Ti Amo (21 page)

Mira sighed.

“I love Domi. I never stopped loving him. You were right, I shouldn’t have married Franco,” she said her bottom lip quivering as she held Eve to her chest inhaling the fragrant beauty of her wild curls.

“Sweetheart. None of this gives Franco the right to hit you. If he did it once, he’ll do it again.”

Catalina passed Eve over to Mira when she rose. She wiped the tears on her cheeks. “I understand, but if Giovanni finds out that Domi and I have had this affair it will destroy their bond, Mira. I’ll lose my brother, and it’ll be much worse for Domi.”

Mira watched Catalina pace the floor. She felt helpless. “What’s your plan? Live a lie?”

“No!” She whirled around. “I’ll convince Franco to give me the divorce. I’ll find a way to beat him at his own game.”

Mira shook her head in disbelief. “He hit you, and if any of these men here see that bruise on your face, you won’t be able to conceal these secrets. Honey, makeup is not going to work. You can’t hide in this room.”

“I can if you help me,” she returned to the bed and lowered to her knees.

Mira looked down at her as Eve leaned over in her lap reaching for her aunt again. Catalina kissed little Eve’s hand and looked up at Mira pleadingly with tortured soulful brown eyes and tears glistening on her lashes. “Help me keep it from Giovanni and Domi until I deal with Franco.”

“No.” Mira said. “Absolutely not.”

“I have to do it this way. Franco told me flat out he’s in it for the money. My papa left me plenty in a trust. I inherited it all on my 21st birthday. Giovanni has to turn it over to me in a few months. He kept it out of my dowry, and I know Franco wants it. You can talk to Giovanni and have him release my money to me.”

“Then what? You pay off Franco, and Giovanni sees the dissolution of your marriage along with your trust. Do you think he would let Franco walk away with your money?”

“He will if we make him believe it’s what I want. I see you with him, even when he’s mad he can’t resist you. You can convince him of anything. That’s the power you will have as his
donna
. When he marries you, your word is as powerful as his on matters of the family.”

“I won’t manipulate him.” Mira said.

“You’ll do what you have to do to keep our family together. I saw it yesterday when you covered for me. Before long you will belong to our world, and you will understand the complicated things we have to do for these men. The men we love.”

“No.”

“Yes! Help me.”

Paying off a wife, beating jerk like Franco was not a solution. Helping her do this behind Giovanni’s back was an even worse idea. “There has to be a better way than blackmail and extortion. Let me talk to Giovanni.”

“You do that and you destroy our family! You didn’t see what losing you did to him. We didn’t think he would come back after what happened to Uncle Flavio. In a few days he’s like a new man because of you. That’s how strong of an influence you have over him.” She rose. “I can’t let you gamble with Domi’s life.” She started pacing again. “The best case scenario is you convince Giovanni to let Domi live. It won’t matter. He’ll strip him of everything and banish him from the family. That’s like putting a target on Domi’s back. Some hot head from any one of those families could take a shot at my Domi, and he would have no protection. I beg you. Please.”

“Fine, we come up with another plan. The bribe isn’t going to work Catalina. We have to expose Franco.”

“How?” Catalina asked.

Mira sighed. “Where did he go last night when he missed dinner? The truth.”

“To her. Whoever she is.”

“Then that’s it. We find out who she is and play the same game. Giovanni won’t tolerate him cheating on you and disrespecting his house.”

Catalina laughed. “Are you kidding? All of them are cheaters! Even Gio!”

Mira flinched. She would never tolerate Giovanni cheating on her. He said he hadn’t been with a woman since they parted. It was hard to believe a man as handsome, with the appetite for sex that he had would abstain. Even if he didn’t, she wouldn’t blame him. But there would be no way in hell once they were married she’d stand for him stepping out on her.

Catalina shook her head apologetically. “When you disappeared he had other women. At least he respected what you had not to bring them here. He was too surly and out for revenge for any of them to have meaning. But eventually they all stray. Every man does. My papa and uncles were notorious for doing it.”

“Every man doesn’t. Your brother will never cheat on me. He lives by this code, and he just wouldn’t do it. If he does, it’ll be the end of us because I won’t live in that kind of marriage.”

Catalina shrugged. “So what if Gio doesn’t cheat on you? He sure as hell can care less if Franco cheats on me. It’s not something that’s an unforgiveable sin.”

“It is if he came into this marriage to steal your money while he had another woman on the side. Giovanni would be furious. He wouldn’t tolerate the insult. Right?”

“But what of my actions?”

“If we stay a step ahead of Franco, he may see the wisdom in keeping your indiscretions with Domi a secret. Get dressed and let’s fix your face. We’re going out.”

****

“Is this everything?” Giovanni asked flipping through the documents in the folder. He glanced over at Dominic. His consigliere nodded. “So this man she thinks is a hero, her savior, is a criminal?”

“He’s connected.”

“To the fucking Triad? Why didn’t I know this?” Giovanni asked.

“I doubt she knows, Giovanni. When she and Fabiana were here, Mancini was their sponsor. Nothing with the buildings or deals they were making were tied to Hyogo.”

“She think’s this man saved her life.”

Dominic cut his gaze to the window. “He did. I have no doubt that Fish would have killed her if Kei Hyogo hadn’t staged her death. The Americans believe she’s dead. There is no witness protection program. Not sure how he convinced her to go on the run, but he did it without the F.B.I. or any American agency.”

“The fucker was playing us all along. He knew who I was. He set it up to keep me from her.”

Dominic nodded. “He’s also calling in old favors. I think we have a snake in the garden.”

Giovanni’s gaze cut sharply over to Dominic. “For who? Her? Me?”

“It’s a rumor. An assassin is on his way to bring her home. Others are talking.”

His fist clenched. Giovanni knew there was something about Kei he didn’t trust. His confidence seemed misplaced. Mira believed he was looking out for her best interest. He was working in his own interest.

“Shall I go to America and handle this personally for you?”

“No. Call our cousins in America. Pay him a visit.”

****

Mira was surprised that Italians celebrated the commercial aspect of Christmas. Catalina even suggested they go in search of a live Christmas tree. They travelled out near Mt. Vesuvius and found an acre of land roped off with trees lined up for sale. Eve clapped and stood in front of several in awe. Nico, her protector, matched the toddlers step for step. With his dark shades and concealed weapon, he was both serious and watchful of those around Eve. They looked a sight to the father and son managing the sales, she being American and black with her blue eyed baby and the addition of tall surly looking men who appeared powerful enough to crush bricks with their own hands.

However, Mira enjoyed the freedom. To be out in Italia among people and the country’s beauty once more revived her. She’d been confined behind doors for two long. So she and Catalina took a stroll through the lot in no hurry. She touched one tree and then the next with their escorts stomping through the maze of trees like they were part of the secret service.

“This one. What do you think, Mira? This is the tree.”

Mira stared at the tall green fir with long branches and a bushy circumference. During the holiday’s Fabiana would insist on decorating their trees based on the color theme of her upcoming fashion line. It would always inspire her. Her throat nearly closed with emotion as memories of Christmas with her friend surfaced. They loved the holiday, and even when she was living with Kei, she and Fabiana spent the entire Christmas day together.

“Are you okay?”

Mira blinked away her tears and forced a smile. “Yes. This one is perfect.”

Catalina turned to a gentleman and began negotiating. She called upon Nico and Renaldo to help with the removal of the tree from the stack. Eve let go of Mira’s hand and ran on her little feet down the path of trees. “Catalina, I’ll be right back. Eve’s taken off again,” Mira said. Nico’s head shot up. “Don’t worry, I’ll get her, help Catalina and Renaldo,” she waved off his concern. She hurried after her daughter. “Eve! Eve!”

She turned the corner of trees and didn’t see her. Struck confused, she doubled back. “Eve?” Mira hurried into the next aisle then the next.

“Eve!”

At the point of full hysteria she rounded another corner and found her daughter. She was in the arms of a stranger. He was a tall Asian man who wore a dark suit, and black gloves. “Eve?” Mira hurried over.

The man put Eve down and her daughter reached up for him again.

“Forgive me,” he said, with perfect English. His olive black eyes sparkled with sincerity. “She’s lovely.”

Mira scooped her daughter up in her arms. “Poppy!” she pointed at the tall Asian man, stretching her arms out to him again.

“No sweetie, that’s not Poppy.” Apparently her daughter thought the man resembled Kei. And for a moment Mira was struck by how similar the two were in height and overall appearance. He had dark hair tapered low on the sides and nape and a bit spiked to the front. But his demeanor and handsomeness could make him Kei’s distant cousin. The stranger stared at her hard. It was his eyes and the intensity behind the dark swirls of his irises that reminded her and made her unable to look away.

“
Signora Mira
?” Nico said behind her. He approached with three other men. All of them locked eyes with the stranger. The man tipped his head in respect and turned to walk away.

“Is there a problem?” Nico asked in his heavy accented voice.

“No. We’re fine.” Mira pushed gently against the wall of chest before her to make Nico move away and not pursue the stranger. Nico nodded and the men shadowed her as she walked off. She glanced back for the Asian man but he had disappeared in the cluster of trees.

“Is everything okay?” Catalina asked. “Did you escape us again
bambina
?” Catalina tickled Eve’s side and her daughter laughed. 

“Yes. Eve’s fine.” She dismissed the encounter.

The rest of the day was less eventful as they shopped throughout the streets of Napoli. They strapped Eve in a stroller they purchased as soon as they arrived at the market. Mira approached a street cart and purchased three scoops of gelato in a cup instead of cone. The smoky creamy flavor of pistachio mixed in with vanilla bean and caramel had her daughter bouncing and humming through each taste.

“She loves it!” Catalina laughed. “Zia can make the best gelato from scratch. I’ll be sure to tell her little Evie loves those flavors.”

They continued shopping and chatting along the crowded streets. It was a different experience. Storeowners catered to them as if they were royalty, and everything purchased was put on the Battaglia account. Catalina knew each of the men shadowing them by name, and Mira made sure to buy something for them all. The driver took three special trips to the car loading it with their haul. The trip to the toy store was a difficult one. Eve threw tantrums in every aisle demanding a doll or game. Catalina agreed to watch her as Mira shopped. The only way for her to do so was to buy one of the dolls and let her sit at the front of the store where she could play with it. When Mira finished shopping, she had the store clerk make arrangements for it to be delivered.

As they were leaving Mira couldn’t shake the feeling of being watched. She stood at the open car door and looked around at the other shoppers wary of the feeling, but still unable to shake it. Seeing no one out of the ordinary she gave up. It may have a lot to do with the fact that she’d lived in seclusion for almost three years, and now she was roaming the streets of Italy. Or it could be the doppelganger she met who looked just like her ex-lover. Inside the car she noticed how Catalina’s spirits had improved significantly. She was worried about her and thought of several ways to help.

“Can we stop by the factory?” Mira asked during the ride home.

“Why?”

“I’d like to see where Franco works. Maybe this woman he’s fond of works there too.”

Catalina shook her head. “I don’t want to see him. I doubt she’s someone who works for him. He’s not stupid.”

“It’s best you put on the brave face now and let him know he doesn’t intimidate you. Besides, you can say I insisted.”

Catalina sighed. Relenting she told the driver to take them to the factory before falling silent. Mira was determined to extract the creep from Catalina’s life. Keeping this secret from Giovanni had her stomach churning with worry.

They filed out of the car and headed inside the factory. Eve allowed Catalina to carry her while she held tightly to her doll from the toy store. Several people, men and women, stopped working to gawk at them. Mira didn’t mind the stares her way. What troubled her was the way many focused on her baby. Catalina stopped at the receptionist area asking where her husband was. The pretty dark haired woman answered, and Catalina nodded. “He’s in his office, I told her not to buzz him. We’ll surprise him instead.” Catalina smirked.