La Sposa

by Sienna Mynx

  “Did you count the money?” Lorenzo asked Negali.

  “It’s all there.”

  Lorenzo picked up a stack of lire bank notes and fingered through the bills. He nodded that it had better be and zipped the bags up, placing them off to the side of his chair, to handle business.

  “So glad we can get this meeting started,” said Negali.

  “Are we prepared?” Lorenzo asked.

  David nodded. “I, yes, we are. However, there is a bit of a problem. A legal matter with, ah, a woman. Her name is Marietta Leone and she…”

  “I know who she was. She’s your sister.”

  David blanched.

  Lorenzo chuckled. “And she is no longer an issue for you or me,” Lorenzo replied.

  David looked relieved, the stupid fucker. Silvio’s questioning gaze bounced between the men. “Is she withdrawing her petition with the magistrate?” David asked.

  “I said, she’s no longer an issue. Gone. There will be no contesting the business we need to conduct today. I assure you.” The piece of shit almost said thank you. Lorenzo narrowed his eyes on him and held him in his glare.

  “What of the Nigerians?” Lorenzo asked.

  “Yes. I’m curious about that answer as well.” Santo walked into the room.

  Lorenzo cringed. He forced himself to look back over his shoulder. Santo gave him a respectful nod before stepping to the table. The bastard had come. He patted Lorenzo on the shoulder and nodded a greeting to the other men. “I’ve been asked to sit in on this meeting. Make sure things are in order.”

  “Benvenuto!” Silvio exclaimed. “Non problemo! Let me get you copies of the contracts.”

  David Capriccio looked frozen before both men. Lorenzo would have no further chance to squeeze the prick.

  “How did you know the meeting was this morning?” Lorenzo asked Santo, tightly.

  “Gio knows many things. You understand how it works. Ciao,” Santo extended his hand. “I’m Santo Kimmatore.” David accepted his handshake. Silvio returned with a stack of documents. He brought them to Santo.

  “We will go through the contracts, and then Giovanni’s signatures will finalize the deal. Lorenzo will…”

  “I will be taking the documents and the money back to Gio in Capri. He requested I deliver them personally. After Lorenzo and I agree they are in order, of course.”

  The insult hit him hard. Even if Giovanni made the request, Santo stating it in front of these men cut at his balls. Growing angrier by the minute, Lorenzo fixed his glare on David. Carlo was right. They needed to deal with Santo. But possibly, this could work to his advantage. After the meeting concluded, Santo would leave Milan for Capri. He will then have his chance to set things in order. And he couldn’t wait.

  *****

  Mira heard knocking in her dreams. It took her several minutes before her brain registered where the nagging disturbance came from. Giovanni had rolled to his back and snored loudly. Sitting up, she frowned at the door. She told them to not disturb them. Exhausted, she moved the sheet aside and found her robe to cover her nudity. The knocking persisted. She guessed they’d only been asleep for less than an hour.

  At the door, she opened it with a frown.

  “Scusi, Donna mia…”

  “What is it? I told Rosetta to not disturb us.”

  Leo nodded that he had gotten the message. “It’s Gio. He has a call from America. An important call.”

  Mira half- smiled. “Dominic?”

  “Sí.” Leo nodded.

  “I’ll take the call.” Mira stepped out of the room and closed the door. Leo frowned and looked to the door. “Go downstairs and hang up the phone. Giovanni wants me to speak with Domi. Go!”

  Leo turned and obeyed. Mira rolled her eyes. The men were always terrified of breaking a rule of her husband’s. It was ridiculous. She hurried to the office that she had stored their luggage in. Though tired and in need of more of the restful solitude she found in their bed, she couldn’t wait to hear the details of what was happening in America with her company.

  She picked up the phone and heard the other downstairs disconnect. “Ciao, Domi!”

  “Mira?”

  “Yes. How are things?”

  “Molto bene, is Gio…”

  “Did you meet with the attorneys? Has Kei agreed to sign everything over to avoid court? Oh and Teddy? Did you meet with Teddy, because he has some additional amendments to the contract with Carole Montague?”

  “Sí. Sí. Everything is in order. I think in under a month the company will be yours and Gio’s again.”

  Mira grinned. She spun in her chair happily, getting tangled with the phone cord.

  “Mira, can you find Gio?”

  “He’s not feeling well. I put him to bed,” Mira chuckled. “I want to talk to Catalina.”

  “It’s important that I speak with…”

  “You can say it to me.” Mira said firmly. “What’s wrong? I hear it in your voice. Is it Carole? Is she contesting my taking over the company? She has no say in this. None! I want you to have a call scheduled for us all. I was thinking it was time my staff heard my voice, my vision. Yes. We should uh, let’s do it after the honeymoon. You know how Giovanni can be. But definitely let them know it’s coming. Wait! We can do it when we finalize the return of the company under us. I might even do a videotaped message, possibly hire someone to come in with a camera… or…”

  “Mira?”

  “Where is Catalina?”

  “Catalina hasn’t returned yet. When she gets in, I will tell her to call you.”

  “Really? She’s still at the office?”

  “I have to go, Mira. I’ll have her call you. Ciao.”

  “Ciao.”

  Mira hung up the phone. She hated that she missed the chance to talk to Catalina. She really was on edge with the burning need to understand all the things going on with her business. But things were moving along nicely. Soon, she’d have it all. Charged on the excitement of her company being returned to her, she completely abandoned the thought of returning to bed with Giovanni. The folder of documents that Teddy had sent to her arrived the day of the wedding. She hadn’t had a chance to go through any of them yet, and she knew they were tucked away safely in her trousseau. She figured she’d take this time now to read and catch up. When she and Catalina spoke, she’d be ready to give her instructions on what to do next.

  America –

  Dominic paced the floor. He arrived at Mirabella’s to learn Catalina had left with Theodore Tate for a late business lunch. He was so damn distracted with the news over who Mira’s father was, he didn’t dwell on Catalina’s absence. But after an hour of waiting for her, he was beyond pissed. The door opened. Catalina grinned, her dark curly hair bouncing on her shoulders. “Hi, baby.”

  “Where the hell have you been? It’s after five!”

  Catalina’s smile dimmed. “I…”

  “You knew I was here waiting for you!” he shouted.

  “I was at Mirabella’s then I went for lunch with Teddy… eh, Mr. Tate, and the traffic. There was lots of traffic. Domi, I’m sorry.”

  He exhaled and sucked in a deep breath. The problem wasn’t her. The problem was Mancini. There were too many unanswered questions. Nothing Giovanni believed about Mira was true. That made them weak, vulnerable. “Pack your shit. We’re leaving!” He marched to the room. He heard her squeal behind him with shock. He wasn’t the least bit surprised when she chased after him to the room.

  “What? Why? What did I do wrong? Please, Domi, I’m sorry.”

  He turned and saw her eyes stretched with horror. He calmly took her hand. “It’s not you. I’m not angry at you. We got trouble at home. I need to get back and meet with Giovanni.”

  “Oh.”

  He kissed her hand. “I’m sorry for yelling. Pack our things for me, okay? I got to make a call to get us a flight out.”

  “Wait. What about the company? The meetings start tomorrow. We can’t leave, Domi.”

/>   “I’ll come back and…”

  “Domi, listen to me. Please. I know you have business to manage. I understand. But this is important to Mira and Giovanni too. If you are coming right back why don’t you….”

  “What?” he narrowed his eyes on her.

  She folded her arms and stood tall. “Let me stay to deal with the fashion house. I can…”

  “No!”

  “No?”

  “You heard me. No fucking way I’m leaving you here in this city alone. No fucking way!” He marched over to the closet and dragged out the suitcases.

  Sheer black dread swept through Catalina. The thought of leaving New York now shattered her. Today had been wonderful. All of it. And lunch with Teddy was the first time she tasted true independence. And there was still so much more she wanted to learn. Tomorrow, he promised her a private tour of the design rooms, and then she would give input on some of the selections. She would sit at the table with Carole and be a true business woman.

  “Pack!” Dominic ordered.

  “Ask Gio,” she blurted out.

  Dominic paused. He looked at her, confused.

  “Call him and ask him if I can stay in America without you.”

  “Why the fuck would I ask your brother for permission to tell my woman what to do!” he shouted at her. She knew she insulted him but she was desperate, and she wasn’t good at fighting with Domi. Franco and the others she could handle. But even disappointing him cut her deep. She did the only thing she knew to do. She cried. Domi threw his hands up in defeat. He walked over to her and pulled her into his arms. Together, they sat on the bed.

  “Don’t treat me this way. I’m grown. I’m learning something important here. What trouble could I get into? A week, Domi. All I need is a week, or two, or three and that’s it. I’ve never asked for anything like this. I just want to finish what I started.”

  Dominic sighed. “Fine. Let me figure out how to let you stay. I’ll call in the Kimmatores to get you protection.”

  Catalina’s head lifted. “Is there danger?”

  “I don’t know. But I have to be careful with you. Not because I want to control you.” He kissed her tears. “Because I love you.”

  She wrapped her arms around his neck and held on to him. “I love you too.”

  Capri –

  Giovanni opened his eyes. His breath tasted chalky and bitter, with the stench of tobacco and stale liquor. The need to spit overwhelmed him, but didn’t overpower the tight burning in his gut, possibly from hunger. When he sat up his vision blurred a bit and his lids sagged, threatening to close.

  “Vaffanculo!” Giovanni cursed, placed a hand to his forehead. He’d put on one with all the drinking yesterday, followed by the lack of sleep and rounds of sex with Mira. He felt wrecked. And mildly, he suffered a bought of irritation that she wasn’t in the bed with him. Grumbling under his breath he stumbled from the bed, and went to the bathroom. There he pissed and spat in the toilet, then shed his clothes and took a quick hot shower. The warm jets sobered him. He felt marginally better. It was only after he dried himself and put on fresh clothes was he aware of the late hour. I slept until four in the afternoon?

  Giovanni walked out of the bedroom. He could hear Eve’s laughter over the blare of the television. He was starving. He’d ask Mira to fix him something to eat, and while he waited he’d make a few business calls. Santo should be en-route with his money and contracts.

  Where the fuck was she?

  When he entered the room he saw Rosetta stretched out on the sofa and Eve on the floor with her dolls. She looked up and immediately came to him. Rosetta shot upright as well.

  “Ciao, Gio.”

  “Where’s Bella?”

  “Working, she said not to disturb her or you.”

  “Working?” Giovanni glanced around. He held Eve in his arms. “What do you mean working? Where is she?”

  Eve spoke up in her tiny voice. He barely understood her. But his daughter pointed behind him. He turned with her in his arms and went to the only door on the floor closed to them. When he opened it, he paused. Mira was at a desk. Folders and papers were everywhere. She glanced up at him, at first surprised, then pleased. The smile she gave him was radiant. “Hi, sweetheart. I see you’re up?”

  Giovanni set Eve down and she walked into the room going to her mother. He slammed the door behind him. “What the hell is going on?”

  “I beg your pardon?” Mira frowned.

  “What is this?” He walked over and picked up the papers before her. He squinted at all the writings and red pen notes along the margins. Were these his contracts with the Capriccios? No. He saw Mirabella’s company name as the letterhead. “Explain this to me!”

  “Lower your voice first,” she said. She looked to Eve. Giovanni walked over to the door and opened it.

  “Rosetta!” he shouted. The young girl ran inside immediately and went for Eve. In the same hurried manner, she rushed back out of the room, as if the devil were chasing her. Giovanni threw the door closed again. “This is what you do? On our fucking honeymoon!”

  “I’m reading my contracts, while you sleep off a hangover on our honeymoon.”

  “What the hell for? Reading contracts? Dominic is handling all of this. I was looking for you and you were gone!”

  “Stop yelling at me!” she shouted back. “Why are you acting like this? So what, I brought some paperwork here. I didn’t flip out when you invited that creepy man here for business.”

  “Creepy man? Who the fuck are you talking about?”

  “I said stop it!” she stood. “I hate when you get like this. Shouting and cursing, like I’m one of your men. Don’t talk to me like that! I won’t put up with it!”

  “I’ll talk to you any way I damn well please!”

  The stand off between them charged his fury. Mira’s eyes narrowed to angry slits. Her lips pressed together, thinly. He was too angry to care about her outrage. The scene he walked in on irked him to his core. However, contrary to what she thought of his temperament, he rarely lost his cool with her. He thought to tell her that, but held back. Giovanni exhaled slowly. “We talked about this, Bella. You promised me that this company bullshit would not be an issue between us.”

  “And it isn’t. Christ! I can’t sit down and read paperwork? Are you so insecure that I have to be at your beck and call every minute?”

  “Beck and call? What the fuck does that mean? Insecure?” He walked over to the desk and gathered as many of the important papers as he could into a neat stack. She stared at him confused, and then shock registered over her face as he proceeded to rip them straight down the middle. He tossed the papers up in her face. They rained and floated about the room. “Fuck it, Bella. If I’m insecure, I’m not anymore.” He turned and walked out. He’d fix his damn sandwich himself.

  *****

  Lorenzo answered the phone on the first ring. Marietta rolled from underneath him and went to the bathroom. Her thick dark hair, when straightened from the curly style she wore, reached just beyond her slender shoulders. He watched the sway of her perfectly shaped, naked ass until she disappeared. The woman had a beautiful body, with melting softness and thighs he wanted to be buried between. When the door closed, the fantasy expired. He sat up, realizing they spent more and more time in bed. He had work to do and needed to stay focused. “What do you have?”

  “David does own a place. An office. He’s there now. I’ve seen him go there three times today to be sure. I think it’s what you are looking for, Boss.”

  “Good. Good work. I want you to sit on him. Keep him there.”

  “Anything else?” Carmine asked. “Should I do him? I can if you want.”

  “No. I’ll be there as soon as the sun goes down. Give me the directions.” He reached for the pen and pad on the lamp table and scribbled the information down. He knew exactly where it was. His only prayer was that this was where David kept the negatives for those photos and the master tape. If not, he’d just kill the bast
ard and dump his body on the Nigerians. He was sick of this bullshit.

  The shower turned on behind the bathroom door. He ended the call. Quickly, he paged Carlo. After a few minutes, Carlo rung him back. Furious. “Where the fuck are you? I’ve been here for two hours waiting for you to page me.”

  “Your trap for Santo didn’t spring. The bastard was here this morning.”

  “Well fuck, I did what you asked.”

  “And you failed!” Lorenzo groaned. “Look, I’m at Villa Dici. I, uh,” he glanced to the bed and he could still smell the sweet scent of Shalimar on his sheets. “Something came up,” he chuckled. “We need to talk, you’re right.”

  “Let’s do it now. I can’t find Carmine either. He isn’t answering any of my pages. What are you two up to?”

  “Fuck, Carlo! Stop fucking questioning me. I have to deal with Capriccio okay? It’s necessary business. Santo left for Capri. We can meet later. Here, take down this address. I’ll page you from his office. And then you come in and help me deal with the bastard.”

  “Fine.”

  Lorenzo hung up. He had stalled Carlo long enough. He had to play this right. And hell, it was the only card he could play. Rising, he went to the bathroom. Marietta was in the shower. She opened the door and smiled. He dropped his boxers and joined her.

  Later –

  Mira’s silent treatment hurt worse than his pride after their fight. He fucking hated every minute of it. She moved through the villa, as if he were invisible. Played with Eve. Took pictures of Rosetta and Eve out near the shore and returned to bathe their daughter and feed her. She wouldn’t even offer to warm up his food when he said he was hungry. She punished him. The punishment didn’t fit the crime. He may have overreacted but she brought her work with her to their honeymoon. Giovanni tried to ignore how much her rejection hurt his feelings. But he wasn’t good at pretending or apologizing. Not when he felt so strongly against something. And in the moment of discovering her working on her company business, he realized his true feelings. He didn’t want her to work. Ever.