Page 253 of La Dolce Vita

Arielle eyes stretched. “She might not be ready to learn the truth of how you two are connectede. She still has so much anger and rage over the loss of her family.”

“She’s in my world. She belongs to me. I’ll protect her and end this thing with her and Carlo before it gets out of hand. There is something you will need to do.”

“Tacchini explained it to me. I will give her the information.”

“Will she tell the General?” Giovanni asked.

“She’ll tell him. I’m sure of it. She likes working for theCarabinieri.” Arielle said. When he glanced to Arielle, he saw tears in her eyes. Adara was what they called gems in the underworld. Young women and men who infiltrated the police state and gained the leverage needed to keep clan bosses like Giovanni out prison. Giovanni wasn't invincible; he just made sure the deck was always stacked in his favor. The only problem was that Adara didn’t know she was Giovanni’s gem. Not yet. And she would soon learn it would be a lifetime assignment.

Arielle. "I will make the call tonight. Giovanni, you will have your revenge on Isabella and the drugs will stop polluting our shores. I can do it. Let me."

He nodded. “Grazie Arielle, for everything.”

Later –

Giovanni hadn’t visited the old factories in years. It was now Carlo’s playground. Giovanni saw the car parked and waiting for him. It was not one he’d known Lorenzo to drive. But he sensed his cousin was near. He removed his gun, Danny Boy, from under his blazer and started toward the building. His eyes swept left, and they swept right. There was no sign of Lorenzo.

When he entered the warehouse, he had to wait for his eyes to adjust to the dark. The place reeked of unidentifiable smells. Rats scampered and glared at him with beady red eyes, from the corners and crevices of the bottling machinery. Giovanni kept his gun at his side.

He walked the line of the factory, and his gaze swung left and right. He didn’t see Lorenzo. But his gut said he was there.

“I didn’t think you’d come,” he heard him speak. He turned and raised his gun. There was no Lorenzo. The voice echoed from the left and the right.

“Where are you?”

Lorenzo stepped out from the left.

Giovanni swung the gun in his direction and first. Lorenzo ducked and sparks flew off the machinery Giovanni hit.

"Gio! Wait! I came here to talk. Give me the chance."

Giovanni smirked. "Why should I give you anything?"

"For our family. One chance. Here me out! Please brother." Lorenzo was braver than he thought. He stepped forward without a weapon in his hand. It didn’t mean he didn’t bring one with him.

“Are we going to talk, or are you going to shoot me without hearing my side?” Lorenzo asked.

“There’s nothing to talk about,” Giovanni said and leveled the gun at him.

“Danny Boy. You brought him for me?” Lorenzo asked. "You're going to kill me with that gun?"

Giovanni looked at his gun. He had told Lorenzo many times of what Danny Boy meant to him. What it represented. He had never thought he would one day turn it on him.

“I was an idiot. I was a jealous, greedy, idiot. You heard the tapes. I wanted to spare you from that.”

Giovanni chuckled.

“What I mean to say is I wanted to stop this. You and me standing against each other than with each other. I was drunk through most of the conversation. I was angry at Flavio andPatri. I felt...”

“I’ll make sure your wife and kid are looked after. I swear it.”

“Gio... wait!”

Giovanni shot him in the leg. Lorenzo dropped to all fours in agony.

“Stay on your knees when you speak to me. That’s where you belong,” he said.

“Don’t do this. I made a mistake.”

---