La Sposa (16 page)

“
I haven’t done anything.” David’s
strained response answered back.

Lorenzo kicked the chair out from behind him
and stood. He kept David’s head pressed down into the table, as he
removed his gun from the back of his pants. He pointed it directly
into the top of David’s skull. “You have ten motherfucking
seconds!” he seethed. “One… two… three…”

“
Wait!” David put his hands up.
“I’ll tell you anything! Don’t kill me, Lo! We’ve been friends for
years. I respect you. I just wanted to stay out of it.
Please!”

“
Tell me now! Where is his fucking
office?”

“
At
Danco Delani
. I can give
you the key. Nothing is there. Nothing.”

“
Tapes. What of the
tapes?”

“
I don’t know about any
tapes!”

Lorenzo released the safety. If he killed him
before Giovanni got the deeds to the factories, it would be
problematic. But he had no patience for this bullshit. Someone was
fucking with him. “I think you’re lying.”

“
I’m not. Giuseppe kept his
personal things there. Nothing business wise. His trophies from
football and his gold coins. I took some things but not all of it.
Angelo wanted things kept here. And then she…”

“
Who?”

“
I don’t know who. She came and
paid me to have access to the office. I’ve never seen her before.
It was almost a year ago. No one else has been in the
office.”

“
A name! What the fuck was her
name?”

“
Isabella!” David grunted
back.

Lorenzo frowned. He knew at least eighteen
women named Isabella. Hell, his beloved mother was named Isabella,
and he named his restaurant after her. After a moment of
contemplation, Lorenzo let up. He didn’t lower his gun. He wanted
to kill David. He wanted to kill someone. He was so fucking sick of
this bullshit! He turned and unloaded into the deli display case.
Glass shattered and the fresh meat was shredded. Paco and David
looked on in silent horror.

Lorenzo returned his glare to him. “I want the
fucking key to the office. Your time has been reduced to
forty-eight hours. Giovanni will have no issue with me taking
what’s ours out of your ass!”

David nodded, with the side of his face
ripening into a red swollen bruise. Finished, Lorenzo stormed
toward the door and out of it.

*****

“
It’s Napoletonia
,
Carlo,
you know the place. Their pizza is known for the sauce. Ask Ringo.
In fact, just the other day he told me a story.”

“
Not another one of your fucking
stories!”

“
Let me finish!
Va bene.
It’s the third time he goes to see Essa…”

“
Who the fuck is Essa?”

“
She works at the pizzeria. Pay
attention. Ringo goes there to see her, but each time he does, she
says she’s on her fucking menstrual. He can’t see her in the
evening because of her brothers, the fucking cock blockers! Only
when he goes in to get a slice can he be alone with her. It’s
driving Ringo nuts. It’s really fucking with his head. The
puttana
has more excuses than Cheno when he comes up short
on his payments!”

Carlo laughs and Carmine smiles, swirling the
toothpick to the corner of his mouth before continuing with his
story. “So he comes up with this plan. Ringo offers to take her for
a ride, you know, get her alone. Her brothers only agree if they
make the deliveries and come right back. So they deliver the pizzas
and again he reminds her that his patience can only go so far. She
has more excuses, always with the fucking menstrual! Ringo’s dick
is hard just sitting next to her. She has these tits the size of
melons and nipples as thick as grapes. He says her ass is soft too,
soft for the pushing.” Carmine gestures with his hands and pumps
his hips back and forth in the seat of the car to demonstrate.
Carlo snickers.

“
He wants sex, menstrual or no
menstrual, he wants it. And again she says it’s a sin, unsanitary,
excuses and more excuses. Ringo doesn’t give a fuck. Tells her he
can make her want it as bad as him, and he’ll prove it to her. He
can get her ready for him. So he pulls over.”

“
I thought they were delivering
pizzas?” Carlo frowned.

“
Pay attention! No. They delivered
the fucking pizzas and they pull over. They get in the back of the
cab and after she’s readied herself for him he’s, eating her pussy.
Doesn’t give a fuck! He’s eating it because he’ll probably never
get another chance. She has one foot up to the roof of the cab and
the other over his shoulder. She’s howling like a wolf. No shit!
Ringo says she’s a screamer. And get this! The fucking
carabiniere drives
by and sees the car rocking. He hears her
howling. The
carabiniere,
being the son-of-a-bitch he is,
parks his car and gets out. He goes over. Taps on the window three
times with his baton- tap, tap, tap. Ringo comes up for air. ‘The
pussy is so good he doesn’t want to,’ is what he says to me. But he
does. Wipes his face on his shirt, really fucking messy. Essa tries
to cover herself as well… but the
carabinieri
has to get a
peek at the bloody pussy.”

Carlo is howling with laughter. Carmine goes
on, choking down his own laughter.

“
No lie. The fucking
carabinieri
sees the shirt, sees Essa, and sees the boxes of
pizza…”

“
I thought he delivered the pizza?”
Carlo frowned.

“
Again with the fucking pizza!
Forget the fucking pizza, Carlo!
Maledizione
!”

Carlo snickers.

“
The dumb fuck doesn’t understand
what he is seeing with all the pizza boxes, Ringo’s bloody shirt,
and Essa. It all looks suspicious. He asks him what the fuck does
he think he’s doing? Ringo wipes his jaw and licks his finger. Essa
has her head down. But the
carabinieri
recognizes her. It’s
then Ringo tells him they stopped for lunch.
Carabinieri
says he knows Essa, she’s from Napoletonia. He grins at Ringo and
says he understands why they stopped. Now Ringo is confused. Why
the fuck is the
carabinieri
grinning. Then get this. The
carabinieri
points his baton at Essa’s pussy. He says the
pizza is good because Essa gives up the best sauce in Napoli! Get
it? The sauce!”

The roar of laughter filled the vehicle. It
was a wonder Carlo kept the car straight on the road. Even Giovanni
had to chuckle to himself from the back of the car. But the humor
was fleeting for him. Giovanni slipped deeper into his own muddled
thoughts. And he glared out of the passenger window. Money would be
transacted in Napoli to finalize deals between the Battaglias and
the
Ndrangheta
. He had to be present. Taking Carlo and
Carmine felt a bit out of order. Dominic was young, but a good
advisor when it came to these affairs. Now he would have to manage
it all alone.

“
Boss?” Carmine turned in his seat
to address him.

Giovanni acknowledged him with a
look.

“
I was wondering if I could have a
moment to discuss something with you. When business is done of
course. I…” The young man glanced at Carlo, who nodded for him to
continue. He cleared his throat. “More responsibility. I’d like to
ask for more.”

“
Now is not the time.”

“
Understood.” Carmine nodded and
turned around in his seat.

Giovanni wiped his hand down his face. He
frowned at the media trucks that had now camped several miles down
the road from the Battaglia gates. Would the bloodsuckers ever
abandon their thirst for news on his Mirabella? Lorenzo promised
this would not be an issue for the wedding. Still, the
relentlessness of the press left Giovanni with doubts.

“
I want them gone. Deal with it!”
he grumbled. Carlo understood the order. They’d scared them off the
property, now they’d have to make an example of a newsman to make
the message clear. No one, not even the international press, will
ruin his bride’s day. He’d handle the meeting and return before the
fireworks exploded at
Melanzana
. He almost smiled at the
thought of having his Bella to himself for the entire
evening.

The car continued north. Giovanni relaxed and
set aside doubts that lingered. He didn’t need counsel. He didn’t
need any of them to be the man his father expected him to become.
He’d prove it to Flavio, God rest his rotten soul. He was a
different man, and capable of leading this family into greatness
and prosperity. The New Year would prove it.

Giovanni smiled. With Mira at his side,
anything was possible.

Later –

Mira felt beautiful, relaxed. She brushed
ruby-red gloss over her full lips and puckered them before the
mirror. She batted her dark lashes and extended them once more with
a mascara brush until they we were perfectly straight. Once she was
done, she studied her reflection. Gone was the fatigue and
puffiness in her eyes. The listless hair and dullness to her skin
had been replaced with a rested glow after her beauty treatment. It
wasn’t just being eye pleasing for Giovanni. His men were coming
today, and she had to look the part of his
donna
. Not a hair
could be out of place.

Today, Mira practically glowed. She turned
sideways and studied her figure. For the festivities, she’d chosen
an apple green silk wrap dress that smoothed out her curves. Green
was his favorite color. Adding copper heels and accessories gave it
that final touch of elegance. She tossed her loose curls that
framed her face and ran her hand down her smooth tummy. Inside of
her, new life grew. This time, it would be a baby for them to have
together, possibly a son. Although she hadn’t met her angel, she
was deeply in love with motherhood.

Giovanni constantly touched her belly and
asked her about any changes. It had only been a week. Mira loved
how cute he could be.

The family was waiting for her. Maybe Giovanni
had returned. Mira turned on her heels to head for the door when a
monstrous bolt of pain stabbed her pelvis so sharply, she stumbled
and nearly lost balance. Her hand was quick to steady her by
pressing to the wall, and her vision began to swim. She squeezed
her eyes shut with a silent cry of fear. The pain was fleeting. It
came with a violent intensity that made her knees weak and then
went away. But the fear had left her paralyzed. Mira struggled to
capture a breath. “No, God. Please, God. Please,” she said, and
tears welled behind her closed lids. “I’m getting married tomorrow,
don’t do this.”

Slow and steady her heartbeat eased into a
normal pace. Mira sniffed and wiped her tears. Yes she’d been
tired, and there was a bit of cramping, but that was normal. This
however, didn’t feel normal. With a dizzy, spinning nausea in the
pit of her stomach, she stood upright. She would marry tomorrow,
and then they’d start their life together. They’d had so many
disappointments she couldn’t take another one. Mira dropped against
the door, and ran her hand up and down her stomach. “It’s okay
bambino
. Mama’s fine. You’re fine. It was just a cramp, it
happens. Nothing’s wrong.”

Mira sucked down a deep breath and exhaled
slowly. The moment had passed. She returned to the basin and fixed
her makeup a bit under the eyes to cover any trace of tears. After
the wedding, she’d see a doctor. She’d have all the tests
necessary. Already she had started her pre-natal vitamins.
Convinced that there was nothing to worry about, Mira left her room
and headed for the festive celebration on the lower
level.

Glass and something delicate shattered. Then a
chorus of noise, of things smashing and breaking followed. It was
as if somewhere in
Melanzana,
a giant was on the loose,
destroying everything delicate in his path. Mira froze on the
second to the last stair. Fear gripped her heart like the squeeze
of a cold hand.

Before she could cave into her panic of
invaders (or men with guns storming the compound and taking out
revenge on them all) she heard her baby. Her Eve!

“
Mommy!!!” Eve wailed.

Mira hurried down the final steps. She saw Eve
running full speed toward her in a yellow dress with yellow ribbons
in her curly hair. Her red pacifier pinned to the front of her
dress swung wildly. Her arms outstretched, and panic was on her
face. Mira ran faster towards her. The explosion of crashing glass
and porcelain behind her daughter sounded off again, as if
something was in pursuit. In her panic, Mira didn’t notice the
young woman chasing Eve. Once she had her daughter in her arms
safely, she looked up into a stranger’s eyes. Mira had never seen
her before.

“
What the hell is going on?” Mira
took a cautious step back. Eve buried her face in Mira’s neck,
trembling. And then came more obscene noise shattering the
tranquility of
Melanzana
.

“
Answer me!” she shouted in
Italian.

“
Mi scusa, Signora
, I try to
calm her for you. Give back to me.” The woman reached for
Eve.

“
Don’t you put your hands on her. I
have her.” Mira said in a firm voice that made the young girl blush
and lower her hands and head in respect. The men entered from the
front of the villa. Mira whirled and relief flooded through her.
Giovanni looked neither alarmed nor worried. In fact, he wore a
wide grin as he approached her. She and Eve flinched as more
pottery shattered. He approached with Carlo and Carmine
following.