Page 31 of Capone
I nodded my head, not bothering to ask more questions. I was going to let this go for now, but I wanted to be involved with Asha’s trial just as much as I was with Gabi’s case. For now, I truly only wanted to focus on my daughter. I would forever be grateful that she walked away from this unharmed. Not so many kids were as lucky.
I would never forgive Derek for bringing that lunatic into our lives. It was sad I would never get any closure from this because he wasn’t here to answer any questions. All I wanted to know was why.
I’d never get those answers, and it was okay. I could finally move on. Just me and Gabi.
And maybe Capone.
Chapter Thirteen
GIOVANNA
It had been a few days since I got Gabi back. I took the time to just love and embrace having her with me again. We'd been to the pool, spa, park, and the beach. She’d been having the time of her life. In her eyes, she has gone on two impromptu vacations.
From what all Gabi was able to explain, Asha took great care of her. I was pissed she went as far as kidnapping Gabi but also grateful that she didn’t mistreat her. Gabi didn’t even realize that she was kidnapped, so I had to take whatever good I could from this situation.
Derek’s family had been calling since the day after I got Gabi back. I hadn’t answered any of their calls. I wasn't ready to talk to them. The anger I harbored toward that family would only lead to arguments, so I would deal with it later. Right now, it was all about my baby girl.
I spoke to Cara and Sara to thank them. Without them, Tech, and Capone, I didn’t know if we would have found Gabi.
Speaking of Capone, he’d returned to work, but he still made it a point to stop by my hotel every day after he gets off work. Gabi wouldn’t have it any other way. When she woke the morning after I got her back, the first thing she asked waswhere’s my Pony?
I had to call him just to soothe her. It was crazy watching how fast my baby clung to him. She wasn’t even this needy for Derek. With Derek, there was always a middleman when it came to his dealings with Gabi. He wasn’t too attentive to her. Don’t get me wrong, he defiantly loved her, but he never took time to play with her or nurture her.
Capone, on the other hand, colored with her, played dolls, and let her ramble about whatever it was she wanted to talk about, all while being completely in tune.
Today, I wanted to find a special way to thank Cara and Sara for everything. Capone was off today and agreed to help me. I wanted to bake something special for them. It was easy to figure out what I wanted to bake for Cara. The woman had been eating honeybuns from the moment I met her. I ended up asking Capone what Sara’s favorite dessert was. He had to ask her Ol’ Man Bear, and he told him cheesecake.
Capone let me use his kitchen to bake everything. I fell in love with his kitchen.
It had a spacious layout with a nice-sized island in the middle. It also had a built-in refrigerator, and double-deck oven, beautiful marble stone countertops and a wine cellar. I felt like I was coming home as I pranced around his kitchen, baking.
This was the kind of kitchen I begged Derek for, but he said it was a waste of money. I was like a kid in a candy store.
Capone kept Gabi preoccupied in the living room with a paint set he bought her. I wasn't surprised Gabi chose to paint instead of baking with me. Painting was her first love. Before I knew it, I was boxing up the desserts. Capone loaded everything up and now we were walking up the steps of the clubhouse.
I had the containers in my hand while Gabi rode in the crook of Capone’s arm. I swore this little girl acted like she didn’t know how to walk when he was around. And Capone wasn’t any better.Even though it has only been a few days, he truly spoils her, never telling her no.
The front door of the clubhouse swings open, and Dice was standing there with a teasing smile. “Aww, now isn’t this just a picture-worthy moment.”
“Cheese!” Gabi struck a pose with a beaming smile.
Her innocence made us laugh. She had no clue Dice was just messing with us. Dice placed his hand on his chest, then whipped out his phone. “Now, I have to take a picture.”
After Dice snapped the photo, Capone told him to send it to him, and we made our way inside. The common room was littered with kids. Gabi clung to Capone a little tighter. She had always been shy when it came to large crowds.
Everyone was trying to be subtle about their staring, but they weren’t as slick as they thought. Cara and Sara made their way through the crowd, greeting me with a hug.
“Hey, I just wanted to do something special for you two as a thank you. Sara, I made you a cheesecake, and, Cara, I made you some honeybuns,” I said as I handed them their containers.
“Thank you so much, Giovanna.” Sara popped the lid on the container to take a whiff of the cake. “Oh, that smells so good.”
Cara stared at her container like she was in love. She popped the lid just like Sara, except she grabbed one of the buns and popped it in her mouth. I watched in satisfaction as her eyes bucked and then rolled into the back of her head. Four seconds later, the dessert was gone, and Cara was pulling another out.
Sara barked out a laugh. “Is it that good, sis?”
Cara faced Sara and bunched her brows. “Is it? This has to be the best honeybun I’ve ever had.” She took another hefty bite. “Can you make me another batch of these? I’ll pay whatever you want.”
I couldn’t help but laugh at how serious she seemed. This right here was all I ever wanted to do. Watching her devour mydessert was everything. Her enjoyment was all the payment I needed. “That’s no problem. Just let me know when you want another batch.”
