Page 62 of Ti Amo

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Franco hadn’t returned. He never came to bed last night. Catalina summoned Carmine to see if his car was still parked in the garages. She called the factory to see if he decided to sleep there. Nothing.

Footsteps entered the hall. Catalina stood. She held her breath and waited. Dominic walked into his office. At first he didn’t see her. She was to the left near his sofa. His line of vision was singular. He headed for his desk. Catalina cleared her throat, and he looked over. “I was so worried about you. Why didn’t you call me?”

The question was ignored. He sat behind the desk and reached in the side bottom drawer and drew out a bottle of scotch and a small glass.

“Domi?”

“Get out.”

“What?”

“Get out!” Dominic shouted at her.

Catalina opened her mouth to say something but couldn’t. She turned and walked out before her tears made her stay. She was in such a hurry she didn’t see Mira until it was too late. They collided.

“Catalina? What is it?”

“Move, let me by,” she said trying to escape. Mira however refused. She grabbed Catalina’s wrist and pulled her up the hall.

“What are you doing?” Catalina shrieked.

Mira pushed her roughly into the parlor causing Catalina to stumble back. “Giovanni is showering, but Carmine came to our door and said you were looking for Franco. He told Giovanni that Franco didn’t come home last night.”

“He did what?” Catalina said.

“Tell me you didn’t,” Mira said. “For the love of all that’s holy tell me you didn’t go to Domi about Franco.”

“I had no choice.”

“Are you that dense that you would put the man you love in harm’s way? Do you understand what you’ve set in motion?”

Catalina dropped her head openly crying. “I had to. I had no choice. Franco was a perversion and could have destroyed me either way.”

Mira rolled her eyes and threw her hands up.

“Help me.”

Mira whirled on a sniveling Catalina. “Now you want my help? Now?”

“You can tell Giovanni about him striking me. We will say Domi wanted to confront Franco, and Franco attacked him. Domi had no choice.”

“That’s your plan? That’s as much as you thought it through? Giovanni will never buy it, Catalina. He hates lies. I won’t lie to him. You forced my hand. Now we just have to deal with the fall out.”

Catalina’s eyes stretched to the point of bulging. “He’ll kill Domi, or worse, he’ll banish him. Domi will lose it all.”

Mira sighed. “I’m sure Domi knew that risk when he murdered Franco. Because that’s what happened right? Franco isn’t missing he’s dead!”

“I don’t know. Domi won’t talk to me.”

“You played with peoples’ lives. Killing Franco makes you no better than him!”

“Don’t you judge me!” Catalina snapped. “You have no idea what it’s like to suffer in love the way I have. All for family! You have no idea what it’s like to give yourself to a man that makes your skin crawl when he touches you but convince yourself that it’s not really that bad. You have no idea what it’s like to pretend at living while your heart bleeds for a man that is just down the hall. Don’t you ever judge me!”

Mira sighed. “None of it justifies taking a man’s life.”

Catalina dropped her head. “He might not be dead. We don’t know. And besides I love Domi. I only want to be with him,” she said through her sobs.

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