Page 243 of Vita Mia

“I’ll take care of him,” Gianni offered.

“No. He’s important, for now. We’re all headed to Cuba soon.” Gino walked to the edge of the balcony and leaned on the banister with his elbows and his hands clasped before him. He stared out across the land.

“What do you think? About all of it?” Gino asked his brother.

“They know what they’re doing. It’s our job to protect them,” Gianni said. “It’s going to be a shit show when this goes public no matter how you and Papa edit it. Pops might be put back on trial.”

“I’ve spoken to the attorneys. There’s always a chance. But not likely. Everyone is dead, even the prosecutors. There might be an inquiry but there is no real crime to pin on him. He’ll be fine.”

“We’ll be fine,” Gianni concluded. “This little reunion in Cuba might be hard for mum. I want to be there. If her sister starts talking shit—”

“You will let mum handle it,” Gino warned. “We need the family united if we’re going to do this.”

“Basta!” Gianni threw up his hand and walked out.

Gino shook his head and sighed.

***

MIRABELLA WALKED OUTon the terrace with a fresh glass of lemonade in her hands. She didn’t see Giovanni at first so she looked to the gardens. He was there walking with his cane. He spoke into his cellphone with his back to her. She waited. She thought of the many times they reunited over the years. The first and last time was the most painful. Living and believing that he was dead nearly destroyed her. It affected them all. But carrying the secret of his hidden life in Cuba healed her in ways she didn’t imagine. She finally had him all to herself. He was all hers. She wanted to share the burden of telling the truth so they wouldn’t hunt him. Let them come for her. Not him. Not again. But he and Dominic assured her this plan would work. Soon they would be free to love again in the open.

“Sweetheart?”

Giovanni glanced back at his wife. She raised the glass and he smiled. Mirabella walked out to him. He accepted the glass of lemonade and drank it while she eased her arm around his waist.

“The kids are staying here tonight. They will all fly back to Cuba with us.”

“Good,” Giovanni said.

“Eve is coming, you two have a good talk?” Mirabella asked.

“One of many we will need to have. She’s a strong stubborn woman. Like her mama.”

“Like her Papa,” Mirabella said.

“Don’t be upset about the interview,” he said. “There are things we can’t tell the world, Bella.”

“I understand, it just felt good confessing it all to a stranger.”

Giovanni kissed the top of her forehead.

“That’s why I agreed to it,” he said.

Mirabella stared at the blue roses. “Everyone is coming. Even my sister is coming.”

“Dominic said Shae and Carlo will join us. It’ll be a good reunion,” Giovanni said.

“Until we tell them our plans to go public. Then the drama will start,” Mirabella chuckled.

“We’ll handle it. Together.”

She nodded. She took his cane from him and tossed it away. He was sixty-two and absolutely virile for his age. She would know, after the many nights she spent making love to him from one country to the next as they lived their lives in the shadows. How they managed to pull it off through the years remained a mixture of luck and careful planning on both their parts. Ultimately, they’d kept their promise to each other and the sacrifice was worth it.

“I’m proud of the kids,” Giovanni said as they walked back to the house.

“Me too. So very proud of them,” Mirabella smiled. “Let’s go tell them goodnight.”

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