La Sposa (62 page)

She glanced up at Carlo and was snared in his
dark gaze. She shrugged. It would be a long evening. She’ll
definitely need something to drink to mix and mingle with this
crew. “Can I trust you not to slip anything in it?”

He chuckled and walked off, with the aid of
his cane.

*****

Giovanni’s attention was solely focused on the
birthday girl. He swept her away from the toddler dance floor to
spend time alone with him. He tolerated these events. It was
necessary that he be social and allow others to pay proper respect
to his first born. However, having so many people in his home at
once set his teeth on edge. Eve had adjusted to her celebrity. When
people reached for her now, she didn’t shy away like she had when
he found her two months ago, living in isolation with his Bella. It
was humbling to see his
bambina
bloom into a little
girl.

“
Papa!” She typically pushed the
pacifier over to the side of her mouth with her tongue when she
spoke. She sat up and held the picture for him. On the large paper
in her hands were loops and curves in green and purple.

“
Brava!”
He
clapped.

Eve pressed the paper flat to the carpeted
floor and picked up the fat crayon to start her scribbling again.
Her mother had dressed her for the event. She wore a blue velvet
dress with a tiny pink bow under the white ruffled collar. Her
crinkly brownish-blonde hair was split into two curly puffs on
either side of her head. A tiara was crowned on her head with the
words
Il Mio Compleanno
(It’s My Birthday) in colorful
crystals through the middle.

The door opened and Dominic escorted Lorenzo
through. Eve got up on her hands and knees. She walked over to
Dominic first with her arms stretched for him. He picked her up,
tossed her in the air to her delight, and kissed her. He passed her
to Lorenzo who took her and kissed and tickled her, before he
walked over to the desk and properly handed her over to
Giovanni.

She was put in his lap where she sat
attentively through many of Giovanni’s meetings. Mira didn’t always
know when he brought Eve down to
Villa Rosso
. He doubted his
wife would have any concern. His men had gotten used to her
attendance as well. For Eve, it was routine that she sit up with
her hands on the desk, leaning back against her father, observing.
There were times when she did this silently, as if she were truly
in attendance. Dominic said she mimicked Giovanni. He had to agree.
She dropped back against his chest and stared at her uncles as they
stood before him. Eventually, Lorenzo chose to sit. Dominic
naturally came over to the left side of the desk and sat on the
edge of it.

“
The party is underway, Gio. You
want to meet now?” Lorenzo asked.

“
Where is the woman? Did you bring
her here?” Giovanni answered.

“
Marietta? Mira’s sister?” Lorenzo
corrected him.

Giovanni frowned. “Don’t address her that way
in my presence.”

“
Her name is Marietta. She’s your
wife’s sister. We covered this. Yes, I brought her here. I’m hoping
to make the introduction today. With your approval, of
course.”

When Giovanni cut his gaze over to Dominic,
Lorenzo noticed. He frowned. “Am I missing something? We
are
going to tell them that they are sisters today? It’s what you
said.”

“
Gio has changed his mind,” Dominic
answered.

“
Fantastico!
Now you change
your mind? When were you planning to tell me?”

“
I went to the doctor with Mira
today.” Giovanni answered. “He gave me some troubling
news.”

Lorenzo’s glare softened. He sat forward. “Is
everything okay?”

Eve began to reach and knock things over on
his desk. He handed her the stapler she wanted to keep her still.
“Better than okay. My Bella has blessed the family with twins. I
will have two sons,” he said proudly, convinced they would both be
boys.

“
That is good news.
Congratulazioni,
cousin,” Lorenzo half-smiled.

“
There’s more. The
dottore
said that Mira has a hormone imbalance. He advised that we be
careful with this pregnancy. Stress is off the menu.”

Lorenzo dropped his head and shook it. He
spoke with his head bowed. “Gio, we have to tell them who they are
to each other. It’s risky not to. Surely you understand
this.”

“
I won’t bring her any stress. She
doesn’t know that woman. She doesn’t want to know Mancini. I’m her
husband. It’s my job to do what’s best for her. Always. I don’t
want to even consider this family reunion until after my sons are
born.”

Lorenzo looked up. “What is that? Seven, eight
months?” He stood. “You can’t do this!” he shouted.

Giovanni and Dominic exchanged a curious
look.

“
What do you care?” Dominic
asked.

“
I care about Marietta. She has
spent her life looking for her true family. She has had the shit
end of all of this since it began. Even Mancini didn’t care enough
to find her. I don’t want to be the one to keep her from the truth.
She trusts me.”

Giovanni rocked back with Eve. Turning his
daughter in his arms so he could hold her properly, he maintained
the glare fixed on him by Lorenzo. Eve touched her father’s face
and soothed his temper. She dropped her head on his shoulder, and
wrapped her small arms around his neck. “Mira is your
donna
.
Her wellbeing is all that should be considered today. My decision
is final and you will honor it.”

“
Talk to him, Dominic. Mancini is
out there, circling. We have all the messiness between the
families, now that we are working with the
Ndgranheta
. Do
either of you think Bonaduce isn’t licking his wounds, seeking a
weak spot of this family to retaliate? We are strong when we are
united. Marietta is a beautiful, intelligent woman. You met her.
She’s Mira’s blood. We should tell them and control how much they
know to protect them. Not leave it to chance.”

Giovanni scoffed. “I’m not leaving it to
chance. I’m leaving it to you.”

“
Me? I don’t
understand.”

“
I want you to take her and leave
Italy.”

Lorenzo was rendered speechless.

Dominic eased off the desk and stepped
forward. “Go to England, Lorenzo. Africa, hell, visit Paris. We
have alliances we need to forge with our business interests in
Europe, take her. Giovanni expects you to be gone until after the
babies are born.”

“
I can’t do that! I have the
triangle to run. I’m setting up business in Turin and
Genoa.”

“
Santo will be taking over the
triangle,” Giovanni corrected him. “Only for while you’re gone.
He’ll work with Carlo. This is important. I need you to do this for
me, Lorenzo.”

“
Does Santo know about Mira and
Marietta?” Lorenzo asked, nearly trembling with rage.

“
Santo knows what he needs to know,
nothing more.” Dominic answered.

Giovanni, Dominic, and Eve watched Lorenzo
pace the floor. He knew his cousin was in full panic mode. He was
trying to think of a way out of his order.

“
You’re right about Mancini. As
long as Marietta is here, there is a risk he will find her. And I
can’t have the two of the women finding out the truth now. We are
talking about the lives of my sons, Lorenzo. I want my Bella to
know the truth… eventually.” Giovanni smiled.

“
Do you?” Lorenzo turned on him.
“Are you sure? Because it sounds to me that you want anything but
that!”

“
Let me be clear with you, cousin.
This
is
what
I
want. And you will do as
I
ask,
without question. Understood?”

Lorenzo threw up his hands in defeat and
stormed out. Dominic stepped away from the desk with his hands in
his pockets. “Are you sure you want to play it this way, Gio?” He
echoed Lorenzo’s sentiment. “He has a point. If the women find out
from anyone but us, we can’t control the fallout. How will Mira
react to you keeping this kind of secret?”

“
I know what I’m doing. Don’t I,
Lucciola
?” He bounced her. Eve lifted her head from his
shoulder and smiled. “We are going to protect momma. It’s our
job.”

“
But is there more?”

Giovanni’s gaze lifted to Dominic.

“
I hear it in your voice. You
aren’t fond of Mira, having a family outside of this one. You have
to be sure you aren’t doing this for selfish reasons.”

“
I’m my father’s son, whether I
want to be or not. Of course I do it for selfish reasons. Mira is
my bride. She has made me love her beyond reason and I have never
been a reasonable man. No one will ever come between us. Not
Mancini, or that stray that claims to be her sister.”

“
So you have no intention of
telling Mira?” Dominic frowned with concern.

Giovanni ignored him.

The door opened and Giovanni expected Lorenzo
to storm back in with more pouting. He wasn’t fooled. Lorenzo
didn’t give a shit about that woman. Lorenzo never cared for anyone
but himself. His pride was wounded because of Santo’s
advancement.

Instead of his cousin entering, his wife
appeared. She stunned him once more with her beauty. She wore a
wrap dress for him the color of champagne; the kind of dress he
preferred because it softly flattered her curves and tastefully
crossed over her growing bosom. Typically, her slim waistline added
more sex appeal to her curvy hips. But her midriff was expanding,
and her hips were thickening in ways that tempted him more. Not
many women made a baby bump look as sexy as his Bella.

The
dottore
was right about one thing,
his Bella’s sex drive was almost matched by his. This morning they
were late to the doctor because neither could let the other escape
bed.

She’d straightened her hair for the event,
with bangs in her eyes; and her lips had a coppery gloss to them.
“There she is! There’s my baby. Why do you have her back here?
People are asking for her.” Mira walked over and reached for Eve,
causing the large golden bangles on her wrists to clank and her
banana- shaped golden earrings to sway. She took Eve from him. She
put their daughter on her feet and held her hand. Eve put her
pacifier back in her mouth and waved her hand at him. “Enough
business talk. You two come out and join the party. Hi, Domi,” Mira
smiled as she walked toward the door. She paused before
him.

“
Ciao, Donna
,” he kissed her
cheek.

“
When does Catalina’s plane land?
Will she be here in time for the party?”

Dominic checked his watch. “She should be
arriving any time now.”

“
I know you miss her. Before you
sweep her away, you two better stay to sing happy birthday.” Mira
walked to the door. She looked back at Giovanni and smiled. “I mean
it. Come out of here and join the party.”

“
I will,” he winked.

She was gone.

Giovanni was further convinced he was doing
the right thing. His wife was happy with their family. She didn’t
need another. “

How is my sister?” he asked Dominic,
rising.

“
Catalina’s excited about all that
she has learned. Every night, she tells me something new she’s seen
or an event she’s attended. She is really turning into a little
businesswoman. You should hear her talk, Gio.”

“
And that doesn’t bother
you?”

Dominic paused. “No. It’s good for us both.
She should gain some independence. This was a valued time for
her.”

Giovanni snickered. “Right. Be careful of
independence with a woman. Someday, she’ll be independent of you.”
He poked Dominic.

Dominic took the insult without flinching.
“Are you saying you won’t let Mira return to work?”

Giovanni sighed. “I have no fucking choice.
She won’t put up with it. After all, she did build that company,
and I love those dresses she makes.” He smiled.

Dominic smiled.

Giovanni wiped his hand down his face and
stared at the door. Mira had made it clear that she wanted her
company back and that she would run it. The only control he could
manage was setting it up here in Italy and giving her space to do
exactly that. “I made the mistake once trying to stop Bella, and I
didn’t like her reaction. She will have her company. We’ll figure
it out. Speaking of which, our problem with Theodore
Tate?”

“
The boys are watching him. You
said to not move on him yet.”

“
I don’t think we should expose
him. If we spook him, it could backfire and he could tell Mira his
sins. Just keep an eye on him for now.”

“
What of Gemma?”

Dominic paused. “Gone.”

“
Gone?”

“
Store closed, no one has heard or
seen her in weeks.” Dominic said. “We are still looking for
her.”

Giovanni nodded.

“
Gio, I have to ask. What have you
decided?”