La Sposa
Authors: Sienna Mynx
Tags: #crime, #drama, #mafia, #ir, #bwwm erotica, #bwwm contemporary romance, #bwwm erotic romance
La Sposa
Published by The Divas Pen LLC
Copyright 2013 Sienna Mynx
Cover design by Reese Dante
Interior layout:
www.formatting
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[email protected]. This book is a work of fiction. The
characters, events, and places portrayed in this book are products
of the author’s imagination and are either fictitious or are used
fictitiously. Any similarity to real persons, living or dead, is
purely coincidental and not intended by the author.
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Dedication
To the lovely ladies of the facebook fan group
Sienna Mynx Lounge,
I want to say thank you for the laughs,
prayers, and unwavering support you give. Giovanni and Mira’s story
thrives because of you! After
La Sposa
the journey truly
begins! –
Sienna Mynx
Table of Contents
Prelude to Giovanni’s Big
Day
Sorrento Italy, November 1963
Giovanni, in his schoolboy uniform,
lay flat on his tummy with his legs up, and crossed at the ankle.
The assignment Sister Mary gave today instructed each pupil on how
to spell the names of every family member under their roof. In his
family he had over thirty, including the men who served his father,
and the cousins who often came to visit and always found reasons to
stay. He traced out the letters and concentrated on the spelling
without the assistance of anyone. Once done, a great sense of pride
swelled in his chest. He sat up on his knees and studied his
schoolwork. At six years old he had the best penmanship of any peer
in his class. Ma-ma would be glad of his accomplishment. As he rose
to his feet with pencil and paper in hand his gaze flickered up and
his attention froze. As far as his sight could reach stretched a
massive bookcase replete with literary classics. Rows and rows of
books both small and tall were neatly aligned or stacked between
black marble lion bookends. Giovanni loved to read. But he could
only read the books approved by the church. His stirrings of
intellectual curiosity peeked constantly over what lay between the
leather- bound books kept from his reach, especially the fictional
tales told in English. One day he’d speak English and travel to
America on a pirate’s ship! One day.
“
Gio?” his mother Evelyn entered
the reading room. “There you are, beloved. Let’s get you changed,”
she gestured for him to follow. “Your father has retuned, he’ll
want to see you before dinner.”
“
Papa!” Giovanni gasped. The pencil
dropped from his hand and so did his schoolwork. Both were
forgotten. The nuns whispered that Don Tomosino would return from
Sicily on this day, but Giovanni had been disappointed
before.
“
Papa’s home? You sure?”
Evelyn nodded with a smile. “You
didn’t think he would miss your birthday did you?”
“
No!” Giovanni grinned. “In two
days I turn seven! And Papa’s here.”
His mother was just over
five-foot-four, and to some she looked like a child herself. Born
of plain and homely kindness, her beauty was a rare natural mix of
fair skin, fiery red hair, and eyes as clear as summer rain.
Evelyn, who most called Eve, had long crinkly locks that flowed to
her waist. Each day she smoothed the wild curls into a single
braid, but when his Papa came home Tomosino insisted she wore her
hair loose behind a blue ribbon as she did today. Blue was Evelyn’s
favorite color and the Don made sure they had a garden of blue
roses all year round. The delicate flower matched the color of her
eyes under slender blondish-red brows and long lashes. Today she
was ready to receive Papa. She wore a white dress with tiny blue
flowers laced in the fabric, which belted tightly along her petite
waist with a skirt that belled out over her hips stopping just
above her knees. The short puffy sleeves and button down front made
her beauty modest, but her heavy bosom emphasized feminine traits
that separated a woman from a child. Most were unkind to his
mother, especially the nuns who ran his parochial school. However,
Evelyn never showed any reaction. She had a smile and sweet word
for everyone.
“
I will go see him!” Giovanni
announced. He ran for the door. Evelyn knelt and caught him by the
waist.
“
Slow down, Gio.” Evelyn released a
soft amused chuckle. “He’s with his men and a visitor. You know he
doesn’t like to be disturbed.” She rubbed his cheek. His mother’s
touch was always so calming. Giovanni could feel the patter of his
heartbeat slow. “Let Ma-ma talk to him and he will send for you.
Okay?”
“
Aww!” Giovanni pouted.
Evelyn chuckled. “Tu vai. It won’t
be long. I promise.”
“
Sí, Ma-ma.” Giovanni kissed her
lips. She patted him on the butt and sent him out the door. Half
way down the hall he heard his father’s laughter echo like thunder.
Papa had returned in a good mood! The march of hard footfalls grew
stronger and he knew they were coming his way. He hadn’t seen his
Papa in almost a month. The excitement over their reunion
encouraged him to abandon his mother’s wishes. Giovanni turned and
went through the adjoining parlor to his father’s office. If his
Papa decided to conduct business inside the villa today, he knew
exactly where the men would post up. The parlor near the gardens
had an adjoining door connecting to his father’s private study.
Giovanni pressed his hands to the large wood surface and gave a
hard push. He peeked inside. The dark room with no windows had the
lamplights on in preparation for his father’s return. The men often
drank and smoked cigars within these four walls. He entered and
drew the door shut behind him. His gaze swiveled to the desk taller
than him. It was made of dark wood and had carvings engraved into
the surface. Giovanni had no clue as to what they meant. It served
often as his hiding place when he was in trouble.
Quickly he went around the desk and
dropped to his hands and knees. Just as he crawled under, he heard
the door to his father’s office open and his father
approaching.
“
Agh! Balle! I’ve heard enough.”
Don Tomosino roared. “Already you want to return to America and you
feed me bullshit to justify it! I’ve invited you to my home. And
you must go? Now, of all times, when we have the Ciaculli bullshit
to deal with.”
“
I can’t undo what was done,
Tomosino. I told the Grecos not to push the feud this far. The
death of those police officers was an unfortunate
consequence.”
“
And now we have an anti-mafia
movement that is reaching all the way to the Campania and Camorra.
Now it is my problem and as my only ally to the Mafiosi you must
see why it is important that you stay and help me deal with
it.”
“
Flavio, help me here. You’re
consigliere, tell him how badly things are for us all in Palermo.
The Dons are not listening to reason; thousands of men have been
arrested or fled. It’s time we all pull back.”
When Flavio didn’t answer the
stranger, Giovanni heard the man grunt in frustration. “Many have
left Sicily, Tomosino. Most are in Canada and the States. You need
to come across the water. Business is good. You will see the
benefit of what we are doing there. The families in Philadelphia
are primed for leadership. We are strong. Much stronger than in
Sicily.” The stranger boasted.
Tomosino chuckled. “Fuck the
Americanas. It’s not about business with you it’s about your
plaything!”
This time the challenge was bereft
of humor. A steely silence filled the room. The stranger spoke, his
voice low and exact. “Leave her out of this.”