Page 175 of Vita Mia

Cattedrale di Monreale

Metropolitan, Palermo - Sicily

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DUOMO DI MONREALEis a church in the heart of Palermo. A National monument that stands as one of the most popular attractions for visitors to Sicily. The doctor had chosen wisely. In a place so public as the cathedral, she had some measured control for her safety. But with control came great risk and responsibility in thecosa nostra. Even at theMonrealepeople worked toward Dominic’s interests not the public, and certainly not foreigners.

The caravan traveling with Dominic stopped ahead. His vehicle was forced to do so as well. One of Dominic’s men got out of the car. He paused to let his gaze sweep the scene under the protective cover of his dark sunglasses before approaching and opening his car door. Though it was nearly the end of March it was a bright sunny day tempered by just a bitter cool morning frost. In a dark wool trench coat with a gray scarf around his neck Dominic slid on his leather gloves and exited his vehicle. Not too far from the crowds gathering to the front of the cathedral were several polizia. They had to be present. And he’d have to pass them for entrance.

“Boss?Siamo pronti. Our men are inside. We should accompany you.”

“I go in alone,” Dominic said. He walked away before more of his men insisted to accompany him. He headed toward the cathedral. He’d visited the church as a schoolboy when growing up between Sicily and Italy. However, it had been years since he’d ventured in as an adult. They agreed to meet in the cloister, open gardens. After ten minutes of strolling through the nearly one-thousand-year-old historic sanctuary, he found her. She wore dark fitted pants tucked into riding boots, a leather jacket and a turtleneck that sculpted her breasts and petite waistline. Her hair was in tousled curls that crashed and cascaded down her back. She too had decided to cover her eyes with sunglasses. When her head turned she glanced his way.

Dominic could not deny her beauty. She was one of the few women in his life that he found attractive in a way that wasn’t just physical. And after months of taking her over without compromise, he’d acquired a taste for a different kind of defiance and vulnerability.

“You’re late,” she said as she approached him. “I can’t be gone too long. I’ll be missed.”

“How is she?” Dominic asked.

“She’s no different. The Générale is losing patience. I don’t think this plan of yours is going to work. She’s having delusions, she’s manic with her depression. She doesn’t even ask for her daughter anymore. If I put her back in front of the prosecutor they are going to cut her lose and use other witnesses.”

“Others?”

“They have others, I know they do, but they don’t discuss it with me.”

Dominic started to walk. He scanned the maze of manicured lawn for an area of seclusion and led her there. “It’ll work. When she sees this tape.” He reached into his pocket and handed over a cassette. “You’ll need a camcorder to play it. Can you get one?”

“I... I guess? What’s on it?” Sera asked.

“Hope. That’s all anyone ever needs. A little bit of hope. You play it for her and make sure she understands it’s real. Tell her if she wants to start over we can make that happen. But she has to do what I say.”

“And if she doesn’t? If she turns on me and tells the officials I gave her this? What then?”

“She won’t. Trust me. The tape is what she’s waiting for.”

“If I get caught. My life is over. I don’t know. I’ve already lost so much. Now you’re holding my family hostage!” she paced away. “I can’t trust you.”

Dominic observed those moving behind her. She was too valuable to lose at this stage in his plan and their public discussion did make him extremely paranoid.

“Your brother will live,” he told her.

“How did you even know I had a brother?”

“It’s what I’m good at. Knowing things that people keep as secret.”

“I want proof that my brother is alive.”

“I told you he is,” he replied.

“That’s not good enough!” She said. “How did you find him? I was careful to protect them all?”

“The same way I found you when you tried every way to hide from me. You made a mistake betraying my family and using our secrets against us. Now you have the opportunity to write that wrong.”

Sera paced away. She crossed her arms in defiance, and he could see her pretty head try to think of a way to manipulate him. He may have been weak once for her. Enough to tell her about the shadow people and his anxiety. But those days were gone. He could prove it to her. He could show her his capacity for cruelty as the Don of Palermo. But instead he observed her and those few people wandering in and out of their private area.

“Let him go.” Sera walked over to him. “I want to trust you Domi. I know I lied to your family about who I was. I know you don’t think you can trust me. But I’ve done everything you’ve asked. Haven’t I?” She removed her sunglasses and put them on her head. She stepped closer. “My brother is innocent. He had nothing to do with my plans. He’s innocent, but I’m not. Let him go and I’ll do whatever you say.”

“We’re all innocent of something and guilty of something else. You do what I tell you and he’ll be fine. It’s how it works Sera. Marietta needs to see that tape and testify in the pretrial. She needs to do exactly as I want for her sake, and your brothers.”

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