by Mynx, Sienna
“L'azzurro è aumentato. It is just like any other rose. It has petals, thorns, leaves and a stem. It blooms and it dies like any flower would. But the rose is different, isn’t it Bella?” he said lifting her chin with his index finger causing her to tilt her head slightly. “Because its beauty is beyond compare. Make no mistake, Bella. It’s not your physical beauty that has me spellbound. It’s your sweetness. It separates you from all the rest.”
“I’ve never known a man like you.”
“Ti Amo,” he said and kissed her.
Chapter Fifteen
Mira walked inside. Rather she floated now after the day she’d had with the Battaglia’s. Even when alone, she found herself constantly smiling. She suffered a dull ache of desire at the thought of the night he promised her. She agreed to let him handle some business affairs and to pack a bag. Where they were headed, she didn’t know. However, he made it quite clear what he intended to do once he had her alone.
A sly smile tugged the corner of her mouth.
“Signorina?” A voice said behind her. He cleared his throat in a resonant way, and she paused. A very distinguished man with stern grey eyes stepped into view. “Flavio Pricci. I work for Giovanni,” he said politely, touching his silk tie and smoothing it flat to his chest. He wore a dark grey suit with a black shirt and tie. He had the most compelling grey eyes.
“Ciao Flavio. Yes. I met you a few days ago.”
“Can we share a cup of cappuccino, talk?” he gestured to the open parlor that faced the back of the estate. Mira glanced inside. A staff member had prepared a tray and was setting things in order. It appeared Flavio had been waiting for her. The challenge in his unwavering stare made it impossible to refuse.
“Sure,” she said.
“Prego…” he nodded for her to take the lead. She felt his melting grey eyes tracking her as she passed him by. Rooms like this one were everywhere on the lower floor. Walls of windows that were pushed open to allow a constant cool breeze, and comfortable furnishings sparsely placed. Mira took a seat on a whicker sofa with large plush peach pillows and waited for him to join her. There was a remote detached feel to his manner when he did. As if this was a business meeting and not the casual conversation she expected. The young man in all white who had set up the cappuccino left without being instructed to and closed the door behind him. This too she noticed since no doors were closed on the lower level. She traveled from one room to the next uninhibited.
“Lovely ceremony today.” Mira said.
Flavio stared at her for a pause then gave her a perfunctory nod. “The Battaglia’s are a close family, very respected. Catalina’s wedding had to be special. I hear thanks to you it was.”
“I don’t follow?” Mira frowned.
“The dress. Quite lovely work.”
Mira hadn’t realized that Flavio knew she made the dress. How involved was he in the details of the family, and why did he stare at her so critically? She reached for her cup and added some sugar to ease her discomfort. “So you work for Giovanni?”
“I’ve been with the family for many years. His father and I were close—associates. I worked for him and now I do the same service for Giovanni.”
“As? If I’m not being too forward in asking.”
“Attorney, consultant, advisor.”
“Oh.” She sipped the coffee. The hot dark liquid seared her tongue, but she ignored it. The sting was enough to sharpen her senses. She felt the need to be alert around him.
“I’m curious about you, Mira,” Flavio crossed his left leg over his right. “I’ve read how well you’ve done with your business in Milano. You are quite accomplished now that you’ve launched your clothes here, more so than in the States. Forgive my limited English. I don’t want to sound rude.”
“Go on?” Mira said curiously.
“Why are you here? Shouldn’t you be attending to that business?”
“I beg your pardon?”
“The nature of your relationship with Gio? Friendship? Lovers? Exactly how long do you intend to stay?”
“That’s none of your business.” Mira frowned.
Flavio sighed. “Unfortunately, it is my business. Everything about Giovanni Battaglia is my business. That is who I am. If you haven’t seen by now, then I suspect you have guessed he is very important to this family. I assumed his fondness with you would pass, but he’s distracted. I have you to thank for this.”
“How dare you? Giovanni is a grown man, and I’m his friend. He invited me here, and he and I will decide how long I stay. If he’s distracted from your business, then you need to take that up with him.”
“You know what he is. Don’t you?” Flavio’s smoky grey glare narrowed and she felt chilled by the malicious darkness she could see in his stare.
“What he is, is a good man, a friend…”
Flavio smirked.
Her voice faltered. Mira considered walking out on the conversation. The air of authority Flavio exuded kept her seated. However, he would not intimidate her. First Catalina shares what it was to be a girlfriend to a Mafia boss in hope she’d stay. Now she had this man seeking to run her off. It was a wonder Giovanni had any normalcy in his life at all. “Of course you know. Or you think you know. I want to clear up the mystery for you.”
“No thank you.” Mira stood. “I think I’ll go find Giovanni and tell him about this conversation.” She walked toward the door.
“Pity your store had to close. I hear it’s why you’ve had some of your things moved in here.” Flavio reached for his coffee.
Mira stopped and looked down at him. “Yes, Giovanni was quite generous.”
“Generous?” Flavio chuckled. “That’s an interesting word. Don’t you find it strange that the very building he wanted unobstructed access to has been closed twice without any legal documentation? On the word of some inspector who could speak no English?”
“How do you know about that?”
“It’s my point, Mira. I know everything. It’s you cara that has been kept in the dark.”
The news weighed her to the spot. Giovanni setting her up hurt, but for him to pull this off it would mean that Fabiana played a part in the deception too. “You’re lying,” she said.
“Am I? Are you sure? Have you spoken to your attorneys, your solicitor, anyone outside of these walls since you arrived? The building meets code, it always has. You can return to it as soon as you like. I suggest, you open your eyes and realize this is not a world you belong in.”
She opened the door to walk out, seething with rage.
“Signorina Mira.” Flavio called after her. She stopped and glanced back at him. He still sat with his back to her sipping his cappuccino. “I wouldn’t confront Giovanni with what you know. After all you do know what kind of man he is.”
Mira left the bastard. Her heart hammered in her chest. How could Fabiana do this? Why?
Lorenzo paced. Angry, ashamed, and bitter he ignored the murderous glare Carlo fixed on him. He had no time to deal with the rift between them. He and Carlo kept no secrets, but this thing with Calderone he had done solo. He knew his friend was hurt and confused by his actions. All of it would have to wait. Angelo Calderone had a bullet with his name on it, and he itched to pull the trigger to unleash it. How dare he come to their home on Catalina’s wedding day and disrespect his family this way? How dare he? He paced more. They’d been waiting for an eternity. He was on edge.
“Where’s Domi?” Lorenzo checked his watch.
Carlo twirled the toothpick in his mouth but didn’t answer. Nico and the others sat around in silence. They all watched him. The door opened and more of the top capus in the family entered. Dominic wasn’t among them. He was now underboss, so he should be leading the troops to the General. It burned Lorenzo’s guts that Dominic had details Lorenzo felt he should rightfully know.
“Is it true?” Carlo asked.
Lorenzo paused. He looked up at his friend. “Is what true?”
“That all this time you were Giuseppe’s co
wardly puttana!”
“Vaffanculo!” Lorenzo seethed, his teeth clenched.
Carlo chuckled and a few others did as well, furthering his humiliation. He took a step toward Carlo, and his friend rose from his lean against the wall. The dark malevolent smile spreading across Carlo’s lips indicated he thirsted for the fight. Giovanni and Dominic entered the room and both paused at the rigid stance of both men. The others fell silent.
Giovanni’s gaze volleyed between Carlo and Lorenzo. Both men backed away. He turned his attention to Dominic. “Where’s Flavio?”
“He should be here shortly.”
“Find him now. Everyone needs to hear what I have to say.”
“We need to talk!” Mira took hold of Fabiana’s arm. She dragged her from what appeared to be a polite conversation between Fabiana, Aurora, and a few other women in the Battaglia family. She marched toward the only door available to them, the double stone and wood carved ones that led out of the front of the estate. Battaglia family members were saying their goodbyes and loading up in their cars.
“What on earth is wrong with you? Ow! That hurts!” Fabiana backed away on the gravel circular drive with a look of confused intolerance on her face. Mira struggled with her anger. She was caught between tears and outright rage. She marched down the front steps and Fabiana backed away. The few men outside around the parked cars all stared at them.
“You lied to me didn’t you? Didn’t you? You’ve been lying to me for weeks!”
“What are you talking about?”
“Never, ever would I believe you would do something like this. Which is probably why it was so easy to feed me this bullshit.”
“Would you calm down and tell me what has you so crazy right now? What have I done?”
“Did you or did you not conspire with Giovanni and Lorenzo to convince me that the Italian Republic had my store closed?”
Fabiana’s eyes stretched. “Who told you that?”
“Answer me dammit! It was all a lie. Was that man who came here an officer of the courts or just some clown in a suit? What did Giovanni give you to sell us out of our business so he could get access to those cellars? What? Did my fucking him become part of the deal too?”
“Stop.” Fabiana shouted, she looked around at the others watching then stepped in close to Mira. She spoke with a lowered but exact manner that made Mira a bit wary too. “Don’t say another word. We can’t have this conversation out here. People are watching. Do you understand me?”
Mira summoned control, but the angry disappointment caused tears to fall. Fabiana spun and looked around at those watching. She marched to one car to yank open the door then another, but most if not all were locked. Ahead was a tow truck, on the back of it a shiny sports car that was dropped from its platform. Fabiana grabbed Mira’s hand and dragged her to the car. The men looked a bit confused when Fabiana began to speak to them in an angry loud manner. They exchanged looks, unsure of her request. Fabiana snatched the keys from one and opened the door. “Get in Mira. Now.”
“Where are we going?” Mira demanded.
“Get the hell in so we can talk. In private.”
Mira got in the car, and Fabiana slammed the door then walked around the car and got in on the other side. The men stood outside observing. The younger one eventually signed whatever paperwork before him and walked off.
“I want to explain.”
Mira dropped her head back and sighed. “I’m such an idiot. This man was playing me from day one. He told me he wanted that store, and I just fell in bed with him, believed his bullshit.” She glanced over. “Why Fabiana? Why lie to me?”
“I didn’t know the first time the store was closed that Giovanni Battaglia ordered it. That he tricked us when he did the favor for reopening it. I really thought they were trying to help us. I swear that to you.”
Mira exhaled a pained breath. “That’s right. It was a lie from the beginning.”
“Things got complicated. We were given a lease that put us between two very powerful families. The Sicilian businessman I told you about, Mancini, he wasn’t supposed to give us that building. Lorenzo explained it to me. It’s Cammora territory and it’s used for… for things you don’t want to know. They couldn’t let us stay in there and conduct business.”
“Business. So you know their business now?” Mira asked.
Fabiana burst into tears. “I’m sorry. Okay? I should have told you. I felt like shit. I only did this because we were in the middle. To not do what they wanted just wasn’t an option.”
“Why would we care about what they want? What is it you aren’t telling me?”
“Lorenzo has killed a man.”
As if struck Mira drew back, the right side of her body pressed to the door, “What?”
“A man named Giuseppe Calderone. He confessed it to me. He killed a man and now he’s in trouble with a very powerful Mafia family and his own. I’ve been trying to help him.”
“How the hell could you? How deep are you in this?”
“We’re in this. Trust me Giovanni Battaglia is far worse than Lorenzo, Mira. Whatever Lorenzo has done, it comes down to those cellars and the deliveries they take in and out of them from the Amalfi coast. He’s not going to tell me the dirty details but you can put it together. We can’t have people that work for us in that kind of danger. I… I had to do something, that kept it contained. To remove us from it altogether.”
“Then why not come to me? Why let me think this man cares about me when he was just using me? For Christ’s sake, I moved my things in here. We shouldn’t be here!”
Fabiana shook her head sadly. “I love Lorenzo. That’s why. And you already said you’ve fallen for Giovanni.”
“Stop it!”
“It’s true! I love him. And I think he loves me. It’s how they are. Secrecy and lies is who they are. When you said we should leave for New York I figured it would be best, especially since we now have to go. Lorenzo told me this morning that things here are going to get intense. So it’s time to go.” Fabiana nodded, wiping at her tears. “I figured I wouldn’t have to tell you all of this. Let them work through their shit, and we could see them outside of this world. Maybe…”
“Stop it. You did this for Lorenzo. Plain and simple. And now that you know he’s killed someone you’re in danger too. Do you think that man is going to let you walk out of here with that knowledge? He didn’t tell you that secret without some motives. He sure as hell isn’t going to let you in and out of his life with that kind of information. You put us in the middle of this and now we’re in so deep neither of us will be able to walk away.” Mira put her hand to her forehead. “Want to know what scares me?”
Fabiana’s teary gaze slipped to her.
“I think you knew from day one what they were into. I think you brought us here on purpose.” Mira closed her eyes. “Trapped here with them is exactly where you want us to be.”
Giovanni laid it all out for everyone. Sharing with his men his failures was not an easy task. Flavio arrived half way through his announcement. Even the old man couldn’t counsel him against what he was to do next. “We’re closing in ranks. Collect every dime that’s owed. The gambling houses in Naples are too close as well. Be prepared for anything. Angelo Calderone hasn’t made the first move so…”
“We have to.” Carlo nodded. “We know what this is.”
“Do you?” Giovanni said. “Because every one of our business interests is to be heavily armed. The Calderone’s like to firebomb, and plant bombs. It’s how they strike.”
“Boss? Scusi?”
The men parted to reveal the young one who had entered. Carmine was only eighteen, and a protégé of Carlo’s. He’d seen the boy around a few times. Carlo’s face deepened into a red angry scowl. He appeared incensed over his arrival. Only high-ranking men in the family were to attend this meeting.
“There’s trouble.” Carmine said, to the men glaring at him.
“Trouble? What kind of trouble?” Giovanni
asked, sitting upright from his slouch in his chair.
“The women. They’re out front—fighting.”
Lorenzo looked up from the chair he was seated in and his eyes met with Giovanni’s. Carlo threw his hands up and began cursing, shoving the kid toward the door. The other men laughed.
“Wait!” Giovanni ordered. “Let him finish. What women?”
“Your women.” Carmine said, pointing to him and Lorenzo. “They’re fighting inside your Ferrari,” he leveled his finger now at Lorenzo.
“My car is in with the mechanic.” Lorenzo said.
“It was brought back. I signed for it.” Carmine said.
Lorenzo shook his head. “No, that’s not possible. I spoke to Gino and he said it would be weeks before he could look at it…”
Giovanni frowned. Lorenzo glanced to him with a confused furrow to his brow. Without a word they both bolted out of the room.
“How could you say that to me?”
“From day one you knew what Lorenzo was. Didn’t you?”
“I suspected but—.”
“You knew! And when he offered to dig in to our affairs you rejected it. Why did you change your mind? A wink, a kiss, what the hell made you think dealing with him wouldn’t lead us here?”
“Mira, please, don’t be angry with me. I made a call, a bad call…”
Mira’s hand shot up to silence her. She then wiped the tears from her face. “We’re leaving. Now. I don’t care what the hell your motives are for helping him, and betraying me. We’ll deal with it in New York. I’m getting you the hell out of here before something bad happens. Now dammit!” she opened the car door and tossed angry words back at Fabiana. “I can’t trust you. When we get back to the states I don’t want you managing Mirabella’s business affairs anymore.”
“What?” Fabiana gasped.
“I know you’re a partner, and we’ll work it out, but if you could do this to us, it means I don’t know you at all.”
“I love you.” Fabiana pleaded. “I made a mistake.”
“Bullshit. You knew exactly what you were doing. It’s time I start taking control, hell for both our sakes.” Mira got out of the car and slammed the door. She began to walk away but her legs felt like she had anklets carved out of lead strapped to them. She was possibly too harsh, too quick to judge, but dammit lies weren’t a part of their friendship. She glanced back hoping her friend was behind her. Fabiana remained in the car. Her head pressed to the steering wheel as she wept. Mira lost her conviction at the sight of her pain. Fabiana was in trouble. Lorenzo confessed to murdering someone, and she was helping him, how? Was she going as far as to cover it up?