Page 100 of La Dolce Vita

"What is it?" she asked.

"Giovanni sent Renaldo home to his wife. I might have to delay our trip to Bellagio. I need to deal with our problem first. And I guess I will have to do it alone."

"Isabella? No word on her? Is she still in Italy?" Marietta asked.

"She's not going to leave until she gets what she wants."

"What does she want, Lo? She's your sister for goodness sake. You spoke to her. What is she really after?"

"I told you. She wants to destroy Gio," he said.

"No. That can't be it."

"Why can't it?" he asked.

"She's playing games, and for far too long. She could have blown your world apart years ago. First Kei and now this? She wants something else."

"She wants to destroy Gio. She thinks she can use me to do it. I'm not going to let that happen." He glanced over to her. "I made a lot of mistakes. I know that, Marie. But I'm devoted to you now, to our family. I won't let her come in and rip us apart."

"If Gio finds out what you did, how can you protect either of us?" Marietta asked.

"Gio's reasonable. We're brothers. If the worst happened and he heard those tapes, he would not kill me. He could not do it."

Marietta touched his face. "Are you willing to bet our lives on that?"

He didn't answer her. So she tried another approach. "Think of it this way. If you were him and Giovanni were you, would you be so forgiving with the clans and mafia looking over your shoulder? After all these years and all the lies you’ve told to cover your mistake. Tomosino is dead. Fabiana is dead. An entire family of Calderones is dead. Women and children died. Carlo lost his brothers to the never-ending wars. All of it happened because you got drunk one night and said things you never meant. And your being sorry for it changes nothing. It's unforgivable."

"Damn it, Marie!" he sat up and knocked her hand away. She watched him pace. "Why are you fucking with my head?"

"I'm not, baby. I swear I'm not. I'm thinking for you. There is no circumstance where this secret comes out, and we don't lose. Do you hear me, Lo? I know you love Gio. I know you think your bond is unbreakable. But I'm telling you it is breakable. Isabella is tightening the noose around your throat. And if you don't kill her now, me and you will be on the run for the rest of our lives with our children."

"You're her sister. Mirabella would not let Gio force us out of the family," he said.

"She will choose him over me. No one has ever chosen me first. Not even my mother. No one but you, Lo. And I accept that. Do you know why?"

He shook his head no.

"Because I will choose you and our child over her, over any of them. It doesn't mean I don't love Mirabella. I do. It means that I understand the price we have to pay for loving men like you. I don't wear the same blinders she does. I see life for what it is. Please, baby." She got out of bed and walked over to Lorenzo and took his hands. She kissed his knuckles. "Get dressed. Now. Go out there. Go to the ends of the earth if you have to, but find her! And kill her. Before she destroys our lives."

He nodded. "I'll find her. I did once. I'll find her again." He pulled her up into his arms. She was brought to her toes to hold on to him. "And I swear to you. I won't hesitate the next time."

Marietta led her husband back to bed. She wrapped her arms as best she could around his large frame and hugged him to her. He kissed her face and then eventually his mouth. She stroked his dark curly hair. His lips came up from hers. She stroked the side of his face.

"Amore mio,what is your plan?"

"I'll find her, Marie," he said and tried to kiss her again. She grabbed his face and stopped him.

"How? Where will you look?" she asked.

"I know where to look, woman!"

"Listen to me, stop letting your pride get in the way. If she wants to hurt Gio, then she is going to do what she has always done. Use his enemies. She did it with Kei. Who else is powerful enough, hates Gio enough to help her?"

Lorenzo frowned.

Marietta smiled. "Be smart, sweetheart. Think like her and you will beat her."

"Or maybe I should think like you?" Lorenzo said.

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