La Sposa (49 page)

She smiled. “No. Don’t bring her here. I don’t
want her to see me in the hospital.”

“
I’ll check on her all the same. I
need to make a call, Bella. I’ll be back. Okay?”

“
You staying the night? Maybe you
should go home to Eve. She might be upset that we’re both
gone.”

“
I’ll make sure she is okay. But
I’m not leaving you alone tonight. Eat up.”

She nodded and ate with a forced smile; and he
forced his legs to move, to leave her. Following the nun out of the
room, she brought him to an office. He was given the code to dial
out and he waited for her to close the door. He sat down behind the
desk and called the hotel in America.

“
Hello?” Dominic asked, his voice
groggy with the need of sleep.

“
When do you return?” Giovanni
asked.

“
Two days. I need to take care of a
few things, and then I’ll be on a flight out.”

“
Something more important than you
telling me my wife is the daughter of Marsuvio Mancini?” Giovanni
asked through clenched teeth.

“
We need facts, Gio. I plan to
bring them to you. I shouldn’t have blurted that out on the phone
without them. Also, I plan to get everything in order to make sure
your business interests are okay. Trust me.”

“
The problem is, I don’t trust
you.”

Silence settled between them.

“
There is something else. I met
with Kei Hyogo. He’s returning to China on a voluntary extradition.
He’s made threats.”

“
I can handle him.”

“
Against Mira and Eve.”

The comment set his teeth on edge. Giovanni
reclined back. “Then he’s a dead man.”

“
Exactly why I need these two days
to ensure it.”

“
Fine. Two days. I have Mira to
think about and I can’t deal with this shit until then. Don’t
breathe a word of any of this to anyone in the family.”

“
Never.” Dominic said. “Giovanni, I
will do everything to protect Mira for you. I can be the
consigliere
you need. If you give me a chance.”

Giovanni hung up on him. He rocked back in his
chair. He would focus on Mira, and making her stronger. Whatever
story Domi had to tell, he didn’t want to hear it. Not
now.

Chapter Thirteen

Destino
- Destiny

Three Days Later –

“
She’s missed having her mother to
herself,” Giovanni said.

It was as if her daughter knew what had
happened. Eve hadn’t let go of Mira since they were reunited. Mira
held Eve snug to her chest, feeling stronger from her baby girl’s
need for mothering. She kissed her constantly, babied her, and
fulfilled her mommy duties. She was so grateful for so many
things.

“
Do you know that when Eve first
saw me, she gave me her pacifier? Insisted that I give it a suck.
It’s the most treasured possession she has and she gave it to me.
Isn’t that sweet? You wanted to make Mama feel better, didn’t you
baby?”

“
She has your heart, and your
beauty.” Giovanni smiled.

Today, Mira felt no fear. It was a welcomed
change. For two days, she’d lived in a constant state of worry over
losing the life they created, this love, and their family. Their
baby meant more to them than either dared say aloud. Even now, she
and Giovanni avoided the discussion over how close she came to a
miscarriage. Talking as if they knew this miracle would come. It
had turned them from open communication towards a game of pretend
that the threat of a miscarriage didn’t still lurk in the shadows
of their minds. Mira exhaled and refused to give in to worry. Two
of her husband’s fingers traced down the side of her cheek under
her chin. Mira loved when he touched her this way.

“
You are better, Bella. So is our
bambino
. Right?”

“
Yes.” Mira agreed. “The doctor
said I was dehydrated. I know I was a bit overwhelmed and stressed
with everything that has happened the past month. I will take
better care of myself.”

“
That’s my job,” he
winked.

The car made the slow drive through the narrow
streets of Sorrento, turning the stone shoulders of limestone
buildings with laundry hanging from the upstairs windows. Sorrento
was a quiet, innocent little town out of step with the rest of the
hurried bustle of major cities. Each day, it felt more like
home.

Giovanni stretched his eyes to ward off
fatigue. He’d barely slept while watching over her each night until
he could bring her out of the hospital. He was tired and ready for
home. Before they released Mira, they heard the baby’s heartbeat
for the first time. It was strong, just like his wife.

“
Have you spoken to Catalina and
Domi? I was wondering how they were doing.”

“
They return today. My surprise for
you.”

“
So soon?” Mira sounded
disappointed. He knew she expected them to stay tangled in her
business affairs for weeks. But Dominic was needed here. He didn’t
bother to explain why.

“
Things are going well. Soon you
will have your company again. And I will have my dressmaker again,
creating pretty dresses to seduce me.”

Mira laughed. “Will you be easy to seduce when
I’m big as a whale? I gained forty pounds with Eve.” Their daughter
lifted her head at the sound of her name. She blinked up at her
mother and then pressed her face back to her breast.

“
I love my, Bella, curves and all,”
Giovanni reassured her.

The car eased to a crawl as it passed through
the gates of
Melanzana
. Everyone knew she’d been in the
ospedale
. Giovanni had accepted only one visitor, Santo. It
was a necessary business exchange. Other than the brief meeting,
every moment was spent at her side. Today she looked rested and
radiant, just as she did the day she drove out of the gates to be
his bride.

“
Look, baby. Look who’s waiting,”
Mira turned Eve in her lap. Eve blinked and stared out past the
smoky tinted window. Zia clasped her hands over her mouth. You’d
think they’d been apart months instead of a week. “You have missed
your Zia haven’t you?” Mira laughed.

“
And I hear she’s missed her too.”
Giovanni added.

The car barely rolled to a stop before Zia was
at the door, pulling hard on the handle to open it. Eve stretched
her arms out, bouncing on Mira’s lap. Mira set her down and Eve
went to the door as soon as Zia stuck her hand in.

“
Gio, Mira, so glad you’re home.
You were missed.
Ciao bella mia, Evie
.” She took her into
her arms and lifted her out of the car.

“
Well, that’s settled then.” Mira
smiled. “We’re home.”

“
Wait.” Giovanni placed his hand on
hers. “Will you be embarrassed if I carry my wife
inside?”

“
I can walk. I’m not
fragile.”

“
It’s not that. I want to carry you
in because I want this time to be different than all the others.
You are my wife now.”

She leaned over and kissed him. “Then I say,
let’s get carried away, shall we?”

Napoli –

Lorenzo stalked through the wine bar to the
back rooms. He shoved open double doors and entered a dim corridor
with a low sagging ceiling that had a dark unhealthy reek. The
single, tiny, airless room full of dust and shadows was crowded
with twelve-foot- tall wine racks and barrels stacked in cramped
corners. He could hear the shouting jeers of a rambunctious crowd
behind the wooden door to the back. The stench of male sweat, wine,
and cigarillos greeted him first when he opened the door. This
would be the third place he’d visited out of six, and he hoped his
last. One of Carlo’s whores swore this is where he’d gone off to.
After two days of searching for him, he was exhausted and angry. He
hadn’t even paid proper respect to Giovanni and Mira.

The men shouted. ‘Hit him again’ another
yelled, ‘Take him down’ in Italian. Lorenzo stood taller than most.
But the moving crowd made it hard to see the two in combat. He
shoved a few out of his way and several others parted out of
respect. Circling the dusty wood floor was Carlo, shirtless,
bleeding from the face. He swung his massive fist at the fighter
and missed. He swung again and connected. The man’s head snapped
back, nearly detaching from his shoulders. But he recovered
quickly. He took a swing and landed it on Carlo’s jaw. His friend
sprayed the crowd with blood from his mouth and nostrils. The two
men locked in arms, circled, and broke free. Carlo must have seized
another gust of strength and energy. This time, he landed several
consecutive punches to his opponent’s face and chest before he
drove the poor fool to his knees. The man dropped and sagged
forward after a hard slap. Carlo then grabbed the man by the hair
and wrapped his arm around his neck to give a hard twist. Even over
the laughter of the men, Lorenzo could hear the bones in the man’s
neck snap. Everyone cheered. To the death, these matches went. And
his boy looked like he wanted the reaper to pay him a visit
next.

The ring master proclaimed Carlo the winner.
The men started paying out bets and Carlo was given a jug of wine
for his reward. He turned it up and knocked those cheering him on
out of the way. Lorenzo followed. Carlo walked into a bathroom with
just a sink and toilet. The walls were brown and stained, the floor
soaked in blood and excrement. He sat the jug of wine in the crusty
sink and spat clots of blood in the dirty toilet.

“
So, you go missing for three days
and this is what you’ve been doing?”

“
Why the fuck are you here?” he
answered with disinterest.

Lorenzo closed the door, cutting off his
escape. Carlo leaned against the wall with his hands pressed flat
and arms extended. His head bowed, he spat again in the
toilet.

“
It’s fucked up. The
cugine
died.” Lorenzo said.

“
On your watch.”

“
Still, he’s dead. Why cry over
it?” Lorenzo fired back.

“
He had a fucking name.” Carlo
nearly snarled.

“
And?”

“
Say it! Say his fucking name!”
Carlo slammed his fist into the wall, causing the plaster to split
and crack deeply.

“
What the hell is the matter with
you? Since when does a
cugine
get this kind of mourning from
us?”

Carlo laughed, and his laughter sounded close
to madness. He turned and Lorenzo was sure his best friend had
indeed gone mad. “Since when? When the sorry fucker is my baby
brother.”

“
Your brother?”

Carlo turned and dropped on the toilet.
“Fucking kid’s a bastard, one of many my father left behind. I
collect my father’s bastards and turn them into men.” Carlo
chuckled. “My sister told me about Carmine when the
carabiniere
snatched him up for robbing some tourists. He’d
been living on the streets after his mother died. Stealing. Running
with the fucking gypsies. Doing whatever he could to
survive.”

“
Why didn’t you tell
me?”

A deep sigh escaped Carlo. “I never told
Carmine. I got the kid out of his trouble and told him he’d be my
shadow. I offered to make him a man. Something our papa never did.
I wanted him to stand on his own two feet. That’s why I brought him
in. I was going to protect him. I swear it. He was ready. I swear
he was. I know he was.” Carlo choked down the rest of his tale, in
a voice clogged with emotion. “That’s why I gave him to you. Only
to make him tougher so Gio would see his merit. I fucking pushed
him too soon. He should have disarmed Capriccio first. First!
First! First!” Carlo pounded his fist into his hand. “I told him
this! He knew the play. Why didn’t he do it? I was wrong. I killed
him.”

Lorenzo had really screwed this one up. He
didn’t know what to say to his friend. So, he said nothing. The
only reason Carmine was dead was because his best friend had
trusted the life of his brother to his killer.

Carlo wiped the blood and tears from his eyes.
“Get the fuck out. Leave me to it.”

“
It went down bad. If I had known
who he was I…”

“
What? What could you have done?
Carmine took a bullet like the one waiting for each of us. Right?
This is my fuck up not yours.”

“
Listen to me. You need to clean
yourself up. Giovanni is back. He’ll send for us soon. I even heard
that Domi is returning early. I need you to be on your
feet.”

Carlo reached over to the sink and grabbed the
jug of wine.

Lorenzo couldn’t drag him out. He couldn’t
convince a drunkard to put down the bottle. What the fuck could he
do?

“
You want to die?”

“
That’s the point.” Carlo chuckled,
taking another swig.

“
Fine. Then fight me.
Andiamo!
”

Carlo blinked at him. Lorenzo opened the door.
He shed his suit jacket and started to unbutton his shirt. Carlo
stumbled out looking at him, confused. “Get the fuck out of here.
I’m not going to kill you, Lo.”