La Dolce Vita: Romantic Suspense (Battaglia Mafia Series Book 7)

by Sienna Mynx

  The putrid sulfuric air reeked of a coppery smell that mingled with the bloodshed. And dead men lie everywhere. Not a single Benicia was left standing. Only Mateo who snarled and struggled to be let go.

  “Let me go! Let me go!” Isabella screamed. She kicked and fought Umberto like a wild woman. Her long hair covered her face. One of her shoes flew off her feet. Giovanni walked over to the cassette player and picked it up from the floor.

  “Put her in the chair.”

  A few men were on the ground groaning. Giovanni stepped over one of them.

  “Figlio di puttana! Li mortacci tua! Pigliainculo!” Isabella shouted obscenities.

  Don Tacchini approached. Giovanni cut his gaze over to his friend. “Gio? We need to detonate. And soon.”

  He nodded. A man returned Giovanni’s case to him. He didn’t make eye contact with Giovanni. Who would after hearing Lorenzo’s betrayal. He suspected they all thought Giovanni would go insane with rage. And he might do so. But this kind of pain required more control. Especially when dealing with the messenger.

  Umberto yanked Isabella by the hair and forced her to look at Giovanni. She spat at him and the Don. He flipped open the case and revealed the vials of poison injected into Mirabella. Isabella's eyes stretched. "What is this!"

  Mateo Benicia was now standing. He was no longer cursing and fighting. He was weeping. His family was slaughtered all around him. His brother, cousins, uncles, all lay dead.

  Giovanni pulled out a syringe and attached it to the vial of liquid poison.

  “What is this? Kill me! Just kill me!” Isabella seethed.

  "You know what this is, don't you?" Giovanni asked. Isabella looked at the serum with fear. It was the first sign of fear in her eyes. Giovanni stepped to her. He put the syringe in her face. Isabella recoiled.

  “Kei Hyogo injected this into my wife. Over and over again.”

  “I had nothing to do with that. That is his mess. His poison.”

  “There are many ways to die,” Giovanni said. “This is a different kind of death. It happens much slowly. It opens a door in your mind. Let the worst of your demons come through. Day by day they come. Today I introduce you to your new master.”

  Isabella screamed for help. Giovanni injected a dose into the bulging vein in her neck. And he didn’t do so gently. Blood streamed down the tiny puncture wound. She gagged and coughed.

  “My Bella has had to suffer because of you and your games. I have lost friends and family because of you.” He grabbed her chin and lifted it. Her eyes rolled into her head. “Death will come for you, but not today. Do you hear me!”

  Isabella opened her eyes and looked at him Tears streamed down her cheeks.

  “Today I introduce you to my wife’s hell,” he said.

  Giovanni turned and handed the needle over to the man next to him. Umberto let go of Isabella. She slumped forward and dropped to the floor. Don Tacchini signaled to his men, and one came over and swept her up in his arms. He carried her out of the building with a man following carrying the poison in the case.

  "We will see to her Giovanni," Tacchini assured him. "Do as you instructed."

  The man holding Benicia released him. Mateo Benicia dropped to his knees and wept. Giovanni removed the cassette player from his pocket and looked at it. He turned away and walked out.

  Chapter Thirty-Three

  A Safe Place

  Sorrento, Italy

  "Are your eyes closed?" Lorenzo asked.

  "I'm so tired, Lo. What are we doing? Can't we just go home?"

  "Let me help you out of the car. Wait here. Don’t move."

  Marietta heard the driver side door close. In her mind, her husband went over the hood like some kind of stuntman hero before he opened her door. She smiled. The temptation was great. She could take a quick peek and then be done with the game. But he seemed really serious about this one. It was in his voice. When they landed and loaded the kids in the van, she noticed her luggage being placed into a different car after Giovanni left them. He told her and Mirabella it was time for her surprise. As exhausted as she was, she couldn't help but be touched by the romantic gesture.

  "Give me your hand," he said.

  The car door was open. She reached out and felt his hand. He helped her out of the car and turned her in the direction of the wind. She smelled nothing distinctive in the air. Just felt a breeze that cooled her skin against the humid night. Lorenzo stepped behind her. He eased his arms around her waist and put his hands on her tummy.

  "Now," he said very softly against her ear. "Open your eyes."

  Marietta did as he told her. She opened her eyes to a very nice looking villa nestled in the cliffs. It was two stories tall, and the color of a lemon, with a flat roof and large shuttered windows. In fact, to the left was a field of lemon trees. And surrounding the villa were tall and short bushes with pink, purple, and white flowers in bloom. It was straight out of a fairytale. Under the waning moonlight, it looked magical.

  "What is this about? Another house? A lemon farm!" she laughed.

  "You know Sorrento makes the best lemons in the world."

  "Lo? We don't need lemons, honey! What is going on?"

  "It's not just any house, this is where we start again, Marie."

  "I don't understand? Are we still in Sorrento?"

  He swept her up in his arms and spun her around. She hadn't gained much weight. Still, she wanted him to be careful. She held on to him and laughed.

  "You're mine right?" he asked when they stopped spinning.

  "Always," she grinned.

  "And this is yours!" He carried her up the steep steps to the front door. He had to put her down to get the key. Marietta looked back. She found it odd that they came alone. It wasn't his way. He liked being the boss. Having young men to do all his bidding. They were alone tonight. Not another car in sight. In fact, the land around the villa had only one road off the cliffs, and it seemed to go down into darkness.

  "Where are we?"

  He pushed the door open. Marietta walked inside. There was only a simple scatter of furniture. A sofa and chair. A lamp table, an open fireplace. A television.

  "It needs some work. But it'll do for now. Come let me show you," he said.

  She followed him, and her heart began to race. Why she didn't know. There was something incomplete about his gift. Something rushed. And then they entered the kitchen. Marietta paused. On the kitchen table was an arsenal for a small army. Guns. All kinds of weapons.

  "What’s going on?" she asked.

  Lorenzo turned on the light. The kitchen had everything from a brick oven to a refrigerator and stove. But why were there guns? She looked to her husband, and his smile faded.

  "Gio knows the truth, Marie. It’s over."

  "No? He doesn't. He just landed! We just came home. He doesn't know. Not yet. Not possible."

  "By now he knows. I'm sorry, cara, but this is it. This is the moment when we do what we have to do to protect our family," Lorenzo said.

  "No. No. No. Lorenzo!”

  “Marie?”

  “Catalina is going to... stop it..."

  "Catalina?" Lorenzo frowned.

  "This isn't happening.” She put her hand to her head and turned away. “Not like this! We had a plan!"

  "We? What are you talking about?"

  She wept.

  "What are you talking about?" he grabbed her by the arm. Not forcefully. He did it to stop her from pacing.

  "Armando! He must have told Giovanni."

  "How would Armando know?" Lorenzo released her. "How?"

  Marietta couldn't speak through her sobbing. Lorenzo pulled her into his arms and hugged her. He tried to calm her, but the panic she felt was too much. Her tears turned to hysteria. He walked her out of the kitchen to the sofa at the front of the villa. He sat her down and knelt before her. "What did Armando do?"

  "Isabella gave him the tapes. He was trying to blackmail Catalina. We were going to stop him. But she must have failed, an
d he told Gio. I tried, I tried to fix it!"

  "Blackmail? You should have come to me." He grabbed Marietta's face. "You should have come to me the moment you knew he had the tapes."

  "I'm so sorry; I did this. I ruined it."

  "No. It's not you. Gio has Isabella. He found her, Marie. That's why we came back home. What did Armando do to Catalina? How far did this plan go? Wait? Catalina knows what I’ve done?" Lorenzo asked.

  Marietta nodded. She wiped her tears. "Armando played the tape for her. She was so upset. She wanted to tell Mirabella. I couldn't let it unravel like that. So I convinced her to set him up. To play like she was interested. He... they were to meet in Paris. But I don't know what happened from there."

  "Damn it, Marie! Why didn't you trust me?" Lorenzo got to his feet.

  "I'm sorry..."

  "Sorry? Do you know what he is going to do to her? What a man like him is capable of?"

  "I'm married to a man like him!” she shouted. “Yes, I know what he is capable of! And she knew the risks. She did this for you, for our family. I'm so sorry, okay?"

  He paced. "Go to the phone. Call your brother. Find out what is going on."

  "Where is the phone?" she asked looking around. Lorenzo stormed out. He came back for her. He brought her into the kitchen and handed her the phone. She looked at him while she dialed. "It's Marietta Battaglia. I need to speak to my brother. Tell him it's important."

  When she was told he wasn't home, she didn't bother to say anything further. She hung up.

  "What are we going to do?" Marietta asked.

  Lorenzo glared at her. She lowered her gaze. The accusations in his stare were too much. Her heart was hurting. And now she had to deal with Catalina being in danger. It was her fault.

  "I need to find Carlo. You stay here. No one knows about this place. You're safe."

  "No!" she chased after him. "Wait!"

  Lorenzo didn’t.

  "I messed up, but so did you! Big fucking time. Now you drop me off here. Lo, I can't... I need to sit down," She stopped and held her belly. He paused and returned to her. Her vision blurred. He caught her before she dropped to the floor.

  "Marie!"

  He picked her up. She held on to his neck. "Don't leave. It's not safe. If Gio knows then, Carlo knows. He won't protect you."

  "Calm down."

  "None of them will. They will side with Gio. This is different, Lo. There is no way out. It's different. Please don't leave me. Don't. Please!" Lorenzo took her to the bedroom. There was one downstairs. It was small so Marietta knew it wasn't the master. But it would do. She was mentally and physically exhausted. She needed his love desperately. To her relief, he understood her fear. He put her to bed and joined her. She held as tight to him as she could. She fought against her fatigue and tried to stay awake. But her body eventually won out. Before she could control it sleep claimed her.

  Things were far worse than he thought. Catalina was in trouble. He had to speak to Carlo. Lorenzo left the room silently. He went into the kitchen. The first person he wanted to call was Giovanni. If he could talk to his cousin and explain his side of things he might be able to barter some kind of truce. Rocco was banished for breaking his sacred vow. Could this be the same? Banishment? He could live with that. He'd find a way to do it for his family.

  In the dark kitchen, he picked up the phone and dialed his friend.

  Carlo answered on the third ring, his voice heavy with sleep. "Yeah?"

  "I need you... to, ah, meet me, now," he said.

  "What did you do?" Carlo asked.

  "I can't get into it over the phone. You're my friend. My only friend. I need your help."

  "Where?" Carlo asked.

  "Meet me in Pimonte. There is a frazioni called Luidi. Meet me at the cliffs. You can't miss it."

  Carlo hung up.

  Chapter Thirty-Four

  Torn Apart

  Sorrento, Italy

  "Hi, can I uh, sorry for calling so late. Can I speak to Kyra please?" Catalina asked.

  "Who is calling?" the woman asked.

  "Catalina Battaglia."

  She had a box of tissues on the bed, and so many discarded with tears and snot they covered the blanket. She sniffed and blew her nose. The fast rhythmic beat of her heart had her hands trembling and bottom lip quivering. She waited. If she could talk to Dominic, she'd convince him to come home. She had to try.

  "Catalina?" A man answered.

  "Renaldo? Ah, hi, I was looking for Kyra."

  "She's asleep. And so is Domi," Renaldo said. "Isn't that who you really want to speak to?"

  Catalina bit back her temper and her tears. She closed her eyes and tried to ease calm into her voice. "I only want to talk to him."

  "No. And that's not for him. That's for you. He's not in a good way."

  "He needs me. I don't know what he told you but--"

  "He's not in a good way, Catalina. When he is ready, he will call you."

  "Call me? Who are you to say that to me? Renaldo! Don't speak to me like I'm a child! I'm a fucking adult. I'm his fiancée. I demand you put him on the phone! Now!" she yelled until her voice went hoarse.

  He hung up.

  "Arrrgghhhh!"

  Catalina threw the phone. It felt as if every blood vessel in her head exploded and her eyes burst into tears. She screamed with heartsick fury. The door to her room opened. She rolled away from the invader and was quick to wipe her tears. Since her arrival and retreat to her bedroom, her aunts had been up trying to feed her.

  "Zia Josefina, vattenne! I told you not to come in here. I'm not hungry."

  "Catalina?"

  The sound of Mirabella's voice was too soft and gentle to be believed. Catalina’s head turned, and she double blinked. Like from a dream, Mirabella had appeared in her room.

  "Mirabella?"

  "What has happened? Are you okay?" Mirabella closed the door with alarm. “Honey, I could hear you screaming in the hall.”

  "No! Nooooo!" Catalina ran around the bed, and Mirabella met her in the middle of the room. She hugged her tight enough to break her if she was as fragile as they believed. Mirabella squeezed her back. "I'm in trouble. Domi has... he's gone. He hates me. I'm going to lose him. I've lost him. Please help me!"

  "Stop. Calm down. Wait, breathe, breathe," she said and forced Catalina to let go of her. She held her back and stared into her eyes. "Look at me. Listen to me."

  "Okay."

  "Tell me what's going on," Mirabella said.

  “I’ve ruined my life,” Catalina moaned. “I want to die.”

  ***

  Carlo had smoked two cigarettes before he saw headlights turn onto the road. He flicked the last one and waited. The vehicle slowed, and the lights shut off. It was one of Lorenzo's cars. He waited. It took longer than a minute before Lorenzo opened the car door and stepped out. He found that odd.

  "Been waiting long?" Lorenzo asked.

  "What the fuck is going on?" Carlo asked.

  "Did you get the tapes for me?" Lorenzo asked.

  Carlo stared at him.

  Lorenzo rolled his eyes. "You changed your mind. Didn't you?"

  "What makes you think I would go to villa Rosso and take anything from the Boss for you?"

  "Over thirty years of friendship. That's what makes me think it. Remember when your dad used to pound on you? When you got sent away to jail at fucking fifteen? Who was there for you? Giovanni? Or me? Who snuck you money, clothes, food. Who cleaned you up from vomit and drunken shit? Me!"

  Carlo shook his head. "It must be really bad, Lo, for you to pull this shit. What is on those tapes?"

  Lorenzo paced.

  "What is on the fucking tapes brother?"

  "So you didn't listen to him?"

  "I'm just a fucking hired gun, man. A Butcher. My job has never been to dig in another man's backyard. My job..."

  "Fuck your job! You made a choice. And you signed my death warrant. What really sticks Carlo is that you knew what this would cost m
e. You knew!"

  "The fuck did you say to me?" Carlo shoved him. "What did you say to me? I betrayed what? I betrayed who?"

  "Stay out of my way Carlo. Gio is going to declare war on me. The next time we see each other, we won't be brothers."

  "Wait a fucking minute! What is this about? You owe me that! Tell me the truth."

  Lorenzo stopped mid step to his car. He dropped his head and shook it. "You know what's fucking ironic? First I was jealous of Gio. Wanted Patri’s respect for myself. Wanted Patri's throne for myself. Never thought Gio deserved any of it. But now. After all these years. All I want is the brotherhood we had when we were kids. That's the fucking irony.”

  “Stop speaking in fucking riddles man. Tell me the crime. Be honest for once in your fucking life and tell me what you did!”

  “I killed Giuseppe Calderone to protect a secret."

  "What secret?"

  "One night I was drunk and high on coke. I was talking about how I wanted Patri dead. Giuseppe agreed to make it happen if I knocked off his old man. It was Giuseppe that killed Patri, not the Russians. And those tapes are my confession."

  Carlo didn't move. He didn't blink. He just stared in disbelief.

  "Bye, see you on the other side, brother." Lorenzo got in the car. Carlo watched the man he loved like a brother drive away. He should have drawn his gun. He should have brought Lorenzo down and thrown him at his boss’s feet. But he could do neither. And he knew in his heart it would be the only time he could grant Lorenzo that favor.

  ***

  The building burned. Giovanni and Don Tacchini watched from a distance as the fire rescue teams arrived and frantically worked to extinguish the flames. It was quite a show.

  "Mateo Benicia remains alive. For now," Don Tacchini said. "I have to admit, Gio, I didn't believe you when you said it would play out this way. Benicia is a fool to go against la Camorra with that woman. To challenge you."

  Giovanni squeezed the cassette player in the palm of his hand. He stared at the flames. The destruction. And he felt a complete numbness come over him. Don Tacchini was the most loyal of all of them. He'd proven that with Mottola and with Santo. He'd proven it time and time again. That is why he put his life in his hands. If Tacchini hadn't shown up as promised, he would have been killed. It was a gamble he had to take to prove his fearlessness. And it paid off.