Ti Amo (34 page)

“Girls mature fast. Look at Eve she’s already dancing around and—.”

“No, no Bella. I’d break little toddler knuckles before any of them will get near
bambina
and her dancing moves.” He brushed his lips over her stomach. Lifting her left leg, he came down in between them, working his tongue up to her nipple. Mira closed her eyes

“My poor
bambina
, you are going to make her teenage years unbearable aren’t you?” He responded by letting his tongue swirl around her nipple until they swelled painfully erect. His hand searched for her pleasure point between her legs, massaging her there.

When he released her nipple and gazed again at her there was such raw hunger in his eyes she shivered with anticipation. “It’s time we work on a new addition to our family,” he said. Before she could respond his warm, moist mouth closed on the circumference of her nipple again and two fingers entered her channel slow and strong. He sucked and rolled his tongue over it repeatedly until her hips and pelvis were grinding up against his hand and his finger was thrusting in and out of her in synchronization.

“Another baby, God help me,” she exhaled. He slipped his hands under her and lifted her ass to ready her for his strike. Thickness stretched her inch after inch and her body responded. A delicious bolt of pleasure went through her when he withdrew to the head of his cock and thrust powerfully deep inside of her. The rough feel of the hair on his thighs brushing against hers made him so gloriously male to her. She gripped the boulders he had for shoulders and hooked her legs around him wanting more. Mira bit down hard on her bottom lip to keep from crying out.

“Don’t come,” he grunted. “We aren’t even close yet.” He said in his commanding voice that made her soft and compliant.

“I won’t,” her voice returned with a quiver.

He thrust repeatedly into her, and it was all pleasure. It was driving her insane. “Why is it you feel so good?” he said in his husky sexy voice that sent shivers up her spine.

Before she could respond he lifted and rolled her over to her stomach. Forcing her legs apart he entered her from the back and she gripped the headboard raising her hips to receive him. The in-and-out motion forced short bursts of ecstasy to quake through her pelvis. The only way to respond was to bury her face in her pillow. Convinced of his love for her she tried to silence her passion but found it near impossible to do so. Giovanni licked the pearls of sweat trickling down her back and pumped his ass and hips with rapid strikes. Mira bit into the pillow as an orgasmic explosion of sensation exploded deep within her womb.

“Mmm,” she moaned.  Easing out of her he rolled her to her back and threw her leg over his shoulder. She pushed at his chest unable to take more, but he grabbed her wrists holding them above her head. Putting his weight on her he forced her left leg all the way back to her chest. The rotating and pumping of his hips had her grunting with him.

And it happened.  He let go of her wrists and applied the last of the forceful maneuvers that had the headboard banging against the wall. When he collapsed on top of her, sweating and out of breath, neither of them could speak, and Mira shifted some under the weight of him. Her inner thighs and pelvic area throbbed in sweet pain as she sighed, glad that she’d survived his passion once again.

“We aren’t done.”

Mira laughed. The knocking at the door at the late hour shocked them both. Giovanni rolled off her, and Mira scrambled to pull the sheet over her naked body. “Who is it?” she asked a bit fearful.

“It’s okay. Stay calm.” He put on his pants and zipped up his flaccid cock. Mira watched in horror as he got his gun. “Don’t leave the room,” he warned.

“Eve! What about my baby?”

“Stay here!” Giovanni was out the door.

The men didn’t have time to give him a clear understanding of what put the house on alert. Giovanni was already on edge. Once a bomb was planted behind his gates. He didn’t put anything past his enemies. It wasn’t until he met Carmine and Renaldo in the foyer that he learned that his home hadn’t been breeched.

“What the hell is going on?” he demanded.

“Fuck if I know Boss.” Carmine said.

“About twenty minutes ago they started arriving and they haven’t stopped.” Renaldo finished Carmine’s explanation for him.

Giovanni had zipped up a jacket over his bare chest but he forgot his damn shoes. It was chilly outside. He rushed out the doors to meet the others. Lorenzo and Dominic were ahead of him. The commotion added to the confusion. People, shouted from the front gates. He couldn’t make out what they wanted from the distance down the drive. But halfway to meet his men he heard the others clearly.

“Mira Ellison!” shouted a reporter.

“Is it true? Is she alive?” Another reporter yelled.

“Do you have Mira Ellison here? Is she alive?” said yet another.

Giovanni stopped. He glanced to Dominic. “What the fuck is this? I told you not until after Christmas.”

“It’s not us, Gio.” Dominic frowned confused. “We didn’t leak that Mira was alive.”

“Well if you didn’t who the fuck did?” he frowned at the reporters.

“The American? Maybe he did this as a counter move?” Lorenzo said.

Giovanni wiped his hand back over his head. “Shit.”

Mira paced her room. She had put on her black silk nightgown and matching robe. After ten minutes of waiting she went to her door. She opened it to find a man blocking her way. “I want my baby. Can you bring me my baby?”

“
No Signora, Mira.
I’m sorry. No one can leave their rooms.”

“La smetta!”
she shouted in his face. “I want my baby!” The man closed the door in her face. Mira slammed her hand against it. She paced away from the door then ran over to the window. From her room she could see nothing but the landscaping and mountains. There could be danger and she wouldn’t be able to protect Eve. She should have never let Eve sleep with Zia. She knew better. When she turned she saw the door to Eve’s room open. Mira hurried. She’d escape to the hall through Eve’s room. When she opened the door there was another man barricading the walkway. She was trapped. “What the hell is happening? Where is Giovanni? You can’t keep me in here.”

The man gently pushed her inside and closed the door.

“Bring me my child!” she yelled.

“How many of them?”

Dominic and Lorenzo had returned.

“Six media trucks, but more are arriving.” Dominic said.

By the morning the Polizia di Stato and Carabinieri would be kicking in his door. Christmas Eve was guaranteed to be ruined. “Wake Silvio Negali and have him brought here immediately. Let me know when he’s arrived. I need to break the news to Mira.”

Mira sat in the rocking chair of her daughter’s room all cried out. She held her doll in her lap so tight her hands ached. The door to the other room opened. She bolted from the chair and raced in to see Giovanni entering. “Where’s Eve?” She charged him and he caught her in his arms. He kissed her face.

“She’s okay. Nico is with her. There’s something I need to show you.”

He took her hand and went to the wall panel. He opened it and turned on the television. The satellite feed brought up the news channel. Mira blinked to see her runway show in Milan then the image of her and Fabiana doing an interview. She frowned, looked over at Giovanni then back to the screen. Pictures, flashed of her shopping on the lot for trees and visiting a toy shop in Napoli.

“It’s over. They know.” Giovanni said.

“How?” Mira sighed. “Kei?”

“It doesn’t matter, Bella.”

Mira put a hand to her head. “It does matter. Look at this.” The parade of her life and supposed death was on every news channel. She turned away from the set. “And Eve?” she asked. “Do they know about Eve?”

“We haven’t spoken to the press. I want you to shower and get dressed. I know soon we will have visitors we can’t refuse. Even at this late hour they will want to see you.”

Mira wiped her hands down her face. She touched her racing heart. “You scared the hell out of me. Locking me inside here. I, I, need a moment.” She sat down. Her hands didn’t stop trembling. Giovanni turned up the volume on the television. Though the newscaster spoke in Italian Mira understood every word.

 
This was the last Mira Ellison was seen alive. It has come to our attention that she is here. Being held against her will. We’ve asked for a statement from the Battaglia family, and none has been released. One moment. This just in. We are being told that it is true, Mira Ellison, renown American fashion designer, thought to be dead in an explosion two years ago is indeed alive. She was seen in Sorrento visiting the Battaglia bottling factory, and… and with a child? A baby girl. We have not confirmed this but we are learning more details by the minute. Why did she fake her death? Who is the woman buried in America? What does Giovanni Battaglia have to do with this? These are the answers we are waiting for.

“Turn it off!”

Giovanni did as she asked. He tossed the remote. Mira couldn’t look up at him. He wasn’t surprised by Kei’s desperate act. To flush her out and force her into the public eye was the only card he had left to play. In fact, it was the card Giovanni had intended to play. Which is why this strike troubled him. Kei Hyogo had broken several laws in this cover-up. He was just as exposed as Mira.

“The only reason he did this was retaliation. What happened?”

“I’m handling it.” Giovanni answered.

Mira shook her head at him sadly. “No. This is why I didn’t want you going after him. Now we can’t control how any of this is done.”

Giovanni sat next to her on the bed. “We should have done this the day I found you. Kei manipulated all of this, and I need you to go on record saying so.”

“What? Are you saying I should tell them? The truth?”

“Yes. Every detail of his plan.” Giovanni nodded. He picked up her hand and kissed her knuckles. “Don’t you see? You’re the victim. Now you can be set free of all of this, and all I need you to do is tell the truth. No lies. Just the truth.”

She nodded. He rubbed her back. Mira leaned over and dropped her head on the inside of his arm. “I’ll shower and get dressed. It’s time this comes to an end.” She rose. He caught her hand, brought it to his lips. She managed a smile then walked away. Giovanni glanced to the television set. His jaw tensed and his chest tightened with anger. This couldn’t have been Kei. If not him, then who?

****

The driver delivered him through the private gates of the airport to the runway. His jet had already been cleared for takeoff. Kei would land in Hong Kong well after he was missed. Kei grimaced. The fucking bastard had set him up, first with Cheung and now Mira. The media swarm would be crazy. He needed to get the hell out of the country before he was detained. Rethink his plan.

The door was opened and his driver peered down at him from under his chauffeur’s cap. “Will you need anything else sir?”

“No.” Quickly he hurried toward the tiny ladder that was lowered for him to enter. But before he reached the plane the loud wails of sirens sounded off, and Kei turned in time to see twelve police cars and two unmarked vehicles headed his way at warp speed. Kei thought to run up into the plane and get the pilot to lift off. But they’d never make it.

“Fuck!”

The cars surrounded him. The fucking agent with the FBI that had stalked him for two years exited one of the unmarked vehicles with a smug smile on his face. “Kei Hyogo you have the right to remain silent…”

****

Silvio Negali was a short man with a loud voice. He commanded the room. Even Mira was convinced of her abilities to right this ship after spending an hour of coaching under his instruction. He and Giovanni were in agreement. Mira would need to address the situation personally and the sooner the better.

The winter night was colder than expected for the southern region of Italy. Giovanni eased her coat on her shoulders. She wore her coat with large buttons on the front keeping it closed. Holding Giovanni’s hand, they walked together down the long driveway with his men surrounding them. Catalina had come outside to offer her support. She smiled weakly at Mira. It felt good to see them all so protective of her now. The reporters were in a frenzy as soon as she approached the gates.

Flashbulb glares exploded everywhere. Mira squinted against the light temporarily blinded.  So many questions were thrown at her, the reporters’ voices drowned into collective noise. Mira put up her hand and silenced the crowd. “I would like to say something please.”

A hush fell over them and several reporters stuck their microphones through the gates toward her. “My name is Mira Ellison and I am the founder and creator of Mirabella’s. Two years ago a tragic accident led to the death of my best friend and subsequently the betrayal of another. I trusted Kei Hyogo and was convinced of his support of me during my duress. He led me to believe that this wonderful man Giovanni Battaglia was out to harm me.” She looked over lovingly at Giovanni. She cleared her throat and continued. “Kei convinced me that government agencies had placed me in protective custody after a bomb exploded at my home and killed my assistants Angelique Daniels and Eduardo Glenn. For two years I was on the run, hiding from the world. That was until Giovanni Battaglia discovered the truth and found me.” She paused, to catch her breath and prayed she didn’t look as nervous as she felt. “I am deeply sorry for the deaths of Angelique and Eduardo and I regret any pain I may have caused their families by remaining silent. I want to apologize for the pain and heartache this may have caused my friends and colleagues in America. I also offer an apology to the wonderful fans of my work. I made a personal choice based on the circumstances at that time. You see, I had another to protect. My unborn child.” She glanced to Giovanni again and smiled. “Our unborn child.”