Page 206 of La Dolce Vita

Forget it all, because Catalina knew if Dominic found Armando he'd kill him. And if Dominic killed a Mafia boss as powerful as Armando, no one, not even Gio, could save him. It was the worst infraction he could make in the mob. And she would be the reason. That burden weighed so heavily on her heart; she dropped over in despair. She clasped her hands together and began to pray. She poured out her soul before God and told him she'd give everything up if he kept Dominic safe.

It was as if God had a direct pipeline to her pleas for mercy; her prayers were semi-answered. The door opened. She heard a person enter.

"Domi!" she found the strength to stand.

It was Paolo and Raffaele. They both had solemn looks on their faces.

"Where is Domi?" Catalina asked through her tears.

"He has said you and Rosetta are to be taken home immediately." Paolo went to her bedroom. To her horror, he began to snatch up her things off the hangers and stuff the suitcases. Catalina tried to stop him, but Raffaele got in the way. "We are leaving. I'm sorry, Catalina."

"Where the hell is he? Did he find Armando? Huh?" She hit Raffaele "Do your fucking job and find him."

Raffaele glared. He looked like he was on the edge of his own meltdown. "I have my orders. Paolo will take Rosetta. I will take you. Home."

"I have work to do. If Domi wants me to leave, then he'll have to face me. If not I have a show tomorrow with--"

She was seized. Raffaele threw her over his shoulder. Catalina screamed. Paolo came out with her luggage. The men forcibly removed her from her suite.

***

"Eat. Eat!" Gino said and patted his tummy.

Lorenzo fed him another scoop. Marietta beamed with pride. He was going to be a good father. They could hear Giovanni stump and stump down the stairs. It almost sounded like he was running he was moving so fast. The kids were seated at the table enjoying breakfast when their father appeared.

"Pack up. We're leaving!"

"Really?" Marietta asked.

"Yes," Giovanni said. He went to the telephone and picked it up. He opened a phonebook that he pulled off the top of the refrigerator. Marietta looked at her husband for an explanation. Lorenzo shrugged. It didn't matter when they left. She was so happy about the special gift Minnie gave her. She hadn't played the record or opened the journal yet. And she didn't know when she would. Maybe the day she had her baby or the day, she and Lorenzo finally found Isabella, and she knew they could move forward with their lives. One day soon.

Giovanni inquired about flights. He asked how soon the next one to Naples, Italy left. He paced back and forth with the long phone cord.

Lorenzo winked at her and fed Gino another scoop of eggs. Marietta wiped Gianni's hands of jelly, and the toddler went right back to tearing through his toast. Eve scooted her chair back and dropped down. She went to her father.

"Daddy, can you push me? On the swing? Again? Please?" she pointed to the door.

Giovanni hung up the phone. “We leave tonight. There's a midnight flight out of Norfolk, then a connector in New York. From there we go straight to Naples."

"Does Mirabella know?" Marietta asked.

"She's ready to leave as well." Giovanni picked up Eve in his arms. "Come,lucciola. It's very early. Let's go and play on the swing."

"Yay!" she said and giggled.

"Are you hungry? I can fix you a plate," Marietta said.

"No. I'll just come back for coffee," Giovanni said.

Marietta gave Gianni his cup to drink from and then pushed up from the table.

Lorenzo observed Giovanni. His cousin carried his daughter out the door. Part of him wanted to know the business deal that had him so excited. The other part of him, ruled by pride, refused to ask for information that should be shared freely with him. No matter how close and brotherly he and Giovanni became, there was a distance there that he didn't understand.

The phone rang again.

"Who is that now?" Marietta asked.

Lorenzo had paged Carlo six times. He got up and went for the phone. Maybe, this time, it was him.

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