La Sposa (3 page)

Lucky for her, she and Catalina found enough
of her sewing kits in a storage cellar to be used. Still, she would
need to order better equipment if she was to resume her
passion.

Mira paused on the steps. It dawned on her.
Her agitation had spiked in the past few days. Not only did she
miss her lover, but she missed something else. Her work. Having to
delay her passion to tend to the needs of the family had left her
scattered and unsure of her priorities. Now she would have to learn
to balance both. Just as Fabiana would always tell her, she
realized if she focused, she could do whatever she set her heart
to. And her heart wanted to design again. Mira would also have to
think of a creative way to convince Giovanni she could manage the
task. Smiling, she hurried up the final steps to the sewing
room.

*****

Giovanni yawned and then released a sharp
exhalation of breath.
Fuck this.
He was beyond tired. He was
dead on his feet. It was just after midnight. He missed dinner and
another evening with Mira and Eve. The desperate need to see and
hold them both forced him to leave a day ahead of schedule. “Did
you call Domi?” he asked.

Lorenzo nodded.

“
And?”

“
Domi has secured a chapel for you
and Mira in
Conca dei Marini
near Amalfi. Father Anthony has
agreed to oversee the wedding even though Mira isn’t catholic. He
will perform the traditional ceremony. Everything is arranged.
Security will be extended. Access will be limited to those approved
by me personally. No press.”

“
And after?”

“
Capri?” Lorenzo glanced over with
a raised brow. Giovanni nodded that he approved. Lorenzo returned
his gaze to the road. “Done. I will make sure your yacht is
ready.”

“
If the sea permits it I’d like to
take her to the Blue Grotto.”

“
Lucky lady. She gets a Don with a
soft side for
amore
. Will you serenade her too with that
dusty guitar of yours?” Lorenzo mocked.

Giovanni scoffed. “Just fucking see to
it.”

“
I can’t very well control the
weather, Gio.” Lorenzo pointed to the storm clouds moving in from
the east.

“
I suggest you try,” Giovanni
grumbled. His eyes closed. The last time he had a solid night’s
sleep was in her arms.
What was it? Two or three days since he
last touched her, held her, been with her?
Giovanni’s lids felt
as if weights were attached to his lashes. “Go on. What has she
been up to?”

“
She’s been busy since you left,
Gio. She’s making her dress. Had them bring up her sewing equipment
from one of the cellars, and special fabric delivered out of
Napoli. She works for hours in that sewing room.”

His eyes opened. “Dress? Working? She’s
pregnant.”

Lorenzo kept driving.

Giovanni sighed. “
Madonna Santa!
What
is she thinking? I shouldn’t have left. Three days is too
long.”

“
It couldn’t be helped. If you
hadn’t met with
Ndrangheta
the truce with Bonaduce would not
have held. This had to be handled personally.”

“
She’s delicate now. My Bella needs
constant reassurance. I can feel it. The press at our gates, the
messy matter with the China man, and the whole Domi and Catalina
bullshit makes me look weak to her,” he said through clenched
teeth. “And now I’ve forgotten the dress. Ring Maurizio Gucci and
have him send over the best of dresses for my Bella. Tell him it is
my wish that he personally sees to it.”

“
Speaking of your wishes.”
Lorenzo’s gaze slipped over to him. “Are you aware Catalina has
left
Melanzana
to stay with Domi in Napoli?” Giovanni’s gaze
switched from the road to Lorenzo and his cousin looked as repulsed
by the news as he was to hear it. “They have Mira’s approval to
fuck each other off the premises.
Che pecatto
,” Lorenzo said
with a dark sneer.

Giovanni wiped his hand down his face and
grimaced. He hadn’t dealt with everything because of the Bonaduce
fall out, but he intended to. Dominic and Catalina would be
together. It was his Bella’s wish. However, he had wishes of his
own, stipulations they’d adhere to or he’d crush their new love
before it blossomed. “Call them both and tell them tomorrow
morning, they are to meet me at
Villa Rosso
.”

Lorenzo increased the car’s speed up the
winding road along a rocky cliff in the dark. His cousin drove
purely on instinct more than anything else. Giovanni was used to
his cousin’s reckless nature. He wished he’d grow the fuck
up.

As if hearing him, Lorenzo decreased speed and
glanced his way. “Why is it I feel like your
puttana
instead
of
consigliere
? All I do is keep tabs and report back. And I
hear Santo has been meeting with you on business matters. I’m
excluded!”

“
Because you aren’t my
consigliere
. I don’t need a fucking
consigliere
.”

“
Bullshit. You need…”

“
Taci!
Every man who has
held the title
consigliere
has failed me. First Flavio and
then Dominic, it’s the last straw. I won’t repeat my mistakes. A
consigliere
has too much power, too much influence. I can
run this family without counsel from any of you.”

“
Non capisco.
You’re taking
counsel from your woman.”

Giovanni narrowed his gaze on Lorenzo who
shrugged and continued to drive. “She convinced you to spare Domi’s
life. Since when are you that compassionate? I’ve seen you kill men
in the
borgata
for less.”

“
Let’s not discuss it.”

Lorenzo continued. “No one knows of his
betrayal, but now he keeps time with Catalina in the open. They
soon will figure out Franco’s fate. Domi’s actions could be
perceived as a weakness, Gio. A woman leads with her heart, we are
men of our fathers, we know better. There are codes we live by.
Dominic broke a fatal one. A sacred one.”

“
Mira is to be my
donna
and
she owns my heart. She will have what my mother, both our mother’s
never had. Respect and influence is her right for the sacrifice she
makes in marrying a man like me. If she wants him to live then he
fucking lives.
Capisce
?”

“
Understood.” Lorenzo answered.
“Can you admit that you
too
want him to live? Dominic is
still your brother.”

“
I’m working on it,” Giovanni
mumbled.

The car came to a stop. He threw open the door
and inhaled the heavy smell of pending rain in the air. Against the
black starless sky he could see the swell of storm clouds rolling
in from the Amalfi. His home was nestled in the cliffs among trees
and dense forest. To his right, the bay of Naples glistened with
amber and gold lights nestled in the street lamps and the windows
of the sleeping city. Sorrento was a city in cliffs, so his home
from any angle had spectacular views of the
Campania
. It
felt good to return.

Giovanni glanced to the sky once more.
Silently he prayed the rain would have come and gone before the
wedding. He wanted his bride to experience the beauty of the day.
Under the cover of night, he marched up the steps through open
doors into a very quiet and dark
Melanzana
. Each man chosen
to guard his family was hand-picked by Carlo, the best enforcer on
his staff. Taught well, they didn’t speak or address him, but
remained shadows and watchful from every hall and corner of his
home.

No one greeted Giovanni this evening. Maybe he
should have phoned earlier and informed his Bella of his arrival. A
small smile lifted the corner of his mouth and he dismissed the
regret. He would rather ease into bed and wake her his way. Yes.
That would suit him just fine.

For the last three days he’d been with his
men, leaving Lorenzo and Santo to run things in Sorrento. They made
a good team—except they didn’t know it. Eventually, he’d have to
get his men to see the discipline needed to build his
empire.

After a quick glance over his shoulder as he
climbed the steps, he saw Lorenzo standing by the door watching.
Their eyes met. His cousin still thirsted for power. Not even the
offer of the triangle had quenched that thirst. In time he would
give him more, because he did love him.

Lorenzo nodded and walked back out and
Giovanni continued on to his room. In the hall, he met up with Leo,
who remained silent as he passed. He threw open the door and
smiled, looking to the bed to find her familiar curves under the
blanket. He didn’t see her. Frowning, he went into Eve’s room. His
daughter slept with a baby monitor resting on her pillow. Giovanni
grimaced. When he returned to the hall he confronted
Leo.

“
Where is she?”

“
She went upstairs, Boss. Possibly
to the sewing room.”

“
Dio mio!”
he seethed. “Do
you know what time it is? She is to be resting! What the fuck do I
pay you for?” he barked at the young man. Realizing his anger was
wasted on Leo, he continued on in search of her.

Mira paused over the discovery of an unopened
box left to the back of the room. It must have been delivered after
she went to prepare dinner. She picked up a large pair of shears
and sliced through the seal. Inside, under a felt covering, lie the
most beautiful antique pearl-white lace she’s caressed between her
fingers in years. She checked the labeling and saw Catalina ordered
it. How on earth did she understand the need for such detailing,
and get it delivered so fast?

Several days were spent with Catalina at her
side while Mira mused over her preferences in material and things
needed to complete her dress. It appeared that her pupil had paid
attention. It was like having the support of Fabiana
again.

The door opened.

Mira turned and her breath caught at the sight
of him. From nowhere he appeared. No call. No warning. He was
standing there as if he hadn’t left her three days ago. And sweet
merciful God, one look at him and all her vows to let him have the
bitter end of the resentment she felt over his abandonment
evaporated. He wore all black. His slacks and fitted crew-neck
sweater under a dark blazer didn’t have a spec of lint. Only his
face gave her a clue to his exhaustion. He had unshaven fuzz along
his lower jaw connecting to his sideburns, and glassy red eyes,
puffy from lack of sleep. But the brilliance in his blue irises
made them almost violet and clear in the dimly lit room.

“
You’re home?” she said
softly.

Giovanni stepped closer. His gaze swept her
work and the equipment she had brought to the room, and then
returned to her.

“
Why are you up here in the middle
of the night, Bella?”

She frowned. “Is that how you greet me? After
three days of no word from you? Three days!” She tossed the fabric
back to the open box. He paused, studying her. She couldn’t read
his blank expression but she was sure he could read hers. Hurt,
frustration, and disappointment were all etched into her heart, and
her face was so tight she could feel the frown lines creasing her
skin. They were getting married in two days, and hell she didn’t
even know where. The press had made her a prisoner in her own home,
so trying to find a location had been impossible.

They stood in answering silence. Mira crossed
her arms and waited him out. Eventually he approached, and the
closer he drew, the faster her heart raced. She did miss him
terribly. Giovanni took her face into his hands. “
Ciao,
Mirabella
. I have missed you,
amore mia
. I’ve been
worried about you. Now I hear you’re working again, in your
condition.”

“
Condition?”

“
You’re pregnant. No? You need to
take care of yourself.”

Mira sighed. “Why didn’t you call?”

“
I spoke to you, twice.”

“
Not enough. Twice in three days is
not enough!” She tried to turn away and he prevented her escape.
His arm slipped around her waist and he drew her up against his
chest. She was forced to return his embrace. “Is this what I have
to look forward to? Nights with you gone, so I can lie in bed alone
and worry about you?” She asked.

“
You were worried?” His head
lowered and he brushed his lips over her brow. Mira gripped his
sleeves as the pressure of his hold on her crushed her against his
chest.

“
I don’t want a day to pass that we
don’t tell each other goodnight. Promise me. Not a day to pass
between us where you don’t say goodnight to me and Eve. So we can
know you’re safe.”

The corner of his mouth tilted in a smile.
“It’s an easy promise to make. Forgive me.”

“
I do.”

“
Good girl.”

His mouth covered hers and she welcomed the
warm feeling of love she found in his kiss. He tasted bitter, like
whiskey and cigars, but it was all male and all him. She lifted her
arms and circled them around his neck holding on. He groaned and
released her from his kiss. His forehead dropped on hers. Giovanni
then released her and eased her a step back to look down at her. He
placed a hand to her lover tummy and rubbed. “How big is my
bambino
today?”