by Sienna Mynx
“Gio?” she looked around. Her vision blurred and then cleared. It made seeing impossible, with flashes of images her brain couldn’t discern. She put a hand to her forehead and squeezed her eyes shut. “Gio, where are you?” she asked in a shaky voice.
Nausea hit her and she nearly spewed in her lap. She raced from the bed to the open door. Thankfully it was the bathroom. She went to her knees and hacked up her stomach contents. She hacked so hard she thought she vomited a lung. With teary eyes she pressed the button to flush. Mirabella turned and sat on the cool hardwood floor. She put her face in her hands. And as soon as her breath regulated, her memory returned. Every terrifying moment, including the syringe going into her neck, returned with clarity. She struggled to stand. She grabbed the sink and pulled herself up. She hit the light switch on the wall and looked at herself. Her eyes were bloodshot. Her lips were dry and chapped. A small bandage covered the bruise on her forehead. She turned her neck and saw the bruise on her throat.
“Oh shit,” she said.
She heard the door to the cabin open. Mirabella stepped back and realized she was naked. Naked? She panicked. She looked around and found a towel and covered herself. The door opened. Kei looked inside. He looked her over and then smiled. “Get dressed and come up for breakfast.” He threw a kimono at her. He turned and closed the door.
“You bastard!” she screamed at the door. Why was she naked? What happened to her after he poisoned her? The heavy drugged feeling washed out all other emotions. Her body was weakened with trauma, but she didn’t feel the familiar signs of sex. She grabbed some toilet tissue and wiped between her legs. She sniffed the tissue and smelled herself. There was no discharge. But she and Gio had had sex earlier in the limo. She couldn’t tell if she was attacked. Please, God. Please don’t let him have raped me. Please!
The boat stopped moving. She could feel it. She reached down to pick up the robe. When she held it out in front of her the towel dropped, as did her heart. The black kimono with the red dragon was exactly like the one that was given to her as a gift in Milano. “No. No!” she dropped her head and wept. “Oh my God. Help me please!”
The Return of the Dragon
Marietta woke. She turned over and found she was in bed alone. Lorenzo had failed to deliver on his promise. She wasn’t surprised. Putting her hands to her head, she tried to soothe the ache she felt throbbing in her temples. Her mind refused to release her from her actions. She shot someone. She didn’t know how badly the woman was hurt. She couldn’t imagine that her rage would push her that far. What had she done?
There were times when she had suffered deep depressions where she fantasized about ending her life. But that was before she met Lorenzo. Before she found reasons to live. She was scared how far her anger and hurt pushed her. And the worst part of it, she didn’t feel better.
A loud pounding on the door rattled her troubled thoughts. She frowned and sat up. Before she could grant permission for the person to enter, Catalina charged inside. Catalina looked grief stricken.
“What? What is it?” Marietta asked.
Catalina burst into tears. “Mira… she’s missing!” she screamed.
**
“How long before he wakes?” Giovanni asked the doctor.
“I had to put him on a sedative to stitch him up.” The doctor answered.
“What? I told you not to give him anything!” Giovanni shoved the doctor. Lorenzo put a hand on his shoulder to calm him. It wasn’t enough. He felt his nostrils flare and knew his blood pressure skyrocketed. In fact the fever was in his blood. He was sweating and breathing hard. He hadn’t been this sick with fear and anger since the Russians gunned his father down in the street. He couldn’t save his father. He had to suffer days holding his mother and sister’s hands as they waited for him to die.
“Don Giovanni, he has a concussion, maybe even a skull fracture. I don’t think his jaw is broken, possibly dislocated, as his shoulder was. You won’t know for sure until he wakes. Either way he needs a hospital. I’ve done the best I can. There could be internal injuries. I just don’t know.”
“I need him awake. I need information!” Giovanni hissed.
“How long before the sedative wears off?” Lorenzo asked.
The doctor wiped at his brow with his handkerchief. The man’s hand shook. He looked away when he spoke. He was afraid of the answer. And Giovanni’s stomach clenched with dread. Bella had been gone for over nine hours. She could be in China for all he knew.
“Two hours, maybe three. I’m sorry. When he wakes he will be in pain. If he doesn’t get treated for his jaw, you risk problems of him bleeding to death.”
Giovanni turned his gaze to Lorenzo. “I don’t give a shit if he lives or dies, but you get answers out of him.”
“You know I will,” said Lorenzo.
“Gio, we need to talk,” Domi began.
Giovanni threw up his hand in refusal. He turned his gaze back to the doctor. “Benicia? How is he?”
“He’s lost several teeth and has deep cuts to his face and throat, several blood vessels burst in his eyes. He should be fine. He’s asked for you,” The doctor said. The man checked his watch. “I have to return to my clinic.”
The doctor tried to step forward and Giovanni blocked him. “You are going nowhere. Stay with Santo and wait for him to wake. Do whatever you need to do to keep him conscious and giving us answers.”
“I—” The doctor started to object. He looked from Giovanni to Lorenzo, and then to Dominic, and then thought better of leaving. “Sí, signor. Sí.”
The doctor went back into the room. Giovanni closed his eyes and began to massage his temples.
“I’ve called home and told Catalina. She’ll make sure no one leaves and no one visits,” Dominic said.
“How is Renaldo?” Giovanni asked.
“We found him. He’s alive. I’m sorry, Gio, but his injuries are severe. He made it through surgery. It’s a waiting game for him. I made the call to Kyra and his mother. They are on their way to Napoli.”
“How many dead?” Giovanni asked.
“So far the number is between sixteen and twenty-three. Could be more.” Dominic answered. “Can’t get any number on how many are in jail from our clan or the others. They’re rounding our boys up. That new Chief Inspector is on a witch-hunt. The media is all over this.”
“Bella? Does anyone know?” Giovanni asked.
“So far not a word of it from the press. But they are going through the footage. Her photo was taken so they will know she was there.” Dominic advised.
“I don’t want the Carabinieri involved. Those fuckers will get her killed. No one is to know that Bella was kidnapped,” Giovanni paced.
“Good idea. We keep the hounds out of it and we buy more time,” Lorenzo chimed in.
“China? Any way to know if any flights left for China? Out of the private airports in the Campania?” Giovanni asked.
“I’ve already put our people on it, Gio. It’ll take time,” Dominic said. “Manifestos are costly.”
“If he took her by sea like Lorenzo said, then he’s out there still,” Giovanni said.
“Why stay?” Lorenzo asked. “If this is the Triad, the best defense is a good offense, Gio. He’d take her back to China.”
“He wants more. He wants revenge. We need to know what Santo knows. That’s how we’ll find her.” Giovanni sighed. “I’m going to see Benicia.”
“Wait!” Dominic put his hand to his chest. “Let’s not strain that relationship further. He’s calm and so is his brother.”
“I don’t give a fuck about straining anything. I need everyone behind me. And whoever isn’t needs to know the consequences.” Giovanni walked down the hall to head to the room where Benicia was being kept. The Vendittos had closed their establishment for the day. The only people allowed in were la Camorra. And far as he was concerned he owned all of them.
“Do something,” Dominic said to Lorenzo.
Lorenzo shrugged. “
What am I to do? I agree with him. This is Mirabella we’re talking about. If that fucking Chinese cocksucker has her we don’t have much time to play nice. Either you stand with us or get the fuck out of the way.”
Dominic wiped his hand down his face. “We have to talk about—” he looked up into Lorenzo’s piercing stare. “If we don’t find her or if she’s dead, we have to prepare Gio.”
“Don’t say it.” Lorenzo stepped forward. “Don’t even fucking think it. We’ll find her. And we’ll protect him. We’re his brothers.”
With tears in his eyes Dominic nodded that he agreed. “I’m going to try to get those flight plans. I need to do something.” He walked off. He glanced back to see Lorenzo staring. They wouldn’t say it aloud again, but they both knew the bitter truth. If Mirabella dies then it’ll destroy them all.
**
Mira stepped up to the upper deck. It was surrounded by tinted windows, which allowed for sunlight to be cooled before it poured in from every angle. She could see nothing but the ocean all around them. She held her kimono closed at the neck. Her dress was missing. She had no undergarments.
Kei looked up from his breakfast. He sat back in his chair. He reached for the glass of champagne with his iron glove. She convinced herself of what to say and do to survive this. But the moment their eyes met she wanted to attack. She actually looked at the knife next to the plate of food waiting for her, as a good choice of weapon.
“Join me,” he ordered.
She walked over to the chair and pulled it out. She sat down.
“Hungry?” he asked.
“Kei—”
“You should eat. You need something on your stomach.”
“Why are you doing this?” she asked.
Kei smiled. “Why? Again with the whys. You act as if you never knew this day would come.”
“I didn’t,” she replied. “Tell me why you would come after me and do this? Drug me? Hurt me? Why?”
He glared at her. “For the past two years I’ve said that word over and over in my head. Why? Why did she betray me? Why did she leave me to die? Why wasn’t my love enough for her? Why? Why? Why?”
“I loved you. You know that. We just… things happened.”
“Things happened, Mirabella? Things?” he chuckled. He picked up his champagne and sipped.
“What happened to you?” she looked at him with genuine concern.
“Now this story I want to tell. Let’s see. I was arrested…”
“Kei—”
He slammed his fist on the table, so hard the plates and dishes clinked. Mirabella flinched. She held back from speaking.
“As I was saying. I was arrested and thrown into a prison cell with criminals. And one day while lined up for the showers I was jumped. I think they used the sharpened edge of a spoon to cut my face and take out my eye. All the while they told me it was a gift for your husband’s wedding day.”
Mirabella lowered her gaze.
“The insult of my arrest reached the top of the mountain. My uncle Dao saved my life. And I was returned to China.” He lifted his hand. “This was my welcome home present from the Triad.”
“Your arrest and assault was wrong. I never meant for any of that to happen to you. I never blamed you. I never thought things between us would go this far. I begged for your life.”
“Shhhh.” He pressed an iron finger to his lips. He picked up the remote. “Let’s see what you really thought.” He pressed a button and a projector screen lowered. Mirabella frowned. The automatic shades for the windows around the upper deck were lowered. The sunlight was effectively blocked out.
He pressed play.
The screen flashed on with the image of her seated next to Giovanni. She glanced to Kei. He turned his head up so he could see with his good eye. “This right here is my favorite part!” he said and amped up the volume.
Mirabella squeezed Giovanni’s hand. She knew this part of the interview would come. She had hoped it wouldn’t happen so soon. “It was awful. What do you want me to say? My best friend died in a terrible accident. And the man I trusted, Kei Hyogo, he made me believe that disappearing from my life was the only way to cope with my trauma. The press has lied and exaggerated my story to sell magazines and papers. The truth is I fell in love with this man, and made a life for myself. A life I wouldn’t trade for anyone or thing in the world.”
“Wait for it… wait for it…” Kei grinned. The report continued with a flash of Kei Hyogo being escorted into court in an orange prison jumper. And then they replayed the footage of Mirabella standing in front of the Battaglia gates calling out Kei’s crimes, and lauding her husband as her hero. The news reporter then gave commentary on Kei’s exile back to China.
“Turn it off,” Mirabella said as tears clouded her vision.
Kei grinned at the video footage of Mirabella smiling on screen.
“Turn it off!” Mirabella yelled.
He did as she asked. “So? You were saying?”
“Don’t sit there and pretend you aren’t responsible for this, Kei. You lied to me. You knew the entire time we were together that I was in love with him. You lied. You then sent a killer after my husband. He let you go and you sent a killer after him.”
“Fabiana was dead. You barely survived a bomb attack. You begged me to be your hero, and then decided to take my daughter, and my heart away from me. And I am the monster?”
“She’s not your daughter,” Mirabella mumbled.
“How’s my little rabbit doing,” Kei tossed a strawberry into his mouth. “Is she still fond of Captain Hook?”
“What did you say?” Mirabella asked.
“Peter Pan. Her favorite book?”
“You’ve been spying on my children? Who told you? Santo! That bastard!”
Kei chuckled. “No. Santo didn’t tell me. He brought me to her at the Diana. Left me with her. I told her that I was coming back for her and her mommy. She was happy to see me, Mira. Because she’s mine.”
“You’re insane. Insane!”
“I was there when you first felt her kick. I was there when she was delivered. I held her when you wouldn’t because you were too weak with guilt and grief over Fabiana. I am her father!”
Mirabella couldn’t speak. Giovanni was right about Kei. She refused to believe it. Even after she knew about his lies, and his attempts to take Giovanni’s life. There was madness in his eye. She didn’t know him at all.
“Did you rape me?” she asked and her voice quivered at the end.
He didn’t answer.
She looked up into his eyes. “Did you?”
“Am I a rapist? In the two years I longed for you, did everything to have you love me again, did I touch you?”
“That man is dead,” she said. “I don’t know who is before me now.”
Kei smiled. “True.”
“You drugged me. You undressed me. You had a video camera pointed at the bed.”
Kei kicked out the chair to the side of him and put his feet in it. “Oh that? That was for your husband.”
“He’ll kill you, Kei, if you taunt him this way.”
“And that makes you sad?” Kei asked.
“I am sad. I’m sad about who you are now. I’m sad that you had to rape me to make yourself feel important!”
He glared at her. “I didn’t rape you. But I will have you. After I’m done with Giovanni, you and Eve will return home with me. And you will be mine, willingly. There are so many ways to make that true without me touching you,” he winked.
**
“Has anyone heard anything?” Marietta chewed on her fingernail.
Catalina walked into the parlor. She shook her head sadly. She sat down and Rocco put his arm around her. Marietta looked away. They agreed they wouldn’t cry and scare the kids.
“Eve, how about some ice cream?” Marietta asked.
“Yay!” she said and stood up from the floor with her doll. Zia was rocking with Gianni in her arms. She glanced to Marietta who smiled.
Catalina was now by the window staring out toward the gates. So many men had arrived. The place was guarded like a fortress. “I don’t understand this. Domi wouldn’t tell me how something like this could have happened.”
“The news report says that Ciro was killed in the boxing fight. And the other fighter was killed in the chaos.” Marietta said.
“And the shootings. Who was shot? Where is Gio?” Catalina wiped at her tears. “What the hell is going on?”
Marietta looked to Rocco. “Can you find out what happened? Anything, Zio Rocco. Please?”
He nodded and reached for his cane. He started using it over the past year. He walked out and Marietta went to Catalina. She hugged her. Marietta forced bravery to her voice when she spoke. “I paged Lorenzo several times. They’ll call us.”
“How can you be so calm?” Catalina wept. “I’m so scared.”
Marietta cupped Catalina’s face. “I’m her twin. I’d know if she was dead or hurt. I’d feel it.”
“You sure about that?” Catalina asked. “Two years ago you didn’t know she existed.”
Marietta wavered in her confidence. How could she be sure? “Yes,” she lied.
Catalina hugged her once more. “I just want her to come home. I want my brother.”
“Me too, sweetie.” Marietta said. She closed her eyes and prayed hard for her sister. Wherever she was he wanted her to have courage and strength. The same courage she gave Marietta the past week. There was no one sweeter than Mirabella. Without her they would all be lost.
