Page 164 of Vita Mia

“ARE YOU SURE EVERYTHINGis okay?” Matteo asked. He’d followed Dominic around to the side of the villa. Tossed over the lawn was all the private possessions that Armando once owned. His men had gathered a tall pile of clothes and shoes, including his jewelry and even a pair of reading glasses. Dominic stared at the pile.

Matteo was the husband of Catalina’s cousin Amy. He was handling the family affairs, but also worked as a very well, respected earner for the family with their interests in Palermo. He was becoming Dominic’s most trusted. The other men, all relatives in some way, that arrived from Bagheria were gathered to the front of the house. No one was allowed to enter after Dominic ordered everyone to leave. He understood the concern. But he could give a fuck about explaining himself. He stood in front of Armando’s clothes fixated on his overreaching jealousy and hatred for a dead man.

“The kids are all settled in. Sophia arrives this afternoon to help, but Francesca is here now. Eve told me she was going back to school. Is that correct?”

“Whatever Catalina says. Discuss it with her.”

Dominic unzipped his pants. Matteo frowned but said nothing. He pulled out his dick and aimed it at the pile of clothing. He then pissed a long stream over all of it, trying to cover every inch of it before his dick went dry. He stuck his dick back into his zipper and then glanced up to the window. Catalina stood there watching him.

“Tell the men to come and take these things to the church and give them away,” Dominic said.

Catalina had seen enough. She turned and disappeared back into the room. He walked away.

***

IN RUSSIA MIRABELLAturned off the recorder. After witnessing Lorenzo’s love for her sister, she was left unable to question him. Not since Giovanni’s arrest had she felt the sweet memory of what it was like to be adored by these complicated men in her and her sister’s lives. Lorenzo spoke his message to her in Italian. If the Russians knew the language none of them seem to show it. She and Nico, however, heard every word. He talked about dreaming of her, how she was with him on the days he was certain he’d die. How he’d learned to live with just the sweet memories of her to survive his imprisonment here. And then he spoke of his mistakes. He asked for forgiveness, and told her he understood what she’d done. He said all the words she wished she could hear from Giovanni about his faith in her. In the end, he told her to work to free the family so he could return home to her. The last thing he did was hold up a newspaper again with the days date on it. To confirm that he was alive and that the recording was authentic.

Everyone in the room remained silent.

Lorenzo shook his head to indicate he had nothing left to say. “I don’t want her to see me like this.”

“If she sees you like this she will believe you’re alive. I had to see you like this to believe it myself,” Mirabella said. He lifted his gaze to her. “We need her to believe in our family again. It’s our only hope Lorenzo.”

“Hope, would have been secure if Giovanni would have admitted to the family that I’m his brother. If he would have let go of his pride and let me have my birthright.”

Mirabella glanced to Nico. She then turned her gaze to Lorenzo. “We get you both out of this, you two can deal with the past. Right now, I have to save your lives to give our children a future.”

“Well, this is all I can do,” Lorenzo said.

“We’re going to move you. Soon, I promise,” Mirabella replied. She put the camcorder back into the bag she brought in with her. Lorenzo stared at her with his good eye. The terrifying giant Sergei stepped forward. He said something in Russian to Lorenzo and then walked out.

“What did he say?” Nico asked Lorenzo.

Lorenzo dropped back in his chair. “He said I can escort you out. I guess today is the day I get the privilege. Haven’t been outside the doors in four months.”

“Where do they keep you?” Mirabella asked.

Lorenzo shook his head no to her question.

“Let’s go. You shouldn’t be here,” he replied.

She noticed the sinister looks from the men with guns. She imagined that Lorenzo wasn’t always so well, kept and comfortable in their presence. However, the Russians decided to keep his true torment from her. And Lorenzo must have agreed. She noticed he did walk a bit stiffly and kept touching his side when he breathed. But the layered clothing he wore shielded him from any further inspection.

“What happens to you now?” Mirabella asked. She walked at his side. Nico walked behind them a step.

“Hard to say. Tomorrow Sergei will punish me for this visit. The Russians,” he shook his head with a sardonic smile. “They reward good behavior and bad behavior the same way.”

“With pain?” she asked.

Lorenzo shrugged as if it were a normal part of his existence.

“You and Giovanni never took it this far,” Mirabella said and glanced at the solemn faces of men they passed.

Lorenzo chuckled. “We have committed our sins Mirabella. Trust me.”

Brian Smith stood by the dark SUV that drove them in. He looked impatient. Lorenzo paused at the sight of him and frowned. “You came with him?”

“Yes. You know him?”

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