Page 202 of La Dolce Vita

She had done it.

She had gotten the tapes.

The elevator arrived on her floor. It stopped. She forgot to call Rosetta and warn her that she was coming back. The moment the doors opened she saw the hall was empty. Neither Raffaele nor Paolo stood outside her door. Catalina couldn't believe her luck. She dug in her purse for her room key and hurried to her room. She would shower and call Domi. This had turned out to be the happiest night of her life. A hot flash of a memory of Armando's kiss surfaced. She didn't dare dwell on it. The kiss was a mistake. She allowed one stumble. After all, she had stood her ground with the most ruthless of Dons in Sicily and won. Catalina dropped the key in the slot and opened her room door. She went inside and flicked on the light.

Dominic’s glare greeted her. He was the only one sitting. Rosetta stood by his chair. She looked flustered as if she'd been crying. Raffaele and Paolo both stood in the room with their heads hung down. Everyone was there, and they waited for her. Shocked, Catalina couldn't speak. Dominic took a long look at her. Her mind tried to conjure up the excuse. She could use Jamie. Or Marco. Yes. She could use Marco to explain her disappearance.

"Ciao, caro!What are you doing here?" she said under the strain of a tight smile.

"I'm sorry, Catalina. I'm so sorry," Rosetta wept.

Catalina frowned. "Sorry for what?"

"I had to tell Domi the truth. I had no choice. I had to tell him about you and Armando."

"You what?"

"Everybody leave.Adesso!" Dominic said.

Catalina shook her head to deny the accusations because she knew if the words dripped from Rosetta's lying lips they were the worst of the worst. In all the years of their childhood squabbles she'd never suffered a more painful betrayal from her cousin. She had let her guard down. Trusted her. Believed in their bond.

Raffaele walked to the door. Rosetta was escorted by Paolo. The moment she was close Catalina went on the attack. She tried to snatch her bald. Rosetta fought her the best she could. But Catalina had a hold on her throat and her hair. She slammed her head down on the ground and prayed it was a death blow. One of the men lifted her off Rosetta. She screamed with fury. The other man dragged a wounded Rosetta to the door.

"She's been seeing him, Domi! Ask her! Ask her how many times! Even in Sicily. In Mondello. Here! She's been lying to you because she's fucking Don Mancini!Puttana!"

Catalina wept. She was so hurt and confused she couldn't summon her defenses. Dominic drew his gun.

"What room?" he demanded.

"Domi, I swear onMadre'sgrave it's not what you think."

"WHAT ROOM?"

"1634. Domi, please." She scrambled to her feet. She grabbed his face, but he kept walking. He could not be stopped. "Rosetta is lying I can explain. It's not what you think."

He knocked her off him. She fell to the floor and grabbed his leg. He dragged her and then kicked her loose. He left before she could get back to her feet.

"Domi!" she screamed.

"Keep her inside," Dominic said as he went down the hall with his gun.

"Boss? It's Don Mancini; you shouldn't go alone..."

"Do as I say. Keep her inside," he shouted. Dominic's chest hurt. It wasn’t just his heart. This pain was familiar. The kind of gut kick he took the day he saw her say her vows to Franco. The kind of gut kick the day Giovanni called his love for his sister incest. Giovanni warned him. So did Lorenzo. They all predicted the moment he’d lose her.

He went to the elevator half dazed, and the other half of his brain fried. It was like an internal circuit blew in his brain. He couldn't think straight. He could barely see. He pushed the button to the elevator, and his finger trembled. Dominic looked down at his hand. Rage, hate, bloodlust, those emotions in men brought death and destruction. The world around him spun into a blur as he stood still.

Kill him. Kill him. Kill him. Kill him.

His brain fired off the order in rapid succession. He had no choice. To stop and rethink his actions would unlock a hurt so deep it rivaled the scars of his childhood. Catalina was his heart. She was all he ever wanted in life. She was special, precious; she was his, and he'd lost her. Armando Mancini would pay with his life. He would kill him. He intended to kill him. The elevator opened, and he nearly fell inside.

Kill him. Kill him. Kill him. Kill the motherfucker!

When did it all begin? Rosetta called him. Yes. Rosetta. She said Catalina needed him. That he should come to Paris and surprise her. But when he arrived no one answered her door. He found Raffaele in bed with Rosetta. It didn't enrage him as it would Giovanni. He would discipline him later. What he wanted was his lady. The idiot guard he put in charge of her, to protect her, handed over Catalina's room key. The room was empty. Dominic figured she'd slipped out to meet one of her friends. He was angry, but he understood. Tonight was her night. Her big night. It wasn't until Rosetta filled in the missing pieces that he learned the disgusting truth. She'd been sneaking behind his back and meeting with Armando Mancini.

Why?

Kill him. Kill him. Kill him. Kill the motherfucker dead!

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