La Famiglia (74 page)

“Yes.” Lorenzo said. “Our wives have decided to do their own little interrogation. They’ve brought a woman named Gemma into the villa. Got her inside around Renaldo and the men by saying she was Ines. Dominic has already called ahead to have our plane ready. We will be there in two hours.”

Giovanni grunted. He exhaled a deep breath of frustration. “Who is this woman?”

“Gemma Scafidi. She is the one that told Marietta the truth of Mancini. Not sure if she works for him or not. Don’t worry. We’ll get to the bottom of it.”

“That’s it. We’re coming out of Mondello. After tonight there is no reason to keep the family in Sicily.”

“Agreed.” Lorenzo said.

Later –

“She’s your
Donna
. Who are you to keep us locked up in here like this?” Marietta shouted.

Renaldo glanced to Mira and then to Marietta, he shrugged but didn’t answer. Out of all of Giovanni’s men he was the most unshakable to his convictions. A man of orders. And someone had given him the order to keep them all under his watch until Giovanni returned.

Mira looked over to Gemma. Her plan had nearly worked. Zia provided the distraction for the men by claiming to have fallen off the bottom step. Gemma and Marietta got to the car first. Mira arrived last after locating her gun for protection.

However by the time she crept around the house Renaldo was there. He had returned from wherever he had been and marched them all back inside. Renaldo informed them that Giovanni was on his way and no one was to leave. And for two hours they were kept downstairs to wait. Mira knew that the moment her husband walked through the door there would be no way to convince him of what she needed.

She glanced to Gemma who sat there stone cold silent, as if sentenced to death. She glanced to Marietta who paced. The gun she carried remained concealed by her jacket pocket. She could never pull it out on Renaldo. He was family to her. As were all these men. But she had to do something. And do it quick.

“I need to go check on the babies.” Mira stood.

Renaldo glanced up. “Forgive me,
Donna
, but I’ve been told for you to not leave my sight,” he said in Italian. Renaldo spoke broken English and not very well.

“It can’t wait. They’re babies idiot!” Marietta said.

Mira smiled at Renaldo. “I won’t be long.”

Renaldo stepped forward to stop Mira and from behind a vase was smashed over his head. The blow was so severe the six foot three tall man dropped immediately. Mira gasped. Marietta wielded the weapon.

“What the hell are you doing?”

“Getting us out of here!” Marietta said, panting hard. “I had to think of something.”

“I was going to distract him. Come up with something! Not this!” Mira shouted at her. “My God. Is he okay?” Mira went to her knees. She touched him and turned him. He was breathing.

“Let’s go!” Marietta said to Gemma. “Now!”

Mira got a pillow from the sofa and put it under Renaldo’s head. There was no blood. He groaned a bit but didn’t fully wake.

“Get his keys!” Marietta said. When Mira ignored her she dropped to her knees and removed his keys. “He drives the black truck. Let’s go! Now damn it!”

Mira did as she was told. The gun in her pocket felt heavy as her guilt over their actions. She had no time to think about it. They were going to have to see this one through. And Marietta was the only one bold enough to make sure of it. When they raced out of the front door three men stopped them. Mira did the unthinkable. She removed the gun that Giovanni had given her and turned it on the men. Leo was the first to look at her with surprise.

“Let us go,” she said.

“We can’t. The boss…”

“Do it, Leo! Now!” Mira leveled the gun. Marietta and Gemma never knew she had the weapon. They both looked at her with surprise. The men stepped aside. Marietta bolted for the truck and Mira gave Leo an apologetic smile. “I’ll take the blame for this, Leo. Giovanni won’t punish you.”

Leo looked on as if he didn’t believe her. They piled in the truck and reversed out. Marietta sprayed dirt and rocks in a cloud of dust in their wake. Mira felt a pang of guilt for leaving her babies. “I’m not sure how we should do this.”

“Huh?” Marietta glanced over at her. “Are you for real? You say that now?”

“I just… didn’t think it through,” Mira said.

Marietta accelerated. “This is it, Mira. We either take a stand and end this or we let our husbands tell us what to believe.”

Mira chewed over the reasoning and held to the inside of the door as they drove dangerously fast around the mountain. “We can’t go this way.”

“Why?” Marietta asked.

“She’s right,” Gemma spoke up. “If your husbands are coming then you have to get off the main road. They’ll see you.”

Mira nodded. She glanced up at the moon. She had no idea if Giovanni had left Italy or not but her gut said he had. “Do you know another way?”

“I do. It’ll take longer, but get us there. Take this road.” Gemma pointed. Mira squinted at the road that was covered in dense forest. As soon as Marietta made the turn Mira suspected it was a mistake. The isolation of the road and absence of moonlight made it very hazardous for the large truck.

Marietta decreased speed.

“I don’t like this,” Mira cast Gemma a suspicious look. She removed her gun and put it on her lap so Gemma could see it in the dark. “This better not be a trap.”

Gemma shook her head. “I swear it. I’ll get you to Mancini. I only ask that you help me in return.”

“Help you how?” Marietta asked.

“Keep your husbands from retaliating against me. We get to Mancini and you let me go. If he sees me… I can’t see him. I’ve done my part in this. I gave you the truth and your father. Spare my life by letting me go.”

Marietta glanced to Mira, and Mira glanced to her. They both nodded that they would. But neither meant it.

* B
*

Giovanni was out of the car before it came to a full stop. Renaldo walked out to meet them. “Where are they?” Giovanni demanded.

“You just missed them, Boss. You had to have passed them on the road,” Renaldo said with an ice pack to the side of his head.

“What the fuck do you mean I missed them?” Giovanni checked his watch. Before he boarded the plane he called and confirmed that the women were being watched. That was barely two hours ago. “How the fuck did they leave?”

“It was my fault,” Renaldo said, standing up for his men. “Marietta hit me from behind. I was only out for a few minutes but they got to my truck and left.”

The confession confounded Giovanni. Mira wasn’t prone to this kind of deception. And for what? He looked to Lorenzo. “Where would they go?”

“Only one place, Gio, to see Mancini.”

Giovanni’s right hand was useless. The pain had been unmerciful. He couldn’t strike Renaldo even if he wanted to.

“I’ll go after them,” Lorenzo said.

“No. We’ll go.” Giovanni said. They’re off the main road so that means we can catch them. He glanced back to Nico who was out of their vehicles. “Nico will stay with the women. Renaldo you come with us.”

“Boss?”

“What is it?” Giovanni demanded.

“The
Donna
, she… the men tell me she has her gun with her.”

Giovanni frowned. “She drew her weapon on you?”

“On Leo, sir,” Renaldo said.

He looked to Lorenzo shocked. “Have they lost their fucking minds?”

Lorenzo chuckled. Giovanni found none of it funny. He walked back to the car and got inside. His only prayer was he got to them before they reached Mancini.

* B
*

At first Mira feared her concerns were true. The road was dark, and the small village they drove through looked deserted. But after another fifteen minutes on the road the land opened and the half-moon and stars relaxed her fears. She checked her watch. It was close to five in the morning.

“So how will you do it, girls?” Gemma asked.

“Do what?” Mira asked.

“You can’t drive up to Mancini’s gates with that gun. How do you plan to get inside? And out.”

“You said he didn’t want us dead. You said he was looking for us,” Marietta said.

“Possibly. But you have a brother too. No matter what his father wants he surely isn’t open to acknowledging either of you,” Gemma said.

“Why is that?” Mira asked for the sake of conversation. Though she knew fully why.

“There’s a lot of history between your families. He’s the sole heir to the Mancini fortune unless you two decide to contest it.”

“We don’t want his money,” Marietta said with disgust, keeping her eyes on the road.

Mira had to agree. She glanced back out the window at the stars. Her mother’s death wasn’t on her husband’s shoulders, and tonight she’d prove it by making Mancini confess. After it was done she wanted to leave Sicily and never return. There was nothing remotely familiar or comforting to her about this place. She found it ironic that Giovanni had hoped their visit to the island would make her love the island. She loathed it instead.

“Heads up!” Marietta said.

Mira’s gaze swung to the road. Cars approached fast, four of them with bright lights beaming.

“Do you think it’s Mancini’s men?” Marietta asked. “Are we near his villa?”

“No, we aren’t,” Gemma frowned with worry. “Can’t be his men.”

Mira picked up her gun. It could be a set up. She glanced to Gemma. “If you did this.”

“I swear I did not. I don’t know who it is, but we can’t outrun them on this road. It’s too narrow.” Gemma warned.

“What do I do?” Marietta asked.

“Stop. We have no choice.” Mira checked the chamber of the gun. She prayed she didn’t have to use it. Target practice was one thing but if she had to shoot armed thugs in the night she didn’t know what would be the outcome.

Marietta slowed the car to a stop. The car ahead of them parked in front of theirs. The high beams made it impossible for them to see who was inside. The cars circled around. Their dark tented windows in the night made it impossible to make out the drivers or passengers. They were blocked in on all sides.

“Somebody is getting out,” Marietta said. She glanced to Mira who held the gun.

Mira squinted. Even in the glare her husband’s imposing form could clearly be seen. Relief filled her to the brim. She nearly smiled. Gemma grabbed her wrist. “Please. Remember your promise. That you’ll let me go,” Gemma pleaded. “I know I don’t deserve to ask for anything, but I did come to you to tell you the truth.”

“I didn’t make that promise,” Marietta said.

“Me either,” Mira said.

“What? You two can’t… they’ll kill me!” Gemma said.

Marietta looked to Mira. Mira looked to her sister. She then looked to Gemma. “We will show you as much mercy as you showed our mother.”

“No! Wait!”

“Stay inside. Marietta, don’t get out. Let me speak to Giovanni.” Mira opened the door and exited the truck. She thought to leave the gun behind but decided to take it with her. As soon as she stepped out into the night she realized that the men were out of their cars as well, staring at her. Mira approached her husband and the steely look of anger in his eyes made her bravery slip. His gaze lowered from her face to the gun in her hand. He narrowed his eyes on it. Mira couldn’t believe the sight of him. He hadn’t shaved in days, and yes she knew he had been drinking. But he looked wild to her, and was that blood on his suit? She couldn’t be sure. He raised a hand and she saw how swollen and bruised his knuckles were.

“In the car,” he said and pointed to the waiting vehicle.

“Gio—”

“GET IN THE FUCKING CAR!” he shouted at her.

His voice boomed louder than thunder. There was no room for discussion by the hard unforgiving look of madness in his eyes. She glanced back to Marietta and Gemma in the truck. Lorenzo walked past her and went to Marietta’s side of the car.

“NOW!” Giovanni shouted and took a step toward her.

Mira went to the car where the door was held open for her. She was inside the back of the car waiting when Giovanni joined her. He slammed the door so hard she jumped.

“Are you going to let me explain?” she asked.

Giovanni hit the passenger glass of his window so hard with his closed fist it cracked. Mira looked at him with disbelief. “You left my children in the night? You pulled a gun on my men? You let a stranger into our home.”

“I’m sorry.”

“Sorry? You’re fucking sorry!” he seethed. The mask of anger and contempt on his face was grave. She was grateful when he looked away.

“Do you want to go on like this? Do you?” she asked and her voice wavered. She knew he was on edge. Hell they both were. Guilt skewered through her. The past had come back to haunt them. It threatened to rob them both of the future they desired. She had to do something. “Let me explain myself to you. Please,” she pleaded.

“Mira,” he breathed in and out deeply. His rage burned his face and neck red. Though his hand looked like it was broken he kept pounding it against his thigh. Each time he did she winced.