Page 213 of Vita Mia

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MIRABELLA PAUSED. SHEstared at her daughter who sat across from her with a deep look of concern. Eve hadn’t spoken a word since she continued the story of her father’s release from jail. The camera had kept rolling. The men in the room pretended not to hear the details but she knew this part of the story was news to their ears too.

“Maybe we should take a break?” Mirabella said.

“You just said that Uncle Domi betrayed Papa?” Eve shook her head in disbelief. “Mum? What are you doing?”

“That’s not what I said. I am telling you—“

“This story is getting out of hand. I don’t need to hear anymore. It’s gone too far.”

“It’s almost over,” Mirabella sighed.

“I just don’t understand this. Why are you saying this? Why?” Eve asked.

Mirabella gave her a sad smile. “Because your father wants to be free. And because I want him to be free. I am tired of lying and keeping secrets. Aren’t you, sweetheart? We want you and your brothers, and MiaBella to live your life free of us. It’s time.”

“So, this is really Papa? Not you?”

Mirabella nodded. The men recording looked up as well. She expected them to react but not with such fear. Her poor Eve had the same look of dread on her face.

“Let’s finish. Okay?” Mirabella asked.

“Okay,” she agreed

***

PAST – 1996

Homecoming

His father named itVilla di Luce. It was where his mother was kept after she returned to Italy as punishment for kidnapping him to Ireland. He also took Mirabella and Eve there for a time after finding her in Muri, Switzerland. It wasn’t a place that was known to many. The property was under his mother’s name, and after her death, Giovanni had the place put into his sister’s name, buried under the bureaucracy of deed and land transfer the courts had missed it as one of his assets, as did his enemies. It was the perfect place to move Mirabella and the kids too after the hit placed on their lives.

“Gio? I can give you thirty-six hours at the most,” Dominic said.

Giovanni’s gaze slipped over to Dominic. He nodded that he understood. “I don’t need thirty-six hours. Give me twelve. I’ll be ready.”

“She misses you, and the kids, they need you, I can delay this—“

“Twelve hours. I’ll be ready,” Giovanni said.

Dominic gave him a respectful nod. He’d slipped before because of his love for his family and his empire with everything his father built had been brought down. He had learned the choices he needed to make weren’t for pride or profit. These were the choices for survival.

The car drove up to the villa in the trees. He saw eight of his best men standing outside. Still, with the world hunting everything he loved it wasn’t enough. Dominic must have felt his pain. He handed him a gun. Giovanni accepted it with a nod of respect.

“Twelve hours then we make our move.”

“I’ll be ready,” Dominic said.

“I’m sure you will be.”

He got out of the car and walked toward his men. All of them approached to pat him on the back and slap his chest in greeting. He hugged a few. Though he had showered and cleaned up nicely for court he felt like a soldier returning from the battlefield.

“They are in the back at the gazebo boss, having lunch with Nico.”

Giovanni nodded. Instead of going around the villa he went through the front door. Inside the first person to greet him was Zia. She stood in the parlor area at the window. She must have watched him arrive. In her arms was a sleeping Leeza. Giovanni put the gun to the back of his pants under his blazer and opened his arms to hug her.

Leeza squirmed.

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