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“After you left, she made a call to her American friends. She threatened the family, you, with exposing the truth about Lorenzo and Fabiana. She insisted we take her to the airport, put her on a plane. I had little time to react. She left me no choice.”

“I told you she was not to leave here!” He collared Flavio. “You gave her my jet?” He shook Flavio hard. His men grabbed at his arms but his rage would not be restrained. “Are you lying to me old man? She’s barely five-foot five and a hundred and twenty pounds. How could she be a threat? Who gave her a fucking phone?”

“I’m not lying son. Call the plane if she will speak to you. I swear it.”

Giovanni’s nostrils flared. He battled with indecision. He shoved Flavio and looked to Dominic who stood off silently watching. Something didn’t feel right. She could barely stand without weeping. Now she was a gladiator, fighting to get home. It made no sense. “Call the pilot, have him turn the fucking plane around! Now!”

“Wait!” Flavio said holding his throat. “This might not be a bad thing. Think of it. She goes home, and she is safe. We have sent our men after Catalina and Franco to make sure they are safe. You still have Angelo and the Calderone’s to deal with. They’ve bombedMelanzanaonce. They could return, do worse. At least this way you keep her safe.”

“I hear that I don’t know how to do anything anymore without your counsel?”

Flavio frowned.

“You making deals behind my back. Bartering peace? Sacrificing my blood to save this family without my consent?” Giovanni shouted.

“Angelo Calderone is actually more of a threat than we conceived. He has friends in the Cammora. We need to stay strong with our alliances. Show that we are the ones wronged; make sure if blood is to be shed it’s out of necessity not blind vengeance. That’s the sign of a strong leader.”

“You didn’t answer my question.”

Flavio glanced back to Dominic then to him. “I only made sure that the night went off without an issue. Are the Nigerians dead?”

Giovanni wiped his hand down his face. “Fuck all of this. Get the plane back now.” He turned and stormed out to the back of the villa. He’d go outside and deal with the rest of this mess fromVilla Rosso, after he got a call to his Bella to convince her to return to him.

Mira requested to use the in-flight phone on the jet. She knew Giovanni had one. When she dialed the numbers her fingers trembled so bad she had to keep breathing deep breaths to still her nerves. The phone rang and Kei answered immediately.

“Hello?”

“Kei?” she said, her voice weak, small.

“Mira? Mira what the fuck is going on? It’s on the news. They say Fabiana is dead, and no one knows details. Are you alright? Where the hell are you now?”

“She’s dead Kei,” Mira wept. “She was… it was an accident.”

“What kind of accident? Where are you?”

“On my way home. I didn’t know who else to call.”

“Calm down babe. I’ll be there when you land. You can tell me about it. We’ll figure it out.”

Mira wept. “She’s dead. Fabiana’s gone.”

“Can you tell me what happened? How did this happen?”

Fabiana thought of Flavio’s warning. “An accident.”

“Damn. Damn it. I’m sorry babe. So very sorry. We’ll figure it out. Just hold on.”

“I’m trying.”

****

Giovanni frowned. The phone on the plane was busy. Mira had to be on it. Who could she be talking to? He put his face in his hands consumed with bitter resentment that she would leave him and go home. It was indeed his fault, but still he had hoped that she had some faith in him.

“Can I come in?” Flavio asked.

He reclined in his chair. “Did you reach the pilot?”

“No. I couldn’t get through.”