Ti Amo (17 page)

“There were normal days, and times. We were a family. He treated Ma-ma like his wife and me like his son. He loved Catalina. He gave her anything. We had holidays and birthday parties. We took vacations.” He heaved a deep sigh. “Still I always knew I was different. I always knew my mother was… different. But I was loved, and happy as a child. None of it had any lasting effects on me.”

Mira doubted him. In fact she believed his brooding nature and hot-temper were a direct result of his father’s influence. Now they were poised to raise a family together and she questioned what it would all mean.

“There’s something I want to talk to you about,” he said his voice taking on a serious note.

“Okay.”

Mira relaxed. His arm went around her, and she snuggled his chest. Her legs curled up underneath her, the wine warming her, she felt so tired. But it was a nice sweet homey tiredness as well.

“If things hadn’t happen the way they did, you would be my wife now,” he said.

Mira coughed. She sat up, the wine sloshed in the glass. Giovanni patted her back as she caught her breath. “Wife?” she managed.

“Is that a problem?”

“Are you proposing?”

He smiled. “Not this way. But we must discuss it. I want to marry. We have a daughter. She won’t grow up as a bastard.”

“Don’t use that word.” Mira stiffened.

“Why not? It’s what she is if you aren’t my wife.” The bitterness in his voice chilled her.

“I have to be honest, Giovanni, I’ve never been big on marriage.”

He chuckled. “That’s because you didn’t have me.”

“Oh brother!” she hit him playfully.

“What I’m trying to say is that I wasn’t either. Until I found you.” He clarified.

Mira liked the sound of his explanation.

“What are your reservations about going public?”

Mira shrugged. “I’m safer this way.” She didn’t want to hurt him, but she preferred that his enemies not know about her and Eve until he settled the unrest around him.

“You fear Angelo will come after you again?”

“Don’t you?”

“The only thing I fear is my life without you. I’ll never make the mistakes of the past again.”

“Well I’m here now, baby. I don’t plan on leaving.” She sidled up even closer to him.

He kissed her brow. He sat forward, and she sat up to accommodate him. He put the wineglass down. Mira lowered hers. Giovanni stretched out on the sofa sideways, and she lay with him. His arm draped over her waist. “When was my daughter born? How was she born?”

“The old fashion way. I opened my legs and out she came.”

He tickled her side, and she squealed kicking her feet. Once her laughter subsided she captured enough breath in her lungs to speak. “She was born January the 31st. Most memorable day of the year in Switzerland!” she proclaimed.

“Why is that?”

“It was like spring in the middle of winter, if that makes sense. Everybody talked about that day for weeks. I missed it, because she had me in labor for nine hours.”

“My firefly. She’s just like a Battaglia. We do it grand.” He folded her up in his arms. She rolled into his chest and pressed her face there. Her thigh lifted and covered his causing her robe to part and reveal how sexy her legs were to him.

“I was terrified.” She held him. “Kei brought the midwife, but I was scared and in so much pain. I thought of Fabiana. How she’d tease me. I thought of my grandmother and how she would comfort me. I thought of you too. I wondered where you were, what you would think of her birth. How you would receive our child.”

“I should have been there,” he said sadly.

“Yes.” She yawned. “You should have.”

Giovanni rested his head on the pillow of the sofa and stared out at the night. She kissed his chest and settled back against him, pushing her breasts flat to his chest and her sex up against his thigh. Soon his lids grew heavy and together they drifted to sleep. However, it wasn’t for long. He woke to find her resting peacefully in his arms. He had intended to propose. He wanted to do it in the most romantic way. But each time he tried, he couldn’t find the moment. And to be honest, his fear of rejection held him back. Giovanni eased his hand down into the pocket of his robe and her leg fell off his. He retrieved the ring earlier from his trouser pocket when he came downstairs to get their wine.

He held up the antique white gold setting around a 2 ct., flawless, square cut diamond. He’d buy her a larger diamond if she wanted one, but he prayed she’d prefer to wear this one. His father never married his mother. However, after he came for them and brought them back from Ireland he put this ring on his mother’s finger. He never heard the word whore mentioned by anyone in her presence again. When Evelyn took ill she gave him this. She wanted him to give it to his wife someday.

“Bella?” he whispered, but half the word lodged in his throat. He cleared his voice. “Bella,” he said again.

She stirred a bit but didn’t wake. Giovanni reached for her hand. It was a struggle but he managed to lift himself so he could ease the family heirloom on her ring finger. As he slid it up past her knuckle her eyes opened. She blinked at him confused.

“
Mirabella.
Ti amo
. Will you marry me?”

She stared at him for a long moment, and he wondered if she heard him. Slowly she lifted her hand and inspected the ring on her finger, sparkling in the darkness. “It’s my mother’s. She wanted me to give it to my wife someday. It means a lot if you will honor me and wear it.”

“Marry you?” she repeated.

“I know it seems sudden. But I lost you once. I-I don’t want to wait. Not on anything. I need you to be my wife.”

She lowered her hand. “The world thinks I’m dead.”

“But you aren’t dead. The first thing we do is reclaim your identity. You will have to convert to Catholicism. Eve and all of my children will be Catholics…”

“Slow down sweetheart.” Mira touched his face.

He couldn’t. He could see the answer in her eyes. She was going to reject him, and he couldn’t bear it. His pulse raced and his chest became so tight he felt his breathing stagger and go deep. “We can do this soon. Very soon. I have connections. Will you marry me?”

She rose on her elbows and smiled. “I never wanted to get married. I never thought I could see myself tied to anyone…permanently. Now I have a little girl and her father to take care of.”

“Take care of?” he smiled.

“As your wife I take that role seriously.”

“Are you saying yes?”

Mira grinned and slowly nodded. “Yes, I’ll marry you. I didn’t come back to Italy to be just your
comare
.”

He kissed her, moving over her, and she ran her hands up his back parting her thighs. He buried his face in her neck and inhaled deeply. He kept the tears of relief hidden from her. He lay there and believed in their love.

Morning came and Giovanni left his woman in bed. In the night he carried her there. She fit so nicely in his arms he hesitated before he laid her upon the sheets. And she made love to him, stopping a few times to stare at her engagement ring while he was buried deep inside of her. He could not get enough of her.

Giovanni flipped on the light switch. He gazed at the man in the mirror staring back at him. He had done many things since he’d lost her and few of them made him proud. His beard, mustache, all of it was a bad attempt of his to disguise how badly he hurt over the loss of her. He didn’t want to be the man he’d become. Now he had a reason for change. He reached down in his bag and removed his shaving cream. The lather coated his jaws and chin. Giovanni picked up his razor and ran clean lines across his cheek. He dropped suds and hair in the sink. The shave left him with a thin mustache goatee, and was almost as good as his barber.

He rinsed and washed his face. Once done he stepped back and studied his reflection. They would start again. He’d have what his father and Flavio never did. A real family.

Chapter Seven

When they arrived home Catalina was on the front steps waiting for them. Apparently little Eve had been more than she bargained for. Mira could read the curious stare in Eve’s blue eyes as the car came to a stop. Her baby was just as anxious for mama.

The sun highlighted her curly hair and sparkled off the tiny diamond studs she’d had her ears pierced with. Mira sometimes marveled at how blessed she was to create such a special little girl. The cherry red pacifier that had caused the ruckus the night before hung from a ribbon pinned to Eve’s shirt. Her daughter blinked at the car, clapped and grinned when Mira got out. It was such a joy seeing her. Though she had a nice time with Giovanni, she vowed not to be separated from her little girl again. It was too heavy a burden for her heart.

“
Ciao!
” Catalina started down the stone steps that led up to the abbey doors. She met Mira half way. “I love her, but she woke twice crying in the middle of the night. She asked for her ma-ma.”

“Aww, hi baby-girl. Ma-ma sorry.” Mira took Eve into her arms. She was overwhelmed by the fresh beautiful smell of her skin and the warm loving hug her daughter gave. “Did she eat?”

“Yes. I gave her a bath too. She’s such a
bimba
. I really do love her, Mira. But I might not be quite ready for motherhood yet.” Catalina chuckled. “I hope it’s okay Gio. I spoke to Zia. She and Rocco will be here in two days, and they’re going to stay through the holiday. Our first Christmas with a baby, Giovanni. It’s going to be so wonderful.”

Giovanni stepped up and kissed Eve’s cheek. Catalina blinked at her brother. “You shaved. It’s, great. Wow.”

The transformation of her lover shocked Mira this morning when she woke. The man looked even more handsome to her, if that were possible. Mira understood Catalina’s reaction. Hell when she woke this morning and found him shaved and smelling good she dragged him back to their bed and made love to him until her back gave out. “Thank you for being such a good aunt.” Mira smiled, drawing Catalina’s attention back down to her. “Hear that Eve? Your grand-aunt is coming to see you.”

Eve grinned then ducked her head shyly down to her mother’s shoulder. They laughed together and went inside. Giovanni trailed behind them. She glanced back, and he winked. She winked.

“I have a surprise upstairs. Can’t wait for you to see. Come with me.”

Carmine stepped in front of him. “Boss, the others are waiting.”

He watched the girls climb the stairs. Oddly his heart raced over the separation. Having Mira and Eve here made him long for family like he did as a boy. Christmas would be unforgettable this year. Catalina and Mira chatted excitedly. Especially when Mira spoke Italian to his sister. Neither of them bothered to look back to see if he followed. Eve however stared at her father over her mother’s shoulders and smiled at him. This evening he’d announce to the family and his men the big news. Mirabella Ellison had agreed to do him the honor and become his wife. It was time to conclude any business that would prevent her from walking down the aisle. He gave Carmine a nod. The young capu followed behind him as they headed for his meeting.

Villa Rosso was a brick-red cube shaped cottage at the end of his estate. It’s where business was conducted and concluded. Mira once slept in his arms there on a night he needed her desperately. Not even the women in his family were permitted beyond its doors. Mira had broken all the rules since the day he met her. He imagined when she became his wife many things would change. To be honest Giovanni couldn’t wait.

The men spoke in unison when he passed through the opened door. A hush fell over them soon after. Dominic was in his office. He could see him pacing while speaking into the phone with a long cord. Everyone looked to be accounted for. Lorenzo smoked a cigar in a chair where others stood and lounged. Their eyes met. Lorenzo nodded his way as a show of respect. Giovanni still burned in his gut over Lorenzo sharing Flavio’s fate with Mira.

Dominic stopped at the sight of Giovanni who walked past him and went into his office. He stepped around his desk to take a seat.

“Didn’t know you were back,” Dominic said. Nico and Lorenzo entered. The others began to drift into his office as well. Some of them learned only recently that Mira was alive. Others whispered over the news that she’d returned with a brown baby who had his eyes. Several of these men had pushed their sisters on him for marrying. Many didn’t believe his bachelorhood made him a fearless leader, but a dangerous one instead. That could be true. At this moment his thirst for revenge and retribution was tempered by his improved taste for love. When his gaze lifted he scanned the hard faces of murderers and thieves staring back. At one time he wanted to legitimize his family, take them all forward into a new legacy. Giovanni needed to find a way to channel that man and start again. 

He picked up his mail and began to shuffle through what was delivered. The villa was wall to wall stacked with his top enforcers and earners. Each man would be granted a ten-minute sit down with him. He wasn’t looking forward to any bad news. He had a wedding on his mind and heart now. “Where are we with Angelo Calderone?” Giovanni asked. His gaze swung left to zero in on Lorenzo.