Boystown Season Five Read online

  “He’s gathering his things,” Mateo told Patrick. “Then you can walk him over to his new room.”

  “Great,” Patrick said.

  “Can I see him?” Max asked. “Or will that derail things?”

  “Let’s get him set up first and go from there, okay?”

  Max responded to Patrick. “You’re the boss.”

  “I’m going downstairs to check on Mom,” Jesse said. “Why don’t you come with me?”

  “I need to make one other visit first,” Max replied. “Then I’ll be down.” Max hugged his son once more and then headed toward Dustin’s room.

  At the Ciancio estate, Derek finished taking a shower in the bathroom attached to his guest room. He dried himself off and then pulled on a pair of shorts that Gino’s staff had purchased for him. He hopped onto the bed and sent Cole a quick text.

  He heard a knock on the door, followed by, “It’s Emmett.”

  “Come on in,” Derek called.

  Emmett entered the room and shut the door behind him.

  “Joyelle just arrived. She’s settling in. She seems to be doing okay, considering.”

  “Oh, great. I’ll get dressed and go see her in a bit.”

  Emmett sat down on the bed next to his brother.

  “I wanted a moment alone to talk to you.”

  “What’s up?”

  “Tell me about Dustin. Why would he shoot you? I thought you two barely knew each other.”

  “I didn’t think I knew him, either. But then Cole told me what Dustin said about me.”

  “Which was…?”

  “I’d rather not discuss it actually.”

  “Come on, Derek.”

  Derek got up from the bed and walked over to the window.

  “It’s embarrassing.”

  “It’s me. I’m not going to judge you and I’m not going to share what you tell me with anyone.” Emmett paused, then continued. “Don’t you think it would do you some good to talk about this? I mean, the guy wanted to kill you.”

  “I’m sure Cole and I will have many talks about this once I get home.”

  “Speaking of which, Gino said he has a jet ready to take us back to Chicago tomorrow as soon as the funeral is over. He knows we want to get back home as soon as possible. David and Justin will stay here for the reading of Carlo’s will and then return later.”

  “Perfect. I have to admit, Gino has been very generous.”

  “He’s a great guy. Don’t let his last name make you think otherwise. Justin is a very lucky man.”

  “After surviving that crash, we all are lucky. And I’m praying that Jensen is okay, too. I know how much you care about that kid.”

  “I’m the only family he has.”

  “Then he’s a lucky man, because I know how much family means to you.”

  “Keith said the surgery went well and Jensen is on the mend. He’s not out of the woods yet, but Mateo thinks he’ll make a full recovery.”

  “I’m glad.”

  “And what about you and Cole? What happens when you get back to Chicago?”

  Derek walked back over to the bed and sat down next to Emmett. “We’ll talk and go from there.”

  “You love him,” Emmett said. “I know you do.”

  “Aww, come on, Emmett. You know I’m not good talking about this kind of stuff, especially with my little brother.”

  “You don’t have to say a word. Your facial expression and body language gives it away,” Emmett said, smiling. “And by the way, that’s a good thing. I want you to be happy. And I think that deep down, under the hurt she’s still feeling, Joyelle does, too.”

  Derek stood up. “I should go check on her.”

  “She’d like that, I’m sure. Tomorrow may be rough for her. And for all of us, I guess.”

  Derek pulled a sweatshirt over his head. “I’ll see you later.” Derek left the room and Emmett remained alone on the bed for a moment.

  On the main floor of the mansion, Gino led David into the art gallery. He turned on the lights and watched as each masterpiece became illuminated. David slowly stepped into the room, taking in the ornate style of the room itself as well as the artwork.

  “Wow,” David said. “This is like your own Art Institute.”

  “It’s our mother’s collection. I wanted you to see it. Maybe it’ll help you better connect with her.”

  “I thought the painting at home over my fireplace was fantastic, but these are all amazing. One more beautiful than the next.”

  “She had a real eye for it -- and had great taste in general.”

  “I wish I had known her.”

  “She would have loved you, David. She’d be so proud of the man you are, especially because you’re a physical therapist. She always valued people who work in health care as she did.”

  “Thank you,” David replied, looking at the paintings.

  Gino walked over to a painting that was leaning against the wall in the corner of the gallery.

  “I wanted you to be here with me when I opened the back of this one.”

  David walked closer to Gino. “The back?”

  “After Mother died, Father auctioned off all this art because it was a painful reminder of her death. Marco and I only recently recovered these pieces, mainly because Mother had hidden some important documents behind them. As you know, that’s how we discovered you are our brother.” Gino paused a moment. “This is the last one we recovered, just the other day, in fact. I wanted you to be here when I opened it because I have no idea what Mother has hidden in it.”

  “Are you sure there’s something inside?”

  “I am. According to her diary, there’s something big inside. That’s one reason I have waited to open it. With all that’s going on around us right now, I’m not sure I can handle any more surprises. Having you here with me helps.”

  “Well, let’s get to it.”

  Gino pulled out a pocket knife and handed it to David. “You’re a Ciancio now. You do the honors.”

  David took the knife from Gino and knelt next to the painting. With Gino holding it at the top for stability, David carefully cut through the backing of the painting. Slowly, he worked the knife around the edges of the frame until he could pull the backing off.

  Looking beneath the backing, David found a large manila envelope. He carefully removed it from the painting and Gino rested the painting against the wall. David tried to hand the envelope to Gino, who shook his head to let David know to open it himself.

  David gingerly opened the clasp on the envelope and pulled back the flap. Reaching inside, David pulled out several documents all folded together. He put the envelope on the floor and flipped open the documents. He scanned them for a moment and then looked up at Gino.

  “It’s some kind of deed or property document.”

  Gino reached out and took the paperwork from David. “Let me take a look.”

  David stood up and watched Gino as he read through the pages of the document. “What does it mean?”

  “My God,” Gino whispered. “It’s the vineyards and winery.”

  “What about them?”

  “When my father and your father were much younger -- and much friendlier -- they purchased the vineyards adjacent to the mansion and started a wine company. When their friendship soured, they split the vineyards between them and each started his own company.”

  “Mancini Global and Ciancio International.”

  “Yes, that’s what the two companies eventually became.”

  “So what are these documents all about?”

  “It looks like your father signed over his portion of the vineyards to my mother.”

  “What? Why would he do that?”

  Gino shook his head. “I can only guess. Maybe to show his love for her?”

  “Or maybe as an apology for wrecking her life?” David suggested. “Emmett and Derek have told me some less-than-complimentary stories about my father.”

  “I understand he was a bit of a woman
izer. But I never really knew him personally; that’s all hearsay as far as I’m concerned.”

  “Regardless. What does this mean?”

  “If these are valid, it means that we now own all the vineyards and winery. That’s huge.”

  “Derek’s not going to like this.”

  “Let’s not tell him yet. Please,” Gino said. “There’s just too much going on right now. Let’s get through the funerals tomorrow and then we can discuss business.”

  “I agree.”

  “In the meantime, I’ll have my attorneys check these out. If they’re not valid, no need to tell or upset anyone.”

  “I completely agree. Our families have had enough drama the past few days.”

  “I’ll have the backing of the painting repaired and then get it up on the wall in its proper place.”

  “I feel like I want to bring the painting I have at home here to the gallery as well.”

  “That’s up to you,” Gino stated. “We thought you might want to keep it as a reminder of our mother.”

  “My name is Ciancio now, that’s all the reminder I need. It would be good to have the entire collection here in one place, as Mom intended it to be.”

  Gino smiled. “She’d like that. But even more, she’d like the fact that we are getting to know each other. That’s the one bright spot in all these tragedies of the past few days.”

  David hugged Gino. “Thank you for accepting me. And for being the brother that I wanted to have all my life growing up as a child. I’ll never get over losing Tyler, but I really cherish having you.”

  “You’re not alone,” Gino said with a smile. “I’m always here for you.”

  “Thank you. And I know how worried you are about Marco. He’s my brother, too. We’ll find him.”

  Gino and David remained in the gallery a while longer, gazing at the paintings acquired by their mother.

  Upstairs in the mansion, Joyelle Mancini opened the door to her room to let Derek in. Standing face to face with her ex-husband, Joyelle burst into tears and wrapped her arms around him. He held her tightly, running his hand over her hair.

  “Shh,” Derek whispered. “It’ll be okay.”

  “He’s gone,” she cried.

  “It’ll be okay,” Derek repeated as he walked Joyelle over to a chair near the window and helped her sit down. He knelt in front of the chair. “Can I get you anything?”

  “No, no,” Joyelle replied, wiping the tears from her eyes. “It’s just being here. It makes everything seem more real.”

  “I know.”

  “You were with him in the crash. Did he suffer a lot?”

  “No,” Derek lied. “He didn’t suffer.”

  “Thank God.” Joyelle looked into Derek’s eyes. “It must have been so horrible for you. What happened?”

  “We don’t know exactly. The pilot said the plane’s hydraulics malfunctioned. He did his best to avoid crashing; he did his best.”

  “And Carlo and Marco?”

  “Carlo died along with Tyler and the pilot and the flight attendants. Marco is missing.”

  “Poor Tyler,” Joyelle cried. “And David, how’s David? He just found out he had a twin brother and now he’s lost him.”

  “We’re all David’s brothers -- Justin, Emmett, Gino, me -- we’ll take care of him. He’s part of two big families now.”

  Joyelle smiled tentatively. “That does help.”

  “And what about you, Joy? How can I help you? You lost Tyler, too.”

  She put her hand on Derek’s cheek. “That’s sweet of you to say. I’m okay. I know how much he loved me and that’s a source of comfort.”

  “I love you, too, Joy. A divorce will never change that.”

  Joyelle smiled again. “I know. I love you, too. We’ll help each other get through tomorrow. It’ll be a long day.”

  “I know this may not be the best time to ask, but I need to know. Did you get the paternity tests results back?”

  Joyelle took a deep breath. “I did.” She paused and then added, “I’m sorry.”

  “So it’s Tyler’s baby.”

  “It’s not yours,” Joyelle stated. “I’m sorry. I know how much you wanted it to be yours.”

  Derek laughed. “Apparently, God doesn’t think I’d be a very good father. He keeps taking away my opportunities to be one. Maybe I’d be too much like my old man…”

  “That’s not true. You’re not like him. You’d be a great father. And you may still be…one day.”

  “I think that ship has sailed. But that’s nice of you to say.”

  “Cole’s a good guy, Derek. He loves you very much and he has a very special heart.”

  “I wasn’t aware that we were talking about him.”

  “We should. He has been so sweet the last few days -- checking in on me and making sure I was okay. I don’t blame him for anything that happened between you and me. It was important to me that he know that.”

  “Thank you.”

  “I wish you two the very best. Life is too short to not be happy and you deserve happiness as much as anyone.”

  “I was never not happy with you, Joy.”

  “If there’s anything to be learned from these past few days, it’s that we need to make the most of our time with the people we love. Let yourself be happy with Cole.”

  Derek embraced Joy tightly and held her as he pondered all she had shared.

  Meanwhile, in his office at St. Joseph Hospital, Patrick sat behind his desk opposite Mateo, Jacqueline, and Jesse.

  “Thank you for your patience as Mom and I discussed her options for little Lucy,” Jesse said. “This hasn’t been easy for any of us.”

  “We understand,” Patrick acknowledged. “We try to provide you with as much information as possible to help you make the best decision for your child, but we know that it’s never an easy one.”

  “Or one to be rushed,” Mateo added. “I wish we could be more optimistic about your daughter’s outlook.”

  “I’ve thought about this a lot and prayed about it, too,” Jacqueline said softly. “Jesse has been a big help. And you both, too, of course. I think it’s best to leave things in God’s hands now, as difficult as that is.”

  “As much as we want to keep Lucy with us, we understand what her life may be.”

  “I would like all extraordinary support withdrawn,” Jacqueline said, her eyes tearing up. “We will have to see how she does on her own.”

  “It’s your choice,” Mateo said, “and, as your friend, I think you’re making the right one.”

  Patrick reassured Jacqueline. “I’ll be here for you, no matter what you need.”

  “Thank you,” Jesse replied. “You have both been tremendously helpful -- not only in this matter, but also with Logan. I really appreciate it.”

  “Our pleasure,” Mateo said.

  “May I spend time with Lucy now?”

  Mateo smiled. “Absolutely. We’ll make arrangements for that right away.”

  Jesse helped Jacqueline out of her chair and they followed Patrick and Mateo out of the office.

  On the far end of Boystown, Michael was meeting in his office with a detective discussing the Ciancio jet crash.

  “Commander, we interviewed everyone on the airport ground crew who worked that night, except for one.”

  “Except for one?” Michael asked.

  “It’s odd. They all said the same thing -- that there was a crew member that night that none of them had ever seen before. And there’s no record of him being on the employee schedules or security lists.”

  “That is odd.”

  “We spoke to everyone on those schedules and they all talked about that one other person who was there working with them that night.”

  “Did they ask his name? Do they know anything about him?”

  The detective smiled. “It doesn’t sound like there’s a whole lot of friendly communication that goes on while they’re working. They mainly tend to the planes.”

  “I see. W
ell, at least they gave you a physical description of the guy?”

  “They did,” the detective said looking down at this phone to read from his notes. “African American male, about six feet tall, with dyed blonde hair, and burn marks on his face and neck.”

  “Burn marks on his face and neck,” Michael mumbled as he stepped behind his desk and leaned over his computer. He pulled up the photos taken of Ben Donovan earlier in the motel room. “Look at this.” Michael turned his computer screen so that the detective could see the photos. “African American male with blonde hair and burn marks. We found this man murdered in his motel room.”

  “Who is it?”

  “His name is Ben Donovan. Let me print these photos so you can show them to the other ground crew members. See if they say this is the man who was working with them that night.” Michael began printing the photos. “What were you up to that night, Ben?”

  In his bedroom in the Ciancio mansion, Gino rolled his naked body on top of Justin’s. Wrapped around his fiancé, Gino kissed his neck and jaw line as he pushed himself deeper into Justin. He ran his hands under Justin’s ass, lifting it slightly from the bed, and then moved them along the backs of his thighs, helping Justin wrap more tightly around him.

  Gino’s thrusts were accompanied by deep kisses as Justin dug his fingertips into Gino’s broad shoulders. He worked his tongue down from Justin’s mouth to his chest where he gently bit his nipples while he drilled deeper and deeper.

  Throwing his head back in pleasure, Justin ran his fingers through Gino’s thick, wavy hair. His nipples grew harder as Gino played with them and his erect cock became stiffer against Gino’s muscled, hairy chest. He curled his toes tightly each time the head of Gino’s cock ripped farther inside of him.

  In one powerful move, Gino wrapped his arms around Justin and flipped them both over, so that Gino was on his back with Justin upright on Gino’s dick. Using his muscular legs, Gino continued to pump into his lover. His hands on Justin’s back, Gino leaned forward to caress Justin’s chest and neck.

  Then Justin pushed Gino back down against the bed so that he could bury his face in Gino’s warm chest. With Gino’s hands now on his ass, Justin kissed his fiancé’s chest and nipples, eventually working his way up to his neck and mouth. Kissing Gino deeply, Justin pushed back on Gino’s cock, firmly tightening himself around it. All the while, Justin massaged his throbbing cock against Gino’s abs.