Page 195 of Vita Mia

“He killed Brian Smith,” Dominic said. “That has royally pissed off the Odessa’s.”

“Who are the Odessa’s? Why did Nico kill him?”

“Long story. I need to deal with it. Can we have this talk some other time?” he asked.

“Sure,” she got up from the chair and started for the door. She paused and looked back at him. “Domi, thank you.”

He nodded and continued to dial the number on the phone. She could hear him speaking before the door closed.

***

NICO SHARED EVERYTHINGwith Lorenzo. How they learned of his death and then the fire. He told him about the suicide by Belinda, and the trauma Eve experienced after witnessing it. Nico and Lorenzo agreed that is what broke Giovanni. If Eve hadn’t needed him so desperately so soon after the alliance with the Russians and Puglia’s Giovanni would not have lost control of the Camorra. He gave as much of a detailed description as he could of Lorenza to his friend.

After Nico’s storytelling was done and Lorenzo had eaten his belly full, they settled into drinking vodka. It was then Lorenzo shared the horror stories of the past year he’d spent in Russia. The near death experiences he had more than once in captivity. How some days he was surprised that he was still alive. And when torture did go too far, how he’d be taken to a local hospital and healed so he could endure more. Eventually, they fell asleep only to be awakened in the middle of the night by guns.

“Go!” Mikhail said to Nico.

“What about Lorenzo?”

Mikhail smiled. “He goes with you. It seems your Don wants you to return very badly. Money has come. Plenty to forgive.”

Nico glanced to Lorenzo who for the first time felt relief. The men got up and left. Brian Smith’s body was carried out of the house after them. Neither of them dared to speak or breathe during the long drive to the airport. And it wasn’t until the plane was in the air that they celebrated. They were going home.

BOOK FIVE

Trials and Tribulations

1996 to the Present

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