Destino (47 page)

A man’s arms circled her waist. Mira knew instantly the tender embrace was from her Giovanni and relaxed in his hold. After the song ended, the couple stopped dancing but kissed so sweetly many cheered. “It’s our time now, Bella,” he said into her ear. Confused she looked at him questioningly as he took her hand. He began walking her to the dance floor. Mira’s heart seized with panic. “No, we shouldn’t. It’s Catalina’s moment.”

“Nonsense,” he said spinning her out in front of him and drawing her back. He held her close. Mira's arms lifted to circle his neck, and she kept her eyes focused on his. Every eye in and outside of the tent strained to see them, watch them

“People are staring.” Mira said nervously.

“Let them.” His hand slowly went up and down her back, and he held her closer. Mira sighed and closed her eyes, resting the side of her face against his chest. God, she could get used to this feeling.

Her hips moved erotically slow against his. They floated across the floor. Others in the family began to join them on the dance floor, and soon they were in the center of swaying couples. All of it felt right.

Giovanni lifted his face from the inside of her neck and rubbed his lips against hers. She smiled, parting them as his tongue inched inside. It twirled and pushed in deeper. Long after the song ended, they kissed. Until the explosive sounds of applauding broke the trance. Mira looked around to see that the family was clapping for them. She wiped her lipstick from his lips.

“My turn, Giovanni,” Uncle Rocco said tapping Giovanni on the shoulder.

Mira’s eyes grew wide. Giovanni laughed softly. “Listen, old man, you be careful where you put your hands.
Capisci
?” He let her go before she could object.

Uncle Rocco, barely five foot four, grabbed her in his arms and buried his face in between her breasts, rocking from side to side. Mira, shocked, could do nothing but hold him in return. She rocked with him as other’s snapped pictures. Giovanni stood off to the side with his men. He winked at her.

Laughter erupted among the crowd when the slow tune turned to a fast paced one, and Rocco began to show Mira his moves. This woman was definitely one he could see a future with. He was certain of it now. He would have to think of a way to delay her leaving for New York until he could take her. Turning from the tent he looked up to see Dominic in the shadows, observing. Giovanni frowned with concern. Dominic approached.

“We have put in a call to Fish. I should hear from him soon.”

“You okay?”

“
Si
.” Dominic said, his gaze then shifting over to Catalina. Giovanni recognized the hurt and pain in his brother’s eyes. He too felt bitterness over letting her go off into life without his protective influence. She was another man’s wife and as such Giovanni had to see her as a woman, not the little girl that he adored.

“I understand your feelings, Domi.”

“
Che
?” Dominic said.

“We’re losing her.” Giovanni nodded in the general direction of Catalina. “She’s no longer our girl. A married woman, soon to be a mother possibly.”

“She looks so beautiful today.” Dominic said. “Like an angel.”

Giovanni felt his chest swell with pride. “Papa would be proud of her, and Mama too. I want you to stay close to her, make sure she settles into married life. Make sure she doesn’t need anything.”

Dominic shook his head. “Gio, get someone else for the job.”

“Why?” Giovanni looked down at him. “What is it?”

“I’m needed at your side. You’ve elevated my position remember?”

Giovanni let go a gust of laughter. He smacked Dominic on the back. “Of course. Put someone on it. Just take care of our girl.”

Dominic’s gaze shifted back to a laughing Catalina who was seated on her husband’s lap. She looked up and blew them both a kiss. Dominic sighed and turned to walk away. “I’ll see to it.”

****

After seeing Catalina off with her new husband to their honeymoon in Greece, Mira found herself alone.

“Ciao Bella,” Giovanni said as his arms slipped around her waist. She relaxed into him and closed her eyes. “Take a walk with me.” She turned in his arms and kissed him. They walked off down the side of the villa along a slender path through flowers and trees. The staff began taking down the festive decorations, and a few family members posed and snapped pictures with each other. The sun had set, and the large full moon hung high in the sky, lighting the path. “These roses are everywhere. So beautiful,” she said, his hand in hers as they walked down the trail.

“Did you know that seventy percent of the buds are imported from Kenya, Africa?”

Mira lifted the rose to her nose she became intoxicated by its scent. “Really?”

“It’s cheaper for breeders to cultivate them there. Actually they pretty much have the market cornered on the blue rose.” he said walking over to her taking the delicate flower from her hand. Mira watched as he snapped the stem, flinching from the destruction of perfection, but understanding when he then placed it behind her right ear.

“My mother loved roses, but the blue rose was her favorite. Once my father discovered this he made sure they were planted everywhere she lived. Mira listened attentively while he made sure the rose fit perfectly inside of her dark locks. Once done he brought her long tresses forward over her shoulder, looking into her face adoringly.

“
L'azzurro è aumentato
. It is just like any other rose. It has petals, thorns, leaves and a stem. It blooms and it dies like any flower would. But the rose is different, isn’t it Bella?” he said lifting her chin with his index finger causing her to tilt her head slightly. “Because its beauty is beyond compare. Make no mistake, Bella. It’s not your physical beauty that has me spellbound. It’s your sweetness. It separates you from all the rest.”

“I’ve never known a man like you.”

“
Ti Amo
,” he said and kissed her.

Chapter Fifteen

Mira walked inside. Rather she floated now after the day she’d had with the Battaglia’s. Even when alone, she found herself constantly smiling. She suffered a dull ache of desire at the thought of the night he promised her. She agreed to let him handle some business affairs and to pack a bag. Where they were headed, she didn’t know. However, he made it quite clear what he intended to do once he had her alone.

A sly smile tugged the corner of her mouth.

“Signorina?”
A voice said behind her. He cleared his throat in a resonant way, and she paused. A very distinguished man with stern grey eyes stepped into view. “Flavio Pricci. I work for Giovanni,” he said politely, touching his silk tie and smoothing it flat to his chest. He wore a dark grey suit with a black shirt and tie. He had the most compelling grey eyes.

“
Ciao
Flavio. Yes. I met you a few days ago.”

“Can we share a cup of cappuccino, talk?” he gestured to the open parlor that faced the back of the estate. Mira glanced inside. A staff member had prepared a tray and was setting things in order. It appeared Flavio had been waiting for her. The challenge in his unwavering stare made it impossible to refuse.

“Sure,” she said.

“Prego…”
he nodded for her to take the lead. She felt his melting grey eyes tracking her as she passed him by. Rooms like this one were everywhere on the lower floor. Walls of windows that were pushed open to allow a constant cool breeze, and comfortable furnishings sparsely placed. Mira took a seat on a whicker sofa with large plush peach pillows and waited for him to join her. There was a remote detached feel to his manner when he did. As if this was a business meeting and not the casual conversation she expected. The young man in all white who had set up the cappuccino left without being instructed to and closed the door behind him. This too she noticed since no doors were closed on the lower level. She traveled from one room to the next uninhibited.

“Lovely ceremony today.” Mira said.

Flavio stared at her for a pause then gave her a perfunctory nod. “The Battaglia’s are a close family, very respected. Catalina’s wedding had to be special. I hear thanks to you it was.”

“I don’t follow?” Mira frowned.

“The dress. Quite lovely work.”

Mira hadn’t realized that Flavio knew she made the dress. How involved was he in the details of the family, and why did he stare at her so critically? She reached for her cup and added some sugar to ease her discomfort. “So you work for Giovanni?”

“I’ve been with the family for many years. His father and I were close—associates. I worked for him and now I do the same service for Giovanni.”

“As? If I’m not being too forward in asking.”

“Attorney, consultant, advisor.”

“Oh.” She sipped the coffee. The hot dark liquid seared her tongue, but she ignored it. The sting was enough to sharpen her senses. She felt the need to be alert around him.

“I’m curious about you, Mira,” Flavio crossed his left leg over his right. “I’ve read how well you’ve done with your business in Milano. You are quite accomplished now that you’ve launched your clothes here, more so than in the States. Forgive my limited English. I don’t want to sound rude.”

“Go on?” Mira said curiously.

“Why are you here? Shouldn’t you be attending to that business?”

“I beg your pardon?”

“The nature of your relationship with Gio? Friendship? Lovers? Exactly how long do you intend to stay?”

“That’s none of your business.” Mira frowned.

Flavio sighed. “Unfortunately, it is my business. Everything about Giovanni Battaglia is my business. That is who I am. If you haven’t seen by now, then I suspect you have guessed he is very important to this family. I assumed his fondness with you would pass, but he’s distracted. I have you to thank for this.”

“How dare you? Giovanni is a grown man, and I’m his friend. He invited me here, and he and I will decide how long I stay. If he’s distracted from your business, then you need to take that up with him.”

“You know
what
he is. Don’t you?” Flavio’s smoky grey glare narrowed and she felt chilled by the malicious darkness she could see in his stare.

“What he is, is a good man, a friend…”

Flavio smirked.

Her voice faltered. Mira considered walking out on the conversation. The air of authority Flavio exuded kept her seated. However, he would not intimidate her. First Catalina shares what it was to be a girlfriend to a Mafia boss in hope she’d stay. Now she had this man seeking to run her off. It was a wonder Giovanni had any normalcy in his life at all. “Of course you know. Or you think you know. I want to clear up the mystery for you.”

“No thank you.” Mira stood. “I think I’ll go find Giovanni and tell him about this conversation.” She walked toward the door.

“Pity your store had to close. I hear it’s why you’ve had some of your things moved in here.” Flavio reached for his coffee.

Mira stopped and looked down at him. “Yes, Giovanni was quite generous.”

“Generous?” Flavio chuckled. “That’s an interesting word. Don’t you find it strange that the very building he wanted unobstructed access to has been closed twice without any legal documentation? On the word of some inspector who could speak no English?”

“How do you know about that?”

“It’s my point, Mira. I know everything. It’s you
cara
that has been kept in the dark.”

The news weighed her to the spot. Giovanni setting her up hurt, but for him to pull this off it would mean that Fabiana played a part in the deception too. “You’re lying,” she said.

“Am I? Are you sure? Have you spoken to your attorneys, your solicitor, anyone outside of these walls since you arrived? The building meets code, it always has. You can return to it as soon as you like. I suggest, you open your eyes and realize this is not a world you belong in.”

She opened the door to walk out, seething with rage.

“
Signorina Mira
.” Flavio called after her. She stopped and glanced back at him. He still sat with his back to her sipping his cappuccino. “I wouldn’t confront Giovanni with what you know. After all you do know what kind of man he is.”

Mira left the bastard. Her heart hammered in her chest. How could Fabiana do this? Why?

Lorenzo paced. Angry, ashamed, and bitter he ignored the murderous glare Carlo fixed on him. He had no time to deal with the rift between them. He and Carlo kept no secrets, but this thing with Calderone he had done solo. He knew his friend was hurt and confused by his actions. All of it would have to wait. Angelo Calderone had a bullet with his name on it, and he itched to pull the trigger to unleash it. How dare he come to their home on Catalina’s wedding day and disrespect his family this way? How dare he? He paced more. They’d been waiting for an eternity. He was on edge.

“Where’s Domi?” Lorenzo checked his watch.

Carlo twirled the toothpick in his mouth but didn’t answer. Nico and the others sat around in silence. They all watched him. The door opened and more of the top
capus
in the family entered. Dominic wasn’t among them. He was now underboss, so he should be leading the troops to the General. It burned Lorenzo’s guts that Dominic had details Lorenzo felt he should rightfully know.