Page 198 of La Dolce Vita

"Is my wife okay?” Giovanni asked.

"It's not over for her Gio. She isn't okay. How can she be? Her world was a lot simpler before we came into it."

“It was never simple for Bella," Giovanni said. “She grew up in a bubble. She chose Cutter to break her way out. Same way your mother chose James. Whether Bella knows it or not, she’s a fighter. A survivor.”

"Yeah, you have a point,” Marietta smiled. “I guess I’m look at this all wrong. We don’t need to protect her anymore, not from us. She’ll be okay if we stop treating her like she’s fragile. This is our life, Gio. The good, the bad, and the ugly, it's ours. Make her live it with you. However, you can. But make her human and not some princess who won’t take your bloody clothes and burn them in a trashcan!" Marietta held up the bag.

Giovanni nodded that he understood. Marietta tied the garbage bag and started off toward the back door. She stopped to go in the cabinets and get some lighter fluid and a match box. Giovanni grabbed Marietta's hand before she left the kitchen. She looked up at him curiously. He brought her hand to his lips and kissed her knuckles. "I will admit I never wanted you for her. Didn't think she needed anyone but me. I know now that I'm wrong. I believe that you are the perfect woman for my cousin. I believe that you are the perfect sister for myBella. And you're good for me too. What I'm saying is..."

"Save it." Marietta rolled her eyes. "Let's not get carried away."

Giovanni smiled. Marietta smiled. To her surprise Giovanni pulled her into his arms and hugged her. She wasn't sure how to react at first. It was the very first time. But in that moment she realized she loved him too. They were family. She hugged Giovanni.

"You're the love of her life, Gio," she said when he let her go. "No matter what she's done or does, that never changes. But if you hurt her, ever, you will have to answer to me."

He nodded his obedience and she walked away.

***

Carlo kicked in the door. He shot the first two men he saw. Alek Baldamenti returned fire. It was too late. Carlo emptied his gun. He could tell from the empty clicks of the weapon as he pulled the trigger repeatedly. Carlo threw up his hand and stopped Umberto from firing into the empty room. They weren't in the church, but they were on church property. The less amount of blood spilled here, the better.

"Get him!" Carlo said.

Umberto knocked over tables and chairs to get to the scumbag. He dragged him to the middle of the floor and held him there with a gun. Carlo stepped back. He looked outside of the door to his boss and nodded.

Dominic walked inside and took in the scene. He found it hard to believe that she would be kept there. "Check the rooms. Find her!"

Carlo and three of his men searched the place. Umberto, however, kept this gun pointed at the top of Alek Baldamenti’s skull.

"Where is she?" Dominic asked the son of Baldamenti.

"Vattela a pigliare in culo--go take it up the ass!" Alek spat at Dominic's shoes. Dominic glanced up to see Carlo and his men return with her purse, her luggage. Carlo opened the suitcase first. Inside he found clothes. He then found a small case with cassette tapes. On them, it said Lorenzo's name. Carlo frowned. He held them up for Dominic to see.

"So, she was here?" Dominic asked.

"And now she's gone," Alek smirked.

Umberto hit him hard across the back of his head with his gun. Alek fell forward. He nearly lost consciousness. Umberto made him sit upright on his knees. He put the gun to Alek's head and looked at Dominic for the order.

"Where is she?" Dominic asked again.

"Vaffanculo a chi t'è morto--go fuck your dead family!You're going to kill me either way. I'm not telling you a damn thing."

"Take him back to Sorrento. Drive through the night if you have to. Word will get back to his father that we have him. I need all of our men pulled out of Tuscany. Zia and Rocco too."

Carlo stood. "I can make him talk."

"Then get me some answers. Get them soon. I want to have that bitch before Giovanni returns from America."

"And what about this stuff? These tapes? What is this shit?" Carlo asked.

Alek laughed. "Why don't you listen to them for yourself, you lap dog? See what your master has been up to!"

"Testa di cazzo!Another word out of your mouth and I will pull the trigger," Umberto warned.

"Giovanni can listen to them. I got a call from Paris. I need to get there now. I've missed my first flight."

Carlo nodded. "I have one stop to make, and then we will head to Sorrento. Bring him. We'll see how much of a tough guy he really is."

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