Page 155 of Vita Mia

“Is there a problem?” Mirabella asked.

He flashed a calming smile. “No. Not all. We’ll be done soon.”

Mirabella went into her bag and removed her passport and Nico reached into his blazer and handed over his. Brian nodded and returned to his seat. Seconds later the plane door opened and officials boarded. They walked into the plane and looked at everyone. Their gazes all switched to Mirabella. The one in command seem to be fixated on her. He spoke to Brian but stared at her. She didn’t dare look away.

Brian did all the talking. And after their Visa’s and passports were given cursory glances the man in charge ordered him off the plane. But not before cutting Mirabella a threatening glare.

“That doesn’t look good,” she said.

“It’s fine,” Nico said. “He’s not here as an official. He’s here for payment.”

Mirabella glanced out of the plane window. One of Brian’s men joined the customs officers. He handed over a small case. The one in charge paced as if angry at Brian. And then he pointed to the plane and shouted at Brian.

“Something’s wrong Nico.”

Nico leaned in to observe. Brian didn’t seem to be rattled by the upset official. He continued to speak in his calm manner and the official stalked off dismissing him.

“It’s fine. He handled it.”

Mirabella let go a deep sigh. She missed her babies. Leeza was now walking on her own. She just wanted to sit home with them and watch her little girl waddle around the room. Not this. She wasn’t about this life, yet she was. Brian boarded the pain.

“Donna Nera, your chariot awaits,” he said.

Mirabella looked over at Nico. He nodded that they should proceed, so she scooted out of her seat and disembarked the private plane. The officials were gone. Several dark SUVs were waiting. She and Nico were walked over to the one in the middle. Brian joined them as well. They arrived late in the afternoon. And she could see the beauty in the sun dimming in the sky. But the long stretch of highway they traveled along offered not much in scenery. She heard Brian mention more than once into the phone the word ‘Sevsk’. It had to have meaning. Then after traveling for what felt like eternity into the night she saw a sign with the word in Russian.

“What does that sign say? I keep seeing it.” Mirabella asked in her most unassuming voice.

“It is Sevsk,” Brian answered.

“Is that our destination?” she asked.

“It’s a village, yes,” Brian replied.

“Is there a reason why you haven’t given us our passports?”

“I haven’t?” Brian asked. “Ah, I haven’t? Here, forgive me,” he handed them back to her. She gave Nico his. He caught the reference too. It may be important to them later. The moment they arrived in the village under moonlight she understood why it was chosen for Lorenzo’s imprisonment. She saw cathedrals that dated back to the 1600s. Most of the village looked bleak thanks to the weather and crumbling infrastructure. She kept her coat buttoned up over her in the back of the SUV.

They turned off to a desolate road and drove toward a monument that included defensive walls of a medieval fortress. It was huge. Several cars were parked out in front of the walled in gates and when they arrived men with guns got out. Even if Lorenzo was in the best of health she knew there was no escaping the imprisonment in this place.

Brian let down his window. A man walked up and spoke to him as the cold air from outside rushed in. Mirabella glanced to Nico who nodded that she should relax. She tried. The gates were opened and they drove inside. She grabbed her bag and prepared to leave the vehicle. It was not to happen so soon.

“I will send for you,” Brian said.

He left the car and so did the driver. Men with guns surrounded their vehicle to prevent them from leaving.

“What is going on?”

“If I had to guess, they gave Lorenzo to another clan in the Bratva.”

“That wasn’t the deal Giovanni made,” she whispered.

“You can’t make deals with men like this. It’s been close to a year since he’s been with the Russians. You must be prepared for what we find left of him.”

“I’m scared,” Mirabella confessed. “What if he’s sick, or worse. If we can’t get to Lorenzo we can’t control Marietta. It all falls apart.”

“Lorenzo is strong. He’ll take what they give him and deal with it. I think he’s alive.”

“I’m praying he is.”

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