"No one told me! Gio, I didn't know," Lorenzo said.

Giovanni didn't respond.

"There's something you both need to know. Something I just picked up on," Lorenzo winced as he staggered forward. "Mancini tracked us. He had his people tailing us in France. Carlo confirmed it. Marietta was his target. Gio, I think he wants to tell her the truth."

"We are done, Lorenzo. Leave. Get out," Dominic warned.

"Gio? I am trying to tell you the truth!" Lorenzo pleaded.

"Out! Out! Out now!" Giovanni flipped the desk sending it crashing with a thunderous boom. Lorenzo looked over to Dominic. The consigliere nodded that he should go. Lorenzo turned and held his side as he managed to walk out of the room without a.s.sistance.

Before Dominic could say a word Giovanni put his face in his hands and spoke. "You go too. Get the f.u.c.k out."

Dominic walked over to the desk. He heaved it up from its side and set it right. He then went to the bar. He needed a drink. Not only had his sweet love with Catalina ended because of jealous rage. But now he had a new war in the family to contend with. No matter what transpired Giovanni would not admit defeat. But he was certain that his Don knew in this situation he was defeated. He'd have to tell his wife the truth.

"There is a benefit to this, Gio," Dominic began. "If we think on it."

Dominic drank the brandy and exhaled as the bitter and the sweet coated his tongue. "She's his wife. She's one of us now. You can turn this around. Take the credit for uniting the sisters. Tell Mirabella you didn't know who she was until he brought Marietta here to Sicily. Let the sisters get to know each other under your supervision."

"Or I could go with option two," Giovanni said.

Dominic stopped sipping his brandy, the gla.s.s was frozen to his lips. Giovanni cut his gaze over to Dominic. He leaned forward and braced the side of the desk once more. "I could cut her throat and his. Be done with them both. Show Mancini that nothing, not even Bella's sister can come between me and my wife."

"Gio? You won't do that. You harm her, and we go to war with the Mancinis. The world knows who Mira is and she becomes a p.a.w.n to use against you. Mira learns the truth from anyone other than you and you lose her. Think about it, Gio, I beg you."

Giovanni looked away. "Do you know what I fear, Domi?"

"What?" he asked.

"This. The day I become him." Giovanni said.

"Who?"

"Patri," Gio confessed. "I swore to my mother that I would never. But when Nico had his arm wrapped around Lorenzo's throat I came close. So close to giving in."

"But you stopped it." Dominic said.

"Did I, Domi?" he looked over again at Dominic. "Or did you?"

Dominic put the brandy gla.s.s down. "What if Lorenzo is telling the truth. She's Mira's twin. Can you blame him for falling in love with her? Look at what you will do to keep Mira. Lorenzo is no different than you, Gio. And neither of you are Tomosino. You are changing this family for the better. Legitimizing us."

Giovanni closed his eyes, his profile revealed his torment. "She and my children are the only ones that keep me... from... giving in. I learned that lesson with the Calderones. Madness has a taste. It's sweet, decadent, intoxicating. If she finds out how I betrayed her... I can't risk what Tomosino did to her mother ever coming out. I know my woman. There are limits. She'll close part of her heart off from me."

"Then tell her your version of the truth and bring her sister into the family. Stand Lorenzo up. Unite us. Don't be like Patri and rule with your prejudices and pride."

"I need to be alone." Giovanni said.

At first Dominic hesitated, but like himself Giovanni proved there was no reasoning away a man's fears. He understood Giovanni in ways many didn't. From the moment Giovanni learned that his father had fault in how Mira's mother died he knew Giovanni walked in fear. Dominic suffered the same affliction. And tonight he had driven Catalina away. Lost the only person in the world that kept him sane.

Yes. He understood Giovanni in ways no else did.

"Mira is strong, Gio. And she loves you. Trust her," Dominic warned.

He turned and walked out.

Emotion shamed him. Here he was fearless among killers, men that lived beneath the belly of society, and suddenly he was weak with self-pity. Giovanni sucked down deep slow breaths to stay away an anxiety attack unlike anything he felt since he put his mother in the ground. He was trapped. Boxed in between lies and deception. Lorenzo had done the unthinkable and he had to accept it. If he struck out at either of them and lost control of the situation it would most certainly destroy his marriage. If he confessed, he'd lose her faith and trust in him. If he did nothing his enemies in and outside of this family would find the moment to slit his throat and take it all.

Grief swept through him like a black oppressive wave of defeat. Giovanni dropped to his knees. He never let them see him afraid-never let them see him fall. Not even Mira knew his deepest darkest fear. The one of dying alone, unloved, unworthy. He pressed his face to the cool wood surface of the desk and tried to regulate his breathing. And then the terror tremors squeezing his gut and lungs ceased. He exhaled, turned, and put his back to his desk. He sat on the floor staring at the blood glistening over the marble floor.

The damage was done. His actions would have consequences. He would sit there the entire night until he figured out how to do away with those consequences.

* B *

Marietta smiled as the warmth of the sun warmed her face. She felt wonderful. Stretching she turned and opened her eyes to look for her husband. At first her vision blurred but she blinked twice and her vision cleared.

Her heart stopped.

A startled cry of horror escaped her. Marietta shot upright in bed. Dried blood was on Lorenzo's pillow and face. He had a busted lip and red swelling to his cheek and both eyes. She moved the blanket and looked underneath to find his body peppered with bruises. Lorenzo let out a snore and flipped over to throw his arm around her waist.

"Baby? Baby wake up!"

Lorenzo grunted and peeked with one eye up at her. "Huh?" he said.

She kept her tears at bay and tried to find her voice. "Waa-wha-what happened to you?" she stammered. "Who hurt you like this?"

With a frown of confusion he lifted his head. "I'm fine. Come here, beautiful."

"No!" She fought to stay upright but he pulled her down under the covers and rolled on top of her. Marietta pushed at both of his shoulders and moved her hips left and then right to keep him from parting her legs. He won the battle forcing her thighs apart with his muscled thighs and pressing his erection hard against her p.u.s.s.y.

Instead of resisting him she took hold of his face and cradled it in her hands. "What happened?"

"I fell on my way to the bathroom last night," he smiled.

She opened her mouth to call bulls.h.i.t on his explanation and he kissed her brow while feeding her p.u.s.s.y an inch of his d.i.c.k. Marietta let go of his face and gipped his shoulders. Lorenzo hissed in pain.

"Oops! I'm sorry, stop. You aren't well. Stop it, Lo."

"Bulls.h.i.t. Ti desidero." Lorenzo dropped his face into the s.p.a.ce between her shoulder and neck. He grabbed her hard by the hip and a.s.s to pin her down. From over his shoulder she watched his a.s.s rise and fall as he thrust inch by inch into her. Marietta's lids fluttered shut and her eyes rolled beneath. The s.e.xual a.s.sault lasted longer than she expected and she clung to him as he climaxed his release. She achieved none. How could she when her heart raced with worry the way it did.

Marietta sighed.

Lorenzo lay on her, buried inside her. She rubbed his back gently to give him some relief. When did he leave their bed and return? Who could have beaten him so horribly here? And more importantly, why?

She felt a surge of protective rage with the ferocity of a lightening bolt. She'd be d.a.m.n if she let anybody hurt her baby. Ever. Marietta dropped her face over to the side of his head and held on to him, closing her eyes. Lorenzo lifted his a.s.s to withdraw his c.o.c.k and turned to his side bringing her with him. She clung to him. She drifted back to sleep.

* B *

Giovanni sat on the edge of the bed. He gazed down at Mira. He brushed the back of his hand across her cheek. Mira's eyes opened.

"Giovanni? What is it?"

"Something I need to tell you," he said. The words lodged in his throat. He pressed his lips together searching for a way to begin. Dominic said if he owned the situation he controlled the outcome. But to have Lorenzo drive him to this act made his pride swell and crush his bravery.

"Okay, sweetheart. Tell me." Mira lifted on her elbows. He remembered when he found her, after thinking she was dead. He remembered how close he came to losing her. But things were different now. She was his wife. Even if she wanted to punish him she would never leave him. He'd make sure of it.

"I've done something," he began. "I don't know how to explain."

"Oh, Giovanni." Mira tried to sit up fully and he helped her. He positioned pillows to her back. "I've always told you, no matter what it is, you can talk to me."

She touched his face.

He closed his eyes.

"I make tough decisions for us all the time, Bella. I'm selfish because I have to be. I have to think of what we need first. There are so many things you don't know, so much I can never tell you to explain why I do what I do."

"It's okay," Mira said. Giovanni looked up into her eyes. She smiled sweetly at him. "What I said yesterday, about you manipulating me. Is this what it's all about?"

He nodded.

"You're not perfect. I know who you have to be for them, but for me you don't. Talk to me. I can handle whatever it is, if you trust me."

The tortured malady of his heart froze his tongue. No matter how he looked at it, explained or reasoned the past, his actions were inexcusable. And he just couldn't bring himself to compound the deception with another lie. He glanced up at her. Mira smiled. He leaned in and kissed her. "You were right, I did keep Zia and Rocco away from you on purpose. I told them they weren't needed. I wanted to keep the family in the dark about your pregnancy."

"What about my pregnancy?" Mira asked.

"You have what the doctors call Placenta Previa. The doctors have concerns that the placenta has moved to cover part of your cervix. Remember the bleeding and the cramping. It's a symptom. And they... they say it will get worse."

"And the babies? What about them? They need the placenta right? For oxygen and food. Right? What happens to my babies?"

"The babies are fine, Bella. Healthy and fine I a.s.sure you. But the doctor thinks you might go into pre-term labor. That's the reason I brought you here, to relax you. Buhari has a good prenatal facility in Palermo."

"They already said I have high blood pressure. Now this? Why did you keep this from me!" she asked. He could hear the anger and disappointment in her voice. "You had the doctors lie to me and tell me the bleeding was normal! I trusted you."

He nodded under the weight of his guilt. "You were having panic attacks, Mira. Nothing I could do or say calmed you. I thought the less you knew the better. But I was wrong. I'm sorry."

Mira sighed. She reached and touched his face. "Good grief. I can't believe you sometimes. The lengths you will go to. What do we do now? Do I stay in bed? What?"

"The doctor said its okay for you to move around. He'll check you later this week. Have you had any cramping? Any bleeding?"

"A little bleeding not a lot. No cramping."

Giovanni forced a smile. "Then we're okay."

"Don't do that again. Don't lie to me about something this important. About my life, my health. I trust you babe. You put us at risk when you keep secrets this important from me."

"I understand."

"Come here... you look tired. Let's get some more sleep. We don't have to start the morning just yet."

He rose and removed his robe, pajama pants. He stripped nude before he climbed across the bed and got in with her.

"Do you forgive me?" he asked, and kissed her face, then her belly. Mira stroked the back of his head as he listened to his sons.

"Nothing you do could ever make me stop loving you, Giovanni. Nothing."

Giovanni closed his eyes. He had to wait to tell her the truth another day. One confession was all he could stand.

Morning Mira's head lifted from her pillow. Eve stood in her crib. She sucked her pacifier and observed her parents. When their eyes met Eve blinked at her mother while dancing on one foot and then the other to be released. Giovanni slept with his arm around her waist and his thigh thrown over her leg. His face was buried in her hair and his breath warmed her nape. She could only sleep comfortably on her side and no matter how many times she explained to him that his holding her in the night made her uncomfortable she constantly found herself in this position.

Eve began to cry.

Mira sighed. She pushed out of his embrace and sat up. The babies jostled for s.p.a.ce in her belly and she felt a sharp cramp in her side. Several more weeks of this and she was done. After learning the truth about her pregnancy last night she prayed to see her babies to be born healthy.

She pushed up to her feet from the bed and walked over to her daughter. Eve immediately lifted her arms to be rescued.

"Morning, baby," Mira said. She balanced her daughter's weight in her arms with her against her belly. "You hungry?"

Eve rested her head against Mira's shoulder.

"You shouldn't lift her, Bella. Let me next time," Giovanni yawned.

"You heard her. You didn't move." Mira put Eve in the bed between them. Eve immediately crawled over to her father and he sat up to stretch the toddler out against his chest. Mira lowered to the bed, turned her legs and put them on top.

"Her diaper bag is over there. Can you change her for me?" Mira yawned.

She looked over and saw the frown on her husband's face.

"I thought she went to the pink plastic toilet?" he asked.

"Giovanni? She can't very well climb out of the crib and go. She wears disposable training pants to bed. They're in the diaper bag by the door."

He grumbled but got out of the bed with Eve in his arms. Mira watched him bring the bag over. She was too sleepy to argue. But sitting up against the pillows instead of being trapped in his arms did help with comfort.

"Why did you put the bracelet on Eve's wrist?" he asked.

Mira glanced at Eve's wrist. Her daughter seemed oblivious to it now. Earlier Eve was fascinated with the jewelry and touched it constantly. "It fits. So cute."

"It's a family heirloom. You should put it up don't you think? Let Eve wear it on special occasions," Giovanni said. He worked the training pamper off Eve and Mira grabbed the baby bag to hand him the wipes.

"You're right. That reminds me, Catalina saw the bracelet."

"And?" Giovanni asked. Eve flipped over and he turned her again to finish changing her.

"She said it looked like a copy of a man named Del Stavio."

Giovanni froze. He looked over at her. "She said what?"

"Give her to me, Gio. You've got to secure the sides, baby," Mira sighed. Giovanni let Eve go and she went to her mother and lay out across her lap.