Page 118 of Destino

“I didn’t know the first time the store was closed that Giovanni Battaglia ordered it. That he tricked us when he did the favor for reopening it. I really thought they were trying to help us. I swear that to you.”

Mira exhaled a pained breath. “That’s right. It was a lie from the beginning.”

“Things got complicated. We were given a lease that put us between two very powerful families. The Sicilian businessman I told you about, Mancini, he wasn’t supposed to give us that building. Lorenzo explained it to me. It’sCammoraterritory and it’s used for… for things you don’t want to know. They couldn’t let us stay in there and conduct business.”

“Business. So you know their business now?” Mira asked.

Fabiana burst into tears. “I’m sorry. Okay? I should have told you. I felt like shit. I only did this because we were in the middle. To not do what they wanted just wasn’t an option.”

“Why would we care about what they want? What is it you aren’t telling me?”

“Lorenzo has killed a man.”

As if struck Mira drew back, the right side of her body pressed to the door, “What?”

“A man named Giuseppe Calderone. He confessed it to me. He killed a man and now he’s in trouble with a very powerful Mafia family and his own. I’ve been trying to help him.”

“How the hell could you? How deep are you in this?”

“We’re in this. Trust me Giovanni Battaglia is far worse than Lorenzo, Mira. Whatever Lorenzo has done, it comes down to those cellars and the deliveries they take in and out of them from the Amalfi coast. He’s not going to tell me the dirty details but you can put it together. We can’t have people that work for us in that kind of danger. I… I had to do something, that kept it contained. To remove us from it altogether.”

“Then why not come to me? Why let me think this man cares about me when he was just using me? For Christ’s sake, I moved my things in here. We shouldn’t be here!”

Fabiana shook her head sadly. “I love Lorenzo. That’s why. And you already said you’ve fallen for Giovanni.”

“Stop it!”

“It’s true! I love him. And I think he loves me. It’s how they are. Secrecy and lies is who they are. When you said we should leave for New York I figured it would be best, especially since we now have to go. Lorenzo told me this morning that things here are going to get intense. So it’s time to go.” Fabiana nodded, wiping at her tears. “I figured I wouldn’t have to tell you all of this. Let them work through their shit, and we could see them outside of this world. Maybe…”

“Stop it. You did this for Lorenzo. Plain and simple. And now that you know he’s killed someone you’re in danger too. Do you think that man is going to let you walk out of here with that knowledge? He didn’t tell you that secret without some motives. He sure as hell isn’t going to let you in and out of his life with that kind of information. You put us in the middle of this and now we’re in so deep neither of us will be able to walk away.” Mira put her hand to her forehead. “Want to know what scares me?”

Fabiana’s teary gaze slipped to her.

“I think you knew from day one what they were into. I think you brought us here on purpose.” Mira closed her eyes. “Trapped here with them is exactly where you want us to be.”

Giovanni laid it all out for everyone. Sharing with his men his failures was not an easy task. Flavio arrived half way through his announcement. Even the old man couldn’t counsel him against what he was to do next. “We’re closing in ranks. Collect every dime that’s owed. The gambling houses in Naples are too close as well. Be prepared for anything. Angelo Calderone hasn’t made the first move so…”

“We have to.” Carlo nodded. “We know what this is.”

“Do you?” Giovanni said. “Because every one of our business interests is to be heavily armed. The Calderone’s like to firebomb, and plant bombs. It’s how they strike.”

“Boss?Scusi?”

The men parted to reveal the young one who had entered. Carmine was only eighteen, and a protégé of Carlo’s. He’d seen the boy around a few times. Carlo’s face deepened into a red angry scowl. He appeared incensed over his arrival. Only high-ranking men in the family were to attend this meeting.

“There’s trouble.” Carmine said, to the men glaring at him.

“Trouble? What kind of trouble?” Giovanni asked, sitting upright from his slouch in his chair.

“The women. They’re out front—fighting.”

Lorenzo looked up from the chair he was seated in and his eyes met with Giovanni’s. Carlo threw his hands up and began cursing, shoving the kid toward the door. The other men laughed.

“Wait!” Giovanni ordered. “Let him finish. What women?”

“Your women.” Carmine said, pointing to him and Lorenzo. “They’re fighting inside your Ferrari,” he leveled his finger now at Lorenzo.

“My car is in with the mechanic.” Lorenzo said.

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