La Famiglia Page 44

  Mira went to her friend. Fabiana opened her arms to her. She hugged her. She wept.

  “How could he do this to us?” Mira sniffed. “How could I be so wrong about Giovanni?”

  Fabiana hugged her tighter and Mira clung to Fabiana with all her might. “I’m sure he had his reasons, Mira. Men. They always have their reasons. And a man like Giovanni Battaglia has the most complicated of reasons. Right? You do realize that now?”

  Mira let her go. “Everything has fallen apart. My children, I don’t know if they will make it. And Giovanni…”

  “What about Giovanni?” Fabiana asked in a voice that sounded eerily similar to her conscience.

  “I know what he is. But with me… he was supposed to be different. I thought trust was something unbreakable between us after our past mistakes. He’s not the man I thought he was.”

  Fabiana touched her face. “Isn’t he?”

  Mira closed her eyes to the question. Giovanni was many things, but with her he was supposed to be different. Now she knew he wasn’t.

  “You have a sister?”

  Mira nodded and tried to hide her smile. How could joy and anger exist in her at one time? It made no sense. “I think so.”

  “A twin? How the hell did that happen?” Fabiana laughed.

  “I have no idea. All of it is so strange to me.” Mira lifted her gaze to Fabiana’s. “I can’t do this. I don’t want to see Giovanni, hear his excuses. I don’t know what I feel right now about his lies. And her… Marietta. Who is she? Really? I don’t know how to wake up one day and find out you have a long lost twin. How does a person deal with that?”

  “Giovanni first. Deal with him. He’s your husband.”

  “Don’t remind me,” Mira sighed.

  “I have a question?”

  “Go ahead,” Mira said.

  “Is it possible you feel how he did?” Fabiana asked. Mira walked away from her. She stared out into the emptiness. Fabiana was close. She could feel her even in the haze of her mind. “When you took Eve from him, how did he feel the day he learned you kept his daughter a secret?”

  “So that’s why he did this? Revenge? To punish me?” Mira asked.

  “Possibly, or maybe he did it for the same reasons you did back then.” Fabiana touched her shoulder. “Maybe he did it out of fear. Love can make you do some of the craziest things. Look at me.”

  “Look at you. None of this is real. You’re gone. Forever. And some days I can pretend it doesn’t hurt. But there are other days. Hard days. I can barely get out of bed because I miss you so much.”

  Fabiana’s smile dimmed, her blue eyes glistened with tears. “I’m in your heart. Whenever you need me I’m here. Always. Forever.” Fabiana said.

  Mira nodded. “Did you know, Fabiana? When you met Mancini, did you know he was my father?”

  Fabiana didn’t answer.

  Mira put her hands to her head. “Teddy had to have known. He set us up.” Mira remembered the days of Teddy selling her on the idea of moving to Italy. How relentless he was. “The letter Marietta gave me. It said… Giovanni’s father put a contract on my mother. That can’t be possible. Can it?”

  “I don’t know, sweetheart,” Fabiana answered.

  “Did Giovanni know?” Mira touched her heart. “When he met us, when he found my bracelet? Did he know? Were we set up by him? Why? Is my entire life with him a lie?”

  “Ask him, Mira. None of the answers are here with me. I wish I had them for you. I wish for so many things. You have to stop running from what you fear. The only thing that can heal your family now is your love for them. Your strength.”

  Mira sighed. “You said something was coming. This?”

  Fabiana walked towards her. “You are Donna Mirabella Battaglia. That means so many different things to so many different people, including your husband. You’re going to have to decide what it means to you. Something is coming, a big change, and that something is you,” Fabiana said.

  “Will you stay with me?” Mira asked.

  Fabiana laughed. That musical laughter of hers was the same. “Where else would I go? I’ll stay, sweetheart, for as long as you want me to.”

  The door opened. Marietta lifted her head and Giovanni walked back inside. She glanced to Mira. Her sister continued to breathe through the tube. Not even a flicker of movement under her eyelids. “Can I stay? I want to,” Marietta said.

  He nodded his head. She watched him go to the other side of the bed and bring another chair with him. He sat to Mira’s right. They faced each other with Mira between. Giovanni’s cool violet blue eyes were hard and his stare unrelenting. She held his stare with equal accusation and dislike until she could no longer stand it. She returned her attention to her sister. This time she reached for her hand and touched it. She caressed the top of it. No matter what happened she would not leave her side. No matter what comes next.

  * B *

  Lorenzo watched from the parking lot. Armando helped Mancini into their car. Lorenzo made sure to escort them out of the hospital without incident. His effort did little to quell the tension between them. Mancini glared at Lorenzo from the inside of the car. The raw anger he saw in the old man was an open threat they would have to deal with. And soon. Before Armando got behind the wheel he smirked at Lorenzo and gave him a simple nod. Lorenzo nodded his head in response to the challenge.

  The Mancinis drove out of the lot with their men following.

  “Lo?” Renaldo said.

  “How many men here?” Lorenzo glanced back at Renaldo.

  “Six.”

  “I need ten more. Every floor and entrance of this ospedale needs to be covered. Understand?”

  “That means I can only keep three at Villa Mare Blu,” Renaldo said.

  “Do it.”

  Renaldo nodded. “I have been unable to reach Domi. I’ve left several messages and contacted Santo. He will locate Domi and deliver the news.”

  “How is Gio? How has he been?”

  “Not well, Boss. But Catalina’s here and she helps. She’s with the bambini. I heard one of the nurses say they don’t expect one of the bambinos to make it. He’s really sick.”

  Lorenzo glanced up at Renaldo. “Call Bagheria. Speak to Vito. Tell him the news. He’ll bring in the family—my aunts and cousins. If we lose one of the babies we need the family here.”

  Renaldo turned to leave and Lorenzo stopped him. “Call Cardinal Callori di Vignale and inform him of the birth of the twins.” Renaldo nodded and walked off. Lorenzo wiped his hand down his face. He could kill Giovanni for this. He warned him. They all did. His cousin was blinded by his selfish almost arrogant devotion to his wife. He could never see clearly when it came to Mirabella. History between those two predicted this outcome.

  The only option left to Lorenzo was to bring Giovanni through his anger and fears. Lorenzo looked up to the sky. He felt the weight of his wife and cousin’s suffering on his shoulders. Both would blame themselves if the baby died. Mira had to survive this. The boys had to survive this. If they didn’t he’d lose Gio to insanity and Marietta as well. He turned and walked back inside.

  * B *

  Giovanni’s gaze switched from his wife to the door when Lorenzo walked inside. He watched his cousin approach Marietta. He squeezed and massaged her shoulders before leaning over and brushing a kiss across her cheek. Lorenzo whispered something to Marietta that made her nod her head with obedience. Where was this obedience when she was with his wife telling her all of his secrets?

  Lorenzo’s gaze lifted and locked on Giovanni. Without a word between them Giovanni stood and walked out. He could sense Lorenzo followed. The conversation they needed to have couldn’t be had in the hall. They searched two rooms before they found an empty one. He threw the door opened and walked inside. Lorenzo closed the door.

  “How bad is it?” Lorenzo asked.

  “Her heart stopped. A stroke is what they said. The doctor put her in the coma. They were worried about organ failure,” Giovanni said.
He sat on the edge of the bed. “She’s been through hell but she’s alive.”

  “And Mancini?” Lorenzo asked.

  “He said Mira has the same issue her mother had.”

  “Issue? What issue?” Lorenzo asked.

  “Her mother almost died delivering twins—our wives. He said he came to warn me. Bullshit. He came to beat his chest. To show me he had more control over my wife’s fate than me.”

  “To be her father?” Lorenzo asked.

  Giovanni glanced up. “How did Marietta find out the truth? Who told her?”

  “Working on figuring it out. The entire situation is a mess. I just found her an hour ago,” Lorenzo said.

  “Found her?” Giovanni frowned.

  “She ran from Villa Mare Blu. Carlo found her in Carini. I had to bring her back.” Lorenzo wiped his hand down his mouth and chin. “I warned you, Gio. We all did.”

  “What the fuck does that matter now?” Giovanni stood. He paced around the bed. “I did what was necessary and you know it. Mira would be fine, my sons would be fine if your wife hadn’t gone to her and filled her head with lies!”

  “Lies?” Lorenzo arched a brow.

  Giovanni put his hands to his head. “I had it under control. I had it all under control.”

  “No, Gio. You never did. Those two women are blood. What have we always said about blood? About family?” Lorenzo asked. “Nothing either of us could do would have prevented this day. We should have been the men to make it happen. Now we have to deal with it.” Lorenzo stepped further into the room. “I want your word that you won’t take any of this out on Marietta. She’s a victim. Mancini’s victim, your victim, mine too. She never asked for any of this.”

  “I would never harm your wife, Bella’s sister. But you keep her in line,” he leveled a finger on Lorenzo. “This isn’t about me wanting to drive them apart. You saw Armando and how he looked at her.”

  “I did.” Lorenzo said through clenched teeth.

  “Good. Then you know what’s at stake. Armando will not divide his family legacy for our wives—for us. He is not going to sit back and accept this.”

  “They’re married to us, why the fuck does he care? We have no intention of advertising the blood tie.” Lorenzo scoffed.

  “The old man has put your wife in his will. Mira is in his will. The Mancini fortune is to now be cut three ways.”

  “Really?” Lorenzo’s brows lifted.

  “Now do you understand the threat?”

  “So what now?” Lorenzo asked.

  “I’m beginning to think the old bastard really does want to reunite with Bella and Marietta. That makes him weak enough to give me a choice.”

  “Then give him the reunion,” Lorenzo said. “We have the Mancini fortune at our fingertips.”

  Giovanni waved off Lorenzo’s advice. “I don’t give a fuck what happens, he will never come near her! Never! But if Mira and Marietta are both willing to sign over their inheritance to Armando we can have a different truce after the old fucker is dead.”

  “Why take that course, Gio? You are talking about millions at stake.”

  “I don’t want his fucking empire by default. I won’t use my wife that way!” Giovanni snapped.

  Lorenzo nodded. “Of course. We need to get the women out of Sicily. I can’t control much here. This is Mancini’s territory. You know how this goes.”

  “Yes, I know,” Giovanni said. “What was I thinking bringing her here? How could I have been so blind? I wanted the boys born here. Now my sons barely cling to life. And she… she’s not well.”

  Lorenzo walked over to his cousin. He gripped his shoulders and squeezed. “You are going to have to tell the men. Tell the family who Mira and Marietta are to each other. And then tell the Neapolitan clans that we both have married Mancini’s bastard daughters. We can’t let any of this go beyond us. We need to unite.”

  Giovanni nodded. “Agreed. But I won’t leave here. Not until Mira and the boys are well.”

  “I’ll think of something.” Lorenzo assured him. He patted Giovanni’s cheek and turned for the door.

  “Lo?” Gio said.

  His cousin stopped.

  “I should have listened to you. Trusted you.” Giovanni admitted. “I won’t make that mistake again.”

  Lorenzo smiled “Good to see you coming to your senses,” he said and left.

  * B *

  Marietta continued with her vigil. The nurse arrived. She used a syringe to insert something into the drip bag that ran a line of fluid to Mira’s veins. The doctor visited next and read her chart. The man checked Mira’s vitals and left. No one gave her an update. If she spoke they acted as if she wasn’t in the room. She found that odd. But typical of the behavior of the staff that bowed whenever her sister’s husband entered the room.

  God never answered Marietta’s prayers when she was younger. It was only now with the discovery of the family she never had she began to believe in his existence. She closed her eyes and said a silent prayer for a healing.

  The door behind her opened. Someone watched her. She could sense the presence of the other but didn’t open her eyes to confirm. And then the person’s soft foot approach grew closer. A hand rested on her shoulder. “Andiamo,” he said in a deep voice that filled her with warmth.

  “I’m not leaving her,” she replied. “She needs me.”

  “You need to change clothes, eat. Your dress is ripped.” Lorenzo whispered.

  Marietta glanced down at the front of her dress and immediately fixed the tear.

  “I’ll bring you back,” Lorenzo reasoned.

  Marietta glanced up at her husband. The nasty mark to the side of his face was still there. Each time she looked at it she was reminded of the pain and deception between them. Still she loved him. And she feared that even his disappointing her could never change that. What would life as his wife mean if she had to learn to live with disappointments?

  Lorenzo brushed the back of his hand across her cheek. “Mi manchi, I was in hell for almost two days, cara. All I could think of was you, returning home to you. Come with me. I need you.”

  “Don’t, Lorenzo,” she turned her face away. He captured her chin and turned her face back upward to gaze into her eyes.

  “Let’s go home. Fight. Talk it out. Make love. Per favore,” he whispered. “My head hurts. Look at what you did to my face. I need you to take care of me too.”

  “I can’t. I don’t have the energy,” she turned her face away and he released her chin. Her heart still burned with guilt over how close she came to seducing Carlo. And she didn’t want to leave Mira. Not now.

  “I insist,” Lorenzo said.

  Marietta wished to be alone with her thoughts and guilt. With Lorenzo it was either an ignored or unreasonable request. She looked up at him once more. Lorenzo arched a single dark silky brow to whatever he read in her eyes. Defeated she stood and he helped her. She touched Mira’s hand. “Will they call me if something changes? Will you bring me back as soon as she is awake?”

  “You have my word, Marie,” he said, rubbing her hip and then ass.

  “Your word means shit,” she knocked away his groping hands.

  He chuckled. “True. But it’s all I can give you right now.”

  Marietta leaned over and kissed Mira’s brow. She felt such a sharp pang of love for her sister. How was that possible? They barely knew each other and it felt as if she had known her all her life. “I read somewhere that twins feel each other’s pain, that we know when the other is in trouble. I wonder if over the years we did—feel each other.”

  “It’s possible. What do you feel now?” Lorenzo asked.

  “Sadness. Deep sadness,” Marietta said. “The birth of her sons should be a happy time for her but all I feel is sadness, like this open wound in my chest.”

  Lorenzo eased his arm around her waist and held her. He kissed the top of her head. “She’ll come out of it. She’s like you, cara, a warrior.”

  Mira shook her he
ad unable to stop her tears. She couldn’t believe how much she cried. “Do you cry in dreams?” she asked Fabiana.

  “It’s your dream remember?” Fabiana chuckled. “Guess I suck at cheering you up. Huh?”

  Mira wiped her tears and laughed. But soon her laughter hollowed out. “Why am I dreaming? Am I dying?” she asked aloud. When Fabiana didn’t answer she turned and looked to her friend. The smile had faded from her best friend’s lips. “I don’t want to die.”

  “Death isn’t all bad,” Fabiana shrugged.

  “Don’t make jokes. Not about death,” Mira said.

  “Alright, girl, stop being so damn sensitive. I’m the one dead, remember?”

  Mira sighed. “Maybe when you die you move on and it’s not bad. But for the people you leave behind it’s a never ending feeling of loss.” When she spoke her voice echoed from every direction. She could see no walls, ceiling or floor. She just existed in the depths of her mind. “I lost my mother and I always felt empty because of it. Like half of me was incomplete. Turns out it was. I had a sister and never knew it.”

  “What will you do?” Fabiana asked. Suddenly she was standing off to her left instead of her right. “What will you do about Giovanni and your sister?”

  “I don’t know. Should I punish him for being what’s in his nature for him to be? Should I punish myself for being so weak? I can’t believe I have a sister.” Mira smiled. “And Marietta of all people. We have so much time to make up for.”

  “What is she like?” Fabiana asked.

  “Bold, sassy, full of courage. She has this sexy confidence about her. You know she could be my muse. Since I lost you,” Mira smiled at Fabiana “She has this thing about her I never had,” Mira said. “I kind of envy her free spirit.”

  “I wish I could know her,” Fabiana chuckled. “We could’ve been the three musketeers!”

  Mira glanced to her friend. “She married Lorenzo.”

  Fabiana laughed. “Now that there is irony. The man sure does like his women hot.”

  “They make some pair.” Mira agreed.

  “What about Giovanni?” Fabiana asked. “Every time I ask you about him you change the subject.”