La Famiglia (31 page)

“Why did you put the bracelet on Eve’s wrist?” he asked.

Mira glanced at Eve’s wrist. Her daughter seemed oblivious to it now. Earlier Eve was fascinated with the jewelry and touched it constantly. “It fits. So cute.”

“It’s a family heirloom. You should put it up don’t you think? Let Eve wear it on special occasions,” Giovanni said. He worked the training pamper off Eve and Mira grabbed the baby bag to hand him the wipes.

“You’re right. That reminds me, Catalina saw the bracelet.”

“And?” Giovanni asked. Eve flipped over and he turned her again to finish changing her.

“She said it looked like a copy of a man named Del Stavio.”

Giovanni froze. He looked over at her. “She said what?”

“Give her to me, Gio. You’ve got to secure the sides, baby,” Mira sighed. Giovanni let Eve go and she went to her mother and lay out across her lap.

“What exactly did Catalina say?” Giovanni asked.

“You’re getting to be a big girl aren’t you, baby?” Mira cooed at Eve. “Soon we have to buy you your own bed.”

Eve laughed and started playing with her bracelet.

“What did she say, Bella?”

“Huh? Oh, remember the man? The one that got the visas for Fabiana and me? I think his name was Manchichis?”

“Mancini?” Giovanni corrected her.

“Him. Yes. She said the jeweler was his. And some other Dons here in Sicily. That the jeweler only made custom pieces for the mafia families. So I figured…” Mira lifted Eve and let her hug her belly. “My mother must have met some Sicilians in America. Someone made a counterfeit bracelet. Isn’t that strange?”

Giovanni didn’t answer.

“Not surprising,” Mira continued. “If I hadn’t had it tested to prove it was real gold I would have thought it was fake. My mother was a strange woman.”

“Take the bracelet off Eve. I couldn’t get the clasp open last night.” Giovanni demanded.

Mira looked over to her husband. He looked pale. “What’s wrong? You feel sick?”

“Take it off, Bella. Now!”

She removed the bracelet from Eve’s wrist. She turned it over and looked at the insignia. “See? Here it is? This is the one that looks like it belonged to Del Stavio.”

Giovanni took the bracelet and never looked at it. He got up from the bed and went to retrieve her bag. Mira found it odd that he knew exactly where to put it. “It’s destiny isn’t it, honey?”

He glanced back at her.

“That bracelet is how I knew you were a man of your word. I swear when you found it for me that was the sexiest thing.” Mira smiled. “Remember? When I ran from your room and you came after me. Remember what you told me? I think the next day we made Eve.”

Giovanni smiled. “Yea, I remember.”

“If my purse wasn’t snatched… if Mancini never leased that building to us… if you weren’t Lorenzo’s cousin and met me in Bellagio… we’d never have Eve. Our family, and our life together may have never happened.
Destino
.” Mira blew him a kiss.

Giovanni returned to bed. He took Eve from her and pulled her over to sit closer. She liked the quiet moments between them. Eve seemed to settle down when her father held her.

“I was thinking that I would take Eve down to Mondello’s beaches. Catalina said there are some great shops there she wants to show me. Will it be okay? I mean I’m scared of this placenta thing,” Mira said.

“No. You shouldn’t go for long walks in the shopping market. A walk over to Serenity, our villa, would be okay but nothing more strenuous.”

“Wanna come? We can let Eve build sand castles,” Mira joked.

“Can you delay it? There’s something else you should know,” Giovanni sighed.

“Okay?” Mira asked.

“Lorenzo has returned.” Giovanni answered.

Mira felt a surge of relief to hear that Lorenzo had returned. It had been months. Although Lorenzo wasn’t her favorite person she had begun to worry about him. It just didn’t seem like Lorenzo to stay away for so long.

“He came in last night? Really? Where has he been?”

“Off getting married,” Giovanni answered.

Mira froze. “Say that again?”

“Lorenzo married an American black woman named Marietta. You met her at the wedding. She came to Eve’s birthday party also.”

“My God. He did?” Mira put a hand to her chest. “I had no idea they were that serious.”

Giovanni shrugged. He looked away as if uncomfortable with the conversation. “They will be staying here for now,” he said. “Lorenzo and I… we have business. So I think you should make her feel at home. But… keep your distance. I want to look into her past. Learn more about who she is and where she is from.”

“That makes no sense. How am I to make her feel comfortable if I keep my distance?” Mira asked.

“We don’t know her, Bella. Bringing someone new into the family has to be done with caution. I think we keep it polite but not delve into anything personal. Let things develop.”

Mira nodded. She understood the rules of their life. Trust no one. But still she couldn’t help but be curious. She met Marietta at Eve’s birthday party after the wedding and the woman was kind of standoffish. Lorenzo choosing a black woman for his wife felt odd too. She knew of the scorn her husband received for his choice. Mira suspected he received some from Lorenzo too, but never heard or saw any proof of it.

“I guess he’s over Fabiana,” Mira said. “Well I need to get up and get dressed. I want to meet with Sophia and prepare a great dinner to celebrate.”

“Why?” Giovanni asked, bouncing Eve on his lap.

“We didn’t get invited to the wedding. Let’s make it a celebration for them. To show we’re happy for them both,” she eased out of bed smiling. She looked back over and discovered Giovanni watched her. “Take her to Cecilia’s room. Then come join me in the shower. I want a back rub.”

He smiled and nodded. “Will do.”

* B
*

“I don’t want to get out of bed. Can we lay here all day?” Marietta asked.

They were wrapped in each other’s arms on a mattress that felt as soft as clouds. The curtain around their bed was drawn. She felt like royalty. And with the doors to the balcony in their room open she could hear the sea.

“We can stay here for as long as you like. But I think we should get dressed and see the family. They really want to meet you.”

“Bullshit,” Marietta chuckled.

“Why do you say bullshit?” Lorenzo asked. He smacked her playfully on the ass.

“For starters look at you. What happened to you last night? Did King B freak out because we arrived unannounced? I’m not stupid, Lo. Your homecoming was not welcomed with roses. Right?”

“My cousin has a different way of showing love. Trust me everything is fine.” He took her chin and forced her face up to look into her eyes. “Enough of this shit with King B and Queen B. You will address him as
Don
Giovanni for now, and Gio when you two are more familiar. You will address Mirabella as
Donna
. Always, unless she tells you different. Do you understand?”

“I understand. But in private she’s Queen Black Barbie and he’s King Barbarian. Okay?”

Lorenzo chuckled. He shook his head and laughed until he winced in pain. “Let’s shower together. I wash your back you suck my dick—”

She elbowed him hard and he howled in pain. Marietta shot up. She rubbed his side as he turned over in agony. “I’m sorry, baby. I forgot. My God how hurt are you?” He remained balled tight. Panic went through her. “Lo? Lo? Talk to me. How bad is it? I’m so sorry.” She pulled on his shoulder. “Lo?”

Like the release of a tightly wound spring he seized her. Marietta squealed. He kissed her face and tickled her. She kicked under him and tried to push him off. Lorenzo bit her neck hard. Marietta laughed and shook her head.

“I want a morning kiss,” he said.

She lifted her arms around his neck. “Come here and I’ll give you one.”

“A proper kiss,” Lorenzo dropped over to his back and pulled her with him. He then lifted her by her hips. Marietta braced her hands to the headboard. Lorenzo cupped her ass with both hands and lifted her as if she weighed nothing. He brought her pussy down on his bruised face.

“Lo… Wait!” she gasped.

He groaned and swept his tongue up from her pussy to the swollen nub of her clit. Shock held her immobile for a moment. She bumped her head on the headboard as her eyes fluttered shut. His mouth nibbled her and then he proceeded to tickle her clit with his tongue and started foreplay that sent spasms of pleasure through her pelvis. Marietta worked her hips as her pussy was rubbed back and forth over his open mouth. His tongue teased the entrance of her pussy. And the involuntary clenching of her inner walls left him gasping, wheezing. The climax he drove through her had her beating her head against the hard wood and digging her nails into the grain.

Lorenzo lapped up her sweet juices and she trembled and wept with joy. He brought her down his chest and opened his legs to force her to lie back between them. Her knees were spread. Her feet rested on either side of his hips, on the bed. The glistening pink walls of her pussy were on display. He thumbed her and her breath gusted from her. The sight of her beautiful body, the thin gold chain she wore around her waist that connected to the diamond piercing in her navel, and her bushy curly hair splayed wildly around her face excited him. Something akin to raw, primitive love inside of Lorenzo sharpened the hardcore edge of lust making his cock pulse for domination.

Her large eyes glittered. “What you waiting for, baby?” she asked.

“No one will ever touch you again, Marie. I’ll kill any man that does. Do you understand me?”

She reached down and touched herself for him. “Of course not. I’m your wife. Forever.”

Lorenzo groaned. He watched her fingers play with her sweet pussy. He wanted her to feel him. The stretch of his cock, the heat of his dick as he owned her. He put a hand to hers to stop her and she moved her hand away. He angled his cock at her opening and she stretched her arms above her head. He was sitting up. She laid flat to her back. She wrapped her legs around his waist as soon as he entered her. He had dragged her a bit closer and his dick tunneled deeper. His gaze fastened on her nipples. The dark almond brown peaks tightened as her breasts quivered with each measured thrust. She arched her hips to angle his strike better.

He lifted her to bring her to his chest, in the upright position, but he slipped out of her. “Come on, baby, slide that juicy pussy over my dick,” he chuckled.

Marietta centered her sex and eased back down on him. Lorenzo wielded a steady stare of dominance neither could break. He now had her by the hips and controlled her rise and fall on his dick with ferocious intensity. Through gritted teeth she breathed in and out of flared nostrils. When their bodies joined this way she felt desperately in love with him. It explained why they’d fuck three to four times a day on the yacht. There was never enough sex for either of them.

And she loved to watch him too. The muscle alongside his jaw flexed and she cupped the side of his face in her hand, while holding on to him with her other arm around his neck. Marietta knew he was no closer to a climax than she. Which meant he’d be fucking her all morning. She clung to him, shuddered against him and gave in to his passion.

This is what it felt like to be married…

* B
*

Mira nodded that she agreed with everything on the menu for the family brunch she intended to serve. Most had already started gathering on the outside terrace for coffee and pastries. “Looks very delicious, Sophia.”

“
Donna
, I have a request,” Sophia said in a voice so soft she barely heard her.

“Okay?” Mira asked.

“My sister is ill. She lives in Bagheria. I need to see to her.” Sophia turned and looked to the floor instead of Mira as she shared the story of her sister’s chronic illness. Mira felt her heart break with sympathy. “I hate to do this with you and the family here but I have to leave this afternoon. I would like Carmella to come and see to the cooking and household needs. She needs the work,
Donna,
and she is a good girl. I swear she would not do anything—”

“It’s okay,” Mira smiled. Carmella’s return meant so little in the grand scheme of things. It was silly for her to be jealous of the woman. “She can come back and work here. Do you need anything? Anything?”

“No.” Sophia said with tears in her eyes. She walked over and hugged Mira. The gesture was so tight Mira felt another pang of sympathy. “Forgive me,
Donna
, I have no choice.”

“Of course you don’t.” Mira rubbed her back. “No worries, Sophia. Anthony has been a great help and Carmella will be too. Thank you for taking care of my family.”

“
Grazie, Donna
.
Tante grazie
.”

Mira let her go. She picked up a tray of meat and cheeses and so did Sophia. They brought the food to the family. Everyone was gathered except for the newlyweds. However, they were the talk of the conversation.