Battaglia Mafia: La Famiglia Part 25

"You already did. That's enough, Bella." Giovanni answered. The sharp tone he used with her stung. Mira looked down the table and realized she might have made a fool of herself by being overly friendly. But she was sincere. She really did hope to make this a way to mend her relationship with Lorenzo. And besides she felt a little lonely for a friend. A black American woman joining their clan felt like a big deal. They were the same age, could talk about home. Mira sighed. The woman looked up at her and Mira smiled. Marietta ignored her smile and started a conversation with Lorenzo. Mira gave up.

Catalina caught the rude dismissive look Marietta gave Mira. Who the h.e.l.l did the puttana think she was? And to further insult her brother Lorenzo had picked a woman who looked like Mira. The resemblance between the two of them made her sick. It mocked Giovanni's marriage, and Mira.

From the moment she saw them appear she thought they were a disaster. Lorenzo looked like a train wreck and his trophy looked cheap in her clingy dress. The harlot was unworthy to be his wife.

"So how did you two meet?" Catalina asked.

Marietta stopped smiling over what Lorenzo whispered in her ear. She locked eyes with her. Lorenzo kissed her cheek and spoke. "In Milano. We had a mutual friend."

"Really? That's funny, you met Fabiana in Milano." Catalina smiled. "Guess that's where you meet all your girlfriends."

"I'm not his girlfriend, I'm his wife." Marietta replied.

Catalina smiled. "Ah yes, well in our family men like Lorenzo keep both."

"That's enough, Catalina." Lorenzo warned.

Catalina leaned forward and steadied her stare with Marietta. "Fabiana and Lo were going to get married. That's before she blew up in front of-"

"Enough!" Lorenzo slammed his fist on the table.

Giovanni and Mira both looked down at them. Catalina glared at Lorenzo. She was still hurt over the way Dominic dumped her. And now this b.i.t.c.h shows up. "Who the h.e.l.l is she, Lo? You bring her here... force her on us!"

"Stop it, Catalina!" Mira said. "Excuse yourself from the table if you can't be civil."

"Fine with me. I lost my appet.i.te." Catalina sneered at Marietta who only smiled in return. Catalina stormed out holding back her tears.

"I'm so sorry-" Mira began.

Marietta saw the Don grab his wife's hand to silence her. Mira nodded to her husband. "Please forgive the rudeness."

Marietta shrugged and continued to eat. She'd been treated worse. Catalina's response to her felt genuine. Marietta respected that much. It was the fake plat.i.tudes by Queen B on the other hand that set her teeth on edge. Lorenzo shook his head chuckling. "No harm done. Wouldn't be breakfast if someone didn't storm out in a b.i.t.c.h fit."

A few others at the table laughed.

"I like your ring," Another young woman said. Marietta looked up and recognized her. It was the woman she'd seen months ago when a young girl was pushed down the stairs at Gio and Mira's wedding. Now they sat side by side as if nothing happened.

"My name is Rosetta," she said. Marietta noticed she looked strikingly similar to Catalina. "Can I see it?"

Marietta held out her hand and the girl leaned forward to inspect it.

"It's beautiful," Rosetta said.

"Thank you."

Marietta tried to finish her breakfast. The sooner it was over the better. She had made up her mind. She and Lorenzo would not stay here for long. She couldn't stomach these people.

* B *

Dominic waited. A sleek white two-seater car sped directly toward Villa Mare Blu. He checked his watch. They were on time. The car rolled to a stop a few inches in front of him. Santo opened the door to the driver side and stepped out first. Giuliani was who Dominic expected to see. And he emerged from the car next. Giuliani wore dark sungla.s.ses over his eyes and a dark suit. He wasn't a tall man but he was known for being flashy and argumentative to be recognized.

Santo approached.

He embraced Dominic and kissed both cheeks.

"Giuliani, we thank you for coming." Dominic greeted the top earner of the Mottola clan with a cheek kiss.

"I risked a lot by coming. I can't stay long. Can we do this now?" Giuliani popped his collar and dusted invisible lint from his suit. Dominic looked to Santo who gave him the same look of irritation. Appeasing this one wasn't appealing to either of them. No matter how he was viewed by the Mottola clan, to Dominic and Santo he was no more than a bug beneath their shoe.

"Welcome to Villa Mare Blu. We have food and wine for you. You are in good hands."

"I thought I might see Giovanni, speak to him alone," Santo interjected.

Dominic shook his head no. "For now can you just see to our guest?"

"Follow me," Santo said to Giuliani.

* B *

"Bella?"

"Mmm?" Mira said as she wiped Eve's mouth. Her daughter tried to push her mother's hands from her face. Eve reached again for the pastry on her father's plate and brought the sticky dough to her mouth. Eve had been eating and drinking since she sat at the table. A healthy habit taught to her by Zia. Which meant plenty of p.o.o.py pampers or accidents today if Mira wasn't careful of her potty schedule.

"I like your idea. Take a walk today, a short one to the beach with Eve. Leo will accompany you."

Mira sat back. "It would be good for me huh? I think so too." She looked down the table at Marietta. "I'd really like to try to get to know Marietta better. I'm so embarra.s.sed over Catalina's outburst. It was awful."

"She's not interested, Bella. Why force it? Just you and Eve should go. Tonight if I finish early I might take you into the village for dinner. There are more things we need to discuss."

"We're having a celebration dinner tonight? Remember?" Mira reminded him.

Giovanni sighed. "Right. I forgot."

Eve blinked at her mother. She chewed and rested against her father's chest. Giovanni and several others looked up when Dominic walked into the room. He stood with his hands clasped in front of him. Giovanni pushed back from his chair. He lifted Eve in his arms and kissed her. He then handed a disappointed Eve to Mira and put her on Mira's knee "No, Papa!" Eve shouted. The tears were immediate.

Marietta looked down at the screaming kid.

"Cara?" Lorenzo whispered in her ear. "Make a friend. Go talk with the Donna."

"What? No. Where are you going?"

He kissed her lips. "Business. I've been gone for months. I will be gone most of the day."

"What about the grotto? I thought we would spend time together?" Marietta asked.

"We will. Please. For me. Be nice to the Donna. She really is a sweet lady. Make me proud."

"s.h.i.t," Marietta said under her breath. Lorenzo and Carlo both rose from their seats. The men walked out without explanation. The other men at the table, hired to protect the family, stood and took their drinks or whatever was left unfinished on their plates and walked off too. It left only Mira, Marietta, and Rosetta.

Mira cleared her throat. "While the boys go play why don't we go for that walk?"

"I'm not feeling well," Rosetta said.

"What? Are you okay?" Mira asked.

Rosetta pushed back from her seat. "Headache, I will take something and lie down." Before Mira could object the young girl walked out. Mira watched Rosetta go. Eve stopped crying and hugged her mother's belly. Mira stroked her daughter's back, and Cecilia finally arrived. She had returned from her trip to visit her family in time to be a G.o.dsend. Eve was harder to manage for Mira now.

"Marietta. I hate to keep harping but the beach is nice and well, I need the exercise. Will you join me?" Mira asked.

Marietta gave a thin lip smile. "Sure. I'd like too."

Mira exhaled in relief. The woman was a hard one to impress upon. "Awesome." She set Eve down. Mira pushed up from the seat and Cecilia was at her side. "I will go change her and meet you down at the beach."

"Yes, and get her little play bucket. We can let her have some fun in the sand."

"Si, Donna," Cecilia said.

Leo walked in. He was often her shadow. She preferred him to carrying her gun. She still couldn't bring herself to warm up to the weapon even after learning how to use it. Mira started out of the terrace down the steps. Marietta was right behind her. With Mira's slow walk her guest caught up quickly.

"So where are you from?" Mira asked.

"Chicago."

"I love Chicago," Mira said. "Very yummy city. Some of the best food on the planet."

"I agree. Where are you from?" Marietta asked.

"Virginia. Left home when I was a seventeen. Enrolled in Parsons in New York and that became my home, until I arrived in Naples," Mira said.

"The press has some wild stories about your life, girlfriend," Marietta shook her head. "I read you were kidnapped. That your husband murdered your friend Fabiana and you killed an a.s.sistant of yours to run away from him. Then he forced you to marry him and-"

"None of that is true," Mira said softly. She stared down at her belly as they walked. She smoothed her hands down the swell. "My story with Giovanni is complicated. I admit that. But I never killed anyone and my husband did not kidnap me."

"But he is a killer? Right?" Marietta asked.

Mira glanced over her. "As much as your husband is," she answered.

Marietta laughed. "Good one. You got me there."

Mira smiled. "Is there a reason why you don't like me?" she asked.

Marietta stopped. Mira turned and looked at her. The wind blew her hair and dress forward.

"Why do you say I don't like you?" Marietta asked.

"Because I got that impression the day I met you. And today, I can tell. I'm curious. What makes you dislike me?" Mira asked.

Marietta shrugged. "Nothing personal. Girls like you and I never got along."

"Like me?" Mira asked.

"Uppity, snooty, pampered, like you," Marietta gestured toward her.

"I'm none of those things." Mira started walking away again. Marietta joined her. "I grew up on a farm, an apple farm. We were so poor every day there was something on the table made out of apples. Even our chickens tasted like apples."

Marietta laughed. "d.a.m.n that is poor. I hate the country," she shivered. "I'm a city girl all the way."

Mira shrugged. "I like the city too. My grandparents were both dead by my senior year. I had nothing, no family. A guy I dated was pretty abusive in high school so I had to get away."

"Physical abuse?" Marietta paused.

Mira glanced up at her, she then averted her gaze. "I don't talk or think about him. There are many ways to be abused. Trust me."

"Wow. You don't strike me as the kind who would take any s.h.i.t from anybody like that," Marietta said.

"I have my weaknesses, trust me." Mira forced a smile. "But I'm strong too. I remember the day I sat in the library and filled out an application to Parsons. I was shocked when I got a scholarship. The rest is history."

"Well, I was a wh.o.r.e and a stripper in Chicago," Marietta said.

It was Mira's turn to pause. She looked over at Marietta and frowned. "You were?"

Marietta laughed. "According to my adoptive-mother a stripper had to be a wh.o.r.e. It is written in the Bible somewhere I think."

Mira smiled. "Interesting career choice. You don't strike me as a stripper."

"I love to dance. Really dance." Marietta nodded. "But I never had s.e.x for money or nothing crazy. I just like to be free, and dancing does that for me."

They arrived at the beach. There were three steps to take down to the sand. Leo hurried closer to help. "Here, let me help you." Marietta volunteered and Leo stepped back.

"Thank you," Mira smiled. "Boy it's a nice day today."

"It is," Marietta agreed. "I can't wait to see more of Sicily."

"Is it your first time here?" Mira asked. She had to grab on to Marietta's arm to steady herself as she walked out across the lumpy sand.

"Yeah it is. But I think I'm going to like my new life in Europe." Marietta smiled. "Here take my hand, I can help you."

Mira smiled. "Thank you."

Mira noticed how pretty she was when she smiled. She wanted to know more about Marietta.

Giovanni watched the sister's step out on the sand from the balcony. Lorenzo walked up behind him. He stepped to his side and observed. "Strange seeing them hand in hand. Strange and beautiful," Lorenzo said.

"I could kill you for bringing that woman here," Giovanni replied.

"Look at them, Gio, twins. What if something happened to you and Mira? Would you want your sons separated the way they were?"

He did look at them, and they were beautiful. He refused to see it in Marietta. Hated her on sight for having a bond to his Bella. But Mira had lost so much when Fabiana died. What kind of cruel b.a.s.t.a.r.d was he to deny her this?