"Why are you sorry? It's Noah's fault I got shot. Which is why I have no problem making moves on his girl while he chauffeurs me around," Zanto chuckled as Noah gave him a steely glare and helped him into the cart.

"I'm not sure you can blame him," Marcella frowned. "Not when he got shot, too, after all."

"Sure, I can because by the time he got his head out of his ass, and we made it to the markets to rescue you, you had already left your decoy there. Imelda found him there and told him he had to leave fast or the results would be disastrous. Instead of listening, though, he sat there and sulked because you left him behind instead of letting him protect you, even though we both know you can look after yourself, right?" Zanto said. "I mean, you look fine to me, so he shouldn't have worried, right?"

"I was fine on my own," she said half-heartedly, knowing that she wasn't. All the while, her warrior roared her independence in her brain.

"So that wasn't you who was almost killed on a yacht, kidnapped and implanted with half a dozen trackers before being abandoned in Adelaide as bait for the Tables to sew more discord?" Zanto put her time away from Noah into a brief list of events thanks to his brothers keeping him in the loop. "Even in Darwin when your ex came to visit, he only managed to hurt you because you took off on your own. Do you see the pattern here?" Zanto asked, eyeing her carefully as she gaped at him.

"What the fuck?" Marcella finally blurted. "I did what I had to do for my sister!" she seethed at Zanto.

"Ah, there she is," he narrowed his eyes. "Ms, I don't need no stinking help! It's good to see you again. That took a bit to get you here. You can apologise to Marcie for me once we are done."

"Did you fall and hit your head when you were shot? Do you have a brain injury or something?" She snarked at him. "I'm the same girl you met before being shot. Nothing has changed."

"That's where you're wrong. I have like an inbuilt meter for danger or trouble. What I think is for the first time in your life, you realised you were dealing with a true villain instead of some dumbasses that you could outthink and outmanoeuvre, and you were out of your depth on your own. Even if you can't admit it even to yourself, I think it scared you to have no real options without reaching out to family and friends for help," Zanto lectured. "I think that's why you haven't been yourself since Massimo found you and took you home with him."

"Enough!" Noah barked from the front, braking heavily and spinning to look at Zanto.

"See, he will even protect you from me and the harsh truth that you have hurt the people who would love you best if you would just let them," Zanto said sadly.

Marcella stared at him incredulously but had no words to counter his as the enormity of it sank in and squeezed her heart.

"Why the hell did you stop all the way down there?" Helena called from the Beach house veranda. "Drive up a bit further, so I can see you both before I take my patient back to the clinic."

"Then why did we bring him here if you're just taking him straight back?" Noah frowned. "He said he was going to the beach house."

"I was going to the beach house with you. We moved your stuff from the cabin to here when a large contingent led by Claudio and Orlando went back to the city to track the Game Master and left the place free for the remainder of the gathering. It's further away from the central hub and will give you the privacy you need to work things out, with raised voices, if necessary," Zanto grinned.

"The cabin was fine, but if our stuff is here, it's fine," Noah grumbled. "Don't be an arsehole next time we see you." He growled at Zanto, then took Marcella's hand and drew her from the cart before walking away from his cousins with a murmured, "Thanks, Helena."

*****

Marcella sat on the veranda, staring blankly at the ocean. Noah, the man she never wanted to want but couldn't seem to help herself, had brought her to this safe and idyllic place. Finally, she had an unfettered moment of silence to sit and think about that fact. Things never seem to work out the way she expected. Any other man would have given up on her by now, and she wouldn't have blamed them, especially after being shot. She wondered if Zanto was right about her need to be independent and in control, until she came face-to-face with the fact that she couldn't do anything on her own when Konrad had cut her lose with no money, no phone, and no way to help herself let alone her sister.

Sometimes she wished she could stop pushing everyone away, but things always seem to spin out of control lately. She thought back to the fateful night when Noah had refused her invitation. He hadn't been mean about it. In fact, he had seemed regretful, but it had wounded her pride; and her ego was such a fragile thing that she couldn't forgive him. The truth was she wanted him, and she could admit to herself she'd always wanted him, even when she was pushing him away. He made her feel cared for and protected even when he was an arrogant bastard.

She got up and went into the house and started looking at the clothes brought here for her from the apartment where she'd stayed in Darwin. Noah appeared at the door to the bedroom, saying nothing. Instead, he leaned on the frame and just watched her.

"Did you have all of my belongings brought here?" she asked in an accusatory tone.

"Why are you missing something you want to take when you run again?" he teased.

"What are you talking about?" she snapped, then looked at him like he had lost his mind because clearly, he had. "I don't have a plan. Hello, I said I would stay. Where have you been? As Zanto said, I am clearly out of my depth here," she said, a little of her fire returning as she defended herself.

"So, you'll want to unpack then," he held up the bag Vivienne had given her in Adelaide and walked toward her.

"Do you know how long we will be here? Will we be going back to Darwin when the gathering is over?" she asked.

"Does it matter if we have no plans?" he asked innocently and walked into the adjoining bathroom to deposit her toiletries bag.

"What are you doing? Just tell me what's going on instead of acting like an arsehole now we are on your home ground!" She complained. Marcella stood up and followed him, reaching out and grabbing him by the shirt. He turned with a smile and embraced her, pulling her tight against him once his hands were free.

"I don't know!" he argued back. "I have no idea what I am doing when it comes to you. Zanto was harsh, so I'm waiting for you to run again because that's what you've done anytime anyone challenges you on what you've done! Only I'm hoping that this time you won't run, so I am doing the things I would normally do while waiting for the inevitable explosion, while hoping you will believe in me and trust me to keep you safe even from my own family."

"I said I would stay, I don't know how else to say it so that you will believe me and trust me," She was almost shaking and thinking about how that sounded just like what he kept saying and not paying attention to what Noah was doing when his mouth connected with hers. Her hands grabbed his shirt again and pulled him closer as his hands rested on her hips, pulling her until she was flat against his body. His hand moved up from her waist and slid under her shirt. He broke the kiss and stared down at her.

"I guess we need to learn to trust and believe in each other properly this time," he said softly with his hand still under her shirt, savouring the feel of her soft, warm skin.

"You're right," she admitted and grabbed his face to pull him down to kiss her again. Her tongue slid over his lips, she felt his hand move up to cup her breast as his lips parted, and she moved in closer to him. He opened his mouth and slid his tongue against hers. His other hand moved up to cup her other breast rubbing her nipple through her bra. She moaned and pulled away, biting his lip as she went.

"Marcie," he groaned as she licked her way down his neck, unbuttoning his shirt as she continued. Then, finally, he picked her up and moved back toward the bed while she combed her fingers through the hair on his chest and nibbling his collarbone. "Wait, Kitten," he muttered, uncertain about her taking the lead this eagerly. He liked control in this above all things, and he needed to wrap his head around the fact that she wasn't freaking out about being here on his family's property or what Zanto had said to her.

"What should I wait for? All this talk of love and when I take the lead you turn me down, again?" she asked him. Then she mutinously wriggled from his arms and moved away from him, kicking off her shoes and starting to undress. If nothing else eventuated with this infuriating man, she would at least need a shower to cool down. "What, you can't handle it when I am the one to initiate sex?"

"I've been trying to do what's best for you, but you just won't let me will you?" he stalked toward her. "Not everything has to be a fight, Marcella. We can do this without the battle!"

"You didn't want me. You walked away from me the last time I initiated anything. I wanted a hot steaming night with no strings, and you were the one who walked away or, should I say, ran away. Not me, you, so don't put the blame for our antagonism all on my shoulders! Asshole!" Marcella accused. "You set up our dynamic right from the beginning."

"Fuck, I thought we were past this! I'm sorry. I didn't know you were mine then. I was trying to avoid hurting you when fate stepped in. I wanted you, and walking away was one of the hardest things I have ever done. Even then, it was impossible to fight my draw to you and particularly when you got hurt," he closed his eyes as if reliving that painful moment. "When that arsehole came and pushed you onto the road, the bottom fell out of my world. I knew then. I knew it was you, Marcie, just you, not Marcella or Chella or anyone else you have locked in that infuriatingly beautiful and clever mind of yours, just you. I love you and want no one else but you," he admitted saying more than he had planned to because she pushed all of his buttons so damn well that he lost his mind.

"So now you think I'm crazy? Like I am playing games? Well, I'm tired of playing games with you. Either you want me as I am, crazy or manic or whatever, or you don't, but damn it, this is who I am, take it or leave it," And with that, she slipped off her skirt and underwear. She stood in front of him completely naked, her hair flying around her face and looking like she was ready to attack him physically.

"Damn it, woman! How can you not know that you're the only woman I can't walk away from?" he shouted at her. He made some indiscernible noise in his throat and grabbed her kissing her hard. She was naked, and her body was softened against his. He slipped out of his shirt, and she pushed him back towards the bed. He hit the edge and sat down. She knelt in front of him and pulled off his boots and socks.

"Pants off now." She demanded in a throaty voice.

Noah stood and dropped his pants to the floor, giving her this, he would have his time, but he realised she needed this, here tonight. His sexy kitten was letting her walls down a little for him. He watched as she reached down and began to stroke his cock, a small smile of triumph curving her lips.

"Keep doing that, and I'll never be able to make it through to the fun parts," he teased.

"You don't have to make it sound like my touch is some sort of punishment." She snapped back at him.

"I didn't mean it like that. You always do that to me. You push every single button I have," He told her as he picked her up off the ground and dumped her onto her bed. He sat down next to her on the bed and stared into her eyes as he turned to hover over her. "What do you want, Marcie? This isn't about me anymore. I have been very clear about my intentions since I found you in the casino. So what is it you want, Marcie?"

"What?" She froze and looked at him quizzically.

"You said you were tired of playing games with me, so what is it you want from me?" Noah asked quietly. "I don't want to fight or play games either. But, no matter what you want, I will continue to keep you and your sisters safe until the Gamemaster is dealt with, so don't base your decision on that."

"I know, I've done some pretty stupid shit over the last few months," she admitted out loud to herself as well as Noah for the first time. "I was trying to keep everyone around me safe, including you, believe it or not," she sighed and draped her hand over her eyes so she didn't have to return his gaze, which had grown softer with her words.