La Famiglia (61 page)

It had all come to fruition. The healing first, the forgiveness next, all of it would make his family stronger. Giovanni felt alive again. His head was clear. It was time to settle things. “Mottola is the priority. Bonaduce and the
`Ndrangheta
won’t move into the
Campania
without him. I want you and Santo to visit Chiaiano and report if we have any allies left. Visit Father Andrew at St. Yves Parish. He will help you navigate those who want our protection.” Giovanni looked to his men. “There is only one way we will deal with Mottola and send a message to the `
Ndrangheta
. We grind him to dust.”

Dominic cleared his throat. “The meeting with the clan bosses. I think we should take the lead and schedule it.”

“A week. We bring Bella home I’m sure within a week. Schedule it at Melanzana. I’ll fly in.”

Everyone agreed.

“There’s something else.” Giovanni said, he scanned the faces of his men. “Something I want you to hear from me.” He glanced to Dominic and then Lorenzo. They both gave him the nod. He intended to say what was needed. Of course the decision was his, but he hesitated. His wife and her issues with family were a private matter. Still the men gathered were closer to him than any relative.

“Bella, Mirabella, my wife, your
Donna
, she… we have learned that she has a sister. Lorenzo’s wife, Marietta.” Giovanni glanced to his cousin. “They were separated as children. They never knew of each other.” The silence was complete in the room. It lengthened while he struggled with the news.  Giovanni scratched his brow. “The reason they were kept apart was because of who their father is. He’s… Marsuvio Mancini.”

More than a few of the men exchanged glances. A soft rumble of voices rose.

“It is shocking. Neither of them knew Mancini or what this blood tie means. But as men of my clan each of you do. And so do I.” Giovanni stared any man who looked him in the eye down. “With everything going on now, including the
polizia di stato
investigating us, this news is not good. I understand that. Mancini is going to make an issue of our connection. He wants to infiltrate the family. He thinks he can divide my wife and me. It’s why I’ve been so protective of her safety. Now we must prepare for what comes next.”

* B
*

Marietta had wanted the moment alone with Mira. But she didn’t dare ask for it. When Zia insisted on helping Mira shower and change clothes the others did little tasks like tidying her things and helping Mira from one side of the room to the next. After her sister showered she truly did seem happier.

“Let’s go,” Zia said to Catalina.

“What? Why?” Catalina objected.

“Give the sisters a moment,” Zia winked at Marietta. She ushered Catalina to the door.

“Zia likes… you. Good,” Mira said. She buttoned the front of her shirt.

“It’s all a bit overwhelming. Catalina is right. Just a week ago I didn’t want to know any of you. And now. I can’t stop thinking of us being sisters. Being separated.”

“Sit.” Mira pointed to the bed.

Marietta found a spot near the foot of the bed and she sat. “Do you want me to fix your hair? It’s kind of wrecked,” Marietta said with a smile.

Mira touched her hair. It had drawn into knotty tangles. “Yes. Vistors come. I feel messy.”

Marietta rose and found her purse. She located a comb and brush. She could feel Mira watching over her. She tried not to appear nervous. “About what happened. How I told you… all of it. I’m so sorry.” She glanced up at Mira. “I never wanted any of this to happen. You having your babies so soon or any of it.”

“Understood,” Mira said. “Gio’s fault and mine.”

Marietta froze. She looked up at Mira. The look on her face and the tone in her voice felt odd. Before any of this began, Mirabella the black Barbie doll married to the mean ole
Don,
was happily in love. Marietta could sense the change and it didn’t feel right. “He only did what he thought was right I suppose.”

“No. He did…. the thing that serves him. Man he is.”

Marietta walked over with the comb and brush. She looked over Mira’s hair. The tangles were all the way to the root. “Do you relax your hair?” she asked.

“Press it,” Mira said.

“What if I put it in two braids?” Marietta asked.

Mira nodded. “Nice. Like that.”

“Our mother. What’s her story?” Marietta asked.

“Runaway. Sixteen. Boy from her hometown. An older boy. Name is James. Ended up in Philadelphia.”

“That must be where she met Marsuvio Mancini?” Marietta concluded.

“Maybe,” Mira said softly.

“And the drugs? How did that happen?” Marietta asked.

“Don’t know. Grandparents never explained. Never. Don’t want to know,” Mira said.

“I understand,” Marietta said. “I think your husband knows.”

Mira looked up at her. “Why?”

“Lorenzo said he only knows part of the story but your husband knows the rest. I hate to ask this but…”

“Giovanni to tell me? He won’t.” Mira half-joked.

“You’re upset with him. I understand it. I was mad as hell at Lo,” Marietta chuckled.

“Was? Forgiven him?” Mira asked her with a deep frown.

“Of course I’ve forgiven him. He’s my man,” Marietta shrugged.

“Lie and manipulate you? He did,” Mira said.

“Honey I love that man. The good and bad in him. That’s what forgiveness is. Love. Lo puts it down, he takes care of business and me. I ain’t going to throw that out of the window because he made a mistake.”

“Mistake? More than a mistake,” Mira said.

“True. But it’s our first mistake together. He did things and I’ve done things. Now I want to wipe the slate clean. I don’t care for your husband but even a blind man could see how much he loves and cherishes you. Catalina was right when she said he was here every minute. He wouldn’t leave your side. He didn’t even eat. I was here. I saw it.”

Marietta completed the part down the center of her sister’s head. She began to braid down the left side. She did so in silence. When she finished she walked around the bed to do the other side.

“I’ll ask him,” Mira said.

“Don’t you want to know?” Marietta asked.

“Part of me. Yes. Part of me afraid.”

Marietta paused. “Gonna give it to you straight about your man. He’s a mafia
Don
. You’re a mafia
Don
’s wife. Lies and manipulation are in the wedding contact. Don’t sit here and say you never knew this would be your life,” Marietta said. “You’re my sister and a part of me. We’re married to two of the meanest damned men this side of the world. We got to be strong.”

“No fantasy,” Mira said sadly in agreement. “I know… now. There’s just this.”

* B
*

Catalina waited. Dominic entered the hall. She left Rosetta and Zia. She walked straight for him. He looked up at her once she drew closer. “We need to talk.”

“Not now, Catalina,” he said.

“It’s about Mira and Gio!” Catalina insisted. She tried to keep up.

He looked back over his shoulder. Giovanni was laughing with Carlo and Lorenzo in the hall. He hadn’t seen him look happier. He nodded to Catalina and they went inside a patient room.  He wasn’t fully inside before she turned on him with tears in her eyes. “Things are bad, Domi. Really bad!”

“What are you talking about?” Dominic asked.

“Mira,” she wiped her tears. “She blames Gio for everything. I’ve never seen her like this. She wants to separate from him, possibly end their marriage.”

Dominic ran his hand back through his hair. “No, she knows that won’t happen. She’s just upset.”

“No! She wants us to set up a room for her and the babies. Separate from Gio. She wants us to take shifts at the hospital to keep Gio away. You didn’t see the way she spoke of him. She blames him, Domi! I think she hates him.”

“Okay. I’ll take care of it.” Dominic said. “Calm down.”

“You can’t take care of it! That’s the point. You should have prevented this! Gio lied to her, he broke her heart. And I know what this feels like,” Catalina said. “So do you!” Catalina put her hands to her eyes. “I don’t want my family to fall apart. But how can we help them if we can’t keep it together? Huh? I love you, Domi. I love you and that doesn’t matter anymore to you. Does it?”

He pulled her into his arms. Catalina’s body was up against his. His lips brushed her cheek.  At last, her lips parted and he was able to taste her again. That sweet almost sad note of surrender escaped her throat. His hand went to her hip questing, keeping her pinned to him. She kissed him deeply. Passion pushed them back up against the wall. And when her slender leg lifted and circled his waist, he could press the ache in his dick hard into her sex. He bore down on her wet heat. “Fuck me, Domi,” she whispered into his ear and gripped his ass. 

The door opened to the bathroom. A patient who resided in the room gasped in a loud startled voice.

“Domi, stop! Stop!” Catalina brought her leg down and Dominic’s head lifted from her neck.

The female patient covered her mouth.

Catalina fixed herself and so did Dominic. They couldn’t contain their laughter. Somehow they had forced themselves into an occupied room. 

“
Scusi!
Sorry!” Catalina said.

They left the room laughing, and laughter felt good. She couldn’t stop. He didn’t try. Dominic swept her in his arms and turned her around. He held to her. She wrapped her arms around his neck. “Let’s get married. Let’s do it!” she said.

“Are you proposing to me?” Dominic smiled.

“Can you handle that?” she grinned.

“Yes. Let’s do it!”

She squealed and kicked her feet as she hugged him tightly.

Dominic had to calm her. “First we need to help Gio and Mira. Agreed?”

“Agreed,” she grinned and held to him.

* B
*

Giovanni opened the door to the celebratory sounds of laughter. He found Mira and Marietta sharing something intimate and personal. Marietta looked up at him and flashed him a welcoming smile. Mira never looked his way. His wife’s hair was combed down neatly into two braids. She had changed into a pair of jeans and a button down shirt. Maybe it was too soon for her not to be in her hospital gown.

“Sorry to interrupt. Bella, the nurses want to know if you would like to try to feed Gianni. They said he’s up.”

“Really?” Marietta asked. “That’s great news. Isn’t it, Mira?”

Mira turned her gaze in his direction. “Talk. Alone.”

“Okay.” Marietta hugged her. She kissed her cheek. He couldn’t help but feel a pang of envy. Mira hadn’t hugged him once since she woke. Marietta approached. She stopped before him. Giovanni wasn’t sure why. Marietta glanced back at Mira and then to Giovanni. She reached and hugged him. Surprised he embraced her. It was brief, but it felt genuine. She winked at him.

“Hang in there,” Marietta smiled and left.

Alone with his wife he pressed his lips together and shoved his hands in his pockets. Mira stared at him. She waited for him to speak first? He cleared his throat. “So what do you think? Are you up for feeding our boy today?” Giovanni asked.

Mira looked down at her hands. “Yes.”

Giovanni approached her bed but kept his distance. “You’re still mad at me? Aren’t you?”

“Mad?” Mira chewed on her bottom lip.

“Yes. Are you still mad?” he asked, hopeful she’d give him a good tongue lashing and move past it. Marietta had done so. Couldn’t she? Mira seemed to weigh her options on which emotion to choose. Giovanni had to hope she’d go with love and forgiveness. It’s what they both needed. “I wish I were mad.” She stopped and slowly breathed in and out of her nose. “Not mad at you,” she said clearly. He almost applauded to hear her speech improving.

“Talk to me, Bella? Tell me what I can do? How I can make our nightmare better?”

“You’d like that. Huh? Wipe it all clean,” she asked.

“Yes. I’d like to put the past seventy-two hours behind us and to never look back,” he said.

“Past four months? Wipe clean? Should we… never… look back?” she asked.

“What do you want me to say, Bella?”

She sighed.

“Sweetheart,” Giovanni said. “It’s me. I love you more today than I did yesterday. You’re everything to me. I made a mistake. I’m sorry.”

“I believe,” she said and nodded her head that she believed him. Giovanni expelled a sigh of relief prematurely. “Sorry caught. Keep me from learning… what you’ve done.”

“That’s bullshit! I told you there was something I wanted to share, something deeply personal. I told you to give me time because I was worried. Well this is what I was worried about. Ending up here, with you and the kids in jeopardy. That was my fear.”

She looked away. To his dismay she wiped at a tear that slipped to her cheek. “Want.” She sucked down a deep breath. He watched her exhale and control her emotions. She spoke in a business manner that unnerved him. “Space” she said. “You and me. Space.”