Page 27 of La Dolce Vita

Regret assailed him. Giovanni eased open the door to his bedroom. He stepped into the quiet as his vision adjusted to the shadows. His gaze fell upon the shapes covered by a quilt on his bed. He approached with his hands in his pockets. Bella slept with their children all around her. The kids wanted Mama more and more these days.

"Papa?" Eve said. "Papa!" His little girl gasped. "Where have you been?"

"Shhh," Giovanni put his finger to his lips to keep her from waking the family. The little girl with so much curly hair on her head that it nearly covered her face, sat up and grinned at him. She rubbed her eyes with her fists, and then lowered them to stare at him in the dark. Before he could suggest she go back to sleep, hislucciolascooted to the edge of the bed and dropped down to her feet. She hurried to him. Giovanni knelt and swept her up into his arms. Eve hugged his neck and rubbed the side of her face against his scruffy jaw. It was something she often did when she was a baby.

"Mama was crying today. In the bathroom. I hear her so I bring Gino and Gianni here. And we cheer her up," she said in a loud whisper. "Where have you been? We missed you."

"That was very good. Taking care of Mama for me." He kissed her brow and her nose.

"Is Mama okay?" Eve asked and moved her blondish-brown locks from her face to peer into her daddy's eyes. His daughter was quite wise for four years old. She often shocked him with her beauty and smarts.

"She's perfect. She's Mama." He walked around the bed. They stopped at Mirabella's side of the bed so they could both stare down at her.

"Look at her. Does she look okay to you?" he asked.

Eve nodded. "Yes. The best mommy in the whole wide world."

A soft chuckle escaped Giovanni.

"Can you do me a favor,lucciola?" he asked.

"Yes, Papa," she said.

"Stay here with Mama and make sure she is okay for me. And in the morning I will come for you. We will make her breakfast. Can you do that for Papa?"

Eve hugged his neck. "Don't go. Come to bed with us. Pleassseee."

"Another time. I promise." He squeezed her tighter to him and inhaled the lavender smell of the lotion her mother rubbed over her body after a bath. He drew so much strength from her tiny embrace.

"I'll take care of her, don't you worry," she said.

He set her down, and she took his hand. He walked her around the bed and helped her climb back on top before tucking her in. He moved Gino who lay horizontal instead of vertical and made all of hisbambinicomfortable. The final act of fatherly love was a kiss to each of their brows. Eve smiled and squeezed her doll to her as she closed her eyes. Giovanni stepped back. Bella didn't typically sleep this hard. His gaze switched to her. He sensed that she was awake but unwilling to interrupt their moment. Or maybe she just didn't want to talk to him after his absence. She had been pretty abrupt with him when he called home to check in. Giovanni walked around the bed to get closer to his wife. He leaned in and kissed her on the lips. She didn't stir. He touched her hair. He resisted forcing her to acknowledge him. Instead, he went to his closet. He located a suit and found some fresh things to change into. He left the room as quietly as he arrived.

Downstairs Umberto and two of his men greeted him. The men were riled with tension to have the boss home again. Some wanted attention. Others wanted a promotion. Every one of them wanted to be someone Giovanni saw and remembered, to advance their own career goals within the family.

There was business, scores to settle, debts to be paid to and from the Battaglias. Everyone wanted to collect. Some whispered that he was losing his grip as the powerful boss of theCamorra. He heard those whispers. Politicians and clan bosses had all parted the Red Sea to help him dodge the inspector’s noose, and find his Bella when she was taken. He had to settle many favors.

When he enteredvilla Rosso, he was surprised to find that Dominic waited for him in his office.

"What are you doing here?" he asked. "Shouldn't you be with your fiancée?"

"We need to speak. I knew you'd return eventually, so I waited."

"For two days? Here?" Giovanni gave a bitter chuckle.

"You know what I mean, Gio."

"Go to bed. We'll meet when I want to meet," Giovanni grumbled and tossed his clothes and shoes to the desk in his office.

"No. We'll meet now, Gio. And you will listen to me!"

"Don't push me," Giovanni paced.

"You are the one doing all of the pushing, Gio. You've pushed us all away. Lorenzo can barely get ten minutes of your time. I'm yourconsigliere, and I get even less than your wife!" Dominic shouted at him.

Giovanni pulled his gun from his waist and sat at the coffee table. Dominic sounded like a jilted lover rather than a concernedconsigliere.

"I'm not your father, Domi. I don't owe you any fucking thing. If I'm away, it's because I have to be."

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