Page 52 of La Dolce Vita

Dominic continued. "I've told Rocco about our return to Chianti. Since the family is coming, we'll take the old place on the vineyard. Make sure the kids are comfortable. "

"How is Vito?" Giovanni asked.

"His condition is the same. The doctors say he's strong. They didn't expect him to last this long. It's the chemotherapy, Gio. Eventually, it will take him over." Dominic said.

"Does Rocco know how serious the condition of his brother is?" Giovanni asked.

"He does. I asked him if he wanted to visit Vito and he hasn't responded." Dominic said.

"He won't. He hasn't been close to Vito orPatriin years." Giovanni glanced back. "Rocco knew of Isabella. It appears that uncle knows many things that we don't."

"He's an old man, Gio. Harmless."

"Rocco has never been harmless," Giovanni walked away from the window. "You were too young to remember whenPatribanished him. It was around the time we made the move to Sorrento permanent." Giovanni stopped to extinguish his cigar and put it back in the crystal ashtray. "From that point on he was never included in the family business. And no longer welcome in Sicilia."

"I don't remember," Dominic said. "Flavio told me that Rocco wasn't made for the business. He didn't have the balls."

"Flavio was a bigger liar than Lorenzo," Giovanni scoffed.

"Why are you angry at Lorenzo?" Dominic asked. Giovanni glanced back over his shoulder. It was a valid question.

"I don't know," he replied. "I just am."

"Is it because you blame him for Isabella? Like he said. I don't think he knew anything about her, Gio."

Giovanni nodded. He closed his eyes and scratched his temple with his trigger finger. "Giuseppe Calderone has been on my mind lately."

"Why?"

"It was the beginning. It was the first time I knew Lorenzo lied to me, and I accepted it. Pretended it didn't matter. And since then, Dominic, he has been like Rocco--here, but not here. Waiting..."

"Go with your gut. This plan is good. It will bring us closer to what you want. What we all want," Dominic said. "To walk away from this shit an be Kings. Not slaves to our father's mistakes."

The phone rang on his desk. Giovanni's number was reserved for only those he wanted to call him. Other than Dominic and Lorenzo, no one answered his phone. He walked over and picked it up. "That will be all, Domi. Tell the men to bring my Ferrari around. Taking Bella out for a drive and dinner.”

Dominic nodded and walked out. Giovanni sat behind his desk.

"Pronto?"he answered.

"We need to meet. Tonight, here in Sorrento. Tell me the place," the person responded.

"Sant'Agnello, after midnight," Giovanni said and hung up the call. He stroked his chin. His gaze lifted to the closed door and he remembered his goal. He'd see it through to the end.

***

Dominic paused on the other side of Giovanni's door. He pressed his ear to the wood. He heard nothing of the conversation inside.

"Spying, little brother?" Lorenzo whispered.

Dominic jumped. He turned and found Lorenzo seated. "I thought you were leaving to take care of things in Sicily," he muttered through clenched teeth.

"I decided to wait on you. What was that in there? You and Gio? Thick as thieves. We had a deal." Lorenzo stood. Dominic walked away from the door. He started toward the front door and went out of it, confident that Lorenzo would follow.

Once they were outside, he turned on Lorenzo. "The deal we made isn't to conspire against Gio. It's to make him rely on us again. And that's what happened in there. I did my part. He's trusting you to go after the Mafia. Isn't that your wet dream?"

"And what gets your cock hard, Domi? Seeing me get the Mafia, or gaining control over Gio with me out of the way?"

"Not true!" Dominic spat. "I don't need power. I need a family. I always have."

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