Ti Amo (25 page)

Giovanni pulled up the front of her nightdress and drew her hem to her waist. She was bottomless. He tugged on the short pubic hairs over her mound. The light sting made her push back into his erection, and he groaned into her ear. Warm pleasure spread over her, and with the nudge of his strong muscled thigh, her upper thigh shifted so his erection could slip between her butt cheeks. Mira sighed. His hand went up her flat tummy to her breast, and he pinched her nipple. He again kissed her shoulder moving behind her. Without any thought of objecting, she relaxed and he slipped inside of her. His steady thrusts opened her and she arched her neck giving in to the feeling. Giovanni cupped her breast and kept moving in and out of her. She gripped the edge of the bed to withstand it. Breathing through her nose, she licked her lips and savored how delicious he felt. When he withdrew, he rolled her to her back. She parted her thighs, and he entered her again with a single thrust.

“Look at me,” he said.

She turned her head away, moving her hips to grind her pelvis up into him.

“Look at me.”

Mira returned her gaze to his. Giovanni kept loving her with his eyes fastened to hers. She reached up and kissed him, wrapping her legs around his waist, squeezing tightly. The lovemaking grew intensely sweet, and she clung to him, riding wave after wave of pleasure. They rolled and she was on top. He held her hips, and she braced her hands on his chest. Not once did she look away from him. She worked her hips back and forth and dug her nails into his chest, moving faster and faster. Giovanni’s lids fluttered, and his control slipped. Mira seized on his weakness and punished him with her bottom maneuvers before rising and falling on his cock to their natural rhythm. Eventually, he cried out for release. When she collapsed and gave into her climactic ending, she felt free.

He held her that way for a long time. Neither spoke. Mira didn’t cry. She didn’t question him. She lay still and waited for sleep to come.

****

Lorenzo kicked the door in. The man on the sofa dropped his beer just as the bullet from Lorenzo’s gun pierced his skull at the center of his eyes. His head split like an axe taken to a melon. The other man ran out of the kitchen firing. Carlo took him out after kicking in the back door and firing through the dark kitchen.

There was no time to hesitate. Lorenzo sensed rather than watched the kill. He had one mission. Get to Calderone and end him. He forced the door open to the back bedroom and a woman screamed. Inside was darkness, which departed by the bright flash of gunfire, before he even heard the blast. The cut of wind near his face clued him in to how close the bullet had passed. Lorenzo returned fire. There was cursing and shouting, but it didn’t blast at him as loud as the screaming voices.

“Out, Angelo. This is it.”

“
Vaffanculo
!”

“Have it your way.” Lorenzo unloaded. The woman stopped screaming, and Angelo stopped returning fire. Lorenzo found the light switch on the wall. He flipped it up. What he saw before him confirmed it. The Calderone/ Battaglia feud was officially over.

Chapter Ten

Mira looked across the breakfast table at Giovanni. He again tried to feed Eve. Her daughter resisted. She pushed the fork away, reaching for food off his plate. Mira swept her gaze to the left. She focused on Catalina who seemed a bit cheery for the early hour. Suddenly she was overly talkative, chatting everyone up as they arrived at the table. Dominic however, had a cold congested look of anger on his face, and it was directed at Franco. The tension hovering between the men shifted when Nico arrived and announced the visitors. Giovanni immediately lifted Eve out of her chair. She followed them out of the terrace where they normally dined to the front of the villa. The familiar face of Uncle Rocco stepped into view. He wore overalls and a plaid shirt under a large tan jacket. His weathered cap was pulled down over his balding head. She hadn’t seen him in years, and he looked the same.

One look at Eve in Giovanni’s arms and Rocco stopped. Zia Carlotta shuffled in behind him. Her dark scarf draped over her shoulders, and her gray hair was pulled into a tight bun. Loose strands hung around her face.

“
Benvenuto! Benvenuto
!” Catalina hurried out. She kissed her aunt and hugged her uncle. “Finally, you’ve come.”

“
Guardi il bambina bella. L'angelo piccolo prezioso,”
Zia approached Eve. Everyone stood in silent observation. Mira stepped to Giovanni’s side, and Zia’s gaze cut sharply over to her. The exchange left her a bit confused. She didn’t know if Zia was happy to see her or offended by her presence. Eve glanced to her father then to Zia. Without any encouragement, she reached for the old woman. Giovanni had to help in transferring her over to Zia, but to Mira’s surprise Zia proved to be quite strong. She held Eve up with little assistance. Eve hugged her neck and several people clapped and laughed. Mira smiled.

“
Non abbiamo bisogno di questo bambina, zia abbiamo qualcosa più meglio per voi,”
Zia said taking the pacifier from Eve’s mouth. She told her that she didn’t need it any longer. That Zia had something special for her. Mira braced for Eve’s reaction. Her daughter just blinked and stared at the pacifier. Then she snatched it from Zia’s hand and stuck it back in her mouth.

Zia and Giovanni laughed. Eve had won round one. Zia put Eve on her hip and shuffled over to Mira. She touched her face. “It is good you come. Welcome,” Zia smiled.

Mira nodded graciously. Everyone started off toward the back of the villa to return to breakfast. Giovanni reached for Mira’s hand and held it, forcing her to remain. They’d said very little to each other this morning. Even after their lovemaking they just lay together in silence.

“Are you okay?” he asked.

“No.” She said truthfully. “But I’ll get over it. I have no choice.”

He cupped her face. “Don’t be cross with me. I don’t like it when I disappoint you.”

Mira shook her head. “Let’s join the family.”

He pulled her to him. “I was going to say earlier before you left our bed that I want to marry. Soon. Are you willing to go public?”

Mira’s gaze lifted to his. “No. I don’t think we should tell the world I’m alive now. Giovanni stop, I can’t talk about a wedding now.”

“I want you, all of you. It’s my dream for you to be my wife. Soon Mirabella,” he kissed her brow. He eased his arm around her waist. They walked together side by side.

Lorenzo and Carlo entered the house. Both men carried the filth of the night on them. They had rooms of their own in Melanzana and clothes to change into. Discreet and tired they made their way to the back west wing avoiding the family. Lorenzo heard Dominic and paused while Carlo kept on. He observed Dominic as he approached Franco.

“Are you leaving for work?” Dominic asked.

“
Sí,
” Franco answered.

“Giovanni asked that you go with me today instead. He’s thinking of expansion. Extending business. I think you should scout out this new location.”

Franco checked the time on his watch. “I have a meeting with an American export company this morning.”

“It’s cancelled.” Dominic said, stepping into Franco’s face. “You will go with me.”

Lorenzo narrowed his eyes on the scene. Franco looked a bit fearful. Dominic gave him no room to refuse. Franco was a naïve kid. Lorenzo knew men of his world when they were in predator mode.

“
Andiamo!
” Dominic ordered.

The two men strode away. Wiping his hand down his face to stay away the burden of fatigue Lorenzo continued on to his room.

“You’re back?”

Lorenzo turned to find Giovanni behind him. He nodded.

“Is it done?”

“Yes.”

Giovanni gave a half smile and exhaled. “Clean up. Don’t let the family see you this way.” His gaze travelled over his mud caked shoes and dingy trousers. Lorenzo ran his hand back over his head. Fleeing out of Bologna had almost been mission impossible. Bonaduce’s men had swarmed them. He and Carlo were lucky to be alive.

“Meet me in
Villa Rosso
. We will talk.” Giovanni turned and started off.

“Gio?”

His cousin paused. He didn’t turn to address him.

“It’s done. We can all move on. Right?”

Giovanni walked off.

****

In the past Dominic had made it a point to avoid Franco. His guilt over his actions with Catalina weighed heavy on his heart. But today his mind was clear of shame. Rage consumed the rational side of his brain. The idea that this bastard would dare put a hand on her turned his heart to stone.
So he liked to beat women?
Dominic’s glare shifted to Franco and the man looked nervously away. Dominic sneered. He’d show him a thing or two about being weak and helpless.

“She told you didn’t she?”

“Told me what Franco?”

“That I know about you two.”

“What exactly is it that you think you know?”

“She’s my wife and you took her to bed, before and after we married. You’ve been between us from the beginning. I never had a chance.”

“And what of you and your sins Franco?”

“Whatever she said to you is a lie!” Franco shouted. “I’m a man, one that has been wronged in this situation. Arturo is nothing but a worker at the factory.”

Dominic frowned. “Who the fuck is Arturo?”

Franco shook his head. “I want to see my Don. I want to tell my side of the story.”

The car veered off the main road making a drive up the winding narrow street along a mountainous cliff. Dominic accelerated. “Did you hear me? I want to see Giovanni. I have a right to be heard!” They continued up the mountain taking on more speed. “What did she tell you? Did she say I hit her? She hit me, and it was a reflex reaction. For Christ’s sake, she’s my wife, and she taunts me with her feelings for you. She’s lying about me! I swear it!” he shouted.

Franco tried to open his door. Dominic swerved closer to the cliff and the door was knocked shut. Franco immediately grabbed at the wheel. The men struggled and the car swerved again nearly colliding with an oncoming passenger van. Dominic threw up his elbow and connected with the side of Franco’s skull. The man buckled, almost loosening his hold of the steering column. Strength returned, and Franco fought him.

The car jumped from the road and sped out along the sloping embankment through the forest. Franco screamed. Tree limbs and branches broke against the windshield as they plowed forward, shaking them about roughly. Dominic slammed on the brakes before crashing into a tree twice the size of the car.

Desperation made him act. Franco reached for the door handle and heard the click of a gun. His head slowly turned and he gazed into the barrel of a weapon leveled at his head.

“
Figlio di puttana
,” Dominic sneered.

“Giovanni doesn’t know does he? He doesn’t know you’ve been fucking your sister!”

“Catalina is not my sister.” Dominic said, but his voice wavered.

“Then let me speak to the Don. Let me plead my case. If you two aren’t brother and sister, let him decide our fates. You can’t, can you? Because you know. You know he would not order my death! Don’t do this. There is no good way this ends. None.” The smile of the devil dawned over Dominic’s face. Franco saw the truth in his eyes. “You don’t care. You really don’t care of the consequences. You are going to execute me in cold blood. You know she set us up. Catalina did this. She’s dangerous. She did this for revenge. I confess! Okay? I-I-I haven’t been faithful. I have my own cross to bear. I’ll leave her. I’ll tell the Don my shame and leave. I will give her a divorce or whatever. I’ll return to Sicily.”

Dominic slapped Franco across the face with the gun. The blow crashed through his skull and rattled his brain. He spat up blood, and it bled from his nostrils. The ringing in his ear muffled the hoarse threatening words he seethed. Franco slumped over to the door. Tears trekked down his cheeks. He didn’t want to die. He didn’t want to die like this.

“Get the fuck out!” Dominic ordered.

“Please don’t kill me! Please!” His jaw pained him beyond belief.

Dominic wavered. He didn’t want to kill a man. He didn’t agree with violence though he’d learned at a young age to accept its inevitability. Ever since he was a little boy he’d lived through it. That’s why the Battaglia’s adopted him to make him a better man. Dominic nearly laughed at the irony. Being consigliere made him a man of honor. Being a Battaglia made him a man of wrath. May God forgive them all. “Get out now and maybe you have a chance. Sit there, and I kill you on general principle,” he said.

Franco opened the car door and dropped out on all fours. Dominic opened his door and got out as well. Just as he suspected the coward staggered to his feet, limped, and then ran out into the thicket of trees. Dominic raised the gun. He fired, and tore out the bark from the side of a tree. Franco ducked and ran faster. Dominic steadied his aim and fired again. Franco took the shot in his back and dropped to his knees. Dominic walked around to the boot of the car and popped it open. He reached inside and grabbed the shovel. He slammed it down. Here was as good of a place as any.