La Sposa (34 page)

Lorenzo slammed the door to his side of the
car shut. He turned the engine over and threw the car in gear
before he answered. “No. We will drive. We need to make a stop.” It
was four in the morning, and they’d barely slept.”

We?
It felt strange when he referred to
them as one. She glanced over to him. He was even more handsome in
the moonlight. The open collar of his navy blue shirt showed the
dust of hair that lay so finely over his muscular chest. And he
smelled powerfully sexy, male too. The scratches on his face from
their fight hadn’t healed; they added a hint of danger to him that
was to be believed. She put a few on his back when he wore her out
last night. Marietta smiled to herself. She pushed her thighs
together tightly to extinguish her budding arousal. He maneuvered
the sports car like a racecar driver, zipping out along the coast
at daredevil speeds.

The first hour of the drive, Marietta relaxed
in the passenger seat. The silence between them wasn’t forced, it
was comforting. Just like the sex they had. She gave him her body
last night and in his demanding aggressive manner, he wore her out.
She also gave him something else. Something that could cost her, if
later it proved to be a mistake, as it had been with every other
man in and out of her life. She turned over her trust.

“
What did you do with the pictures,
the tape?” she asked.

“
Why?”

“
Why? Are you serious? I… I know
what you discussed on the tape. Was that man the Don? Was he
Giovanni’s father?”

“
Don’t question me about any of it.
Ever.”

Marietta looked away. “I’m only asking because
I know how this works.”

“
How does it work?”

“
I’m guilty by association, right?
Right? If you still have the tapes and photos it could mean trouble
for us both.”

“
I have it under control. What we
need to find out is who has the originals.”

“
So you think they’re
copies?”

“
Don’t you?” Lorenzo shifted and
the car swerved around a blind curve that made her heart pound in
her chest. She tried not to notice. But the darkness made his
daredevil maneuvers terrifying.

“
I guess. It makes no sense to me,
Lorenzo. Before two days ago, we didn’t know each other. Now this
woman wants us together. Or you to kill me. Whatever. It makes no
sense. Why us?”

He drove in silence and they both searched for
a meaning. Something they’d missed. “Did you know Giuseppe
Calderone? Ever met him?”

“
Never. No. First heard his name
when I eavesdropped on you and Negali.”

Lorenzo furthered his lean as he drove the car
with one hand. “Tell me about you. America. What did you do
there?”

She dreaded the question. Before she left,
there was nothing in America for her. No family, friends, or
boyfriend. Just a never-ending feeling of abandonment. Marietta
looked away to make sure he didn’t see her discomfort. “The past
few years have been hard. I’ve stopped speaking to my adoptive
parents. Been on my own. Tried to open a store, and, well, I like
making things.”

“
What kinds of things?”

“
Furniture, restoring it, making
home decorations like lamp shades and drapes. I’m pretty good. But
my overhead became too much.”

She could feel his stare. Sensed his pity. She
hated to be pitied. She was no victim. She just fell on hard times.
It happens. Her heart broke when she had to close her store. Even
now she resented her so-called parents for their lack of support or
encouragement. That’s one of the reasons why the truth of Capriccio
was so tempting. She worked her ass off, literally, the past year
to save up enough money to come to Italy and get the truth. The
money he offered her could really pay the bills, and keep her out
of the clubs. And if she found her mother, she could heal something
in her. She was sure.

“
Then what?”

“
Why?” Marietta shifted under her
seat belt, trying to get comfortable. “What does my personal life
have to do with any of this?”

“
Isabella, or whoever the fuck she
is has something that could either destroy or control me. She gives
it to you? What the fuck for? An orphaned furniture maker from
America is given my life in an envelope?”

“
I told you, I don’t know why she
did it.”

“
And that worries me! My enemies
don’t have time for games. How did she know the tapes existed? How
did she know where to find them and the photos?”

“
I have no idea.”

“
Either she has done this to draw
me in deeper or because she wanted you dead. I want to know why
anyone in my world would want you dead. It’s how I will find the
bitch. Now. Who were you in America?”

“
When my store closed a friend of
mine turned me on to something, to make quick easy money. I did
it.”

“
Did what?”

“
I was a stripper.”

She saw his nose wrinkle, as if he didn’t
understand her meaning. Marietta spoke through her teeth. “I took
my clothes off and danced for men for money. Get it?”

He nodded. No other reaction other than a
simple nod. It further wounded her pride. “I guess an exotic dancer
is nothing special to a mafia thug like you, huh?”

Lorenzo chuckled and kept driving.

“
I only did it when I needed to pay
the bills, and I never did anything but dance.”

“
Will you do it for me?” Lorenzo
cast his gaze over to her.

“
Do what?”

“
Dance for me?” He smiled. “With
your clothes off.”

She rolled her eyes. “Depends, will you find
my mother for me and stop stalling?”

“
Again with the mother!” Lorenzo
shook his head. “We will solve the mystery of the mother soon.
Trust me.”

She reclined in her seat. “Now it’s your turn.
Why did you want to kill your uncle, the Don? You don’t strike me
as stupid. Why do it? What would Giovanni do if he knew you had his
father murdered?” When he didn’t answer, she rolled her eyes. Good.
That put an end to the questions. Her attraction to his chivalry
was beginning to scare her.

*****

After a shower, she felt her energy return.
She took her time rubbing cream and perfumed oils into her skin
before she dressed. For a day on the island with him and her
daughter, she chose to wear something light and flowing. A long,
fuchsia pink, jersey material wraparound dress that crossed over to
the front with a belt securely tied just under her breast. The
material flattered her curves, giving a little reveal of the small
bump of a stomach she carried. The split to the front parted to
reveal her legs when she walked. It was vibrant, seductive, and
maternal. Exactly how she was feeling. Mira eased her feet into
lime-yellow two-inch heels with matching jumbo size bracelets and
earrings. As a designer, she chose colors that were unexpected, to
add zing and flavor to any ensemble. Capri inspired her. Marriage
inspired her. He inspired her.

Mira took the time to smooth her frizzy hair
back and to use a pink and lime scarf to hold her hair in place.
She wanted to be beautiful for him, their love and this place
inspired her. And her appearance would have been perfect except for
the large hickeys her open neckline revealed. Not even makeup would
cover them. Resigned to it, she left in search of them.

The stairs to the top level were a white
spiral climb that disappeared into the ceiling. Mira was careful of
the long hem as she ascended. Breakfast was over. She knew it was
well after noon. She hadn’t slept so long and so well in weeks. She
hoped he wasn’t disappointed. The third floor was more of a covered
terrace with missing walls on three sides. There was a bar, and
lounge seats. To the left, the terrace extended to a view beyond
the reach of her vision. The sea breeze swept over her. She could
see Giovanni wasn’t alone. Her husband reclined in a white wicker
chair facing away. He had a cigar pressed between two fingers.
Another man stood off to the right with his back to her as well. He
was tall, lean, wore a dark suit. It wasn’t one of the guards. Mira
frowned. Eve wasn’t with them.

When she drew closer, the soft click of her
heels announced her approach, and the man cast a look back over his
shoulder. She nearly stopped. It was the one called Santo. He fixed
his eyes on her, intensely.

“
There she is!
Cara mia!
”
Giovanni rose. He wore a long dark linen shirt and slacks. Mira
started again towards them both. Once in arms reach, Giovanni
pulled her to him and kissed her on the mouth. She resisted the
urge to turn away from the sharp taste of cigars and alcohol on his
mouth. At this hour?

“
Did you sleep well? Are you
hungry?” he touched her belly.

“
I’m okay.” Mira peeked around him.
“Hello.” She greeted the man, covering Giovanni’s hand with her
own.

“
Mira, you remember Santo. Don’t
you?”

“
Buongiorno
.” He leaned in
to kiss her cheek but she extended her free hand and stepped back
to Giovanni. Her husband wrapped her up in his arms, grinning from
over her shoulder. Santo accepted her hand and his lips brushed her
knuckles slowly. She recoiled at the intimacy the brief kiss
implied. Santo’s eyes became level with her breasts and the love
bites that peppered her neck. She removed her hand first and turned
away from him into Giovanni’s arms.

“
Where’s my baby? I thought she was
with you?”

“
She’s with Rosetta.” Giovanni’s
brows lowered and his blue eyes darkened with irritation or anger.
“Deal with Rosetta. I don’t care for her attitude.”

“
What’s wrong with
Rosetta?”

“
Not now. Give us a minute, Bella.”
He kissed her cheek and gave her a gentle push away. Mira rolled
her eyes at being dismissed. She walked off, not bothering to say a
parting word to Santo the creep. She and Giovanni would talk. She
didn’t want that man here. He made her skin crawl.

“
She is truly lovely,” Santo
said.

Giovanni sat down. He picked up his cigar and
relit it. Speaking though an exhale of smoke he focused on Santo,
which was hard with his Bella’s scent on his shirt and filling his
nostrils. “This thing with you and Carlo. It troubles me that you
have not made peace. He also tells me some disturbing things about
how you run your clan. Sovereignty does not mean you are above the
rules of this family, or me.”

“
Of course not.” Santo nodded in
agreement.

“
Then tell me something I want to
hear. Tell me you haven’t disappointed me.”

“
I need to know what I’m accused
of.” Santo said with a humorous smile.

“
Did you kill that store owner and
his sons?”

Santo paused. Evidently gauging the best
response. Giovanni waited.

“
I had my reasons, Gio. He
disrespected me. The sons were an unfortunate casualty. They got in
the way.”

“
This isn’t your prison family. The
Camorra
has the respect of
La Cosa Nostra
because we
are invisible, yet strong. Hell, even the republic understands our
value. It took years to build that kind of impunity. Now, tell me,
how does it work as a
capodecina
of
famiglia
mia
?”

Santo clasped his hands before him and spoke
in an even, yet firm tone. “If someone disappoints me, betrays you,
my Don, or poses a threat to any of us in
La Camorra,
I hold
my gun and bring the bastard on bended knee to you for justice.
That is how it works and always will.”

Giovanni flicked an ash from his cigar,
unconvinced.

“
Again.” Santo placed a hand to his
heart. “Apologies, Gio. I forget my place at times, not because I’m
disloyal, but because we’re different now. Before I went to prison,
under your father, we handled things in a manner that required
blessing after action, not before.”

“
It’s a new day. Tomosino’s dead.
My blessing is earned not forsaken.”

Santo nodded. “Of course. Tomosino turned boys
into men. It’s what he did for me, for us all. And there is no
greater man than his son.”

For Giovanni, Santo was one of the few who
always did and spoke the truth. Santo lost a lot in prison for
La Cosa Nostra
. Came out with no wife, kids, or
famiglia
, only the
Camorra
. It had been a very great
sacrifice worthy of respect.

Giovanni gave a single nod of forgiveness and
Santo smiled.

“
What Carlo and Lorenzo forgot to
share is that I’ve already cleansed the matter. We pinned the
murder on the gypsy worker that did the deliveries for the asshole.
The
carabinieri
have him in custody. It will not come to
you.” Santo looked out toward the sea. “Remember before you went to
college? When we all talked of this day. You here with the three of
us, Lorenzo, myself, and Carlo at your side. You know I am loyal. I
gave seven years of my life for the family, for
omertá
.”