Page 75 of The One
“Whenever I need to clear my head and need a break from all of this,” I admit, leaning back. “It’s my little hideaway. Quiet. Simple.”
She glances at me, curiosity and something softer in her eyes. “It must feel like a completely different world.”
“It does. And it’s the one place where no one expects anything from me.”
“If your mom lived in Tuscany, does that mean she wasn’t part ofla famiglia?”
“No, she wasn’t. She was a regular person, just like Ella was when Tiero met her.”
“But unlike Ella, she accepted the lifestyle?”
“Yes, different times and all. And my father was always convincing. He worshipped the ground she walked on. Not that Tiero isn’t doing that with Ella, but their circumstances were different.
“Mammadied when I was six because of complications during my sister’s birth. She didn’t make it either.Papàwas never the same after losingmamma, and I’m worried about what will happen to Tiero if Ella doesn’t come back. I watched my father become a shell of himself. I don’t think I could bear seeing Tiero go down the same path.”
Mariella bites her lips, dropping her gaze. “I don’t know what a future would look like for your brother and Ella. She wants nothing to do with the Mafia life.”
I let out a long sigh. “Yeah. But that’s a problem for another day. We need to find her first.”
I pick up a slice of the Diavola and take a bite, while Mariella chews on her pizza thoughtfully.
“Father wasn’t in the Mafia originally either,” she says, dabbing at her mouth with a napkin. My eyes lock onto her lips, now a deeper shade of red from the spice, fuller and even more tempting than before.
Pull yourself together, man!
“Not that he talks much about himself. But from whatmammasaid, his upbringing was quite hard,” she continues talking, but all I can think about is how the heat from the Diavola pizza has turned her lips into something so alluring. The way they move, the slight sheen from the sauce… it’s a distraction I’m not prepared for.
Swallowing hard, I force my gaze up again, trying to focus on her words, but it’s a struggle. Her lips must be soft now. How would they taste with that hint of spice?
“His father died when he was young, so it was just him, his mother, and his younger brother,” she says quietly, tapping her finger lightly on the edge of her plate. “When his brother died in his teens, things got even tougher. Money was always tight. That’s why he left Bolzano and came to Sicily in his early twenties.”
“Why Sicily?” I ask, finally managing to shove aside the lingering thoughts of Mariella’s soft lips. I’m aware Antonio wasn’t originally part ofla famiglia, but I never wondered why he chose our island.
“Apparently, a friend of his knew someone who worked formamma’s father and talked up the kind of money that could be made. Father always had grand ambitions. I think he hated being a nobody.Mammasaid once he started working for her father, he quickly moved up the ranks.”
I nod, knowing the history. Mariella’s mother’s family has been part of our organization since my great-grandfather’s days, loyal and dependable.
It’s a shame there were no male heirs to carry on their name. It’s a curse Antonio seems to have inherited when he took over after Mariella’s grandfather’s accident by marrying Caterina, Mariella’s mother.
“He started courting my mother behind Grandfather’s back.Mammasaid he swept her off her feet, being so charming and attentive. But when he asked my grandfather for her hand, he refused. Probably because of his poor background.”
I’m not surprised. Typical of the old guard, valuing status above all else.
“They kept seeing each other behind his back. A few weeks later, Grandfather’s car exploded with him in it.” Her voice lowers, almost as if she’s sharing a secret.
Antonio’s rise has always been surrounded by rumors, but hearing it from Mariella adds another dimension to the story.
“Anyway, your father was Don then, and he gave my parents his blessing to marry,” she says, her teeth sinking into her lip again, pulling my attention right back to it.
“The Molinaros claimed responsibility for the car bomb,” I say, forcing my focus back.
“They did. But the timing was just so convenient, don’t you think?”
It certainly was. “Your father would say that luck was on his side.”
But Antonio makes his own luck and never lets anything stand in his way. That’s part of why he’s been such a great capo. But on this particular occasion, his slate was clean.
If anyone had told me this morning I’d have one of the best nights of my life without sex, I would have laughed, especially after another shit day. But everything shifted as soon as I picked up Mariella.
