Page 60 of La Dolce Vita

"Where is he going?" she shouted at them. "You let him leave alone! You are never to let him go anywhere alone!"

Umberto stepped forward. He smiled. "Donna,va bene,everything is okay."

"It is not okay! He left here by himself!"

"He will not be alone. We have men where he is going. He will be fine."

"Where is Dominic?" She turned to flee back inside, but Umberto stepped in front of her.

"Forgive me, Donna. I mean no disrespect. But I have my orders. Dominic and Lorenzo don't need to know about this. Giovanni is clear. How about you discuss it with him when he returns?"

"Get out of my way!" she seethed.

Umberto looked as if he would disobey. That frightened her. Something was wrong. These men never made defiant eye contact with her. She stepped back instead of forward when she asked the next question. "Where is he going? To meet with who?"

"It is not for me to say. Please, Donna. Go back to bed. He'll return soon. Please." Umberto pointed her toward to the door.

Whatever was going on it wasn't something she could intercept or prevent. Not now. She tightened her robe and went back inside. When did her husband ever do anything without Carlo, Renaldo, Lorenzo, or even Nico at his side? Confused and afraid she returned to her children. She would be unable to sleep the rest of the night.

***

Cars braked with curious hesistation as he weaved around them along the narrow alleyways and roads. The motorcycle gave him flight. He had missed having so much control within his hands. It hugged the road as he sped between tall buildings and around cliff side highways. Giovanni kept his eyes focused. His mind trained on his singular objective as he pushed the bike full throttle to go as fast as safety would allow.

The night ride took him through one of the main arteries to the town ofSant'Agnello.The street that he veered toward his destination sloped downward, and Giovanni was careful to sit upright and coast into the shadows without incident. He arrived to find three cars parked in front of the three-story building. He turned off the bike and waited.

Giovanni stared at the building and then the cars. The dark baseball cap he wore was pulled down low on his head, and the bib cast a deep shadow over half of his face. He reached behind him and withdrew his gun. He released the clip and reinserted it, confident that a bullet popped up into the chamber. And then he heard a noise. His gaze lifted. The door to the building opened. A woman appeared, the light behind her gave only a clear view of her silhouette. She lit a cigarette. He saw the amber light of the flame flare as she inhaled, and then the wisp of smoke as she exhaled.

If he had to fight his wife's demons, then he needed to be prepared to return to hell. And this is where it all started. Her pain, his regret, and the mistakes made by his clan.

The woman leaned against the doorway. She stared straight at the shadows that concealed Giovanni. She smoked a bit longer and then flicked the cigarette away. She turned and went back inside but left the door open. A clear invitation. Giovanni eased off his motorbike. He tucked his gun to the front of his pants and dashed out of the shadows and crossed the street.

ChapterEleven

The Doctor and Patient

Firenze, Italy –

It was earlier than Dominic preferred. He didn't even have time for a cappuccino. He entered the doors to theospedalewith eyes searching. There weren't many present. A few nuns passed him on his way in. The others, men and women dressed in white, looked to be hurried and uninterested in greeting visitors. Not many glanced his way. The few that did dismissed him with cutaway glances and kept going. He found the clerk to the back of theospedale.

"Buongiorno?" A very nice portly looking woman with a nest of gray and black hair on her head said. She wore glasses with a long chain that linked around her neck.

"I have an appointment with a Dr. Marchetti," he said.

The woman smiled. "Take the lift to the third floor. She's at the end of the hall on the left. You can't miss the office."

"Grazie," he winked.

Dominic took the lift up and exited to an empty hall. He strolled through the hospital, unsure where the patients were. All he saw was staff and regular people like him. He wondered what kind of place it was. When he found the door to her office, it was closed. He turned the knob and discovered it was locked. The lights beyond the glass were off. He grimaced. He thought she scheduled him for eight. Dominic drew back his sleeve and checked the time. It was ten minutes after. Could he have gotten the message wrong?

Then he heard the soft clicks of a woman's shoes. His gaze lifted from his wrist to a woman quickly approaching. She was digging in her satchel as she walked. The bouncy locks of scarlet red curls over her head reached past her shoulders and framed her face when she looked up. She had the clearest blue eyes behind her dark rimmed glasses. He could see them from the distance. Her beauty was fresh and as soothing as that of his sweetMadreEve, who had raised him from a boy. Dominic rarely felt stunned by femininity, unless it was from his beloved Catalina. This one gave him pause. The dress she wore was the color of her eyes, and her skin had a milky cream flawlessness. She smiled.

"Are you Dominic Battaglia?" she asked.

"You must be Dr. Marchetti," he replied.

"Uh yes, hi." She pulled out her keys. "I'm so sorry I'm late. It's been one disaster after another. First, my car wouldn't start, and then I locked my keys inside. Luckily I have a spare. Please, please come in," she unlocked the door in her flustered state. He followed her inside. Her floral fragrance led the way.

"Please, forgive me," she said as she went about turning on the lights. "I'll be late to my funeral."

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