Amore (80 page)

He lay on her. He struggled to breathe. He rolled to his side and his dick slipped out of her. She came over into his arms. In his pursuit of happiness with his wife again, he’d forgotten to undress her and truly explore her body. Her dress was crumbled up at her waist and pulled down to the front to release her breasts. His dick lay limp against his thigh outside of his zipper. Marietta kissed his jaw and snuggled against his chest.

“Lo?” she asked.

“Hmmm?” he smiled.

“Isabella. She’s back.”

Lorenzo’s eyes opened. “I know. I was told.”

“Is it the same person? The one who came after us?” Marietta asked.

“I think so,” he answered.

“What are you going to do?” she lifted her head. “If Giovanni can’t find Mirabella, if this Isabella has killed her and we…”

“Marie,” he cast his gaze over to her. “I’ll take care of her. I swear it. And Giovanni will find your sister. He will bring her home.”

She dropped her head and eased her arm around his waist. She put her thigh over his legs and held to him. Lorenzo closed his eyes. He would find Isabella, and before he snapped her neck, the bitch would hand over every tape she had of him betraying his family.

Ospedale Cardarelli
,

Naples Italy

“Santo?”

A soft voice whispered into his ear. Santo opened his eyes. He hurt all over. But his vision was clear. Isabella’s face appeared. She presented the sweetest smile. Her fingers lightly grazed his cheek. “You’re a survivor. Aren’t you, sweetheart? A warrior,” she said.

He blinked in response. He glanced around the hospital room. His jaw was wired shut. He remembered a team of doctors standing over him and explaining the extent of his injuries. The fracture was from chin to ear. They told him it would be months before he’d be able to speak, and even then he’d require more surgeries.

Isabella dropped her purse on his bed. She walked over to the door of his hospital room and locked it. “The
polizia
in Napoli are very helpful. Do you know that I told them that I was your wife, and they gave me a private escort up to your bedside?”

Santo frowned.
He was in the hospital under police protection?
It would explain why he was still alive. Isabella gave a very light laugh. She walked over to his window and his eyes followed her. “Giovanni will come for you,” she glanced over to him once more. “I am sorry that there is nothing more that I can do to protect you.”

A loud grunt escaped him. He grunted again in his throat to get her attention. That was not the plan.
She turned on him. Tricked him. The evil bitch had set him up.

“I know! I know. You think you were used. That’s not entirely true. Bonaduce hates everyone and everything with the stench of
la Camorra,
because of the death of his son. There was no way he would protect you and then put you in power. He wants to wipe southern Italy clean of
la Camorra
. You should have known better than to believe otherwise.”

She walked over to him. He reached to grab her. He’d love to put his hand around her throat. But she effectively sidestepped the swipe of his arm.

“By now Giovanni knows who I am. I’m sure of it. Kei Hyogo was a madman. He even turned on his uncle to use the Triad here. A fool to be so fucking crazy over that mutt Gio is married to. But I saw that madness. I stroked it for two years. Until revenge consumed him with jealousy and brought him here. He actually believed I could steal the brat and bring her to him. Instead I left a few bread crumbs to put Giovanni on his scent.” She checked her watch. “If I’m right, Gio’s there now. Oh Santo!” she exclaimed, “You should have seen Giovanni begging all over the
Campania
for assistance. Indebting himself to his enemies, partnering with the
Mafiosi
, looking like a pathetic weakling to the other clan bosses because of his grief.” She stepped closer. “That’s how I will destroy him. Turning his madness in on him. The same way I turned Kei’s madness inward. Oh the plans I have! I wish you could be around to see it!”

Santo frowned. He understood. Isabella helped return Mirabella back to Giovanni after letting Kei destroy her. And that was a far greater accomplishment than killing the bitch or his Don. Isabella stared at him with a triumphant smile that was pure evil.

“I will break him down piece by piece, until he is left with nothing. That’s how you win the war. I am sorry, Santo. There is no payday for you. You know how this ends.”

Santo’s eyes stretched. She softened her smile and looked at him with pity. He lunged his hand out for her, but she again sidestepped his reach. “One night when that guard is asleep outside your door, someone will pay you a visit. Possibly Lorenzo. Maybe even Gio himself. They won’t end it nicely for you. But when they do take your life, remember your contribution to justice. Your sacrifice will bring the most powerful man in our lives to his knees. Hopefully that will give you peace.” She picked up her purse. She started for the door. She glanced back at him with a quizzical look.

“Do you think Giovanni will ever look at his wife the same after what we did to her?” Isabella grinned with excitement. “I don’t think she’s so precious anymore.”

When Santo didn’t respond Isabella shrugged.

Helpless and confused, Santo lay in his bed and watched as Isabella breezed out the door. He closed his eyes. He did want revenge. He betrayed every vow he ever made in the brotherhood. But he never took the time to consider that the revenge he sought was never his to have. Isabella had played him. He clenched his fist. He was a dead man. All he could do was wait to die.

**

Giovanni dropped the machete. Kei’s tortured screams ended over ten minutes ago. Still he kept hacking until there was nothing left of him. His hands and clothes were soaked in blood. Armando gave the signal to their men. Several began to toss body parts out into the sea. Others used a hose on the boat to wash down the stern.

“How is she?” Armando asked Giovanni.

He glanced up to the moon fading in the sky. The sun was approaching. His rational mind returned. He could see and think past the black-layered rage that had consumed him earlier.

“There’s a change of clothes below deck. Maybe you shouldn’t let her wake to see you this way.”

Giovanni looked at his blood soaked hands. He nodded. He turned and left them to it. All he wanted to do was find and heal his wife. And he feared Kei’s dying words would prove true.

At sea he was left alone to care for her. She remained unresponsive to him. But he wiped her brow through her feverish deep sleep, and checked her bruises to make sure he didn’t see any additional physical trauma. Her ankle gave him the most worry. The fact was, he was clueless as to what happened to her, and how she survived seventy-two hours with that bastard. It made him uneasy.

Armando didn’t have any women’s clothes. But Giovanni dressed her in a button down shirt, and then wrapped her again in the blanket. Her feverish moans pitched a few times. He thought he heard her say his name. He couldn’t be sure. When they docked Giovanni transferred her from the boat at the pier to his waiting car. Inside he was told that Dominic, Nico, Lorenzo, and few more of his enforcers were free. It gave him a small measure of relief, but not much. If his Bella would open her eyes and speak to him, all would be right in the world.

The long ride to Melanzana from the coast dried his tears. When the gates parted he looked down at his wife and spoke. “Bella? We’re home. You’re home,” he said.

He smiled.

He kissed her brow.

He didn’t see her as she was now, but as he always saw her. His blue rose. Giovanni made sure the sheet wrapped around her was tightly done, so it could not slip. He needed help removing her from the car. When he passed her to his men and then eased out, he immediately took her back in his arms. To the front of Melanzana, under the morning sun, stood Marietta, Catalina, Zia, Lorenzo, Dominic, Nico, and what was left of his men. They all stared at Mirabella in stunned silence. He carried her up the stairs. Marietta approached first with tears in her eyes. She touched Mirabella’s face and kissed her brow. It was more contact than he wanted to allow. He hurried to bring her to their room before the children woke and discovered her in such a state. He put her under the covers, and closed all doors and shutters on the windows. The darkness made the room very soothing. He turned on the lamp near their bed. Zia came in with her bible and chose a corner to sit and pray.

Giovanni wet a warm rag and wiped Mirabella’s wounds. He removed the wrap on her ankle to find it darkly bruised and swollen. It had to be broken. The worst of it were the scratches to her ankle, leg, and thighs. A few were on her chest. He knew each were marks left by Kei. He picked up the phone and dialed downstairs. He told one of his men to send for the doctor, and to tell them that Bella had broken her ankle so to come prepared.

There was a knock at the door. Giovanni set the phone down and went to the door.
Why hadn’t he thought of calling the doctor first thing?
He’d been too consumed with healing her on his own.

Dominic was at the door when he opened it. “We need the doctor. Bella’s hurt.”

“Can I come in, Gio?” Dominic asked.

He glanced back at Mirabella and then to Dominic. “I need to be with her,” he said.

“Only for a moment. To talk,” Dominic said.

“Wait a minute.” Giovanni closed the door. He returned to the dresser to find something for Bella to wear. He glanced to Zia. She was of no threat. All the old woman did was hold her rosaries and pray. He covered Bella in her gown, the one she often wore when she was menstruating. He hated it. But she said it gave her comfort. He kissed her brow once more and pulled up the covers. When he knew she was okay he went to the door and opened it.

Dominic entered. He looked to the bed. “How is she?”

“I don’t know. It’s been hours. She hasn’t woken. She’s feverish. I felt her heart beat. It’s strong. Whatever he did to her, she’s survived it. I just don’t know. Look at this.” Giovanni walked over and pulled back the blanket. He had propped her ankle with a pillow. Dominic came closer. He touched it.

“Broken. To keep her from escaping?” Dominic asked.

“I killed him too quick. I should have prolonged it for days, weeks.” Giovanni put his hand to his head.

“So he’s dead?” Dominic asked.

“They’re dead. All of them.” Giovanni answered.

“Our men?” Dominic asked.

“I think five. I don’t know. I left the bodies on Lipari.” Giovanni replied. “When I found her I couldn’t think straight.”

“How did you know where to find her?” Dominic asked.

“I can’t talk about that now. Get out.” Giovanni went back to the bed and checked her pulse. “Make sure the doctor is on the way.”

“Gio, I need to know what deals were made with Armando Mancini,” Dominic said calmly. “What did we agree to?”

“Nothing. I offered. He refused. He said he wanted to help Bella. I think I believe him,” Giovanni said.

“That’s bullshit, Gio! He can’t be trusted. And whether he accepted what you offered or not, he sent a message by being the one to help you. We have to deal with the ramifications. After we make sure Mirabella is okay we need to regroup, Gio.”

“Don’t you think I fucking know that!” he shouted. “Look at her. Look at what he did to my Bella! My fucking wife! Nothing is more important than her right now. Get the fuck out before I snap your neck!”

Dominic nodded and walked out. Giovanni took the chair near the desk. He brought it over to the bed and sat in it. He’d sit there for eternity until she woke.

**

“What did he say?” Lorenzo asked Dominic when he entered Giovanni’s office.

“Not much. We got a dead priest on our hands. Men in prison. Santo’s alive. Renaldo isn’t expected to live. And I suspect an alliance now with the
Mafiosi,
whether we want it or not,” Dominic said.

“Shit. This Kei motherfucker did more damage than possible,” Lorenzo grunted.

“Not Kei,” Dominic said. “Isabella Ricci. I spoke to Rocco an hour ago.”