La Sposa (8 page)

“
Really? That’s what you’re
thinking?” Giovanni tossed her a challenging look.

“
Yes! Domi and Catalina should go
together. I’ve been working with her the past few days. She can
visit my office and meet with my staff. Or what’s left of my staff.
Be my eyes and ears.”

“
Catalina doesn’t know shit about
business.”

“
What she doesn’t know she can
learn. A trip to America to work at my company will be good for
her. I’ll stay here. We have our wedding and honeymoon. I wouldn’t
miss that,” she smiled. He didn’t.

Mira cleared her throat. “What I’m proposing
is all preliminary, until we fully understand what else is needed
to get my company back.”

Giovanni sighed. “Bella.”

“
I know. Deciding in my favor for
Dominic was hard for you. You wanted him gone. America, right? Well
it’s the perfect solution for us.”

He continued to listen but his patience grew
even shorter with each passing minute.

“
I want my company. Do you
understand? I want it! And hear me baby, it’s your company too. We
are family now. Nothing that belongs to either me or you should be
left to strangers to manage. Don’t you agree?”

Her final question hit its target. He hadn’t
considered the fact that the company was indeed his as well, when
she became his wife. He needed legitimate avenues to wash the blood
off some of his money. In fact, he had spent the morning combing
through the Capriccio real estate deals in Milan. Giovanni looked
down at the documents before him again with a renewed
interest.

“
You ready for my terms,
Giovanni?”

“
Let me hear them,” he
said.

Mira crossed her arms. “Two years after the
baby is born, I resume the role as head designer. Eve will be four
and the baby will be walking, and less needy. But until then, I
will work to rebuild the team in America, from here of course. I
decide who the head designer is, and everything under my label is
approved by me. I want the time to learn my business, understand
what Fabiana managed so well. That’s why sending Domi and Catalina
is perfect.”

“
And what do I get out of this
deal?” Giovanni asked.

“
Me. No resentment. I will be here,
dedicated to you and the kids. Neither of you will see or hear the
tedious business of running Mirabella’s. And of course,
forty-percent of my assets will be transferred to you. I’ll
maintain sixty-percent. Now admit it. Associating your companies
with an American one like mine is a good idea. And tell me that
making your future wife happy on the eve of your wedding isn’t a
good idea?”

Giovanni chuckled. There was no denying it.
She had presented a solid deal. Still he discovered he had a secret
jealousy over her company, and the powerful woman she once was. He
imagined her return to her business could be managed well by her;
but when years advanced on them, she’d probably be consumed with
dressmaking, instead of growing his family and giving him more
sons. He could see her now on the runway again, and his empty
nights in bed alone. She’d fly across the world away from him. He’d
be second and his kids third to her company. All of it was
bullshit.

“
I have some terms of my own,
Bella.”

“
Okay,” She nodded with an eager
smile.

“
You will get thirty percent and I
will retain seventy percent of your assets and future
earnings.”

“
What the hell? Thirty percent?
That makes no sense!”

“
It makes perfect sense to me. Let
me finish.” Giovanni gave her a patient smile. “It’s my turn to be
heard, it’s your turn to listen. Understood?”

She sucked in a deep breath and
nodded.

He fixed his unwavering gaze on her. “I will
handle the financial management of Mirabella’s. No decision in the
company will ever be made without my approval. Agreed?”

Mira chewed on her bottom lip. “What about a
fifty percent split between us? Partners?”

“
No. Seventy percent in my favor,
as will everything be in our marriage. Do you
understand?”

She rolled her eyes. “That’s not balanced or
fair.”

“
I have given you more power than
any woman in the history of this family,” he said, and his voice
rose above hers. “You were able to decide the life of a man. Now
you may think that is something easily done. I assure you, Bella,
it is not. You kept a lie between us and you ran away with my
child. You decided our fate for two years and I had no input. That
was neither fair nor balanced. Eve and I will never have those
years again.”

Her gaze slowly returned to his. “You said you
forgave me for that.”

“
I’ll never forget. It’s a lesson
for us both. We need to be honest here, Bella. We aren’t equal.
That’s for your safety and mine. We aren’t partners in business
matters. You have a voice and it will be considered, but now you
need to respect my wishes. You don’t dictate anything to me.
Ever.”

She shook her head sadly. “I respect what your
position makes you in this family. God knows I have convinced
myself that this is normal and that I could be your
donna
. I
did this based on nothing more than my love for you. But you are
marrying an American black woman. We are different, Giovanni. If
you wanted someone to behave the way you just said, you should have
picked another bride.”

“
I wanted you.” He shot
back.

“
It’s my company. I built it. You
have to give me something more than this.”

He sat back down in his chair. “Fine. You can
educate me on the fashion business. Teach me what’s important and
I’ll keep you informed of any decisions I make regarding financial
matters in
our
company.”

She forced a smile. “The hiring and firing of
my staff? I know who has served me best in the past.”

He nodded. “Decide on it.”

“
Any other conditions?” she asked,
her voice tense.

“
Managing our family is your
priority. We agree on this. You will not travel or put this company
ahead of us, ever. When and if…”

“
If?”

“
If you return as the head
dressmaker, any fashion events you do will only be where the family
can attend with you. In other words, Bella, this fucking company
will never be a factor in our marriage.”

“
It won’t be.” Mira
agreed.

“
Oh? And I don’t want you on the
runway. Ever.”

Mira laughed. “I’m not asking to
model.”

“
I saw you on the runway.
Remember?” Giovanni asked.

Mira frowned. She blinked with a new
understanding. “That was Fabiana’s idea. Was I that
bad?”

“
No.” He blushed. “I’m not saying
you’re not beautiful enough to model, Bella. But as my wife I
don’t… want men to see you on the runway in those skimpy dresses.
It makes me uncomfortable.”

She smiled. “You have such a way with
words.”

He grunted.

“
I have one final request. And I
will accept your terms, though I admit it’s hard.” Mira sat
upright. “My company is a legitimate business. I don’t question you
on what you do illegally, but I’m no fool. I don’t want you to run
any illegal activities through my business.”

Giovanni chuckled.

“
Agreed?”

He arched an eyebrow.

“
I’ll take that as a yes!” Mira
clapped her hands together and laughed. “So we’ll do it? We’ll get
my company back?”

“
Do I have a choice?”

She hurried around his desk and nearly jumped
into his lap. Giovanni nearly toppled over. She gave him a long
sexy kiss. She grabbed both sides of his face. “
Tante
Grazie!
You’ve made me so happy.”

“
Prego.
Can we please just
get married now?”

“
Yes! I have so much work to do.
I’ll be working on the dress today so dinner will be
late.”

“
Slow down,” he pulled her back to
him. She waited for his comment. “I know you’re talented and
capable. I’m a bit old-fashioned about this, Bella. Don’t make me
regret my decision.”

“
I promise sweetie, you
won’t.”

Chapter Two

Famiglia
– Family

Giovanni stared out at the torrential rains,
captivated by the storms might as it crushed the tallest of cypress
trees, forcing flapping branches to bend. It would be a great
blessing if nature’s wrath continued to rage away from the
coast.

A faint smile crossed his lips when he thought
of his bride. If his mother had lived, she would be pleased with
his choice. The way his Bella handled negotiations today impressed
and worried him. She agreed to his terms but did she accept them?
He saw the wheels turning in her pretty head. She never played her
hand with him too early. She was clever to not let her emotions
overrule or betray her goals. He knew they’d be revisiting
negotiations again, soon.

Flavio warned him against his father’s curse.
Unlike Tomosino’s treatment of his mother, he wouldn’t crush Mira’s
spirit to control her. He had to find another way to help her
understand the order of things, or as she would say—balance. Would
he ever be able to deny her anything and stick to it? The answer
didn’t matter. After seeing his dark side and hearing his
expectations of her, she never wavered in her decision to become
his wife. Mirabella was his woman, body and soul. And for her
sacrifice, she would never know the shame and scorn his mother
endured for the sake of her children.

Their dash to the altar so soon after
reuniting was largely due to unplanned and unforeseen
circumstances. Now she wielded more power and influence with him
than any other living person. She had become the marrow in his
bones, the air that he breathes, and the sole source of the sweet
sparks of happiness in his heart on a dreary rainy day. He would
honor Mirabella, the black American fashion designer, all his days
for what she has brought into his life. Cherish her as his wife. No
matter what happened, he would never forsake his vows.

“
Gio?” Catalina’s soft almost
child-like voice spoke behind him.

“
Have a seat,” he said.

Catalina propped her umbrella near the door
and lowered the hood to her slick raincoat, which dripped a small
puddle on his carpeted floor. She was the last to arrive. Now they
were all gathered. Dominic and Lorenzo waited patiently as she hung
up her raincoat and took a seat between them. The only sound in the
room was the clinking ice in Lorenzo’s glass.

Giovanni had decided to tend to this business
and be done with the subject of their betrayal. The problem was he
still couldn’t bring himself to say the words. Damn them all for
failing him.

He cleared his throat.

“
My Bella believes in this family
enough to become my wife and your
donna
. In fact, she thinks
we can change.” He shrugged. “She thinks our family should be a
democracy. She’s learning differently.” Giovanni turned and looked
upon the three that disappointed him greatly. “You know there will
never be a democracy between us. My word is law in your lives,
until I’m dead or unfit.” Giovanni waved off the rest of his morbid
thoughts. He intended to live a very long time. “She’s pregnant
again. The birth of my son changes everything for you.”

“
It’s a boy? How do you know?”
Catalina asked.

Giovanni put his sister in his sights. Her
hair lay flat and wavy, framing her face. She stared up at him with
a wide-eyed innocent look that kept her spoiled and sheltered most
of her life. Being angry with her was a waste of energy.

“
The baby will be a boy. I expect
you all to do what is necessary to make her happy and comfortable
while she is pregnant.”

“
How?” Catalina blurted.

He strolled away from the window and sat on
the edge of the desk. “You know how. You’ve already started taking
liberties. She wants you forgiven. She wants you and Domi to play
house with my blessing. You know this because you put it in her
head that you two are some fucking Romeo and Juliet, and what you
share isn’t unnatural.”

Lorenzo chuckled.

Catalina cut him down with a glare. Dominic
shifted a bit in his chair. Giovanni tossed a sneer his way. He
could sense the tense edge of anticipation between the two. The
idea of them as a couple was revolting.

“
So you want to punish us still?”
Catalina asked sadly.

“
I’m man enough to admit my
mistakes. You should have been given the opportunity to live
outside of this life. Made friends of your own and maybe gone to
college. Being of Battaglia blood, you found other ways to rebel.
You turned to the man closest to you.” He cut his gaze over to
Dominic and continued. “I hate liars. But at least now I know where
you and I stand on loyalty. It’s hard to admit, but I can
understand why you chose to keep this affair a secret.”

Catalina and Dominic exchanged looks. Lorenzo
slumped down in his chair as if bored with the entire conversation.
Giovanni continued, hurried through his speech to be done with it.
“I promised Papa I would protect you and you,” he said referencing
Dominic as well. “I failed,” he admitted. “Bella says that I can be
compassionate. I think compassion is bullshit, an emotion for dead
men who should’ve had the balls to live their lives by their gut,
not their hearts,” he scoffed. “But she’s a woman, and it’s in her
nature to believe in forgiveness. Again, we all want to make her
happy. Right? For that reason, and because your
donna
requests this as an early wedding gift, I’ve decided to offer you
two my blessing to wed.”