Page 171 of Vita Mia

“So, what do we do? We can’t kill the President of the Campania,” Mirabella said.

Dominic glanced over to Nico. Nico and he both shared a look that chilled her. She knew exactly what they were thinking and was repulsed by it.

“No. Do you hear me? We won’t assassinate that man. No.”

“Then that means we have only one other choice. We have to get Lorenzo ourselves.”

“How? He’s locked away in a fortress in another country. And I saw it Domi. Those men were the purest strain of evil. There is no way we can get in there. No way.”

“There’s always a way.” Dominic got up from his chair. He went over to the window and stood before it. He stared out at something that neither of them could see.

“A trade,” he said.

“Trade for what?” Nico asked.

“One loved one for another,” Mirabella said. She looked at Nico. “We want Lorenzo because he’s family. Who is family to Tarzan?”

Nico nodded. “You want us to take down Brian Smith?”

Dominic looked back at him. “It won’t be easy. I’ve already put my men on him. He’s constantly covered by the Bratva. No one can really get close to him.”

“So, we will have to lure him out. Bring him to us.”

Dominic nodded.

“Lorenzo killed his father. He’s torturing him for fun. But soon that won’t be enough. They have no intention of giving him back to us. We have to do it.”

“We need the Russians as allies until Giovanni’s trial. If we start a war with them now it could turn on us Domi.”

“This is war,” Dominic said. “You can’t dictate the rules. We’re beyond that now. I’m delivering the video to Sera myself. She’s going to play it for Marietta. We’re getting the court case moved up. Sera is telling the Générale and the prosecutors that they have to move faster to preserve Marietta’s state of mind. A speedy trial means we strike hard and fast.”

“Can I see him? Have the attorneys been able to move on that?” Mirabella asked.

Dominic shook his head no. “I told you. Once he’s in Rome we’re shut out. You can’t see him.”

“He has rights. They can’t isolate him like this. It’s worse than the torture from that sicko warden. We need to demand to visit him publicly.”

“We don’t need the media attention while going after Lorenzo among other things,” Dominic warned. “We will get Lorenzo and stay under the radar with the Carabinieri while we do.”

“I can’t take this.” Mirabella stood. She put a hand to her hip and one to her forehead. “I have to see him. He needs me. I can feel it. There has to be a way to make that happen Domi. I brought in that new attorney. Send him back to the courts. Do something.”

Nico stood. Mirabella turned and went into his arms. She let him hold her. Dominic watched them both with a furrowed brow. Mirabella had been turning to Nico more often. It was becoming normal to them. When she let him go she saw the look of disapproval in Dominic’s eyes. Her touching another man, any man, was never tolerated in her marriage. And she should have known better to do it so frequently.

“Ah, sorry. I need to go check on the kids. Excuse me,” she said and left.

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NICO WATCHED HER GO. Part of him wanted to go after her and comfort her but he knew it would do little good. Even with his constant conversation and encouragement, he couldn’t let go of his pain over Cecilia. It made him just as desperate.

“Che cosa?” Dominic said.

Nico’s gaze swiveled to the new Don in the family.

“You’re comforting her now?” Dominic asked.

“She was upset.”

“So, you make her feel better?” Dominic asked.

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