Her Dark Dragon

by Lillith Payne

  “No, Matteo did his best to make sure the land would be here for you.”

  “In one of her tirades this afternoon, Felice told me it was in Matteo’s trust agreements that I not be told about the adoption, ever. Only she figured since the label is dead now, it didn’t matter. That’s why she told me, because she knew how deep it would hurt.” Danni straightened on his lap. “Do you think Maria would know more about my adoption?”

  Nico stalled. Now wasn’t the time to drop the bomb about her father and his mother having an emotional affair for years, even if it had never become physical. “She might. She’ll be back next week in time for the turnover. Ask her then. Now that Felice has told you, there’s no secret for her to keep.” His hands slid along her back in a rhythmic motion, feeling her relax against him. “Just rest, tomorrow will be what it becomes. You being exhausted wouldn’t help.”

  He knew the moment she fell into a deep sleep, her sigh against his chest letting him relax under her. They slept until early the next morning. He awoke to find himself stretched out on the sofa, coffee brewing, and Danni gone. A short note on the kitchen table told him she’d gone back to Cirillo to shower and change. It also said she wouldn’t mind company this morning if he could get away.

  Danni was just coming down the steps as he arrived. She offered him coffee, but they both knew it would only turn to acid. The drive to court was quiet. They spoke with Sam Parkins and Danni gave her statement. Then the district attorney came in and they all went over the situation again. By two o’clock, they were seated side by side in the courtroom, Danni’s hand firmly in Nico’s grasp. They listened to the arguing from both sides. Neither of them knew the fancy lawyer that was there to defend Robert on these “bogus charges.” While Danni wanted to scream, Nico’s hand on hers kept her centered. Ultimately, Felice came up with enough money to bail Robert out. An order of protection was granted. Neither was allowed back on Cirillo land. Next week, when the final turnover was completed, would be the next time they saw each other.

  The same woman who had handed Danni her glass the night of her birthday party as if she were the hired help was there to attest that she gave Robert and Felice a roof over their heads, since their ungrateful daughter had twisted the truth. Nico felt himself being held back by Danni at that statement. Outside, Danni was glared at by several unfamiliar faces. Nico pulled her tighter to his side until they made it to his truck. Danni saw the disappointment and hate in those looks. Nico and Sam where her only friends there.

  “What would you like, Danni? Home? Food? How about a drive in the country?”

  “No thanks. I need to get back to Cirillo and start packing my personal belongings.” He didn’t answer, instead drove in that direction. “I’m not sure what belongs to me anymore.” She didn’t cry or yell, rather turned her head to lean against the window, closing her eyes. “Nico, thanks for today,” she said as they pulled into the Cirillo driveway. “Don’t be upset, but I need to be by myself for a while. I’ve got a lot to get done.”

  “I could help.”

  She understood her next statement startled him. “Thanks, but now it’s up to me. I have to deal with the buyout and say good-bye to friends. Mostly to the land I’ll never own again. I have to figure out what to do with the rest of my life.”

  “That one’s easy, bella. Marry me and make Casa Maria into a home with lots of children running around.”

  “First I have to figure out who I truly am.” He had no comeback for her statement so he kept quiet. At the front door, she let herself out of the truck. “I’ll see you around, definitely at the turnover?”

  “Absolutely, Danni, you’re not alone. I love you, and I want you to be with me. Think about that, too.” She gave him an odd smile but closed the truck door and watched him drive away. It was several minutes before she walked up the stairs to the front door. This building, once so familiar and comfortable, was no longer anything to her. None of it mattered. None of it was truly hers. If Matteo had lived, things would have been different. She knew that deep inside. But he didn’t. He’d tried to protect her as best he could, but Felice had found a way around his best intentions.

  She changed clothes and saddled a horse, taking a leisurely ride around the fields. Her cheek and mouth still hurt, the bruises were turning a deeper purple, but she didn’t care. Danni wasn’t sure what she should care about anymore. Two things kept coming back to her, Nico and going as far away as she could get.

  Chapter Thirteen

  The three of them sat around the table, strong black coffee before them. There was a fruit plate and cheese and crackers. The evening had long turned into darkness, the stars reflecting brightly on the clear sky. What was supposed to be a relaxing supper turned into a history lesson for Niccolo and Danielle.

  Maria returned from Italy a changed woman. Her hair was cut short, and her makeup was different, both making her look years younger. Even her wardrobe had changed. She had gone to Severino in Italy for vacation and came back metamorphosed. She had no words for these changes and ignored any reference made about them. Maria blatantly refused any information about her evenings out, telling Nico if there was a problem to call her cell. He wondered if Coy Addams had the same nights off, but didn’t ask.

  Tonight, Danni sat at their table, digging into a bowl of Maria’s pasta with passion. It was the first time in weeks Nico had seen Danni truly eat a meal rather than pick or push it aside. They both listened to Maria’s accounts of her trip, and when coffee was poured, it was finally time for the crucial question. Only Maria began the conversation without prompting.

  “What we say here tonight, I expect to remain between the three of us.” She waited until Nico and Danni nodded. “Then we start at the beginning, and maybe you’ll both understand.”

  Nico looked at the woman he’d loved as both aunt and mother. The differences were many. She looked younger, happier, all but brimming with life. The aunt he’d put on the plane to Italy eight weeks earlier had left a sturdy woman who saw no need for pretense. Her long, graying hair had always been tied back in a bun. Her normal wardrobe consisted of dark colors—blue, black, and grey. She’d never worn any makeup but lipstick that he was aware of. The woman he watched now had transformed. She’d blossomed at sixty, leaving Nico to wonder what the catalyst had been.

  “Nico, this won’t be easy for you either, so don’t interrupt.” He gave her a nod and a not too serious look, covering his smile with his coffee cup. “All right, years ago, you know my grandfather came over and started the vineyard. His son, my father, only produced two female children. He never forgave my mother for that, even thought we all knew it wasn’t her fault. Your mother, Angelina, God rest her soul, and I were to inherit the business. That was the way my father wanted it. Since he only had female children, he wanted us to learn the business. So we did.”

  Nico was well aware of her knowledge of the land and vines. She ran the office side of the business since he’d become old enough to take over the fields. “When Papa enlarged the house, he made the two wings a priority. Each of us, Angelina and I, would have living quarters separated by the common rooms. He wanted us both on the land but knew we would want to live our own lives. That’s why this house stands as it is now. It was Papa’s way of making sure we stayed here and continued Severino.” Maria glanced at Nico but went on. “Angelina and Matteo had been in love since they were children. Neither family cared, only when we were getting near marrying age, Papa realized Matteo would always put Cirillo before Severino. So he made them break up. He sat them both down at this very table and told Matteo he couldn’t see Angelina anymore. She had to marry a man who would put Severino first.”

  A low gasp came from Danni. Nico only sat forward in his seat, listening closer. “My father and your mother?”

  “Yes, they loved very deeply. But life wasn’t the same back then. Angelina backed away from Matteo. It was all very sad, for everyone in both yards knew how close they were.”

  “Grandpa Severin
o made them stop seeing each other?” Nico couldn’t believe what he was hearing. She’d hinted about an emotional affair, and now he understood.

  “Yes,” she replied. “Back then, whatever Papa said was done. We never questioned his authority. When Angelina did, he threatened to send her back to Severino in Italy. So she stopped complaining and stopped seeing Matteo.” She glanced to Danni.

  “Your grandfather agreed. Old Mr. Cirillo wanted his vineyard to prosper. Friendly competition being what it is, once he got in line with Papa, it was a done deal. A few years later, she met Leonardo. They were compatible and Papa liked him. It was just that simple. They were married the following summer. All the valley came to the wedding, including the Cirillos, except Matteo. He was told by Papa to stay away, and he did. He left the valley for several years.

  “Only when his father was aging and no longer to able to run the land by himself did he return. By then, Niccolo, you were born and Leo seemed to be working the vines to Papa’s liking. Only he didn’t realize just how much Leo drank, or that he became abusive when he did.”

  A snort came from Nico that he couldn’t pull back as he remembered the beatings he’d taken during his younger days. Some he deserved, others he took because Leo was drunk. Still others he took so his mother didn’t. As a child, he’d known his father was cruel and had secretly been relieved when he’d been killed in a car accident when Nico was fifteen. He’d stood tall and taken control of the farm. Along with Angelina and Maria, the three of them had continued the label.

  “Did you never want to marry, Tia Maria?” It was a simple question from Danni.

  “Once there was a young man, but he was killed overseas. After that, no other man seemed to measure up. It was easier to be alone than to be with another man just to have a man.” She lifted her hand in a gesture to say the subject was closed.

  “My history isn’t important here.”

  “Yes, it is,” Danni countered.

  “Another day, I’ll tell you my tales. Tonight, we talk about you, Danielle.”

  “All right,” Danni whispered.

  “When Matteo came back and saw how Leo was treating Angelina, he hated him. But she was his legal wife and there was nothing he could do to change the situation. Papa was aging then, his health was failing. Angelina had a child to consider. Leaving Leo for Matteo wouldn’t be tolerated. So instead, they managed to find a friendship that lasted all through their years. They were so in love, but neither would consider an affair. So instead, they became confidants.” She gave them a small smile, choosing her words carefully.

  “When Matteo first brought Felice to the yard, everyone was shocked. She was so unlike your mother, Nico. It was as if Matteo had deliberately picked a woman who wouldn’t mirror Angelina. We all knew it wouldn’t work. Many times, I’d heard Felice saying she and Matteo would leave the valley, they’d move to San Francisco and start over, as soon as Matteo’s father died. Of course, Matteo just laughed off her words, reassuring everyone that Felice would love the land as much as he did once she’d lived there a while. When his father did die a few years later, there was no way Matteo would leave the land. He’d never meant to. And Felice couldn’t live with what she considered his betrayal. She also saw the relationship between Matteo and Angelina and didn’t like it one bit.”

  Nico gave Maria his full attention, as did Danni. “They never strayed physically, but emotionally they were always close. That bothered both Leo and Felice, who decided to call everyone’s bluff by having an affair, a very indiscreet affair. They could have kept it low key, but then Angelina and Matteo wouldn’t be embarrassed or hurt.” Danni’s mouth dropped open and Nico swore under his breath. “It didn’t last long. It was more for the attention of their partners. From then on, Matteo and Angelina stayed away from each other.” Maria sipped from her cup before going on. “After that, they wrote letters to each other.”

  “Letters?” Danni questioned.

  “Yes, often I would be their private mailman.” She gave them both a smile that told them she wasn’t sorry for her part in the drama. “Shortly after the affair, Matteo adopted Danielle.” Turning to Danni, she took her hand in hers. “He loved you so, Danielle, was always so proud of you and your accomplishments. It didn’t matter that you were a girl. He wanted you to learn the business and the wines. He wanted to leave Cirillo to you, knowing you’d carry on after him. His death came much too early. He tried to protect you as best he could when he found out he was sick.”

  “Sick? I thought he had a heart attack?” Danni was confused.

  “He died from a heart attack, several months after he’d found out he had cancer.” Maria let her words settle with Danni and Nico. “Not many people had known about Matteo’s diagnosis. Not even Felice, until later. He had the trust written up and was in the process of divorcing Felice when he died.”

  “Divorce Felice?”

  Nico decided that Danni somehow looked lighter than she had in days. Matteo was divorcing Felice. There was no pretense of her being maternal now. Danni accepted her as a money hungry, arrogant woman whose plans went awry and she hated everyone for it.

  “Yes, but when he died, the divorce died with him. It wasn’t finalized.” Danni sat back and dropped her hands to her lap. “The original papers stated that Angelina was to become your guardian and help to watch over Cirillo until you came of age. Felice made sure that didn’t happen, but she couldn’t break the whole trust agreement. That’s what really made her mad. When Matteo collapsed, she played the grieving widow for all of ten minutes. Then old Sam had to sit her down and tell her about the trust. She wasn’t happy, to say the least.”

  “I remember that day. I remember after Dad’s funeral she was so different, kept talking about moving to San Francisco, talked about traveling and then the day Sam came with Dad’s will, it all stopped. That was when she turned.”

  “That was when she found out about Angelina being your guardian?” Nico questioned to clarify.

  “And she also found out she couldn’t sell the land or the label. Everything was held in trust until your twenty-fifth birthday.”

  “That was the day she truly changed. I knew something was different; she wouldn’t talk to me for days. I figured she was upset about Dad. But now I realized she was upset because her plans wouldn’t come true.”

  “Yes.” Maria sat back, quiet until Carmen had switched the pot of coffee on the table for a fresh one. “It was also in his trust that you were not to be told you were adopted under any circumstances or she’d lose everything and Angelina would take over, you and the land. So she was trapped. Matteo truly thought he had more time, figured the divorce would be final and you’d be in good hands.”

  “She never once mentioned he wanted to divorce her.”

  “Of course not, she had to play the grieving widow or else. Sam Parkins oversaw the trust. If she displeased him, he could bring in Angelina.”

  “Then why didn’t he? He knew what was going on.”

  “She had a slick Los Angeles lawyer come up and basically, well, it was becoming a long nasty fight, Danni. She saw she was spending a lot of money and getting nowhere fast. The next thing we knew, Robert Hanson showed up and the rest is history. When she married him, she gave him power of attorney over the fields and the label.”

  “I’ve never known any one person who carries so much hate inside. And to this day, I still don’t know where they met.” Danni spoke with an air of acceptance.

  “They’d met years earlier. He’d been staying with friends, and they met at the country club. They’d had an on-and-off affair for almost five years before your father passed.”

  “Did he know?”

  “Yes, he knew, and didn’t care. It only helped his case with the divorce. He let her do what she wanted, thinking you and the label were safe and about to be cared for by the one woman he trusted, Angelina.”

  “How different my life might have been if he’d lived longer.”

  “Can’t change h
istory, Danni,” Nico whispered, not wanting her to start thinking about what might have been. A quiet span crossed while both Danni and Nico digested the information Maria had given them. Danni broke the silence with her questions.

  “Do you know what happened to the letters, Maria?” Again the silence. Danni was starting to get antsy in her seat watching Maria carefully, waiting for her answer..

  “In due time,” she said, her voice low, knowing she’d disappointed her nephew and Danni. Nico challenged her.

  “That’s an awfully cryptic remark. Just what is it supposed to mean? Do you have them or not?” This time it was Nico who was short on patience. For over an hour now, he’d sat and listened to the history that had gone on around him and he’d never known about most of it. How could he not have known, he wondered to himself, then realized he had been a teen, preoccupied with staying out of his father’s reach.

  “That’s all the answer I can give you for now. Enough of this for tonight. In a few days, the turnover will occur, maybe then some of your questions will be answered.” She stood and glanced at the night sky. “You two enjoy the rest of this beautiful night. I’m going to bed.” Maria pushed her chair under the table, telling both Nico and Danni to forget about all it for a few hours. “Go for a ride, clear your heads. Nothing will be accomplished by worrying over what you can’t change. Believe me. I know that’s the truth, even if it doesn’t make your situation any better. Good night.”

  “Maria, thanks for being honest with me,” Danni called after her. She didn’t turn, but lifted her arm in acknowledgement of the comment. She paused.

  “Danni, it wasn’t my place to tell you any of these secrets before. But now, since Felice has spilled it all, I felt it only reasonable to tell you the other side of the story, or at least what I know is true. And, Danni, if you do talk to her, she will most likely have another version. It’s up to you to listen to all the information and come to your own conclusion.”