Amore (47 page)

Armando and the men watched her walk away.

“What is this about?” Giovanni asked.

“A gift. I couldn’t travel all the way to Bellagio without one,” Armando said.

“If you do anything to disrespect my wife or the family I won’t be restrained.” Giovanni warned.

Armando patted his arm. “I come in peace, Gio. Don’t you trust me?”

“Let’s go, honey!” Mirabella called out. She waved to him. She’d gotten nearly all of the family to return inside. Giovanni’s jaw twitched. He hated having to coexist with the Mancinis this way.

“After you,” Giovanni said to Armando.

He nodded and followed the others. Dominic appeared at Giovanni’s side. He hadn’t seen him walk up. He was too consumed by his own thoughts.

“I’m not sure of this gift,” Dominic said.

“Did you not see it?” Giovanni asked.

“Yes. Well I saw it. Looks like it might be a portrait of some kind. It’s large.”

“And you okayed this?” Giovanni stopped.

“You okayed his attendance. I assumed he, like everyone else, would bring a gift,” Dominic said.

“Assume nothing when it comes to a Mancini. Have I not taught you that?” Giovanni glanced to the others. “If he embarrasses me or…”

“I’ll handle it, Gio. Right now it’s good form to be gracious. No?”

“Gracious?” Giovanni scoffed. “
Che cazzo!”

Mirabella waited for the last of the family to arrive. Marietta had set up a room for the family to leave their gifts separate from the guests. So many had come in from Sicilia. The tables were lined with presents.

“Mirabella, Marietta,” Armando spoke and the room silenced. Giovanni observed by the door. Mirabella wished he’d come over to her side.

“I want to thank you for inviting me. I’m honored,” Armando said. He pressed his hands together flat, with fingers to fingers. He gave them a very charming smile. “I know that you are all aware of who Mirabella and Marietta are to me, to my father. In honor of that bond I would like to gift my sisters something special from the Mancinis.”

“Do you know what this is about?” Mirabella asked under her breath.

“Just play along,” Marietta said with a tight smile.

Armando signaled to one of his men who brought over a large flat gift covered in brown paper. It stood taller than Armando. One of Vito’s sons walked over to help hold up the other side. Mirabella didn’t like surprises in their family. None of them ever ended well.

“For you both!” Armando proclaimed.

He reached up and tore off the paper until the portrait was revealed. There was an audible gasp. Mirabella realized that it came from Marietta. Hell she was too stunned to dare blink. The portrait was spectacular. The likeness was uncanny. It was as if they had actually posed for it. And that would have been a pleasant enough gift. Instead he went a bit further. Seated in a chair between them was the late Marsuvio Mancini. She and Marietta stood on either side of him. He stared out of the portrait as if he were alive and strong enough to stand, step back into life.

“My father’s dying wish was to know you. On his deathbed he asked for this gift. It is like the one he and I had done several years ago. Two years have passed. We are all wiser. Please accept this from the Mancini
famiglia
to you.”

“Grazie!”
Marietta applauded. She did so alone. She walked over to Armando and hugged him. She kissed both his cheeks and hugged him again. Mirabella could see Lorenzo standing off to the side, chuckling and shaking his head. She wished her husband had the same sense of humor. Giovanni stared at the portrait and nothing else.

“Isn’t it wonderful?” Marietta asked Mirabella. “Well? Isn’t it?”

“It’s very… nice,” she said.
“Grazie, caro fratello.”

Lorenzo clapped. Every head turned to look at him, and then slowly the rest of the family applauded. Catalina walked over to Mirabella and hugged her.

“I had no idea,” she whispered in Mirabella’s ear. “I told him to come, but not to bring this.”

“Va bene,”
Mirabella smiled.

Catalina let her go and addressed the family. “
Prego!
Let’s open presents! Mira, Marietta, have a seat. It’s time.” She glanced to Dominic who nodded to the family members to take the portrait out discreetly so non-family members could not see it.

Armando stepped in front of Mirabella before she could join her sister. “I hope I didn’t offend you, Donna.”

“No. It’s a lovely gesture. I ah, I do have a request.” Mirabella glanced toward her husband. He was watching them both. She wouldn’t get a chance to speak to Armando again. And with the family laughing and chatting each other up this proved to be the perfect cover.

“Ask anything of me,” Armando replied. “It’s your birthday. As your brother I’m bound to grant any wish you have today.”

“Anthony. You know him. He’s Carmella’s little brother.”

Armando’s brows lowered. His handsome features grew serious. She didn’t dare lower her gaze. After all it was he and Carmella who plotted to kill her.

“Yes, I know little Anthony. I call him Biscuit. He’s always at my home bringing the boys his mother’s biscuits. Nice kid.”

“Innocent kid,” she corrected him.

“Children aren’t always so innocent,” Armando said. “When Giovanni and I were fifteen, his age, we were far from it.”

Mirabella chose to ignore the sly humor in his comment. “His mother is concerned. He’s being brought into your family. I went—” She glanced to Giovanni who continued to observe them from across the room. “I’m asking that you let him go. Send him to school. Give him a future, just one different than that of our father.”

“Or your husband?” Armando asked.

“Or you,” she clarified.

“Why would you ask this of me?” Armando asked.

“Because you owe both me and Sophia peace after what you and Carmella tried to do. Because you keep telling my sister that you want to get to know us. I need proof. Help him and I’ll consider it a gesture of goodwill between us.”

“Is that so?” Armando asked. He leaned in and Mirabella stiffened. He whispered in her ear. “Consider it done, sweet sister.”

And then he walked away.

Mirabella looked for her husband. She found him once more. He met her stare. She gave him a small smile and decided it was time to join him.

**

“Why don’t you come away with me?” Carlo asked. His hand inched further up her thigh. He had Shae pressed into the wall. There was no desire in her to escape. He’d already kissed her lips clean of lipstick. And she was so hot for him that thoughts of propriety were dismissed. She got such a rush from sneaking around with him and their sex games.

“I can’t leave,” she said. She kissed his neck. His face buried into her shoulder and her legs wrapped around his waist.

“Not now, after. I know a place for us. We can be alone.” They heard laughter it followed the cheering of the family.

“I need to come clean with Marietta. I’m tired of lying to her,” she said.

“Let’s play once more before the big confession, eh?”

She chuckled. “What’s the name of this game?”

“Find the snake,” he smiled.

Shae laughed. She laughed until tears brimmed in her eyes. “I think I’m good at this game!”

**

“Where’s Gio?” Benicia, the boss of the northeastern Neapolitan clan in the
Camorra
demanded. He had great influence amongst the municipalities of Saviano and Nola. He was of medium height. He had a large frame and belly that hung over his belt. “We’ve been kept waiting for close to an hour.
Che cavolo!
”

“Be silent, Benicia! It’s his wife’s birthday, we agreed to this meeting,” said Mario Racchini whose clan operated in the neighborhoods of Secondigliano, Scampi, and Miano in Naples. He was known for his love of guns. Out of the other clan bosses, Racchini had extreme loyalty for the Battaglias, who had kept his position elevated over the years.

“It has been some time. It’s disrespectful to keep us waiting,” said Luigi Tacchi. His clan operated in the remote areas of Naples. He and several other lower end clan bosses were in attendance. Each of them felt envious of Giovanni’s claim of being the boss of all bosses.

“Signori, grazie per la sua pazienza,”
Dominic Battaglia said as he entered the room. Benicia stopped pacing. The other men stood.

“Where is he?
Che palle!
We’ve been pulled away from the party to wait?”

“You are free to leave. We can discuss business in your absence.” Dominic replied.

Benicia pulled up his belt over his gut. He fell silent. Dominic cleared his throat and addressed the other men. “You know the purpose of the meeting.”

“Santo the rat!” said Tacchi. “He’s out of prison and back in your family.”

“He is. But he is kept on a short leash I assure you.”

“Still, there is one vow that should be never broken,” Tacchi said. “He pissed all over it.”

“And I will say that Santo kept his vow. Did he not? His complicity helped us squeeze the true traitor, Mottola, and send the
polizia
on a different chase. Too bad the punk hung himself in jail. We should have tied the noose.”

“We are not convinced that he hasn’t been corrupted. What if the
Polizia di Stato
got to him? What if he now plots with them? To bring your boss down?” Benicia asked with an accusatory finger pointed at Dominic.

“What does Lorenzo think of Santo joining the clans? Having rank?” Racchini asked. “As I recall he wanted a bullet in his skull.”

Dominic masked his annoyance with a coy smile. “Lorenzo and I defer to Giovanni on this decision. You will hear from Giovanni soon.” Dominic stepped closer. “I will ask you to consider the other side of the coin. If we do not bring Santo back into the family, what do you propose a man who has lost his life and identity is left with? I can assure it isn’t loyalty.”

“How would loyalty be a problem if we traded in his Battaglia leash for a
Camorra
noose?” asked Racchini.

Tacchi removed his cigar to light it. “We vote against this boys, and the noose is already around our own necks, and Giovanni holds the rope.”

**

“At last. We’re alone,” Mirabella smiled.

“Bella…”

“I had no idea he would bring that portrait here.” She walked away. “Thank God he gave it to me in front of the family and not all of them. What was I to do or say? No thank you? We are Mancinis. Maybe it’s time we let the rest of the world know? Stop with this war between you both. Peace? Right? Let’s have peace.”

“Are you done?” Giovanni asked.

She rubbed the nervous sweat from her hands down her sides. “I suppose. Yes. I’m done. What do you have to say?”

He waved off the concern. “I don’t care to discuss Armando or his gift. It’s time for me to give you mine.”

“Really? Where is it?” she asked. He’d given her so much over the years, and still he managed to surprise her. She couldn’t wait to see what he had for her now. Giovanni reached inside his suit jacket and removed a black letter envelope.

“Here,” he handed it over.

“Oh, whatever could this be?” she chuckled. She fanned herself with the envelope. “Should I open it now? Huh?” She began to run her finger under the seal. Inside she found a commercial airline packet.

“Giovanni? What have you done?”

“This summer, after Dominic and Catalina wed, you, me, the kids, Lorenzo and your sister are going to America,” he smiled.

“Are you serious?” she gasped.

“To Virginia. Your home,” he clarified. “I want to see where you grew up. I want to meet the people who knew you.”

“But I thought—”

“Dominic has been working on it. The Americans approved my Visa. I can enter the country. Lorenzo and I both can.” He took her hand and kissed it. “You wanted the family to spend time together, wanted my focus on the kids. Well I think our children should know where Mama is from. We go for two weeks.”

“I can’t believe this!” she laughed. “Oh my God!” She leapt on him and he spun her around in his arms. He let go a deep chuckle. She kicked her feet excitedly.

“Thank you! Thank you! It’s the best gift. Gio, it’s the best gift ever!”

“Even better than a portrait of your lousy father?” he teased.

She laughed and bit his cheek. He squeezed her tight to his heart.

“Yes. Nothing can compare!”

**

“In a hurry?”

Carlo wiped the lipstick from his mouth with the back of his hand before he glanced back down the hall. Marietta marched toward him. She was angry. She was beautiful. And the combination made her tempting. He turned to continue on and avoid confrontation.

“Wait! Stop right there!” She demanded. “You missed the gift exchange for me and Mira. That was rude!”