Page 120 of Destino

“Maybe I should get ice for her head…what do you think Flavio? Ice to stop the swelling? Her face isn’t burned, it’s just… the blast just hit her hard. Where is the blood from? Is it a head injury? Does that make you bleed from the nose? I don’t see any cuts…”

He grabbed Giovanni by the shoulders. “We took a hit. Here. InMelanzana. You need to get toVilla Rossowith the men and let me handle things. Now. Before the place is filled with thepoliziaand we are unable to act. Go.”

“I’m not leaving her!” he roared back, tears glistening in his eyes. “I won’t!”

“I’ll stay.”

“Get the fuck out of my way!”

“Go, Gio. Take care of the family, and I’ll stay with her until thedottorecomes. We’ll send for you.”

“That fat fucker Don Calderone is to be brought to me on his knees! Oh there will be war, a war like they’ve never seen, and every man or woman that bears the name Calderone will spill blood over what happened here today.” Giovanni stood. He shook off his shock and focused.

Flavio nodded in agreement.

“I can’t leave her. She needs to see me first when she opens her eyes. I have to tell her that her friend… shit, shit, I can’t leave her yet. What the fuck am I going to tell her about her friend?”

“She doesn’t belong here, Gio, surely you can see that.”

Giovanni looked at him. “What are you saying?”

“When she’s well, she needs to return to America.”

“No. They know who she is. She’s safest with me.”

Flavio sighed. “Giovanni she’s an American. Her friend is a well-known American. Soon the press will get a hold of this. We don’t have long before the world is at our door. She has to go. She doesn’t understand our ways. And even greater still, you can’t do the things necessary if you are consumed with holding on to her.”

Giovanni looked back toward Mira. “I will protect her. She needs me now. We will get through this together.”

“I’ve seen this before, Gio. Your father. Don’t you recall the stories of his obsession with your mother, the war in the families when Evelyn’s father went to Don Chicoli for revenge? How many men, men in your family, our family have lost their lives because of Tomosino’s obsession? You can’t make the mistake he did. She doesn’t belong here.”

He had to consider Flavio’s warning. Things would become far worse, and life with him now would risk her own. Still he couldn’t part with her. Not when her world was ripped apart. She needed him and he needed her.

Mira gasped, her chest heaving, lungs expanding as she took in a deep breath. She exhaled, coughed and sucked down air. Her head hurt so bad tears slipped from her eyes. Someone was at her side. He spoke to her but his voice was muffled, distant. He touched her, and it burned.What had happened? What the hell happened?

“Mira, bambina, Mirabella!”

She couldn’t think, nothing surfaced but the pain in her head, shoulders, back and the hot feel of her skin.

“She’s not responding. Where the hell is thedottore?” the muffled voice bellowed. It was a man’s voice. She blinked and her vision remained a haze of light and shadows. Sweet merciful God was she dead, dying? The person touched her face and she winced. It felt as if a layer of her skin had been peeled away.

“Bella… please, look at me.”

The kind blue-violet eyes of Giovanni loomed, and suddenly she felt such unbelievable relief.It was a dream!Just a stupid dream. He became clearer and horror settled in. His disheveled appearance jarred her. Black soot was smeared on his face, and his tuxedo shirt was marred with dirt that looked be mixed with blood. Dread engulfed her, and her cloudy memory cleared to remind her of the bitter truth.Fabiana and she argued. Her friend was in trouble. She cried. She needed her and she left her. Then…

“Fabiana!” Mira screamed. “Fabiana!”

He drew her into his arms, and her face was buried into his chest. She clung to him certain that her fear was unfounded. Fabiana had gotten out of the car and was okay. Did she see her get out of the car?Yes! Yes! She was sure she saw her. Didn’t she?

“Fabiana. Fabiana. Fabiana. Fabiana.” She choked out in her sobs. “No!” she hit at him trying to break free. “No!” she struggled and bucked on the sheets until he pinned her down. Another person was at the bed. He spoke fast and hurriedly in Italian. People were all around her. She looked at Giovanni horrified. “Get away from me! You’re trying to kill me! Don’t let him kill me. Please! Please! Get away!”

The other man removed a needle. Giovanni shouted at him in Italian. They were going to kill her. Just as they killed Fabiana. They wanted her dead. “Let me go! Murderer! Murderer! Murderer!”

Pinned to the bed she screamed until she was breathless. Tears flowed and the sting of a needle inserted into her arm released a hot serum in her veins. Immediately the numbing daze she found herself in when she woke returned. Everything faded including the voices until there was darkness.

Giovanni looked down at her in disbelief.She was afraid of him? She called him a murderer?

“She’s in shock. I need you to leave while I examine her.” The doctor said.

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