Page 123 of Destino

“What is it you think you know, Bella? You called me a murderer. Why?”

She shoved at him and rolled away from him. She cried into her pillow. When he touched her back, she shivered and his hand drew away.

He hated the sounds of her tears, and no matter how desperate he felt he couldn’t comfort her. Giovanni sat up. “I’m not leaving you, Mira, and you’re not leaving me.”

“Go away!” she shouted. He pulled her back over, pinning her to him so she couldn’t run from him. “Cry Bella, scream and shout. You should be angry and I promise you the people who hurt Fabiana will pay for what they robbed you of.” He kissed her eyelids until they closed.

Mira turned her face away. “Pay? What the hell does that mean! You’re going to murder somebody too!”

“Too? Murder? That is the second time you call me a murderer. I did not want the death of your friend!”

“Don’t pretend you aren’t a murderer! Lorenzo is a murderer! I know all about it. It’s why Fabiana died isn’t it? Because of murder!”

Giovanni couldn’t capture a breath to speak. “What was it you and Fabiana discussed? Why were you arguing?”

“Let me go!”

“Bella answer me. What do you think you know?”

“That you don’t love me, you only wanted to use me to get to whatever you needed from my building. That Lorenzo murdered a man named Giuseppe and asked Fabiana to help him cover it up. She was scared. It was the only way she agreed to do what he wanted, what you wanted. You manipulated us both and now my friend is DEAD! Murderer!”

He let her go. She turned away from him again crying hard into her pillow. Stunned he couldn’t bring himself to comfort her. He rose from the bed and walked out.

****

“You did well.” Flavio said to Dominic breaking his train of thoughts.

“Giovanni did not want this meeting. He won’t be happy.”

“A face to face withDon di Petrowas necessary. Giovanni is currently distracted by that woman.”

“We have to worry about the press now. How we tell the story of this American woman’s death. We’ve bought some time with talk of peace.”

“It was just talk.” Dominic scoffed. “Right now Lorenzo and Carlo are on their way to Bellagio to dig up Giuseppe Calderone.”

Flavio smirked. “Let them. There will be no war. We can say Lorenzo acted outside of the family, which he has, many times before. When the Calderone’s come for his head, they will have it.”

Dominic frowned, “Giovanni would never allow it. Neither would I. He’s our brother!”

“He’s a fuck up.Imbroglione! He will destroy this family. It is up to us to make sure he does not.”

“I won’t betray Gio and Lorenzo.”

Flavio sighed in the back of the limo. “That’s not what I’m saying. If we bring Giovanni peace and the triangle on a silver platter he will see that war is too costly. Lorenzo’s fate is his own. He acts outside of the family then he must survive the same way. It’s how it’s done. He took an oath and pissed on it when he went behind Giovanni’s back to deal in business with Giuseppe Calderone.”

“Being consigliere doesn’t make you boss, Flavio. Giovanni is the boss of this family, and I would think you should remember that.”

Flavio gave a half smile and continued to look straight ahead as they rocked in the back of the limo. “I don’t want to be boss. My job is tougher than his. And yes it’s unfortunate that the Fabiana woman died. It will be messy to handle with the authorities. That is the price we pay for the life we choose.” Flavio said hollowly. “You would be wise to remember everything you’ve seen today.Loveis a luxury that men like ourselves can’t afford. It makes you weak.”

“Bullshit, how are we to have sons if we don’t have women.”

Flavio chuckled. “By all means take a bride. I love pussy too. Just never love her more than you love the family. Even Lo understands this. Do you think he gives a shit that the red-haired woman is dead, or is he angrier over the insult? Giovanni, is too much like his father, his downfall will be the love of a woman. Tomosino fell for a red-haired Irish woman that had no place in our world. And his son?” Flavio scoffed in disgust. “That woman should have never been brought here.”

Dominic fully understood the reasoning Flavio used and it was one of the reasons why he let Catalina go. She was in his heart, a part of his soul, but their love was forbidden. Blood or not she was his surrogate sister, and the lines they crossed would stain his soul. He could go forward without another love. Falling for Catalina had made him weak. Had cost her her innocence and robbed her new husband the right to be her first lover. His shame burned deep. Men like them were not to be in love.

“The Nigerians. Giovanni thinks we’re arranging the meeting. We are. We have. I’ve set it up for a small inn near Mt. Vesuvius. You will accompany him.”

“Where will you be?” Dominic asked.

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