here,” he grumbled from the top of the stairs. “I feel sick. I’m going to bed and watch a little TV.” He disappeared into the guest bedroom.
“Hope you feel better,” I called, trying not jump up and down. Now my evening would be Dario-free.
* * *
I opened my eyes, Jazz and I had fallen asleep on the couch watching television. Dario was in the kitchen, banging around, and making way too much noise for so early in the morning. I noticed his backpack lying on the floor in the entryway.
He came into the living room, holding a cup of coffee in his hand and wearing the same clothes from the day before. The big question: was he coming or going? I had a bad feeling.
“You must be feeling better. Are you going somewhere?” What now ? My gut told me he’d been out wandering around all night.
“I’ve had enough. I’m not staying,” he whined. “I’m not sitting here for days, doing nothing.”
“You promised Zach.” Just perfect. I get to start the day with this stupid drama.
“Zach needs to be reminded I’m all grown up. I admit to a couple of mistakes, but I can take care of myself.”
He’s so full of himself. The little punk is out of his mind. “Call Zach and let him know you’re leaving.”
“Later.”
“Where are you going? How will Zach get a hold of you?” How was I going to explain to Zach that Dario had up and left?
“I’m out of here.” He picked up his backpack, and then dropped it on the floor again. “Forgot something,” he mumbled, and raced up the stairs.
What was I supposed to do now? No one would be able to get here in time to stop him. Getting the Lazarro brothers to stay in one place was impossible.
Dario came back down the stairs with his laptop. “Don’t worry so much. This will work out.”
“Please call Zach,” I begged. Little brat . “Can’t you stay another day or two at most?”
“I’ll catch up with him later,” he shot back as he headed for the door.
I picked up a vase sitting on the counter and hit him over the head. He dropped to the floor like a sack.
I stooped to check to see if he was breathing. “Thank you, he’s not dead,” I said to myself and the universe, then went in search for my phone, no longer annoyed that everyone’s numbers had been stored. Fab would know what to do.
“Fab, its Madison,” I said, when I heard her voice. “I hit Dario over the head.”
She laughed. “Is he alive?”
“He’s breathing. He was on his way out the door and I didn’t think about what I was doing, I hit him over the head with a vase. I didn’t know what else to do.” I was almost yelling.
“Breathe,” she said. “Calm down. I had a feeling he’d start causing problems, but I figured we had a couple of days. Keep him there until I can come take him off your hands.”
“What if he wakes up?” I asked. “I can’t continue to hit him over the head.”
“Listen to me. Go out in the garage. Elizabeth has a cool work area. Open the tall cabinet by the window and find some rope or zip ties. She kept everything pretty organized.”
“When did you go in the garage?” I asked as I made my way out the door and to the garage.
“The other day when I stopped by.”
“I didn’t even notice.” I’m not sure what I thought about the fact that Fab knew more about what was in my garage than I did.
“Another one of my talents.”
“OK. I’m here, standing in front of the cabinet.” I opened the doors and started pushing things around on the shelves. “I found some zip ties. Now what?”
“Wrap a tie around each wrist. Pull his arms behind his back. Take another tie and hook the two together. Do the same with his ankles. He won’t be going anywhere. I’m on my way.”
I raced into the kitchen. Dario was groaning. I grabbed his hands, securing each one, and then I worked on his feet. He made noises the whole time but didn’t move.
I’d totally lost my mind. Wait until he wakes up and realizes I’d cold-cocked him
“Hope you feel better,” I called, trying not jump up and down. Now my evening would be Dario-free.
* * *
I opened my eyes, Jazz and I had fallen asleep on the couch watching television. Dario was in the kitchen, banging around, and making way too much noise for so early in the morning. I noticed his backpack lying on the floor in the entryway.
He came into the living room, holding a cup of coffee in his hand and wearing the same clothes from the day before. The big question: was he coming or going? I had a bad feeling.
“You must be feeling better. Are you going somewhere?” What now ? My gut told me he’d been out wandering around all night.
“I’ve had enough. I’m not staying,” he whined. “I’m not sitting here for days, doing nothing.”
“You promised Zach.” Just perfect. I get to start the day with this stupid drama.
“Zach needs to be reminded I’m all grown up. I admit to a couple of mistakes, but I can take care of myself.”
He’s so full of himself. The little punk is out of his mind. “Call Zach and let him know you’re leaving.”
“Later.”
“Where are you going? How will Zach get a hold of you?” How was I going to explain to Zach that Dario had up and left?
“I’m out of here.” He picked up his backpack, and then dropped it on the floor again. “Forgot something,” he mumbled, and raced up the stairs.
What was I supposed to do now? No one would be able to get here in time to stop him. Getting the Lazarro brothers to stay in one place was impossible.
Dario came back down the stairs with his laptop. “Don’t worry so much. This will work out.”
“Please call Zach,” I begged. Little brat . “Can’t you stay another day or two at most?”
“I’ll catch up with him later,” he shot back as he headed for the door.
I picked up a vase sitting on the counter and hit him over the head. He dropped to the floor like a sack.
I stooped to check to see if he was breathing. “Thank you, he’s not dead,” I said to myself and the universe, then went in search for my phone, no longer annoyed that everyone’s numbers had been stored. Fab would know what to do.
“Fab, its Madison,” I said, when I heard her voice. “I hit Dario over the head.”
She laughed. “Is he alive?”
“He’s breathing. He was on his way out the door and I didn’t think about what I was doing, I hit him over the head with a vase. I didn’t know what else to do.” I was almost yelling.
“Breathe,” she said. “Calm down. I had a feeling he’d start causing problems, but I figured we had a couple of days. Keep him there until I can come take him off your hands.”
“What if he wakes up?” I asked. “I can’t continue to hit him over the head.”
“Listen to me. Go out in the garage. Elizabeth has a cool work area. Open the tall cabinet by the window and find some rope or zip ties. She kept everything pretty organized.”
“When did you go in the garage?” I asked as I made my way out the door and to the garage.
“The other day when I stopped by.”
“I didn’t even notice.” I’m not sure what I thought about the fact that Fab knew more about what was in my garage than I did.
“Another one of my talents.”
“OK. I’m here, standing in front of the cabinet.” I opened the doors and started pushing things around on the shelves. “I found some zip ties. Now what?”
“Wrap a tie around each wrist. Pull his arms behind his back. Take another tie and hook the two together. Do the same with his ankles. He won’t be going anywhere. I’m on my way.”
I raced into the kitchen. Dario was groaning. I grabbed his hands, securing each one, and then I worked on his feet. He made noises the whole time but didn’t move.
I’d totally lost my mind. Wait until he wakes up and realizes I’d cold-cocked him
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