Page 63 of Vita Mia

“It might help him, and I know it will calm her. She knows about Cecilia now. And her puppy. It’s hard but she needs to see Nico. They have a bond we should encourage. It could heal them.”

“I’ll think on it. I’m not sure he’s up for a visit with a traumatized six-year-old.”

“Any more news on Marietta?” Mirabella asked.

“She’s left Verona. It’s all my contacts could give me.”

“You can’t find anyone inMaddalenato get us inside information. To find a way to reach her?”

“Bella, your sister is a ward of therepublic. From here on out we tread carefully.”

Mirabella nodded. “She signed Lorenza legally over to me. What kind of plan is that? What does the Générale think he gains by imprisoning her? It makes no sense to me.”

“The Générale is trying to break her, he doesn’t understand that a broken Marietta is even more dangerous.”

“Is it time for us to call in our resources, the doctor?”

“Not yet, we let the Générale make the move first.”

Mirabella stopped and forced him to do so as well. “If the Carabinieri come for you—”

“When they come for me,” he corrected her.

“You’re certain it will happen soon?” Mirabella asked.

“I am. We will be ready,” he said. “I promise. Until then we don’t have to fear anything. You and I made sure of that.”

She nodded. He pointed to the beach house that she named Serenity. “That was the easiest to restore.”

“That’s not the beach house?” she said.

“It’s a new and improved version.”

Mirabella laughed.

“Yes, it is.”

She sprinted across the sand. It was twice the size of the last one. Part of it on the shore and another part of it stretching to the tide. Giovanni went in pursuit of her.

“Slow poke!”

“Slow bloke?” he yelled. “I’ll show you slow.”

Mirabella made it to the stairwell, before he swept her off the second wooden step with his arm locked around her waist. He spun her around and she squealed as if in fright. “Slow bloke? Does this feel like slow?” He said and tossed her over his shoulder.

“No Gio! Wait!” she laughed. “I didn’t say slow bloke. I said slow poke! Slow poke!”

He didn’t know the difference. And he was carrying her to the water. The last thing she wanted was to be thrown into the sea.

“Okay! Okay! You win. We can stay the night!”

“You promise?”

“I promise,” she panted. He patted her ass and then started to carry her back in. Mirabella laughed. “You’re a bully.”

“No such thing.” He set her down.

She pushed at his chest. “I said slow poke! Silly!”

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