Destino (Battaglia Mafia Series)

by Mynx, Sienna

  “He’s contacted me. Several times he’s contacted me to meet over one deal or another, and I’ve entertained him out of respect for our families, but nothing more. When will you trust me? Must I bleed for you? Is that it? I’m loyal to you and Battaglia. No one else comes before the family.”

  It was a small measure of reassurance, but Giovanni accepted it. His gaze returned to his window and the countryside. He hadn’t slept this well since he buried his parents. Now his head was clear. He may have to make some tough choices in the future as to his role in the family, and he needed to have Lorenzo step up if he was to ever be in his place. That meant mending past mistakes and quieting his cousin’s restlessness.

  ****

  “What about this one?” Fabiana walked out of the dressing closet. She wore a daffodil yellow dress with thin straps. The chiffon material of the skirt fell in tight pleats that moved like an accordion when she spun around. The bodice of the dress had the same chiffon material arranged in a basket weave like pattern, slimming her waistline and pushing her bust upward. Mira thumbed through racks aimlessly when she walked out. Looking over her sunglasses she wrinkled her nose in disapproval, “Not your color.”

  Fabiana blinked, shocked. “I like yellow.”

  “I never dress you in this color; it's not complimentary to your pale skin with your red hair. You look like some kind of tropical bird.”

  She turned her friend toward the mirror to make sure she saw her the way she did. Fabiana frowned and then her eyes stretched in recognition. “Okay. Guess you have a point.”

  “I know I do. I’m the designer remember?”

  “Hey? What has made you so bitchy today?”

  “I’m not being a bitch. You asked for my damn opinion!”

  The sales woman glanced up at them both. Fabiana said something in Italian to the salesperson and then narrowed her eyes on her. She hooked her arm around Mira’s and forced her to join her in the cramped changing closet. “Okay, what is it?”

  “I’m worried about us.” She sat in the chair in the corner of the closet. Fabiana eased down the zipper and changed back into her clothes.

  “Go on. I’m listening.”

  “Look at us. We’re businesswomen, driven and successful, but look at us. What are we doing here?”

  “Having a vacation, Mira! Good grief, we have next week to return to our lives but this week is ours okay? And don’t make this about us. This is about him. What happened between you two?”

  “I told him yesterday we need to go slow, that we need to take time to get to know each other, and then he just shows up in my bed.”

  “He just shows up huh?”

  “Well I sure as hell didn’t invite him.”

  “So why not kick him out?”

  Mira cut her eyes away. “I’m not angry that he came to me. Trust me I had restrained myself from going to him.” She dropped her head back against the wall. “I’m not even angry that he can make my body sing. I’m mad because I woke up and found him gone, and it hurt. You know that sinking feeling you get in the pit of your stomach when you're lovesick? Pathetic! What am I getting myself into? The man just does whatever the hell he wants, when he wants, and how he wants me. What am I doing falling for this guy?”

  Fabiana’s eyes grew round with shock. “You’re falling in love?”

  “No, of course, not!” Mira hadn’t realized she used the word.

  “You just said you were.”

  “I said it makes no sense. I don’t want to talk about this anymore. Let’s go get something to eat.”

  Fabiana shook her head. “Fine, but I’m buying the damn yellow dress.”

  “Go right ahead, be a parrot. Don’t say I didn’t warn you,” she called out after her as Fabiana left the changing room. She rose and picked up her purse.

  Villa Calderone ~

  “Benvenuto del Giovanni il mio ragazzo.” Don Calderone rose. A short, rotund man, his face was rather long and pale under a grey stubble of a beard. He had tired eyes that suggested a hint of trouble. The men greeted him with respect. The Calderone family ran the region of Genoa, but vacationed often in Como. It was to their advantage that he too was here while Giovanni had planned a visit. The old man gave Giovanni a hug and then a kiss to both sides of his face. To Lorenzo he did the same.

  Angelo, a stout man looked every bit the same as his weasel cousin Giuseppe. None of the Calderone men would win any beauty contests. The Don’s nephew stepped forward. He greeted Giovanni with a respectful kiss to either side of his jaw.

  “Join me.” Don Calderone gestured to the chairs.

  “This meeting was to occur close to an hour ago. I don’t appreciate being kept waiting.” Giovanni’s voice was low but resonated with his disapproval.

  The old man nodded. “Scusi.” He touched his wide chest. “I was waiting on that absent-minded son of mine. He was supposed to have returned in time for the meeting. We can’t locate him.” Don Calderone waddled on his stumpy legs back around his desk and sat.

  “Patri, he may still be in Genoa. He mentioned business there.” Angelo dropped a comforting hand to his uncle’s shoulder. All the men in the family referred to the old Don as their father, just as Lorenzo referred to Tomosino that way.

  “Business?” Giovanni asked.

  Don Calderone put his hand up. “Family business out of Sicily.” The Don turned his attention to Lorenzo. “Giuseppe said that you two may have a very lucrative agreement in Napoli in the works?”

  Lorenzo stared at the Don unfazed. Giovanni didn’t read any reaction to the news. “I agreed to meet with Giuseppe to discuss his interest in hosting parties at Isabella’s. Nothing was ever confirmed. He hasn’t called to schedule.”

  Don Calderone smiled then reached for his cigar box, pulling out his half smoked stogie and a lighter. “I heard of your troubles,” he lit the end of the cigar and pumped his fat cheeks to draw and release rings of smoke.

  “Yes. The club is gone. It was an unfortunate incident and completely blown out of proportion. My cousin understands.” Lorenzo answered.

  “I know my son can be an ass at times. I keep him on a short leash, out of respect for your family and my dear friend Tomosino.” He glared over at Lorenzo. “I tire of the bullshit. My son needs to keep with tradition. Traditions from Sicily. It means that you are to make no alliances with Giuseppe in or outside of the triangle without my explicit approval. No matter how tempting the offer capisci?”

  Lorenzo nodded.

  Don Calderone took a drag of his cigar. He dropped the blunt into the ashtray. “My words are not an accusation. I spoke with Giovanni and we both agree that what happened at your place was just, shall we say fortuna difettosa, bad luck. I want Giovanni to know that the Calderone’s won’t be bringing any more of that luck your way.” The Don reclined and puffed a ring of smoke up into the air.

  The Don smiled. His nephew continued to glare at Lorenzo. Giovanni observed it all in silence. “I will go see if we can track down Giuseppe.” Angelo nodded to the men and walked out. Lorenzo remained disinterested in the open animosity.

  “Now that the unpleasantness is over, Giovanni, shall we get down to business?”

  Giovanni gave a look to his men and they left the room behind Calderone’s men. He nodded that they could proceed.

  ****

  Mira held tight to the inside of the door. Her friend drove the flashy convertible faster than Giovanni. And along the mountainous curves it was a daredevil event that kept Mira’s lunch lurching to her throat. “Could you please slow down?” She winced.

  “So we leave for Sorrento! I’m so excited!” Fabiana shifted down into third gear. She eased off the gas pressing the clutch to take the upcoming curve.

  “Apparently he thinks we can get to know each other better there.”

  Fabiana shifted up to fourth, accelerating again as she looked over at Mira, “Well it sounds like fun.”

  They swerved up into the drive. Mira counted six cars parked to the fron
t. “Looks like the men are back.”

  “I’m ready.”

  “I guess we are.”

  When they exited the cars, men walked out of the front doors with luggage. A few pieces looked like hers.

  “C’mon.” Fabiana sashayed in front of her.

  Inside the place was abuzz with activity. “I’m going to take these upstairs and make sure whoever packed my bags didn’t forget anything.” Fabiana tossed over her shoulder, running up the stairs. Mira stopped a man who walked in a hurried fashion to the door.

  “Where’s Giovanni?”

  “The parlor, signora.” The man answered and kept on his course. None of these men offered her much conversation, and many didn’t speak English. She thanked his retreating back and tried to figure her way from one hall to the next to find one of the three parlors in the villa on this floor. Eventually, she found him with a room full of men. He was seated, most were standing. He listened to the man before him who talked with his hands swiftly moving. For a brief moment, no one noticed her. Then her eyes met with Lorenzo’s. He smirked, and it drew Giovanni’s attention. A small welcoming smile spread over his lips. He said something in Italian that silenced the room. All attention switched to her.

  It felt awkward. No one spoke as he crossed the room and approached her. He leaned in to kiss her lips but she turned her face giving him her cheek instead. He looked at her confused and some of the men lowered their eyes. “Have I upset you?” he whispered in her ear.

  “Can we speak? Alone?”

  Lorenzo appeared. “Where’s Fabiana?”

  “She’s upstairs packing the things she bought.” Mira replied, continuing to hold Giovanni’s stare. He slipped his hand in hers and squeezed it. With a small tug, he pulled her from the room and led her out. She knew he wasn’t pleased with the way she refused his kiss in front of his men. She didn’t care. She hoped it hurt his feelings like her feelings were hurt when he left her bed without saying a word. Taking her in a billiard room, he closed the door. “What has you displeased today?”

  Mira stepped away from him. She placed her purse in a chair and removed her sunglasses from her hair. “Had a good time last night?”

  “Did you?”

  “Oh, it was a blast until I woke up feeling like some cheap tramp.”

  “Now why would you feel that way?” he frowned.

  “Let’s see, maybe it’s the Houdini act you keep pulling after you have an orgasm between my thighs.”

  “You were sleeping, I had an early meeting, so I could get you out of here to Sorrento I might add.”

  “Interesting.” She crossed her arms in front of her. “You had no problem waking me when you wanted to make love, but you can’t wake me to say goodbye?”

  Giovanni rubbed his jaw. She knew he struggled with her reasoning. It was unfortunate that something so casual and addictive could be a source of frustration for them both. Mira sighed and turned away. She didn’t want to make the mistakes she’d made with Kei, over analyzing emotion, labeling his actions, pre-judging the man based on her fears of abandonment.

  “I’m a bit different than most men, American men, Bella.”

  She stared down at the pool table. “How’s that?”

  “My mother was Irish, my father Sicilian. She was his mistress just after she reached puberty. Not a story you share with a woman you want to know. I’m the product of that affair.”

  “Affair?”

  Giovanni chuckled. “Yes, my father was married to another woman until his dying breath. And every man out there wishes to remind me of that fact. I see you struggle to find your way, to be your own person. I know that struggle.”

  Mira faced him. His words weighed heavily on her heart. When she opened her mouth to say so, nothing escaped her. She preferred he do the talking.

  “It’s okay to question my motives, Bella, everyone does.” He took a step toward her, “I’m used to it. Inside we have some of the same fears.”

  “Maybe we do. Still, the more I know you, the more questions I have.”

  “Come closer, and I’ll answer them,” he said, reaching behind him to engage the lock on the door.

  “Smooth,” she smiled. She loved the way his dark tailored suit crisply outlined his large frame. His deeply tanned skin and the way his hair darkly framed his face was a huge turn on. She wasn’t really upset anymore. She enjoyed having his attention solely focused on her. Selfish as it sounded, she would prefer he didn’t speak or touch another woman after her. Mira went to him. “You liked what happened between us last night, not just the sex. After?”

  He nodded that he did enjoy the intimacy. He dropped his hands on her hips and pulled her directly into him.

  “You know I did,” he answered.

  Mira moved her face to avoid the kiss pending between them. Her breasts rose sharply as she drew in a breath. And the burn for him intensified “If you ever make me feel lonely for you again Giovanni, it’ll be the end of us.” He heaved her up and half-spun her to the door. Fire spread between her thighs as his pelvis pressed into hers.

  “Are you threatening me, Bella?”

  “Yes,” she panted softly.

  He nipped her bottom lip. “That’s my girl.”

  At last her lips parted and he tasted her sweet mouth. Infuriating woman. A sexy, almost apologetic little murmur of surrender escaped her. Mira wrapped her arms around his neck and returned his passionate kiss. Her tongue darted in and out of his mouth with quick little butterfly flicks that drove him wild. Giovanni parted her soft thighs with his to press in against her warm center. He seized upon her vulnerability with kisses to her neck while both of his hands cupped her ass and lifted her off the ground, pushing her higher up the door. His face went in between the separation of her wrap dress, he moved the crossed over fabric and exposed her left breast effortlessly as his lips brushed across her nipple still covered by the cup of her bra. He drew it down with his teeth. Mira grabbed his hair, wrapping her leg high around his hip to keep him close. She moaned once his tongue circled her nipple while in his mouth.

  “Slow down, we can’t, people are waiting on us,” she panted weakly, which he ignored. Reaching for the tie of her dress he pulled on the long belt loosening it.

  Nico’s voice sounded on the other side of the door. He knocked hard and fast.

  Giovanni let her breast go. “What is it?” he shouted. Mira pushed her breast back down inside the cup of her bra, and lowered her leg so she could fix her dress, although he refused to lift up and release her.

  “Don Calderone and his nephew Angelo are here to see you. They say it’s important.”

  “I’ll be right there,” he grunted finally releasing her.

  Mira tied her dress and looked up at him concerned. “Let me guess, you have to go again?”

  He cupped her face and kissed her. Then he turned away, adjusting his erection in the front of his pants, trying to shake off his arousal. Mira watched him pace to collect himself and walked over to him, touching his arm. “What’s wrong? Who are these men?”

  “No one. Visitors. Go upstairs and make sure the boys have your things. We’ll leave soon.” He kissed her jaw. Before she could say more he walked out, leaving her to wonder again what just happened.

  Giovanni stormed down the hall. “Find Lorenzo and tell him to join us. The girls leave now. We’ll meet them at the airstrip.”

  The men nodded and marched away.

  He rounded the corner and entered the open parlor on the lower level. “Come va?” Giovanni asked. Don Calderone turned with his cigar in his hand. He had three of his thugs including his nephew at his side. Giovanni gave him a proper greeting by kissing both of his cheeks.

  “Forgive the intrusion. We have a problem.” The Don said with concern in his voice.

  Lorenzo appeared at his side. Angelo seemed to tense and focus his hostility again at his cousin. Giovanni frowned at the exchange. “I’m listening. What can I do for you?”

  “It’s Giuseppe. He ha
sn’t been seen since yesterday evening. We can’t locate him, and it’s not like him not to check in.” The Don shook his head in disgust. He glanced over at Lorenzo. “Earlier you said he was to meet with you yesterday?”

  “No. I said he was to call to set up a meeting. I never heard from him.”

  “Where were you to meet?” Angelo asked.

  “Are you deaf? I said he was to call, nothing more.” Lorenzo shot back. From the rigid tension in his cousin’s jaw and neck, Giovanni felt odd about the entire matter.

  Angelo addressed his uncle. “How could he have a meeting with Lorenzo and be expected in Genoa the same day?” he said.

  “Are you calling me a liar?” Lorenzo demanded.

  Angelo’s brow arched, and his mouth took on a similar mean twist. “Are you a liar?”

  Giovanni threw up his hand and silenced the men. “If Lorenzo says that Giuseppe didn’t call, the matter is closed. I am sure he is probably caught up handling family business, Calderone.”

  The Don put a hand to his brow. “It’s not uncommon for him to pull these stunts. I keep telling Angelo he’s worried over nothing.”

  “Patri! Lorenzo knows something. I’m sure of it!”

  “SILENZIO!” Don Calderone commanded. “Apologize.” He grabbed his nephew’s arm. The move was humiliating for Angelo and his face turned a deep shade of red. Angelo looked up at Lorenzo with searing hate. “My apologies.”

  “No need. I understand Angelo’s concern, Don Calderone. If you need anything from me of the family let me know.”

  The Don nodded “Diotiguardi,” he said, kissing both sides of Giovanni’s cheek. He gave the same parting to Lorenzo and summoned Angelo to follow. Alone Giovanni returned his focus to his cousin. “Is there something I should know?”

  “Absolutely not!” Lorenzo walked out.

  Chapter Eight

  She sat close to Giovanni, his hand resting on her thigh. He told her stories of places she’d only read about in fashion magazines as she sipped a small cylinder glass of limóncello. Apparently, the bittersweet alcoholic drink was derived from Sorrento.