“As am I.” Brian smiled warmly. “You’re welcome dear friend.” He spoke into the phone again. “Sorry Ian, I wasn't ignoring you. Just told Oisin’s dad the news.”
“Of course not, sir.” Ian replied in a lighthearted voice. “You never ignore us. We are at Baldassare’s, and Elyan acts weird tonight. Baldassare says he's fine, but I don't know...” The young man’s voice became hesitant when he spoke the last part.
Brian frowned “I wonder what's wrong? Elyan usually calls if he's out of sorts.”
“She says hi.” Elyan’s voice burst through the phone, followed by a cascade of giggles.
“Hello, little one. I'm so happy to meet you.” Brian gently spoke. “Congratulations, I'm so happy for you and Baldassare.”
“My darling is convinced the baby is a girl.” Baldassare huffed a laugh on the other end of the line. “The pregnancy is only three weeks old, but he claims we are going to have a daughter.”
“Yep.” Elyan popped the p. “And she's going to marry Gianluca. Or Ian's and Oisin's son.”
“I think your darling is right.” Brian smiled against the phone. “I mean, pregnant folks feel these things, been there, done that. I’m not sure about the marriage, though, because one can’t command the heart.”
“I love you, Zio, thank you for everything.” Baldassare said, and the librarian could hear the smile in his voice. “We'll need your words of wisdom on pregnancy and parenting. We have Elyan's fathers, too, of course, but you are like a father to me, so...”
“I love you, too.” Brian’s voice was filled with paternal affection. I'll always be there for you, Elyan, and your little one, and I'll be happy to answer every question you have.”
Baldassare thanked him once again, then said he had to order the biggest pizza in the city, enough to feed Elyan and the baby, and ended the call. Brian smiled and looked around at the three ghosts sitting on his house’s porch.Just a pleasant summer night, in the company of some dear friends, celebrating the miracle of life,he said to himself.
CHAPTER 10
Almost five months. That’s how long it had passed since the last time Brian was seen or heard from. For Bart and his children, but also for Martino, Luca, and everyone else who loved and respected the librarian, each day without him stretched into an eternity void of warmth, happiness, meaning, and beauty.
For those who knew Brian, his sudden absence was inexplicable: it was like the man got tired of everything and everyone, and just vanished into thin air. There was no indication in his behavior that he intended to leave everything behind and go someplace where no one could find him, where he could be left alone.
And anyway, Brian wasn’t the kind of man who wanted to be left alone; on the contrary, he loved to be surrounded by people and books, loved to help, teach, and give advice to anyone who needed it. The man lived for all those things, they were part of who he was, and none of the plights he endured could change him, no wound inflicted on him, not even the black wing of death could stop him from sacrificing himself to keep those around him safe.
It happened so suddenly, and it left all those who knew him empty and devastated. Not even now, after almost five months after Brian went missing, his loved ones couldn’t getused to the thought that he just decided to abandon everything and everyone, leaving like that without an explanation, without a single word of goodbye.
It happened on a Friday afternoon, a little after the lunch break. Brian, Bart, and their children were supposed to go to Reardon’s and Edwin’s for the weekend, and Jamie, the assistant librarian, volunteered to cover the last couple of hours of the working day, so that their boss could leave earlier. Grateful, he messaged Bart, letting him know about the little change of plans, then got behind the wheel and left The Base.
A few hours later, a somewhat worried Bart called Jamie, asking them where Brian’s phone was, because he didn’t get an answer to any of the numerous calls he gave him and messages he sent over the last hour or so. The assistant librarian’s answer froze his blood, and he knew instantly that something terribly wrong happened.
Another hour later, Bart, Luca, Malaspina, and Tanner found Brian’s car pulled over on the side of the road, halfway from home. The phone was on the passenger’s seat, where the man usually put it when he was alone in the vehicle, and there were no signs of forced entry, which suggested he left the vehicle on his own free will.
Brian’s wallet, with all his credit cards, ID, driver’s license, and a couple of hundred dollars in cash, was also on the passenger’s seat, which excluded the theory of a robbery gone wrong. Although the discovery was a relief, especially forBart, the mystery surrounding the librarian’s disappearance got thicker.
The Mafia guards and those patrolling around and inside The Base searched every square inch of the town and its surroundings. They didn’t leave a single stone unturned, but it was to no avail. Baldassare personally interrogated each and every member of his informant network, but no one could tell him anything.
With each day that passed, the hope of finding out something, anything, about Brian’s fate got dimmer. It would have taken a miracle for him to come back to The Base, alive and well, but everybody knew miracles only rarely happened, and, at that point, no one expected one, anyway; they abandoned hope almost altogether.
For Bart, it was worse. On one hand, he didn’t have solid proof his husband was dead, so he couldn’t start to grieve for him properly and talk to the children, help them get used to the idea that their papa is not around anymore. On the other hand, he didn’t know with certitude if the love of his life was alive, either.
At some point, days became blurred, started to look the same, empty of colors and feelings, dull, grey, but at least, the pain started to become bearable. Although they didn’t smile, the children didn’t cry themselves to sleep, either, and started to say the word papa more often, and without shedding tears every time they did.
And it was, of course, Luca, who, on the outside, looked calm and composed, but, on the inside, he was day in and day out ravaged by the emotions which never stopped storming inside him since the day Brian vanished in thin air. He hugged and kissed Martino with a hunger and despair he never felt before, not even when their lives were in constant danger, and they didn’t know if they would have lived to see the next day.
Master is not dead, Luca told himself every time he showered or changed his clothes, and his gaze was falling on the pocket watch tattoo.If you die, I die,were the words he and Brian told each other so many times, especially in the afterglow of an orgasm, but never, since his Dominant went missing, did the Sicilian feel like he was robbed of his life.
And one day, almost five months after Brian went missing, first thing in the morning, Luca got a call from Doctor Alasdair. The Sicilian didn’t suspect anything; most likely, just another of those reminders to get myself checked, he thought as he was answering the call. However, something was telling him that it was way too early for a simple reminder; it must be something more serious, the man continued his internal monologue.
“Hello, Doc.” Luca started. “Look, I know I should have checked things a while ago, but my schedule was hectic and the mornings are always busy, so please, can I come in the afternoon? If it doesn't mess up your schedule, that is.”
“Hello to you, too.” Doctor Alasdair’s voice was shaky, which was quite unusual for someone like him, always in control, always prepared to give the not-so-good news to hispatients. “No, you can’t come in the afternoon, I need you here right now.”
“I’ll be there, but can you please tell me what’s wrong?” Luca swallowed hard a few times. “With what happened lately, you can’t blame me for wanting to be prepared.”
