La Sposa (11 page)

Giovanni didn’t answer. Defeated for now,
Dominic turned and started for the door.

“
Domi.”

He waited for his Don to speak. He cast his
gaze back over his shoulder.

“
Catalina is young, a child. You’re
like a shiny new toy to her. Do you remember how excited she’d
become when we brought her home new toys?”

Not understanding the question, Dominic turned
and nodded that he did.

Giovanni’s smile was absent of warmth. He
narrowed his gaze on Dominic. “Do you remember how quickly she
became bored with them?”

This time, Dominic understood the question,
and he felt his stomach sour. He was a man after all, and he had
his pride. He wouldn’t be able to tolerate Giovanni constantly
going for his balls. He had to defend himself. Giovanni continued.
“We want what we can’t have. Forbidden fruit. It’s how I felt when
I first saw Bella. Her dark skin, feisty attitude, beauty, and
fame. No one would believe she’d become mine, not even her. When
she rejected me, the desire to have her burned like a hot coal in
my chest. Made me reckless and relentless. That burn to have her,
control her, it’s still there when she struggles against her
conscience over the life she has accepted with me. The difference
is, I will be satisfied when she becomes my wife. I think it’s a
matter of maturity. To appreciate the gift she has given me with my
children.”

“
We both appreciate your
generosity, Gio. I love Catalina. When she makes me a father and a
husband I will continue to love her.”

Giovanni smirked. “But will she outgrow you?
One day, you won’t be that shiny new toy. Possibly the same day, my
Bella will understand her place in this family, and why disloyalty
is never to be forgiven. When that day comes, neither she nor
Catalina will question how I resolve the betrayal between us
brothers. What will you do then when I come for you?”

The threat crushed him. One look into
Giovanni’s violet blue eyes and he knew the truth. The man he
respected, and worshipped, now loathed him. They would pretend at
civility, and Giovanni would assign tasks to him. But he was no
longer a man to be included in the inner circle. Unless he found a
way to convince Giovanni that his betrayal was not greater than the
unwavering loyalty he had for him and the family. It would be a
miracle if Giovanni ever made him
consigliere
again. Good
thing for Dominic, he believed in miracles. Having won Catalina’s
heart was proof they did exist. Dominic swallowed the sob in his
throat and made sure to blink away any tears. “I will use this
grace between us to earn your respect. One day, Gio, you will see
sparing my life doesn’t make you weak. It makes us all strong. I am
loyal to you, brother. Truly. I will prove it.”

Giovanni’s brows lowered and his mouth curled
into a threatening sneer. “We shall see.”

Chapter Three

La notte di Capodanno
– New Year’s Eve

Mira literally dragged herself to her room.
Her arms, back, knees, and hands ached so badly, she had to wait
for Leo to open the door for her to enter. Before crossing under
the threshold, she sucked in a deep breath and smoothed her limp
listless hair from her face. All in a vain attempt to appear
anything but what she was, exhausted. She may have really overdone
it this time, but with the help of her new apprentices, Rosetta and
Catalina, her dress was finished, and beautiful. She even managed
to make a miniature one for their daughter, and a nice one for
Catalina.

It was late. Already New Year’s Eve had crept
in and now her wedding day was on the horizon. She needed rest and
lots of sleep before the big event, and prayed silently that
Giovanni had retired early. He hadn’t. He was in the bed propped up
by a stack of pillows, reading papers with the night lamp on. His
gaze zeroed in on her, and swept her appearance. Mira felt her
heart flutter at the look of disapproval he wore.

“
Ciao
,” she said in the
cheeriest voice she could summon. She walked stiffly toward the bed
and the door closed behind her, thanks to Leo.

Giovanni tossed the papers aside.
“
Madonna!
It’s two o’clock in the fucking morning! Do you
know what it took not to come upstairs and drag you back here
myself?”

“
Somebody’s grumpy this morning,”
she sighed, sitting on the bed with her back to him.

“
Grumpy? I’m angry, Bella!
Ammazza!
”

“
Lower your voice. Eve’s
asleep.”

“
She isn’t here. See for
yourself!”

Mira glanced back toward the open door to her
daughter’s room. “What?”

“
Zia took her to her room, since
her mother couldn’t be bothered to see to her bath and
bed.”

“
Well she had her father now didn’t
she?” she answered back with a burdened sigh. “I had her all day,
Giovanni. Zia is a great help, yes, but make no mistake, I don’t
shove our daughter off on others.” Rising, she felt a sharp cramp
in her pelvis. It made her heart skip a beat with worry. But she
masked the pain from him, being careful not to touch herself. She
sluggishly moved toward the bathroom.

“
What’s wrong?” he said, reading
her discomfort, despite her efforts to conceal it.

“
I just want to shower and go to
bed. I’m really tired.”

He was out of the bed and approaching fast.
Before she reached the bathroom door he stopped her, turning her to
face him. His hand cupped the side of her face and he stared down
at her. “What’s wrong?”

“
Nothing, nothing.” She forced
levity to her voice when she spoke. “I have good news. The dress is
done. I think it might be the best one I’ve ever made.”

“
Why? Why do this? I had Gucci send
over dresses and you sent them away. You’re pregnant. Can’t you
allow me this much? It’s not about controlling you, it’s protecting
you.”

“
I’m too tired to fight with you. I
just told you that I finished my dress and this is all you have to
say? Stop it,” she began to weep. “I’m so tired of trying to
explain everything to you.”

“
How am I torturing you when all
I’m trying to do is understand you, Bella? Don’t cry.” He swept her
up in his arms and held her. He then walked her to the bed. The bed
felt like a sea of clouds and the cool sheets were so inviting, she
nearly passed out when she eased under the covers. He joined her.
She clung to him and buried her face in his chest. “I just wanted
the perfect dress. I wanted to feel like I could still do it, like
when Fabiana was here. Nothing can replace her or what we created
together. Catalina and Rosetta tried but they aren’t her. No one
can replace her! Will it ever stop hurting? Ever?”

“
You’re pushing yourself too
hard.”

“
I needed to feel normal, Giovanni.
This is my way.”

He stroked the back of her head. “Then you
will do it. I’ll build you a place here. I’ll bring in whatever you
need. You’ll have it again, Bella, I swear. Listen to me,
Cara
, it’s normal to miss her, to feel pain is okay. The
difference is you aren’t alone. We can grieve together for
Fabiana.”

“
It’s been two years.”

“
Doesn’t matter. When you left me,
I grieved for you every night. I dreamed of you nearly every
night.”

“
You did?” She lifted her face and
looked up at him.

“
Every night.” He nodded. “There
were times when I prayed to not wake up, it hurt so
bad.”

“
I’m sorry for what I put you
through.”

“
Shhh… I did more to you than
you’ve ever done to me. I’ve changed your life, and not all of it
for the better. But you forgive me of my sins. You accept me for
who I am. It’s time I accept you for who you are. The black
Americana
dress maker. My dress maker.”

Mira smiled.

“
I know you miss her, so don’t try
to hide it from me. Ever.”

She released the stress of the day in his
arms, allowing him to hold her.

“
It’s
Capodonna
. Tonight we
see the last of the past. We start fresh with a new year. Our year,
Bella.”

“
Yes. I need a do over, Giovanni. I
want to forget the year, the past two years, and start
again.”

Giovanni could feel her trembling against him.
He was concerned. He couldn’t be mad at her for wanting to make
their day special. To him it was just a dress. Now he knew it
symbolized much more to her. She needed this, and he needed her
whole. “Bella?”

“
Mmm,” she exhaled.

“
Do you know the name of your
father? Was there ever a name given to you as a child?”

Her head lifted. She had beautiful amber-brown
eyes under sweeping lashes. One look into them and he nearly lost
his train of thought. Then she spoke and reminded him of the
question. “Why do you want to know about him?”

“
We’re family now. I need to know
everything about the people who created you. I’ve told you
everything about my parents.”

“
True.” She agreed. “His name is
James Walker. He was the boy my mother ran away with when she was
sixteen.”

“
Where is he now?”

“
I don’t know. When I was seven, my
grandmother told me she believed he was my father, but only after I
came home from being teased by the kids in school. The Walkers
didn’t acknowledge me. I had cousins and aunts, but no one would
really have anything to do with me. I heard rumors in high school
that James Walker was serving a double life sentence for killing
people in Philadelphia. That’s all I ever knew. I never pursued the
truth.”

Giovanni listened to the strange tale. A
mother who was a drug addict and a father, who was a murderer, had
a child with a very rare gold bracelet sired by a private jeweler
to the most notorious men in Sicily. None of it made sense. “Is
that everything?”

“
Yes, Giovanni. It’s all I know,”
she yawned.

He kissed the top of her head. “Sleep. For as
long as you need. I’m here.”

She kissed his chest and snuggled up against
him, and soon he heard her light snoring. He glanced up at the
ceiling. “James Walker?”

Morning –

The most beautiful melody filled the room. It
was a private pleasure. As if the loveliness radiated from her
heart. She smiled in her sleep. Her fleeting dreams of sewing
needles and deadlines cleared, and soon she woke to an unexpected
reality. Her eyes parted a fraction, then wider. Mira’s gaze
drifted to the left. Giovanni sat at her bedside, strumming the
strands of a guitar. The sight of him with the instrument startled
her. She shot upright.
He owned a guitar? He played the
guitar?
Blue rose petals fell away from her chest. Covered all
over the sheets were the petals. In several clear crystal vases,
the long stem rose was on display. What girl wouldn’t love the
sight of a blue rose?

He seemed at ease in a white t-shirt and
jeans. He concentrated on the rhythmic plucking of his fingers, and
then lifted his gaze. When he was like this, calm and loving, his
irises held the most beautiful color of violet. Today, she could
read the depths of passion smoldering in his intense stare. She
didn’t know the appropriate response to the man at her bedside. He
had truly taken her by surprise. It was such an honest and pure
moment between them, she felt if she spoke, the binding of his
heart to hers would weaken. The air she breathed became so
concentrated in her lungs, she swallowed several times to capture a
needed breath. Mira settled back into the pillows, maintaining his
stare as he played his guitar for her. And it wasn’t an ordinary
instrument. The surface looked as if it was made of ivory, and the
rawhide cover of the back confirmed that it was indeed a well-cared
for custom piece. The long neck of the guitar had his name written
on the surface, and the tuning pegs looked to be made of
gold.

Giovanni began to sing to her in
Italian.

Out of his mouth came a thick husky voice that
carried a tune well over the words, “
il mio cuore batte solo per
te”.
The translation made her smile. He said his heart beats
only for her. She wished she knew the song. She would sing it with
him, because the feelings were mutual. Last night he comforted her,
and today she felt a renewed sense of love between them. He smiled
at her and winked. The man before her was the only one she knew and
adored. Let him be their Don. For her and Eve, he would be husband
and father. Mira touched her tummy protectively.

“
Bravo!” she clapped.

He bowed his head in humble acceptance of her
praise.

“
What is all of this?” she
asked.

“
It’s how I wanted you to begin
your day. Especially on the eve before you become mine,” he said,
setting the guitar aside.

“
I’m already yours.” She leaned
over and kissed him, keeping her lips pressed so he wouldn’t be
exposed to her morning breath. But Giovanni was insistent for more.
He captured her lips for a deeper kiss that melted her beneath the
sheets. He chuckled when she bit his bottom lip and drew back,
sucking away the sting. “I thought you would sing outside my window
like Franco did for Catalina. Or is the Don unwilling to show the
family his talents.”