by Sienna Mynx
“Buon giorno, signorina Belinda,” he said.
“Ah, hi, morning? Does Mirabella need me?”
Little Gianni stopped before Belinda and raised his little arms in the air. It was what the twins did when either child wanted someone, from the women to the men who worked in the family, to pick them up they’d walk over to them and raise their arms.
She tossed her sketch pad on the bed and picked up Gianni who hugged her neck and kissed her cheek. He was so sweet. She kissed his cheek and he told her about breakfast and the swim they had with Papa. They were speaking English often now that Belinda spent time with them.
Giovanni glanced to the sketch pad. He walked over and picked up her art before she could stop him.
“That’s nothing, just some of my drawings, nothing important,” she extended her hand to him. Giovanni held it up and then looked to the large window that showed the island and the sea. His eyes cut to her.
“You did this?”
“It’s personal, please give it back to me,” she said.
He handed it over. Belinda set it on the windowsill.
“Bella works with you, on your drawings?”
“Yes,” she said.
“It’s been a long time since Bella worked on her art. Is she drawing too?” he asked.
Belinda wasn’t sure why that mattered but she nodded. The news seemed to please him. He smiled at her.
“This is good. You’re a good artist. Not as good as my Bella but talented. Do you know where she keeps her drawings? I want to see them.”
“Uhm, no. We typically sketch in your room, that was until you came. So, I don’t know.”
“I’ll find it,” he mumbled. Belinda found the declaration odd. Why didn’t he just ask his wife to let him see the sketches?
“We have two days left before we return home. What are your plans?”
“Plans? I’m not making plans. I can’t. I’m under house arrest,” she chuckled. Giovanni did not. “I’m waiting for Mirabella to tell me. She usually does around breakfast. She promised me that we’d go to the beaches and maybe do some shopping in Capri. She said she knew this place that made sandals to fit my feet. I have large feet. But the shoemaker fits them directly to your feet. She said that I could design them any way I want. Kyra is making me shoes too. She showed me a few and I was going to model them in Milan but—” Gianni put his hand to Belinda’s mouth. She laughed at him silencing her. She was talking fast and too much.
Giovanni stared at her.
The silence filled the room before he finally spoke again. “I thought you wanted to be with Leo?”
“Be with?”
“Si, si il tuo amante.” Giovanni gestured with his hand.
Belinda eyes stretched. “Me? No. I ah, I don’t want anything from Leo.”
He stared at her for what felt like an eternity and then he said something under his breath in Italian. Gianni said something in his baby language and pointed at his father. Belinda wasn’t sure if the toddler spoke baby talk or Italian, but his father looked at his son and seem to understand him. He spoke back to the boy in Italian. Gianni wiggled in her arms to be put down. Belinda set him on his feet and he ran straight for his father.
“Bella is on bed rest. I don’t want her disturbed. Eve is with Gino in the pool.”
“Mirabella is still in bed? Something wrong?”
“No. I will take care of her. You go down to the beach with the children. Keep your eye on them. I’ll have Leo take you.” He picked up his son. “You can pretend at the beach to not like him.”
“But... Mirabella has said I shouldn’t leave without her permission.”
A sly smile titled the corner of his mouth. “I’ve changed the plan. I need time with Bella. Can I trust you to take care of the children today?”
She nodded.
“Va bene. It’s settled.”
Belinda wasn’t sure how to object. She had ended things with Leo out of fear that she didn’t know if she could be on her best behavior. She was also terribly ashamed of how she used Leo to stir up trouble. What kind of person makes the same mistakes over and over? Now Giovanni was setting her free.
The baby boy waved at Belinda from over his father’s shoulder as Giovanni walked out.
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
Ciò che resta? - What's left?
Capri - Italy
“HEY THERE, LADYBUG,” Belinda said.
Eve looked up from her book briefly before returning her attention to the pages. The silent dismissal felt awkward. Belinda found Eve reclined in a deck chair that faced the mountains instead of the sea. The breeze was still felt strongest on the verandah despite the afternoon sun beaming in the sky without cloud coverage. And the air had a sweet floral fragrance to it. Belinda could live and die in this place it was so beautiful.
She sat down on the chair and tried to see the front cover of the book Eve was reading. For a five-year-old it looked a bit advanced. The book was Alice in Wonderland and though thick it had pictures along with the text.
“Eve? Why aren’t you down at the pool with the boys?”
Eve didn’t answer her. The little girl’s silent refusal to engage with her felt intentional.
“Hey lady bug?”
“Che cosa vuoi?” Eve said and slammed her book shut. By her tone and the serious pout to her face Belinda knew the question wasn’t friendly.
“English please?”
“I say what do you want?” Eve repeated.
“I don’t want anything. Can’t I sit and talk to you, be your friend?” Belinda asked.
Eve frowned.
“What’s wrong? Tell me?”
“Perché dovrei? Why should I?”
Belinda was completely confounded. She had made Eve angry and couldn’t remember a single reason why. Eve, though much younger, was entertaining and kept the boredom away during her lockdown in Melanzana. Now that Giovanni had banished her to babysitting she didn’t want to have this problem.
“Okay little lady. You and I are going to talk. Why are you angry with me? I thought we were friends?”
“You’re not my friend. You don’t play with me, you don’t keep your promises.”
“I—”
“When we come here all you want to do is be with Mama. You wouldn’t even let me in the room. You closed the door on me. Made me go with the babies. I’m a big girl. I can draw pictures too. And before you come I used to draw pictures with mama!”
Belinda thought back to her sketching and drawing lessons with Mirabella. Those were precious times to Belinda. She didn’t need Eve encroaching on it. Yes, she had purposefully pushed Eve aside, but she didn’t think it made much of a difference to the kid.
“I’m sorry. I guess that was rude.”
“And Papa?” Eve said.
“What about him?”
“You told me you’d make him stay with us. If I did what you said. I did, I was a spy for you. And then Papa go away again. He’s never here. Nothing you say is true.”
“Eve that isn’t under my control.”
“Nothing is!” Eve said and started reading the book again.
Belinda chuckled. “You are just five, right?”
Eve didn’t respond.
“You’re a smart kid. I’ll give you that. But you’re too young to be angry. We should be friends. I should be a better friend. Tell you what, why don’t we make breakfast for everyone. And then afterwards we can watch TV together. Any movie you want.”
Eve glanced up at her. She paused for a moment then cocked her head to the left. “Any movie?”
“Name it.”
Eve turned the book around. Belinda saw the picture on the cover and confirmed it was Alice in Wonderland even though the title was in Italian. “We have this movie on the CD. We watch this one.”
“You got yourself a deal. Now can I have a hug?”
Eve smiled. She scooted off the deck chair and went to Belinda and gave her a hug. All was forgiven. Belinda took Eve’s hand
and made sure for the rest of the day she kept her promises.
MIRABELLA OPENED HER eyes and smiled to find Giovanni in bed with her. She glanced over to the television and then to him. His arm eased around her waist and he pulled her in closer.
“How do you feel?” Giovanni whispered into her ear and then kissed her temple.
Mirabella snuggled him in his embrace. She rested the side of her face against his broad chest. “I feel like I could do this for the rest of my pregnancy. Lay here with you holding me until the baby comes. I feel like a back rub and then a foot massage after you feed me grapes and then finish off by playing your guitar.”
He laughed. “My guitar?”
“Remember when you serenaded me? That time... right before we were married up until the day was the best memories of my life.” Mirabella smiled.
“I remember,” he said and kissed the top of her head.
“What is your best memory? The one that even now when you think of it, it makes you happy?”
“Hmmm?” he moaned. “The first time I saw Eve. When she later asked me for a cookie. When I realized that not only had I found you, but my daughter. My life changed. It has never been the same.”
“She was special, wasn’t she?”
“Was? She still is,” he said. “Even now when I see her, I see you, myself, my mother and even some of my father in her. She’s the greatest love of my life.”
“Hey!” Mirabella lifted her head. “I thought I was?”
Giovanni smiled. “You are, and she is, and your bambina in your belly is. I have many great loves.”
“Good answer.”
Giovanni squeezed her gently. He had returned to bed that morning at some point when she slept. He slid under the covers with her and instead of waking her turned on the television and settled on watching soccer with the sound muted. She hadn’t had that kind of normalcy in a while.
“Where are the kids?” she yawned.
“Belinda has them,” he said.
“Oh?” Mirabella looked up.
“I was thinking we’d go fishing today, but it’s getting late,” Giovanni said.
“That would be nice.”
“Mmhm,” he agreed.
Mirabella lay with him watching the soccer game. He cursed and threw his hand up in frustration more than once over missed goals. She then looked at him. “Things must be better?”
“Better how?” he asked.
“I dunno. First you say you have to go away and you do. Then you come back to me and we’re here. You seem less stressed. Something must have happened. Something good?”
“I got some of my stress out. I’m better.”
When he arrived in the night after bringing them here he was in a good mood. And she made love to him until they were both weak from exhaustion. Today felt very relaxed. She cherished this feeling but didn’t trust it.
“Gio?” she said.
“Yes?”
“I started reading my mother’s journal.”
She could feel him looking down at her. She glanced up at him and then back to the television. “My father lied. Mama loved James. She was devastated when he went to prison.”
“Your father manipulated her.”
“Yes,” Mirabella said. “She had no choice but to give in to him. Marsuvio Mancini and Tomosino Battaglia are two of the same men. At least in that regard.”
Giovanni didn’t answer.
“It’s got me to thinking even more about Marietta and Lorenzo. If you forgive their crimes.”
“I’ll never forget or forgive their crimes.”
“But say you did. If we could start over. If we really look at the truth, you, Lo, Domi, all of you are better men than Tomosino and Rocco. If we can get past our mistakes, Marietta and Catalina... and me, we can have what our mothers didn’t.” She rested her chin on her hand that lay flat on his chest. “Think about it. A chance at family again, without any secrets, all of us together.”
“Lorenzo used men who worked for me Bella to help my enemies smuggle women younger than your cousin Belinda into this country for sex. He’s stolen money from me and tried to start his drug smuggling business into the bay while distracting me and my enemies with petty squabbles. He knows it will send the authorities my way—create chaos and turf wars that will further divide what’s left of the Camorristi. He’s broken every vow of the brotherhood we’ve ever shared. Everyone. You said I seem different, that things are better. They are, Bella. Sì, è molto meglio. Because my eyes are open now. There can be no reconciliation. This is not our father’s war. This is not our father’s sins. We are men, and we make the decisions that shape our lives. This, Bella, is the new family. One without him or Marietta. This is the future.”
He lifted her chin with his finger. “We are stronger, Bella. Much stronger. I have you to thank for my strength. Lorenzo has Marietta to thank for his weakness. That’s how we win.”
“I always thought loving me made you weak?” she said. “It’s what Flavio said to me before he put me on a plane and sent me away from you. That this kind of love will destroy you.”
Giovanni picked up the remote and turned off the television. He sat up against the pillows and she scooted back and sat under him with his arm around her.
“Our enemies think the same,” he admitted. “But every time one of them tried to divide us, come between us, we’ve shown them our strength. Flavio, Kei, Santo, Cutter, Tacchini—”
“I get it.”
“Do you? Because this will end soon. I want no regrets. You work on that for me. No regrets.”
She turned her head up and smiled at him. “No regrets.”
DOMINIC HAD GOTTEN little sleep in Rome. He wanted to return to Sera. Not because he had grown deeper in his feelings for her, but because she kept him sane. And he needed his sanity. He was a bundle of tension. He and Renaldo had arrived just after six in the evening to Capri. The front doors to the villa were open but Giovanni’s men covered every corner of the land that led to the main road outside of the island. After all Dominic had seen and learned in the night he ordered Renaldo to get another twenty of their men there.
“Where is he?” Dominic asked one of the men eating at the foot of the stairs. Dominic missed Carlo. These kids needed discipline.
“Boss? Ah, the boss, is with the Donna and kids near the pool.”
“Get outside,” Dominic said.
The kid got to his feet and did as he was told. He shook his head and started to the back of the villa. He heard the laughter of the bambini. He and Renaldo stood inside of the villa and stared out across the verandah to the family eating under the setting sun. Eve was in Giovanni’s lap. Mirabella was up pouring drinks for the twins and laughing at something Belinda was sharing at the table. They looked so happy.
“Maybe we should give Gio a chance to settle in with the family some more before we share the news?” Renaldo said.
“There is no appropriate time for news, such as this.” Dominic replied.
“È vero,” Renaldo agreed.
“Ciao, Zio Domi! Zio Renaldo!” Eve said and waved.
The entire family looked up at Dominic and Renaldo. There was no turning away from the task at hand. They’d been spotted. He and Renaldo stepped out onto the verandah side by side.
“Ciao Evie!” Dominic smiled.
“Domi and Renaldo your timing is perfect. Sit down. I’ll get you something to eat.”
“Grazie Donna,” Renaldo said.
“We can’t stay,” Dominic said. “Gio, can we speak?”
“No Papa!” Eve protested when he started to rise.
Giovanni lifted her up in his arms. He kissed her. “Eat, lucciola. I’ll be right back.”
Eve grinned, and he sat her at the head of the table. Giovanni winked at Mirabella and then followed them out. Dominic noticed he did so without his cane. He suspected soon he wouldn’t use it at all. That was a good sign.
They walked into the open area where the sofa and television was. Ren
aldo sat in a chair and Dominic joined Giovanni on the sofa.
“How’s our pigeon?” Giovanni asked.
Dominic sat forward. He stared at the floor. “Federico is dead. We were able to save Marcello for you.”
“Save?” Giovanni asked.
“We needed answers. It was time that they talked. But it was too late Gio.”
“Tell me,” he said.
Dominic glanced over to Renaldo and then back to Giovanni. “Lorenzo discovered we were on to him. I guess the Armenians were pissed that we shut them down in the bay. Alik Yeremain retaliated.”
“There’s more isn’t there?” Giovanni asked.
“I don’t know how to tell you this Gio.”
“Spit it out!”
“Last night Villa Mare Blu burned to the ground.”
Giovanni sat upright from his leaned posture.
“It’s still burning Gio. And this morning two of our factories were firebombed in Bagheria. Mirabella’s boutique in Rome was hit and the workers beaten before the place was robbed. I’ve been dealing with the authorities. All of it happened at once. All of it coordinated.”
“Figlio di puttana.” Giovanni slammed his fist into his hand.
“Lorenzo has the Mafiosi with him. Even without Armando being declared dead they have given him a seat at the table. He now controls Mancini’s territory. He’s demanding a meeting with you. He’s demanding Marietta be returned or he will destroy us by targeting all of our business affairs.”
“My mother’s grave?” Giovanni asked. “Did they burn her garden? The beach house?”
“We have no way of knowing. My guess is that the garden is burning with the rest of Villa Mare Blu. He says he won’t stop until he gets Marietta back. He wants proof that she’s alive and he wants it in twenty-four hours.”
“What else? Say it?”
Dominic wiped his hand down his face. “I—.”
