Page 6 of La Dolce Vita

Lorenzo sat forward.

She nodded. “All your life you’ve imitated and envied Giovanni. Wanted the good life here in Italy, and felt like you were robbed because you are second best. Flavio knew it. Giuseppe Calderone contacted him. Told him about the tapes. Sent him a copy. Giuseppe was never working with you. Giuseppe knew he couldn’t trust you.”

“Va’ a farti fottere--go fuck yourself. Bullshit. Flavio wouldn’t sit on the tapes or that kind of knowledge. He never liked me.”

“He did it for Giovanni. Everything in that fucking family is for Giovanni. He wanted him strong. He knew if he revealed the truth to Giovanni about what you did it would break him. Just like he knew if he didn’t send away that AmericanputtanaMirabella, Giovanni would be stupid enough to fall in love with her. And for all of Flavio’s loyalty Giovanni had that runt Dominic put a bullet in his head.”

The story made sense. Flavio wasconsigliere,counsel to the Don.No one knew more of the family’s deepest secrets better than theconsigliere.

“So, that’s how you got the tapes. When Flavio died, you found them.”

She nodded. “And I also found out that Mirabella had a twin sister. I lured her here and gave her to you as a gift. Because I knew once again, you would want what Giovanni has.”

“I love my fucking wife!” Lorenzo said.

“Maybe,” Isabella shrugged. “But you love power more. And her being a Mancini is all the power you will need. Right, baby brother? Am I right?”

“What is the point of this history lesson?”

“The point is, brother, it’s time to shit or get off the pot. You can join me, and I’ll finally end the war between you and Giovanni. Stop negotiating your future with that half-breedbastardoof a Don, and take my hand. Be your own man. Make our mother proud.”

Lorenzo stood.

“Sit down!” she raised the gun and aimed it at his head.

“Or what? Are you going to pull the trigger? You went through all this trouble to bring me here. Tell me bullshit about how I need you to be a man.”

“Don’t take another step.”

“And the truth is, bitch, I was drunk one night and said something I shouldn’t have, about a man who was more of a parent to me than that cunt of a mother of ours ever was.”

“Shut up!” Isabella shouted at him.

Lorenzo sneered. “Giovanni isn’t my rival. He’s my brother. I’llfuckingdie for him. And so will you. Because that’s how this ends.”

He grabbed the gun and then lunged for her throat. Isabella gagged. Lorenzo smiled when he saw the terror and rage overcome the face that was so like his mother’s. “I’m going to kill you, bitch. Slow.”

The pitiful hits and scratches to his face didn’t slow him. He didn’t even need two hands to snuff her life out. He felt her pulse erratically fluttering beneath his palm as his fingers crushed in. Her eyes stretched to the point of bulging. Her face turned purple, and her mouth hung open with her bottom lip drooling. And then her gaze cut left to something behind him. Lorenzo let her go and swung around to fire the gun, but a needle was stuck in his neck. The hot liquid that felt like battery acid was released into his jugular. The shock from the sneak attack, and the potency from the injection broke him. He dropped to his knees. Before his consciousness slipped, he saw Isabella rubbing her throat and standing over him. The other person wasn’t in his sight, but it was a man. The voice sounded vaguely familiar. And then darkness came.

***

"Lo? Lo? Wake up! Lo!"

Two slaps on the face and he gasped. Lorenzo gagged and rolled over and vomited. Renaldo dragged him up by the collar. Lorenzo's neck was bleeding.

"Are you okay?"

"Where the fuck is she?" Lorenzo roared. He shoved off Renaldo's help. Lorenzo staggered to stand. His head swam with disillusionment, and he dropped on his ass once more. His neck felt like someone stuck a dagger in it. He drew his hand away to see the small traces of blood. "What the fuck did she inject me with?"

"When I got here, the door was open. You were on the floor. She was gone." Renaldo handed him a wet rag.

"And you didn't go after her?" he shouted.

"I didn't know if you were dead or alive. I..."

"Fuck!" Lorenzo shouted. "Help me up."

Renaldo once again offered assistance. This time, Lorenzo was able to stand, but the lethargic feeling didn't subside. He staggered over to the chair in the room and sat

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