Page 56 of La Dolce Vita

"I can't wait until the wee one comes and joins the clan. Will you find out what you're having soon?" she asked.

"No. We're going to wait until birth," Marietta smiled. "My idea. If it's a girl, Lo will be disappointed. Might as well wait to know."

"No, he won't. Marietta, he loves the baby no matter what it is. The things you say sometimes."

Marietta shrugged. "If you say so."

"Thank you for telling me. And don't you worry." Catalina pulled up her dress hem and extended her leg. She revealed the gun tucked into a leather strap on her thigh that reached high up like a garter belt. “If thatputtanadares to come near any of us, I'll put a bullet between her eyes."

Marietta laughed. "Did you make that?"

"I'll make you one," Catalina whispered.

They hugged again, laughing and talking at once. Marietta felt a sense of calm. She had Catalina on her side, and Mirabella too. Now she'd pray that Lorenzo knew what he was doing and found that viper bitch before Giovanni did.

***

Mirabella was running late. She'd changed twice. Giovanni wanted to do something fun. When they were first married, they would sneak away for a drive into the countryside. Ravello, one of the most romantic and beautiful small towns in Italy and not far. He bought her a villa that was perched on a steep slope that reached closer to the sky than the sea. She and Giovanni had spent one night there full of wine, and loving each other until sunset. She couldn't wait.

“Where is it?” she mumbled. She dug in her makeup bag for her lip gloss. It was the plum shade to match the halter top she wore. Giovanni loved the top because of the way it lifted her breasts and made them look a size or two larger. It stopped above her navel. She put her hair in a ponytail, and with her smooth bangs she looked ten years younger. The tight jeans hugging her hips helped. He wouldn’t be able to resist.

Mirabella smiled.

Her fingers latched on a tube, and she drew it out. It was a scarlet red tube she hadn't worn in months. In fact, the last time she remembered putting on a similar shade of lipstick was when she and Giovanni went to see Ciro’s boxing match in Napoli. Her hand gripped the tube. Giovanni laughed after the sex in the limo when he saw his lips were stained red from kissing her. It took her several long minutes to clean his face. She remembered. And then another memory surfaced. One she never recalled. She was on the boat. Kei was undressing her. She felt something cold on her face, a wet cloth. He told her he hated when she covered her face with so much makeup.

Mirabella lifted her gaze to the mirror. Standing behind her was Kei.

“Miss me?” he smiled.

She screamed.

Giovanni bounded up the stairs and headed down the hall toward his room. He had waited for her on the terrace with the family. She was taking an unusually long time. And then he remembered his threat to come collect her if she made him wait too long. He smiled. She was probably soaking in a perfumed bath to tease him.

When he entered the room, he saw it was empty. There were clothes thrown over the bed. She must have spent time changing and deciding on what to wear. It didn't matter to him. The moment they arrived in Ravello, he intended to undress her.

He glanced at the bathroom door. It was partially open.

"Bella? I wanted to leave before it got too late. Are you ready?"

She didn’t answer.

“Bella?” he asked again.

When no answer came, Giovanni went to the door. He pushed it open. He didn't see her in the shower or by the tub. Confused he almost turned and left, but he heard something. The whimpering of a child. He glanced down. Mirabella had scooted under the sink. She held her knees and pressed her face to them. She shivered hard and whimpered.

“Bella!”Giovanni went to her. “It’s me, what... what is it?”

“He’s here, he’s here, he’s going to kill me, he’s gonna do it...” she stammered.

“No. No, sweetheart. No one is here.Bella,please. Look at me.”

She shook her head no. She held her knees close to her chest. He couldn’t pry her arms apart. Giovanni sat on the floor. He rubbed her head. He’d seen her like this before, after a nightmare. But never during the day. Never this way.

“Bella? He can’t hurt you. Not anymore. I’m here. Look at me,” he said softly.

“I’m crazy,” she wept. “If he’s not here in this house then I’m crazy. What am I going to do?”

“Non posso vivere senza di te,” he said.

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