Page 219 of La Dolce Vita

Marietta heard the driver side door close. In her mind, her husband went over the hood like some kind of stuntman hero before he opened her door. She smiled. The temptation was great. She could take a quick peek and then be done with the game. But he seemed really serious about this one. It was in his voice. When they landed and loaded the kids in the van, she noticed her luggage being placed into a different car after Giovanni left them. He told her and Mirabella it was time for her surprise. As exhausted as she was, she couldn't help but be touched by the romantic gesture.

"Give me your hand," he said.

The car door was open. She reached out and felt his hand. He helped her out of the car and turned her in the direction of the wind. She smelled nothing distinctive in the air. Just felt a breeze that cooled her skin against the humid night. Lorenzo stepped behind her. He eased his arms around her waist and put his hands on her tummy.

"Now," he said very softly against her ear. "Open your eyes."

Marietta did as he told her. She opened her eyes to a very nice looking villa nestled in the cliffs. It was two stories tall, and the color of a lemon, with a flat roof and large shuttered windows. In fact, to the left was a field of lemon trees. And surrounding the villa were tall and short bushes with pink, purple, and white flowers in bloom. It was straight out of a fairytale. Under the waning moonlight, it looked magical.

"What is this about? Another house? A lemon farm!" she laughed.

"You know Sorrento makes the best lemons in the world."

"Lo? We don't need lemons, honey! What is going on?"

"It's not just any house, this is where we start again, Marie."

"I don't understand? Are we still in Sorrento?"

He swept her up in his arms and spun her around. She hadn't gained much weight. Still, she wanted him to be careful. She held on to him and laughed.

"You're mine right?" he asked when they stopped spinning.

"Always," she grinned.

"And this is yours!" He carried her up the steep steps to the front door. He had to put her down to get the key. Marietta looked back. She found it odd that they came alone. It wasn't his way. He liked being the boss. Having young men to do all his bidding. They were alone tonight. Not another car in sight. In fact, the land around the villa had only one road off the cliffs, and it seemed to go down into darkness.

"Where are we?"

He pushed the door open. Marietta walked inside. There was only a simple scatter of furniture. A sofa and chair. A lamp table, an open fireplace. A television.

"It needs some work. But it'll do for now. Come let me show you," he said.

She followed him, and her heart began to race. Why she didn't know. There was something incomplete about his gift. Something rushed. And then they entered the kitchen. Marietta paused. On the kitchen table was an arsenal for a small army. Guns. All kinds of weapons.

"What’s going on?" she asked.

Lorenzo turned on the light. The kitchen had everything from a brick oven to a refrigerator and stove. But why were there guns? She looked to her husband, and his smile faded.

"Gio knows the truth, Marie. It’s over."

"No? He doesn't. He just landed! We just came home. He doesn't know. Not yet. Not possible."

"By now he knows. I'm sorry,cara, but this is it. This is the moment when we do what we have to do to protect our family," Lorenzo said.

"No. No. No. Lorenzo!”

“Marie?”

“Catalina is going to... stop it..."

"Catalina?" Lorenzo frowned.

"This isn't happening.” She put her hand to her head and turned away. “Not like this! We had a plan!"

"We? What are you talking about?"

She wept.

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