by Sienna Mynx
Dominic walked off. He seemed to slip deeper into his inner thoughts. She felt him shutting her out. “Of course you don’t,” Mirabella said with a burdened sigh. “The moment things fall apart you all do this?”
“What? Do what?”
‘This! This oh-look-at-me-I’ve-caused-this crap. At least Giovanni knew how to channel that self-loathing into action.”
“Well I’m no Giovanni.”
“No kidding. Domi? Please. Catalina would never sleep with Armando. She is foolish enough to trust him and play his sick games, but she didn’t betray you. You know her better than that.”
“I understand that now,” he mumbled.
“And?” Mirabella asked.
“It doesn’t matter. I’ll find her and bring her home. After the things I’ve said to her... she’s done with me. It should be over.” Dominic wiped his hand down his face. “Gio was right, we weren't meant to be.”
Mirabella’s heart sank to hear him say the word ‘over’. Didn’t he understand how fragile love in their lifestyle was? In the blink of an eye everything a person held dear could be snatched from them. No one should ever give up on family. If he and Catalina couldn’t make it, then what hope did she have of Lorenzo and Giovanni's war not destroying them all? Mirabella refused to believe that Lorenzo shot Giovanni. She would not accept it. The shooting was her brother’s doing. In her heart of hearts, she knew it.
And she blamed herself.
If she hadn’t encouraged Marietta to call Armando, this gunfight may have never happened. The guilt and grief weakened her each day he lay in a coma. Dominic exhaled a noisy exasperated sigh. She shook her head at his state. It wasn’t his physical appearance. He had cleaned up. He had shaven, and changed clothes, too. But those that knew him saw his inebriation in his red swollen eyes. He was drinking. A lot.
“What else is wrong?” Mirabella asked.
“Lots to do. So much has happened,” he mumbled.
“You’ll figure it out.”
Dominic glanced to Giovanni. He stood there staring for several minutes before he spoke again. “I just found out that Gio and Tacchini have been working together against... well let’s say Giovanni destroyed a very powerful family recently. Gutted the clan’s business. It’s an act of war in the Camorristi.”
“Mateo Benicia?” Mirabella asked.
Dominic’s brows lifted in surprise.
“There was an explosion at the pier in Napoli where the cruise ships dock. Drugs were found, dead bodies. I met Benicia several times. He was at the vineyard just weeks ago. And he and his wife were at Catalina's party. I know who he is.”
“He’s dead,” Dominic said.
“So Giovanni is a drug dealer?” Mirabella asked.
“Benicia was a drug dealer and he’s dead,” Dominic countered. “And with his death goes the drug business for Gio.”
Dominic looked as if he didn’t want to say anything more but she knew he struggled with the weight of responsibility thrust upon him at this time. The confessions kept coming. “Isabella is dead.”
“How do you know?” Mirabella asked.
“Umberto. They... say her body won’t be identified.”
“Because her head, hands and feet are gone?” she asked.
Dominic frowned.
“It’s on the news Domi. All those deaths, and the craziness. All of it is tied to Gio, isn’t it?”
“Yes.”
“Why tell me this now?”
“You need to know what we are facing,” Dominic said bitterly.
“You and Giovanni have never told me any of this before, whether I asked or not.” She crossed her arms.
He shrugged.
“I get it. Things are really bad now if you aren't protecting me from the truth anymore.”
“Giovanni and Tacchini are responsible for bad things. Yes. While Giovanni had us out there pretending to work with the clan bosses, Tacchini had his men all over the Amalfi killing the Benicias. When they were done they dragged their bodies to Napoli, blew them up with Mateo Benicia strapped to a chair surrounded by his drugs.”
“His drugs or our drugs?”
“I already told you...”
“I don’t believe you. I’m learning not to trust anything I believed before about this family, about Giovanni.”
“Does it matter?” Dominic smirked. “We aren't in the drug business anymore.”
“I've heard enough...” she said.
Dominic continued. “Revenge. It was all for vengeance. Just like the Calderones. The war with Armando was a smoke screen. The drugs... a smoke screen. All of it was done to wipe out Don Antonio Benicia and his entire family because he insulted you once.”
“Insulted me how?”
“When you were kidnaped. Don Benicia, made a comment that Giovanni didn't like. Giovanni attacked him. But that wasn’t enough. Any time anyone comes close to offending you and your marriage he does not forgive. Does he?”
“Thats not my fault. It’s not that simple.”
“It is. And to sweeten the taste for revenge, Giovanni learned that Isabella was working with the Benicias. That sealed Mateo’s fate and pushed us into war with our own clans.”
“No. Not this again.”
“Isabella had to pay for kidnapping and poisoning you. Don’t you see it? All of this comes back to you. So, it is your fault and now your responsibility”
Mirabella glanced to her husband. She remembered the cold-blooded way he returned home after killing Cutter. She believed it to be an overreaction. But it wasn’t. It was him. It was all him. And it was her, too. Their love had healed part of him but the other part, the part that she pretended to not see, suffered an irrational madness and jealousy.
“What does this mean?” she asked.
“Giovanni wiped out a clan boss, la famiglia, men who were supposed to be our allies are dead. Tacchini is the only one standing with power now. If Giovanni isn’t at his side when the clan bosses meet, Tacchini will move in to fill the void. There is business to be done. Relationships to mend.”
“So, I’ll say it again. Why are you telling me this?”
“We need you...that’s why,” Dominic said.
“There are rules in our life. I’m not supposed to be in this, not this close to Giovanni...”
“Rules? You think there are rules in la Camorra? There is only one rule. Survival of the fittest. And who is fit now with Giovanni on his back and in a coma?” Dominic asked.
Surprised at his tone Mirabella was silenced. Dominic combed his fingers back over his wet hair with a shaky hand. The tremors reminded her of her own. Something about him was off. There was an edge of bitterness and self-righteousness in his manner that she didn’t trust. Dominic would hurt himself or someone soon if he didn't get control of his emotions. And he kept fidgeting and sweating.
“You are the Donna of this family. Did Giovanni ever really explain what that meant? In case he died?”
“What did you say?”
“I mean...”
“I know what you meant! He's not going to die! Take it back!”
“No,” Dominic said. “I won't. Because the reality is he can and might die.”
Mirabella felt pressure compress like a ton of bricks stacked on her chest. She squeezed her eyes tightly shut. “He won't. He won't. He won’t.”
“Did he ever talk to you about what to do, what comes next?”
“Of course he did,” she said on the verge of fresh tears. “My job is to protect the family. You and Lorenzo are...” She opened her eyes and remembered that Lorenzo was the enemy.
“And that’s what we have to discuss. Protecting the family from the Camorristi and Lorenzo. This isn’t the Mafia. La Camorra doesn’t give a shit about the traditions of those old Sicilians or Omertà where our only concern is the polizia.”
Mirabella walked over to her husband. “Has the absolute power over Camorra corrupted Giovanni? Changed him? Made him do these things? Or is this just more of the same f
or him?”
“Love changed Giovanni. Before you were kidnapped, he wanted to pull us out of this world. Legitimize us. He never wanted drugs or anything to do with it. That’s Lorenzo’s dream.”
“Our love has made him crueler. Yes. But he is forgiving. He forgave me. More than once. I forgive him for this.” She leaned in and kissed his brow. “You hear that, sweetie. I forgive you. Just please wake up and pull us out of this mess.”
Dominic observed.
“He’s a walking contradiction,” Mirabella continued. “It’s what Flavio warned me about when he sent me away. That I would ultimately destroy Giovanni. And look at him. Our love did this. Didn’t it? Made him sloppy. Made me blind, deaf, and dumb to the dangers coming for us. If I hadn't... If I had only trusted him... put him first...”
“No. Lorenzo did this. From the beginning it was Lorenzo,” Dominic said.
Mirabella shook her head. “I don’t believe he would shoot him. I just don’t.”
“Doesn’t matter if you believe it or not, it’s the truth. We have to stop the meeting between the clan bosses. Call our own. We have to show them that the Battaglias are stronger. I say we take in more men. Build a bigger army. We need...”
“We? We?” Mirabella shook her head. “You mean me. Don’t you?”
“I’ll help. It’s what is expected.”
“Stop it! Enough. I’m not doing this right now. All my energy is here. With Giovanni. Period!”
“Mirabella, you are la Donna. The one who could…”
“I said stop!”
Dominic sighed. “Of course. It’s too soon. I understand.”
Mirabella looked to her husband. She touched the cloth ridges of his bandaged chest. “It’s been three days. Does Carlo remember more?” Mirabella asked.
“Maybe, maybe not. It’s possible that it was Armando or Armando’s men. It could have been someone from the Benicia clan who escaped Giovanni’s ambush. Maybe they came after him for revenge. And I hear the Baldamentis have a kidnapped kid out there. Alek Baldamenti is dead. It’s being pinned on Giovanni... do I need to go on with the list of his enemies?”
“He has that many enemies?” Mirabella asked sadly.
“He has even more. N’drangheta, Triad, Bratva, The Neo Black Movement out of Africa... the Westies out of Ireland. And I just learned the Armenians believe we owe them a favor because of some bloody mess in Las Vegas caused by Carlo and Shae.”
“Okay, I heard you.” she said in distress.
“But he also has a strong ally. Whatever he did, worked. The Mafioso is offering support. The other Dons of Sicilia have turned against Mancini. They want to see you as well. And then there is Tacchini.”
“Tacchini?”
“He’s close to Giovanni, I suppose. You attended his wife’s funeral over a year ago.”
“Oh? Yes, I remember him.”
“Good, you will need to meet with him soon.”
“Domi I can’t do that...”
“You can. And you will.”
“You scheduled a meeting? Without asking me?”
“No. Men like Tacchini, like all of them, already know how this works. They don’t want to meet with you to negotiate. You aren’t worthy.”
“Oh, thanks a lot.”
“They want to see the black American fashion designer that brought Giovanni to his knees to try to comfort your grief. You have legitimacy and fame. Something that is very powerful to men who live in the shadows. You’ll probably have wedding proposals before we can bury Giovanni.”
“Oh my God. He is not dead! Don’t even joke about it!”
“Sorry. I’m not trying to scare you, Mirabella.”
“The hell you aren’t!”
“I’m trying to prepare you. Whether you want the job or not it is yours, and we don’t have time to debate it.”
“It’s my fault,” she repeated. “I did this.”
“Yes, part of it is your fault,” he said under his breath.
She swung a shocked gaze his way. Dominic’s red rimmed eyes, banked with heat and glossy from his lack of sleep, glared back at her. “You knew better. You knew, and you did it anyway.”
“Did what, Domi? Go on, don’t stop now. Say what my crime is!”
“Why did you call Armando? Especially knowing what Lorenzo did to Patri. Where is your loyalty?” Dominic demanded.
It hit Mirabella with crystal clarity. By telling Marietta to call Armando she had betrayed her husband and the family. It was no different in Dominic’s eyes as Catalina agreeing to work with Armando. He scowled at her while Giovanni lay between them and demanded an answer without speaking further. Her chest burned with regret. She felt the heat warm her neck and cheeks. She was the first to lower her gaze.
“I only wanted to help my husband.”
“Does it look like you helped him?”
“I'm married to him, Domi. I know him in ways none of you do. Revenge is a gut, instinctual reaction for Giovanni. But when it comes to family, he needs me, my love helps him have the compassion that your guidance never provides. He loves Lorenzo. To kill him. It would take him away from me and my children. Take away the only pure untainted part of his soul. He has never taken the life of a family member. Never. And now he may never wake up. You don’t have to blame me. I blame myself, trust me. If he dies so will I. Not even for my children could I carry that kind of burden.” At this point she turned to her lover, her best friend, to speak the rest of her truth. “You hear me, Gio? You have to come back to me, sweetheart. We won’t survive without you.”
“We don’t have much time,” Dominic dismissed her plea. “You need to see the kids. Eat a decent meal. And clean yourself. Get dressed, the way you do when you go before those fashion people. Be pretty and classy. Be ready!” Dominic said. “They're coming.”
“Who? Whose coming?”
“Everyone. The polizia, the carabinieri, the clans, the grieving families, the media. It's making world news. People are coming and you're the only barrier between Gio and them.”
Mirabella threw up her hands in defeat.
“Do you understand?” he asked.
“What if he wakes and I’m not here? What if the doctors need me or something?”
“I’ll stay. You trust me, don’t you?” Dominic asked. “Or should I call Armando and ask him what we should do?”
The arrow of sarcasm pierced her already battered heart. If he had slapped her the strike would have felt more humane. “No,” she said through clenched teeth. “I don’t trust you! Not when you’re drinking. Neither would Gio.”
Dominic released all the bitterness in his chest with a roar of anger. “So? So, what! Who cares!” Startled, Mirabella said nothing. A tickled laughter escaped Dominic next instead of an apology. A laughter so tinged with madness she was grateful when Leo stepped inside the room to join them. He glanced to Mirabella to see if she was okay. She gave a nod to Leo to stay. Dominic wiped his hand down his face. “Gio never trusted me drunk or sober. If he had he would have never gone off and done this without me.”
“I know you’re hurting.”
“You know nothing.”
“I know hurt people, hurt people. I’m surprised I’m able to stand here now and not scream at the top of my lungs with you but I won’t. If we’re going to work together...”
“If?”
“If! If we are going to fix this, the blame game stops here and now. I can’t fight with you and fight for my husband. I’m not that strong.”
“You're much stronger than you think, Mirabella,” Dominic said.
“And you are, too. We’ll find our girl and bring her home. And you will fix this thing with Catalina just like I will fix my betrayal to this family with Giovanni. We’ll fix this because we are stronger when we have each other’s backs.”
“Even if that means you have to do things you may not be comfortable with?” he asked. “Go further than even Gio would want you to go?”
“Right now I need you focused
on the business, sober. You can do it, Domi. Hell, Giovanni would say it all the time. You are the brains of this family. The thinker. The rational one. You can do this. But you have to stop drinking if you want to focus. Immediately. No more.”
He wiped his hand down his face. Each time he did this action it seemed to help him with clarity. Mirabella glanced to Leo and nodded that her trusted guard should leave them alone. Leo left the room.
“Please,” she said in a soft almost motherly tone. The defiant rage that consumed him seemed to melt. His features slackened, his lids dimmed, and his gaze was cast to the foot of Giovanni’s bed. “I get it. I had a few stumbles, but I’m okay. I’m okay,” he assured her.
Mirabella walked over and hugged Dominic. He didn’t hug her back. The wall around him was so dense she could feel his resistance. Still she hugged him because she knew he needed it. She couldn’t wrap her head around his problems. Not yet. She was on the edge of a cliff and hanging there by her fingernails.
“She loves you,” Mirabella whispered in his ear. “Catalina, our sweet girl, she's a mess, I know, but she loves you with all her heart. Only you. One day you will marry, have bambini of your own. One day that love will save you, just as my love for Giovanni will save him.”
Dominic shrugged off her support. Mirabella stepped back. He gave her his back. And then he stepped closer to Giovanni’s bed. Men like them didn’t want to be coddled from their demons, they craved to understand the monsters in the shadows of their minds. To understand how to defeat the monsters and be the hero, on their own. By their own might. To reduce Dominic to a whimpering child by stroking his hurt, only made him feel less inadequate. Men were too fragile, and the sad thing was only women could see it. Never them.
“Mirabella?”
“Yes?”
“Look at him. Look at Giovanni.”
She cast her gaze to her husband and stared at him. And then she looked to Dominic. What did he see that she didn’t?
“He looks like Patri.”
“His father?”
“Yes. A younger version of Patri.”
“Then Patri was a handsome man,” she said. The comment was silenced by what Dominic had to share next.
