by Sienna Mynx
"Stop wagging your tongue before I gut you and cut it out of your fucking throat!" Lorenzo seethed. He narrowed his eyes on Umberto. "Don't ever speak to me like we are equals."
"What's done is done, Lorenzo," Nico spoke up as Umberto lowered his gaze in respect. "Our job is not to question Giovanni, but to enforce."
"That's your fucking job!" Lorenzo said to Nico. "My job is to be Gio's best man as well as his gun. Or has that changed, Gio? Am I just an enforcer now, nothing more? And if it has changed then I want to know why. What have I done? I'm useless if you are out there conducting meetings without me. The drugs in and out of the Bay is my deal. But you take meetings with Benicia without me. What the fuck can I do?"
"Find the bitch that tried to kill my wife," Giovanni answered in a leveled tone.
Lorenzo’s eyes stretched. "You blame me for Isabella?"
"I blame all of you. I blame myself. I blame Flavio and Rocco. I blame your mother who gave birth to her, and Marsuvio Mancini for protecting her. I blame her. I want the puttana dead. And if you were truly my gun, the best of my men, I wouldn't have to tell you this."
"I'm looking for her, trust me," Lorenzo replied.
"By sending Renaldo out there to chase her shadow in Roma?" Giovanni asked. "Yeah, you're looking. Do you want to know why we are always here, cousin? Always me not trusting you? And you are scrambling for my respect? Do you?"
Lorenzo glanced to Nico and then Umberto. The men stared him down. His bravado faded. Giovanni knew Lorenzo couldn't stomach being chastised in front of men he thought should be beneath him.
"Why don't you trust me, Gio? After everything? Why?" Lorenzo asked.
"Because when my gut is in charge and not my emotions I see through you cousin." Giovanni sat forward. He tossed the cigar into the crystal ashtray. He leveled his violet-blue gaze on his cousin and tracked every flicker of emotion within his unwavering gaze. "And deep in my gut, I know you found out more than you've told me about this woman. Just as you knew more about Giuseppe Calderone, and Mottola."
"How? How do I know more? I've never conspired against you," Lorenzo said.
"I believe that. It's not a conspiracy I see. It's envy; it's restless envy that makes you blind to our enemies. As blind as I have ever been."
Lorenzo glanced to the men and back to Giovanni. His face drained of blood. "You have no fucking idea how loyal I am to you! How loyal I have been! Always!" Lorenzo shouted. The men tensed, and Lorenzo had to reign in his temper. He wiped his hand down his face and exhaled slowly.
"Madre never said she had a bastard. Flavio never confided in me. He hated me! Rocco?" Lorenzo laughed. "Rocco has kept secrets since he was kicked out of the family and banished to Chianti by Patri. How the am I the envious one?"
Dominic hung up the phone and joined the men. Giovanni glanced over and then back to his cousin.
"It's done, Gio," Dominic said.
Lorenzo exchanged a look between the men. "What's done?"
Dominic put a hand on Lorenzo's shoulder that indicated he should be silent. Giovanni stood. The other men remained seated. He faced them all. "Lorenzo asked what will be the future? The future is us. The men in this room. The future is Camorra, and the future will now be the Mafiosi, everything belonging to this family. So, I guess you want to know how."
The men looked on stunned. No one could speak, not even Lorenzo.
"It is not won by dealing in drugs," Giovanni spat. He walked away from the men. "Though guns and drugs are a part of la Camorra now. That will never be our future."
"In two days the clan bosses will meet with Giovanni and Lorenzo in Chianti," Dominic said.
"Two days?" Lorenzo asked.
"Umberto, after the meeting I want you and Renaldo here in Napoli. Don Tacchini will need our help in Secondigliano, Scampi, and Milano. How many men can we put to this?"
Umberto glanced to Nico and then to Giovanni. "We need at least diciotto, Boss. Maybe twenty. There are problems in the Scampi that Tacchini needs to contain. Migrants arrive daily. He takes advantage of their desperation. It's drawn the attention of the authorities."
“Tacchini has it under control," Giovanni said. Out of everyone Tacchini is the most loyal. A true friend. He glanced over to Nico. "Feel out the other men under the clan bosses. Let’s see who our true allies are."
"What are we talking about here, Gio?" Lorenzo interjected. Dominic squeezed Lorenzo's shoulder. He sat back and fell silent.
"This is your moment, cousin. The moment you've been waiting for. Starting tonight. Call the family and make arrangements to move them out of Sicilia. Then pay Armando a visit. Tell him that I intend to go public about our wives."
Lorenzo’s eyes stretched.
"He wanted a price. Here it is. Eighty million lire before the end of the month or I go to the Dons of Sicily to officially take what belongs to me, and the collection will be a public one."
A smile spread across Lorenzo's lips. Giovanni could see the joy in his eyes.
"Is this happening? Now? Is it happening? What about our truce, what about..." Lorenzo paused. “That’s why you let him come to Catalina’s party. Why you’ve been so lenient with his payments. You’ve been planning this. For how long?”
"Patri was forced out of Sicilia, and into la Camorra. The Mafiosi should have been his, not that porco dio Mancini," Dominic said. "Before Armando realizes what our plans are the war will already be won. Giovanni has had several meetings and trips to Sicily in the past weeks ensuring it."
Lorenzo stood. He looked as if he wanted to hug Giovanni. But he stopped himself. Propriety took hold of him. "You won't regret this, Gio. I swear to you on my life, no more bullshit. This is our future. The Mafiosi! It belongs to us. It should have been ours from birth! It should have been ours."
"It will be mine, not ours," Giovanni corrected him.
Lorenzo nodded. "Of course, Gio. It will be yours!"
Nico and Umberto stood. The men all looked surprised, but only Lorenzo was bold enough to rejoice. Lorenzo punched the air like a boxer.
"Finally! Finalmente!" he cheered.
"I'm not done," Giovanni said. Lorenzo glanced up with a wide grin. "The meeting in Chianti with the bosses. I intend to revisit the conversation of territories. I plan to give the Benicia clan more. Expand the drug trafficking up into the Ndrangheta and beyond."
"We do that, and they'll take over," Nico warned.
"That's the plan. The other clans won't like it. It's why I need all of you ready."
"Wait, hold on a second, Gio. That is the plan? To let Benicia take over the drug trade?" Lorenzo asked.
"We don't get out of the drug business by not selling drugs," Giovanni said.
"We get out of the drug business by letting them do it." Dominic finished for Giovanni. "La Camorra is exposed, and everyone is dirty. La Polizia di Stato is funded with the help of the Carabinieri to target our family. They crawl around our finances and every business deal we make above and below the line. To bring us out of the shit we are now buried in we must do what Giovanni wants."
"You just said drugs and guns are who we are, Gio. The Bay is ours. The Benicias still rely on gypsy purse snatchers! They aren't worthy!"
"It is not this move, cugino, but the next. Patience is how we win. Let them have their heart’s desire if it brings us our destiny," Dominic said.
"Dominic will leave for Firenze tonight. Tomorrow I will travel to Chianti with the women," Giovanni began. "I've called in Renaldo to meet us there."
"But Renaldo is looking for Isabella," Lorenzo frowned.
"Not anymore," Giovanni said.
"But..."
"I will deal with Isabella," Giovanni said, and it was final.
Lorenzo glanced to Dominic with alarm. Dominic glanced to Giovanni with uncertainty. He ignored the looks of the men and continued. "Lorenzo, you go to Sicilia and deliver my message to Armando. I want you, Carlo, and Umberto back in Chianti for the meeting with the clans."
"I'll leave i
mmediately," Lorenzo smiled.
Giovanni gave a slow nod.
Lorenzo was the first to go. Giovanni suspected his excitement to dig into Armando's back pocket couldn't be contained much longer. Umberto and Nico left as well. Soon he was alone with Dominic.
"That went well," Dominic said. "I like this plan, Gio. I think it will work. I’m not sure if the men understand it.”
“Do you? Do you understand?” Giovanni asked.
“Yes. It’s inevitable that the truth of Mirabella and Marietta come out. You making the first move is smart. It’s a war you should have ended with Armando years ago.”
“And the rest?”
“You want the Benicias to believe they have the upper hand. You will hand their clan over to the Carabinieri and scrub our business clean of drugs. It’s been the ultimate goal since we got dragged in by the Camorra.”
Giovanni nodded, impressed.
Dominic continued. "I've told Rocco about our return to Chianti. Since the family is coming, we'll take the old place on the vineyard. Make sure the kids are comfortable. "
"How is Vito?" Giovanni asked.
"His condition is the same. The doctors say he's strong. They didn't expect him to last this long. It's the chemotherapy, Gio. Eventually, it will take him over." Dominic said.
"Does Rocco know how serious the condition of his brother is?" Giovanni asked.
"He does. I asked him if he wanted to visit Vito and he hasn't responded." Dominic said.
"He won't. He hasn't been close to Vito or Patri in years." Giovanni glanced back. "Rocco knew of Isabella. It appears that uncle knows many things that we don't."
"He's an old man, Gio. Harmless."
"Rocco has never been harmless," Giovanni walked away from the window. "You were too young to remember when Patri banished him. It was around the time we made the move to Sorrento permanent." Giovanni stopped to extinguish his cigar and put it back in the crystal ashtray. "From that point on he was never included in the family business. And no longer welcome in Sicilia."
"I don't remember," Dominic said. "Flavio told me that Rocco wasn't made for the business. He didn't have the balls."
"Flavio was a bigger liar than Lorenzo," Giovanni scoffed.
"Why are you angry at Lorenzo?" Dominic asked. Giovanni glanced back over his shoulder. It was a valid question.
"I don't know," he replied. "I just am."
"Is it because you blame him for Isabella? Like he said. I don't think he knew anything about her, Gio."
Giovanni nodded. He closed his eyes and scratched his temple with his trigger finger. "Giuseppe Calderone has been on my mind lately."
"Why?"
"It was the beginning. It was the first time I knew Lorenzo lied to me, and I accepted it. Pretended it didn't matter. And since then, Dominic, he has been like Rocco--here, but not here. Waiting..."
"Go with your gut. This plan is good. It will bring us closer to what you want. What we all want," Dominic said. "To walk away from this shit an be Kings. Not slaves to our father's mistakes."
The phone rang on his desk. Giovanni's number was reserved for only those he wanted to call him. Other than Dominic and Lorenzo, no one answered his phone. He walked over and picked it up. "That will be all, Domi. Tell the men to bring my Ferrari around. Taking Bella out for a drive and dinner.”
Dominic nodded and walked out. Giovanni sat behind his desk.
"Pronto?" he answered.
"We need to meet. Tonight, here in Sorrento. Tell me the place," the person responded.
"Sant'Agnello, after midnight," Giovanni said and hung up the call. He stroked his chin. His gaze lifted to the closed door and he remembered his goal. He'd see it through to the end.
***
Dominic paused on the other side of Giovanni's door. He pressed his ear to the wood. He heard nothing of the conversation inside.
"Spying, little brother?" Lorenzo whispered.
Dominic jumped. He turned and found Lorenzo seated. "I thought you were leaving to take care of things in Sicily," he muttered through clenched teeth.
"I decided to wait on you. What was that in there? You and Gio? Thick as thieves. We had a deal." Lorenzo stood. Dominic walked away from the door. He started toward the front door and went out of it, confident that Lorenzo would follow.
Once they were outside, he turned on Lorenzo. "The deal we made isn't to conspire against Gio. It's to make him rely on us again. And that's what happened in there. I did my part. He's trusting you to go after the Mafia. Isn't that your wet dream?"
"And what gets your cock hard, Domi? Seeing me get the Mafia, or gaining control over Gio with me out of the way?"
"Not true!" Dominic spat. "I don't need power. I need a family. I always have."
"Don't bullshit me, Dominic! Giovanni blames only me for Isabella, not you," he said, and finger poked Dominic in the center of his chest. "You know better than anyone how hard I'm hunting her!"
"Hunting her and failing," Dominic sighed.
"I am close damn it. Close! Now Gio thinks he can do better? That's dangerous for him. Especially if he is going to give the Benicias more power. Mateo Benicia is setting him up. He hates Giovanni!"
"Power and the perception of power are two different things," Domi said.
"M'infischio! He's opening the traffic all the way to the triangle. Have you forgotten the Baldamentis? He's letting that idiot Benicia handle the business? It's insane."
"It’s his plan, Lo. And you don't have to know all of the details of his plans for the plan to be successful. That's what separates him from you and me. That's what makes him the Don."
"But you do, right? Right?" Lorenzo stepped to Dominic. "If Giovanni is fine then why listen at his door? I'll tell you why, because you feel it, too. The squeeze. Doesn't feel so nice to be pushed out does it?"
Dominic didn't bother to answer. Lorenzo stormed off. For all of Lorenzo's faults, he did understand the nature of things. A divided clan was a weak clan. And no matter what Giovanni said to appease them, his only focus at the moment was revenge. That worried Dominic.
***
Sorrento Italy –
Marietta felt flushed. She could still see her feet when walking. Mirabella told her that would be impossible in a month or so. She looked down at her swollen ankles and shook her head in disbelief. The doctor warned her about spending too much time on her feet. It was time to cool off and relax before dinner. She walked down the hall with her hand to her back. Not because of her girth, just to pace herself.
"Oh my God!" she yelped. She nearly collided with her husband when she turned the corner. He swept her up in his arms and spun her around. Shocked, she choked on her gum and gripped his neck for support.
He carried her into their room and kicked the door shut.
"What the hell is wrong with you?" she demanded.
He put her down and she shoved him, but he captured her wrist and snatched her back to him. He grinned down at her before he gave her a sloppy kiss. She hadn't seen him this happy since she told him she was pregnant.
"Lo? What is going on?" she asked once she broke free. His arms crushed her against him. He kissed the side of her face and then her neck. He held her against his tall frame. "I love you, cara, so much. You are all the good in my life. I'm a good man because of you," he groaned and rubbed her ass.
"What is it?" she asked and rubbed his back.
"It's happening. It's happening!" he said and cupped her face in his hands.
"What?" she asked.
"Giovanni's going to take Armando down and give us Sicily."
Marietta’s eyes stretched, and her mouth gaped at the news. "Are you sure? Are you?"
He nodded with a wide grin. "We will have our own. You, me, and the bambino. This is our destiny."
"But... how did you convince him so fast?"
"Don't worry about the how. This is what we've been waiting for, Marie. This is the way we fix everything. I'll kill Isabella. I swear all of my mistakes will
die with the bitch. And then we will have our new beginning! No more bullshit. I'm a different man. A family man."
"Mio amore," Marietta smiled.
She caught her reflection in the shimmer of tears trapped in his eyes. All his life he wanted acceptance. Did he do everything the right way? No. But with a mother like his, and an absent father who was never there to teach him, he shouldn't be blamed. Even now in her heart, she knew no one in this family loved her man like she did. Giovanni used him. They all did. Lorenzo deserved better. And if it meant she had to sacrifice her brother to give her husband his dreams, she'd do it. She'd die for him. Marietta’s lips brushed his.
Lorenzo spun her around and then brought her back into his arms. They danced and swayed in each other’s arms to their music.
"Are you in this with me? The distance. Even if it means that your brother... that I may kill him if need be, to take what I want? You are my wife, Marietta. The mother of my children. You belong to me, not to Mancini, not to your sister, to me. To the end."
She wiggled in his arms and pressed her face to his chest so she could hear his heart beat when she answered him.
" Amore é gioia, amore é gelosia, amore é soffrire, amore é tenerezza, amore é calore. Amore sei tu!" She said to him: Love is joy, love is jealousy, love is suffering, love is tenderness, love is hot, and love is you." She had heard the phrase in a song when they sailed along the Italian Riviera and made love under the moonlight. The words were a profession of love she carried in her heart each time he disappointed or upset her. To keep her focused on the one thing that she never had growing up. True love. He stopped moving, and she lifted her head from his chest and looked up at him. "Yes, Lorenzo. I love you. And I will stand by your side and step over all of our enemies to protect us."
There were times when he wished she wasn't so beautiful, so exciting and unpredictable, so deeply rooted in his heart that just her slow dancing with him in his arms made his dick hard. How could he stay focused when all he could think of was proving to her that he'd be the best husband and father he could be?
She reached behind her and eased the zipper down from the summer dress she wore. It peeled away from her curves. The swell of her small belly wasn't distracting. In fact, the curves had extended to her heart shaped hips and silky thighs. Her breasts were a size larger, the dark nipples swollen ripe. Lorenzo's chest expanded around a deep, inward breath when his gaze lowered. What he wanted to do was fuck her like he used to before they got married. When she fought him at every turn. He'd drag her across the mattress and pin her up against the headboard to eat at her lovely pussy until his throat went dry. Then he'd fucked her until the legs of the bed broke, and they'd left a permanent imprint of their bodies in the mattress.
