Page 229 of Vita Mia

“What Camorra? You mean the burning dumpster fire of the Campania that the Santoro’s and Russians now own? I have no empire. Dominic wields more power in Palermo than I ever have.”

“Bullshit!” Lorenzo seethed. “You are still the boss. They all know it. You plan to rebuild and you don’t want me here. You want to feed me this bullshit to protect—“

“Stop it!” Zia shouted. She put up both hands to stop them. “Per favore. Stop!”

The men fell silent.

“Gio is telling the truth. Rocco wanted everything Tomosino had and was. Just you like with Giovanni. It consumed him. It cost your real mother her innocence and sanity. I was wrong. Eve begged me to accept you and I just couldn’t. I had lost everything too. I swear on my soul Lorenzo if I could do it again I’d do it differently. Rocco is your father. He was your father and I’m the reason why he never acknowledged it.”

Lorenzo got up from the table and stormed off. Zia stood. “Wait!”

Lorenzo paused.

“Look at who we are now. Look at what we have left. It’s family. It’s time to change the family and Gio needs you. We all need you to forgive us.”

“Fuck you and him.” Lorenzo said. “I’m not staying here. I’m taking my wife and leaving. Now!” he yelled like an angry lion until the veins on his neck and forehead protruded.

Dominic glanced to Giovanni who nodded it was for the best.

Zia wept. “We have so much more to tell you.”

“I don’t want to hear it. I don’t want to hear any of you tell me who I am. I lived it!” Lorenzo shouted to the trio. “Far as I’m concerned, we were never family. I want my money, and I’m gone. Dead. Consider me dead!”

Zia walked away from the table to Lorenzo. “I’m an old woman. I don’t know how much time I have left.” She wiped her tears. “I do love you. I have always loved you even when I didn’t want too. But I did this to you. And I am so sorry for my crimes. Maybe one day you won’t spit at our memory. Maybe one day you will realize the love I have for you.”

“If what you say is true Zia there is no love inside of you. And I’ll never forgive you.”

“That’s enough,” Giovanni said as Zia was reduced to hysterical weeping. He walked over to Zia who knocked away his touch and ran from the men the best she could in her distraught state.

Lorenzo glared at Giovanni.

“What? You want me to beg to be cut free? How much begging did Carlo do to be free of you? How much begging did Renaldo do when they cut him down for you? I won’t beg. I want what is mine and I’m done with this fucking family!”

“I’m still a man. A year ago, I would have gutted you for the disrespect and chaos you brought this family.”

“You had your chance. You were weak then and I don’t see much different about you now.”

“That’s right. I had my chance. But giving you this chance doesn’t make me weak. Because if you do come back here, or anywhere near this family I will see it as an act of war between us. I will show you, who is strong and who is weak.”

“There’s a plane waiting for you and Marietta. The papers are there for you to head to Australia. The bank accounts you asked for have been created, but will take a bit of time for you to access. I’m being investigated as well, as Gio by Interpol and our accounts are monitored. We will use what we can leverage from the Mancini accounts to set you up.” Dominic informed him.

Giovanni turned and walked away from the conversation. He went back to the table and picked up the bottle of whiskey. He stared out at the gardens instead of his cousin. He and Lorenzo both wore the battle scars of their conception but neither had enough humility left in them to find common ground.

“I have a question,” Lorenzo said after a bitter laugh. “This story you told me about Rocco being my father, when did you learn it?”

Giovanni sipped from his bottle of whiskey. “Rocco confessed the lie on his death bed. Zia confessed the truth not long after.”

“What?”

Giovanni looked over his shoulder. “I’ve known that all along.”

“You knew and—“

“By the time she confessed you were working with the Armenians to destroy me. Killing my cousin, trading our family secrets for greed.”

Lorenzo’s grimace froze.

“You can play the victim quite well, cousin, but you were never innocent,” Giovanni said. “Don’t fucking fool yourself.”

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