and looked
upon the three that disappointed him greatly. “You know there will
never be a democracy between us. My word is law in your lives,
until I’m dead or unfit.” Giovanni waved off the rest of his morbid
thoughts. He intended to live a very long time. “She’s pregnant
again. The birth of my son changes everything for you.”
“ It’s a boy? How do you know?”
Catalina asked.
Giovanni put his sister in his sights. Her
hair lay flat and wavy, framing her face. She stared up at him with
a wide-eyed innocent look that kept her spoiled and sheltered most
of her life. Being angry with her was a waste of energy.
“ The baby will be a boy. I expect
you all to do what is necessary to make her happy and comfortable
while she is pregnant.”
“ How?” Catalina blurted.
He strolled away from the window and sat on
the edge of the desk. “You know how. You’ve already started taking
liberties. She wants you forgiven. She wants you and Domi to play
house with my blessing. You know this because you put it in her
head that you two are some fucking Romeo and Juliet, and what you
share isn’t unnatural.”
Lorenzo chuckled.
Catalina cut him down with a glare. Dominic
shifted a bit in his chair. Giovanni tossed a sneer his way. He
could sense the tense edge of anticipation between the two. The
idea of them as a couple was revolting.
“ So you want to punish us still?”
Catalina asked sadly.
“ I’m man enough to admit my
mistakes. You should have been given the opportunity to live
outside of this life. Made friends of your own and maybe gone to
college. Being of Battaglia blood, you found other ways to rebel.
You turned to the man closest to you.” He cut his gaze over to
Dominic and continued. “I hate liars. But at least now I know where
you and I stand on loyalty. It’s hard to admit, but I can
understand why you chose to keep this affair a secret.”
Catalina and Dominic exchanged looks. Lorenzo
slumped down in his chair as if bored with the entire conversation.
Giovanni continued, hurried through his speech to be done with it.
“I promised Papa I would protect you and you,” he said referencing
Dominic as well. “I failed,” he admitted. “Bella says that I can be
compassionate. I think compassion is bullshit, an emotion for dead
men who should’ve had the balls to live their lives by their gut,
not their hearts,” he scoffed. “But she’s a woman, and it’s in her
nature to believe in forgiveness. Again, we all want to make her
happy. Right? For that reason, and because your donna requests this as an early wedding gift, I’ve decided to offer you
two my blessing to wed.”
Catalina squealed. She was out of her chair
and charging him. She threw her hands around his neck, stomping her
feet and jumping with happiness. Giovanni was forced to hold her or
be knocked off the desk. “ Grazie! Mille grazie! Tante
grazie! Bless you and Donna . Bless you, Gio!” He stared
at Dominic over his sister’s shoulder. It would take time and much
soul searching for him to find the brotherhood he felt was lost
between them.
Dominic stood. “ Grazie,
Giovanni .”
Catalina let him go, and rushed over to
Dominic. She hugged him. He buried his face in her neck and held
her to him. When Giovanni looked to Lorenzo, his cousin shook his
head in disappointment. This indeed was a sign of
weakness.
Giovanni cleared his throat. “You will have to
pay respect to your dead husband, Catalina.”
She whirled on him, glowing with a bright
smile and fresh tears on her cheeks. “Yes, Gio. Of
course.”
He then spoke to Dominic. “You two will not be
forced to hide your love, not even in front of me. Though you will
not consummate your desires under my roof,” Giovanni said. “Not
until you are married. If I see, hear or smell you two fucking,
compassion will be the last thing in my heart.”
They both nodded that they
understood.
“ Now leave us, Catalina. We have
other business to discuss.”
Catalina
upon the three that disappointed him greatly. “You know there will
never be a democracy between us. My word is law in your lives,
until I’m dead or unfit.” Giovanni waved off the rest of his morbid
thoughts. He intended to live a very long time. “She’s pregnant
again. The birth of my son changes everything for you.”
“ It’s a boy? How do you know?”
Catalina asked.
Giovanni put his sister in his sights. Her
hair lay flat and wavy, framing her face. She stared up at him with
a wide-eyed innocent look that kept her spoiled and sheltered most
of her life. Being angry with her was a waste of energy.
“ The baby will be a boy. I expect
you all to do what is necessary to make her happy and comfortable
while she is pregnant.”
“ How?” Catalina blurted.
He strolled away from the window and sat on
the edge of the desk. “You know how. You’ve already started taking
liberties. She wants you forgiven. She wants you and Domi to play
house with my blessing. You know this because you put it in her
head that you two are some fucking Romeo and Juliet, and what you
share isn’t unnatural.”
Lorenzo chuckled.
Catalina cut him down with a glare. Dominic
shifted a bit in his chair. Giovanni tossed a sneer his way. He
could sense the tense edge of anticipation between the two. The
idea of them as a couple was revolting.
“ So you want to punish us still?”
Catalina asked sadly.
“ I’m man enough to admit my
mistakes. You should have been given the opportunity to live
outside of this life. Made friends of your own and maybe gone to
college. Being of Battaglia blood, you found other ways to rebel.
You turned to the man closest to you.” He cut his gaze over to
Dominic and continued. “I hate liars. But at least now I know where
you and I stand on loyalty. It’s hard to admit, but I can
understand why you chose to keep this affair a secret.”
Catalina and Dominic exchanged looks. Lorenzo
slumped down in his chair as if bored with the entire conversation.
Giovanni continued, hurried through his speech to be done with it.
“I promised Papa I would protect you and you,” he said referencing
Dominic as well. “I failed,” he admitted. “Bella says that I can be
compassionate. I think compassion is bullshit, an emotion for dead
men who should’ve had the balls to live their lives by their gut,
not their hearts,” he scoffed. “But she’s a woman, and it’s in her
nature to believe in forgiveness. Again, we all want to make her
happy. Right? For that reason, and because your donna requests this as an early wedding gift, I’ve decided to offer you
two my blessing to wed.”
Catalina squealed. She was out of her chair
and charging him. She threw her hands around his neck, stomping her
feet and jumping with happiness. Giovanni was forced to hold her or
be knocked off the desk. “ Grazie! Mille grazie! Tante
grazie! Bless you and Donna . Bless you, Gio!” He stared
at Dominic over his sister’s shoulder. It would take time and much
soul searching for him to find the brotherhood he felt was lost
between them.
Dominic stood. “ Grazie,
Giovanni .”
Catalina let him go, and rushed over to
Dominic. She hugged him. He buried his face in her neck and held
her to him. When Giovanni looked to Lorenzo, his cousin shook his
head in disappointment. This indeed was a sign of
weakness.
Giovanni cleared his throat. “You will have to
pay respect to your dead husband, Catalina.”
She whirled on him, glowing with a bright
smile and fresh tears on her cheeks. “Yes, Gio. Of
course.”
He then spoke to Dominic. “You two will not be
forced to hide your love, not even in front of me. Though you will
not consummate your desires under my roof,” Giovanni said. “Not
until you are married. If I see, hear or smell you two fucking,
compassion will be the last thing in my heart.”
They both nodded that they
understood.
“ Now leave us, Catalina. We have
other business to discuss.”
Catalina
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