La Famiglia (Battaglia Mafia Series) Read online

  “But why?”

  “My father’s mother is a Baldamenti, she married a man under the Battaglia name. But the Baldamenti family has been here for close to four hundred years. Even with my father taking on Battaglia, his father’s name, he is a Baldamenti. A lot of his siblings feel this way. He and Rocco didn’t. They wanted to strike out on their own. Battaglia is how they formed such a strong alliance with the Camorra,” he answered. “Are you okay? You look like you’re in pain?” Giovanni asked.

  “It’s my back again,” Mira said.

  “Rest. I’ll carry you into Villa Mare Blu if I have to.”

  She reached over and touched his thigh. “I’m okay. Do you want to tell me what the doctor said?”

  He kept driving.

  “Giovanni? I don’t like secrets, and you won’t let me keep any. Remember? So what is it? Am I and the babies okay?”

  “Yes, love. You are okay, but your cervix has opened. It’s nothing to worry over. The doctor wants you to take it easy.”

  “Bed rest?” she asked. Terrible regrets assailed her. What if her working on her collection had caused this? Had she pushed herself too hard like before? The last thing she wanted was to be confined to a bed for the remainder of her pregnancy. What could she do to prevent pre-term labor? And then there was the blood. She never heard of a woman having the spotting and blood in urine that she has and being able to have a healthy pregnancy. God help her but she buried her head in the sand on this because she was so afraid.

  “Bella? Calm down. No bed rest yet. But…” He pulled up to Villa Mare Blu and parked. He gazed at her with a bland half smile and Mira braced for the ne. “No sex,” he said.

  “Excuse me? Sex?” Mira laughed. “Sex? Are you kidding?”

  “I’m not kidding. He said we have to stop having sex until you deliver my sons,” Giovanni said.

  “So what?” Mira shrugged.

  “What does that mean? So what?” Giovanni asked. “You saying sex with me doesn’t matter?”

  “Giovanni? At some point we were going to have to. I’m carrying twins. Yes, we’ve found other positions but my body… sometimes I’m tired and it hurts.”

  “Hurts? I hurt you?” Giovanni frowned.

  “You know what I mean,” she sighed. “Your dick is too big, and you get rough.”

  Giovanni laughed. He shook his head smiling. “I don’t understand. Are you saying I force my dick on you? I thought—”

  “Oh good grief, baby! I want sex, all the time. My hormones are off the charts. My coochie aches though, sometimes.” She shrugged. “That’s all I’m saying.” He didn’t smile so she tried a different approach. “Physically it’s becoming uncomfortable. The babies react by tensing up into knots under my ribs or kicking me hard. It can be too much.”

  Giovanni wheezed out a deep sigh and looked straight ahead. “You should have told me. I had no idea I was harming you, Bella.”

  “I do tell you, and you say relax!”

  Giovanni frowned. “I… ah…”

  “Oh stop. It’s not that bad. Besides it’s only a few weeks. Our marriage can survive a few weeks with no vaginal sex,” Mira reasoned.

  “We have sex every day,” he grumbled. “Wait, what do you mean vaginal sex?”

  Mira laughed. “True. Wow. That is true. Except for my menstrual cycle you and I have a lot of sex. I don’t think Kei and I did it as much—” she stopped herself. She looked over and he glanced over to her. She saw the spark of jealous anger in his eyes. She chuckled and cut her gaze away. “Never mind.”

  “Do you think of sex with Kei?” he asked.

  “NO! Let it go, Giovanni,” she sighed.

  “What do you mean vaginal sex Bella?” Giovanni asked.

  She chuckled and reached over to massage his groin. “Do you think I will let my husband lay next to me and not touch it, suck it? Whatever I want?”

  He laughed. “I can give you massages. Make you feel how much I love you,” he said trying to change the subject. He removed her hand from his erection and forced images of bunny rabbits into his head.

  “I can let you push this into my ass, make you feel like my man,” she teased and reached over to touch his groin again.

  He dropped his head shaking it with a smile. “You need to talk to me like this more. I like it,” he said.

  “I think I can handle that,” Mira said. “I’ve gotten a potty mouth since I married you.”

  Giovanni leaned in and brushed his lips over hers. She closed her eyes and reveled in the tingling of her nipples when the tiny hairs of his mustache brushed her lips. “What have I ever done right in life to deserve a woman like you? Ti voglio bene,” he said.

  He often said ti amo to express his feelings for her, but when Giovanni said ti voglio bene it was indeed the deepest meaning of love. Sweet as honey, the sweetest expression of the unbreakable love between them. That is how she cherished the translation. No man had ever made her feel more desired and appreciated.

  “I love you too,” she said.

  It was close to five in the afternoon. She knew Catalina and Dominic had to have arrived. Mira couldn’t wait to see her. He opened his car door and she opened hers without waiting for assistance. She could hear him curse inside the car. Mira was able to exit. She held onto the top of the car door to steady herself. “See, baby? I can still handle myself quite well.”

  “Yes, Bella, you can. I wish you would allow me to do it.”

  “I do, sometimes, but I gotta pee. And I want to see Catalina. Now move,” Mira said and pushed his hands away. She hurried. Giovanni closed the car door and caught up with her. He insisted on holding her hand. She allowed it, even though in her mind she walked fast, her legs didn’t quite follow through. It took a full three minutes to reach the door. But as soon as she drew near the door flew open and Catalina let go a piercing scream.

  “Mira!”

  Catalina rushed Mira and hugged her. Eve raced out the front doors behind her aunt with Cecilia in pursuit. She too went for Mira. She wrapped her arms around her mother’s legs. Mira laughed out loud.

  “Venga qui, Evie,” Giovanni said, and lifted their daughter up into his arms.

  Catalina kissed Mira on the lips and tears bordered her eyes. She spoke with tight repressed emotion. It choked her voice. “I’ve missed you so much.”

  “What has it been? Almost a month?” Mira grinned and hugged Catalina tightly.

  “Inside, ladies,” Giovanni ordered. They couldn’t break from their embrace. When Giovanni gave Mira a gentle shove Catalina let go of her first and pulled her inside the door by the hand. She placed her free hand to Mira’s belly and rubbed it.

  “Oh wow, they are growing huh? How much longer do we have?” Catalina asked.

  “Eight weeks. I can’t wait. These boys weigh a ton. Got a big head like their daddy.”

  Giovanni winked. He put Eve down and immediately she went to Mira with arms stretched to be picked up.

  “Where’s Domi?” he asked.

  “Oh he had business, or someone to see.” Catalina walked over to her brother and grabbed his face. She kissed him on the lips and patted his cheek. “You miss me, Gio?”

  He shook his head no.

  Catalina laughed. “Liar! You see him, Mira?”

  “I see him. He complains all the time about you not being here,” Mira said.

  Catalina hugged her brother tightly and he hugged her back, kissing the top of her head. “Domi will be here soon,” she said before letting him go.

  “I’ll wait in my office. Send him to me when he arrives.”

  They watched him go. A crying Eve ran after her father and he stopped to pick her up and carry her with him. Mira headed toward the parlor, which opened to a garden terrace. The day was nice and the breeze had a pleasant cool temperature. “So I want to hear all about it,” Mira said.

  “First you have to tell me what you and Rosetta are up to? She showed me what you are working on for Fabiana’s. It’s so fresh. I like i
t a lot,” said Catalina.

  “Do you? I was hoping so. Came to me last month in a dream. All I can think of is the color red for Fabiana’s. She was such a fireball. I’m thinking the color scheme will span the gentlest shades of pink to blood red. From daywear to evening I want to do the entire collection with her signature flare. Even a shoe line with red bottoms.”

  “Mira? What are you saying? Carole Montague is working on her collection for Fabiana’s. We agreed she’d design the collection for the first year until you had the boys and then we’d talk to Giovanni to let me use your designs for the next year,” Catalina said.

  “Nope. I don’t want to wait. Giovanni knows I’ve been sketching my ideas and teaching Rosetta to be my sewing needle.” Mira laughed. “Once he came in the sewing room and found me on my knees. He raised hell so bad the poor girl was scared to come out of her room for two days.” Mira shook her head. “He’s a handful but I can control my husband. And—” Mira continued.

  “Hey. Slow down. I’m only saying that we pace ourselves. There’s no hurry. Right? Besides we can do whatever you want. Fabiana’s is your house. You tell us what you want and it’s done.”

  Mira looked at Catalina and felt such a surge of love. In a matter of months she had matured, changed, become her Fabiana. She was so proud of her. “What about Teddy? Did you convince him to come to Milano? Is he there?”

  “Teddy has no desire to return to Italy.”

  “Wait? Return? When did he come?” Mira asked.

  Catalina bit her tongue. She only accidentally stumbled on the discussion. It was for the grand opening of Fabiana’s. Teddy came a few days before. Giovanni forbade him from seeing Mira and Catalina never spoke of a return visit again.

  Milano, March –

  “Signorina Catalina, your brother is here.”

  Catalina stopped in her tracks. She had to pick up Teddy from the airport in half an hour. They had a plan to surprise Mira on the day of Fabiana’s opening. Giovanni wasn’t expected to bring Mira for three days.

  “Here? Where?” Catalina asked her assistant. The place was a noise factory with drills and hammers pounding the last fixtures in the walls before they brought in the clothes and set up the displays.

  The young assistant she hired was American. She would be at Catalina’s side for the next few months to help her launch Fabiana’s. They called her a Project Manager. The woman pushed her glasses up her nose. “They are upstairs with Mr. Tate. They arrived only a few minutes before you.”

  “They? Tate? Teddy is here?”

  “Yes ma’am, I thought you knew. I believe they went up to Mirabella’s office.” The woman said. Catalina hurried away. She walked fast for the elevator doors, and finger punched the button. The doors opened and she couldn’t stop her heart from slamming a rapid beat in her chest. The elevator took forever to climb three floors. She was out the door and hurrying through the halls.

  And then she stopped.

  In Mira’s office Theodore Tate sat in a chair. There was no furniture, just him and a chair. Above on the wall hung the large portrait of Mira and Fabiana back to back. Before Theodore stood a displeased Giovanni. He wore a dark suit, and a dark cashmere trench coat over it. He glared down at the man with glacier blue eyes.

  The scene would have been normal if Catalina hadn’t seen Dominic. He stood over Theodore with a large silver gun pressed to the side of the lawyer’s head. Catalina put her hand to her mouth. She didn’t utter a word. But her brother’s gaze lifted. His stare impaled her from across the room. Without a word Catalina turned and walked back toward the elevators.

  Later Dominic informed Catalina that Teddy would be returning to America. He would not be allowed to surprise or meet with Mira. She didn’t question him. She knew Giovanni was a jealous man, but to threaten Teddy with a gun seemed extreme even for her brother. She also knew not to mention it to Mira. There had to be another reason he and Dominic treated Mira’s lifelong friend so horribly.

  When Catalina spoke with Teddy he pretended nothing happened. He claimed he had so much to do in America that he could barely keep things straight. And it was true. Mirabella’s was thriving. Still Catalina knew differently.

  “Uh, he’s been to Italy remember? You were the one who told me he and Fabiana scouted out Milano before you came.”

  “Oh?” Mira said. “I thought maybe you meant he came recently. Damn him. He has an excuse every time we speak. I’ll call and invite him to Sicily.” Mira said. “I’m dying to see him.”

  Catalina forced a smile. “Yes, you do that. Things are going so well. I’m thinking I will have to travel to America soon,” Catalina said. “Carole is going to be part of a feature spread in this year’s Metropolitan Museum Gala. She’s working on that collection for Mirabella’s. I have to be included. She can be… you know, how she is,” Catalina said.

  “I want her gone.” Mira exhaled. She placed her hand to her belly. One of the babies kicked her so hard she nearly peed herself. “I want her out of my fashion house. Why do I have to keep explaining this to you all? It’s my damn company!”

  “Mira—”

  “Why aren’t we interviewing more designers? There’s a talented designer over at Fendi that would be perfect for us. He just did a national interview saying he would love to work under me since I’ve ‘risen from the dead’,” she said with air quotes. “Damn it!”

  “Giovanni said no, Mira,” Catalina sighed. “It’s a family business. After Carole it will be you and me. No other designers.”

  “He doesn’t know what he’s saying no to! I want the bitch gone!” Mira shouted.

  Catalina’s brows shot up with surprise. Mira had to laugh at her expression. She rarely cursed. She shook her head smiling.

  “Well okay. I think I get it now. Don’t go into labor over it,” Catalina smiled.

  Mira closed her eyes and rubbed her belly to settle the babies. “My temper is getting the best of me lately. I’m sorry. I understand why Giovanni wants us to wait. We’re taking on a lot with Fabiana’s. We have to make sure there isn’t too much of a shakeup in our company. Chaos could affect my brand. But I’m not going to sit here and let my work, my fashion house, the one Fabiana and I built from scratch become Carole Montague’s. I’m not going to do it!”

  “What do you want me to do?” Catalina asked.

  “You said you have been working on your own collection? Right?” Mira asked.

  “Yes. I brought my sketches—”

  “Perfetto! I have an idea,” Mira grinned. “You’ve seen Rosetta today haven’t you? I’ve taught her to sew and all she wears are clothes she’s made. Beautiful dresses. I think she’s wearing the blue one today.”

  “I saw her,” Catalina said with a flippant cut of her eyes away.

  “She’s a good seamstress. Quick learner. And she’s helped me with this collection I’ve been working on. We’ll call it The Scarlet Letter, it’ll be FWS&S.”

  “I don’t understand?” Catalina frowned.

  “We’ll release the first line in Fall under the scarlet letter F. Remember the collection is different shades of red. And then we’ll do winter and have a line under the letter W with muted shades of dark red, and then we’ll launch Spring and Summer with resort and bikini wear, a line under the letters S&S with bright exciting shades of red. It’ll be huge. It’ll be Fabiana’s, and you will be the head designer. With my designs of course.”

  Catalina’s eyes stretched. “And mine? Can I have some of my designs included?”

  “We’ll see,” Mira smiled.

  “I love it! But it’s lying to Giovanni. If he learns that you are designing while pregnant for me he’ll be pissed.”

  “That’s the beauty of it. I’m really not. I will give it over to you and Rosetta for final approval. And I will let you manage the launch of the line. I’m really going to stand you up as a designer. And when you emerge using my work you will blow their socks off. It gets Carole Montague out of my company, keeps my husband happy,
and protects my babies from me overworking myself. And finally I can out some of these ideas I have in my head while I sit around and wait for my babies to be born.”

  “So we tell Giovanni?” Catalina asked.

  “Let me worry how it is explained to your brother. He’s sensitive, hard-headed, but reasonable when I put it to him the right way,” Mira smiled.

  “One thing, Mira. I want to use some of my work. Per favore. I want to be a true designer. I know I’m not fully ready, but if you are using me as the face of the fashion house, then it’s going to be my talent too. I can’t be just a mask for you,” Catalina said.

  Mira hadn’t considered Catalina’s ambition in her plans. It would be wrong to use her this way and not let her have real creative input. “I’ll draw from your ideas if they align with the overall vision. Go get your work. And find Rosetta. Let’s put my designs and yours together and see what we come up with.”

  “Oh my! Oh my goodness! I’m so excited.” Catalina put her hands to her mouth. “This is going to be wonderful.” Catalina clapped.

  “Help me up. I got to pee.” Mira tried to push up from the sofa. Catalina helped her rise to her feet. Mira felt so much better with her new idea. It would only be a matter of time before she could get Carole Montague out of her company for good.

  * B *

  “Lucciola, put it down,” Giovanni ordered. He looked up from his desk when he heard the first bang of glass on a wood surface. Eve turned, sucking her cherry red pacifier. In her hand she held an ashtray made of crystal. She blinked at him and then looked at the ashtray as if trying to decide.

  “Put it down,” he said in a stern tone.

  Eve shoved the pacifier to her cheek with her tongue. “Mine,” she said. She plopped down on her butt and put the ashtray between her legs to play with it. Giovanni reached for the phone and dialed Santo again when there was a knock at the door.

  “Come in.”

  Catalina stuck her head inside. She smiled at him. “I came for Eve?”

  “Take her. She doesn’t listen to Papa,” Giovanni said.