After closing out Messenger, I grab my cell phone off my desk and tap it, wondering if Mirabella’s number is still the same. I pull up a thread that I named ‘Fab Five’.
ME: I don’t even know if this number still works or not, but I need to reach Mirabella. This is Benvolio.
MIRABELLA: This is her. What do you want? This is a group text, you know that right?
ME: Yes, with the Fab Five Girls. Someone contacted me tonight about you.
MIRABELLA: What do you mean?
I send a picture of the conversation.
MIRABELLA: Where are you? Can you meet me at my house and bring your laptop?
ME: It was my desktop, but sure.
MIRABELLA: Meet me in thirty.
MIRABELLA: Girls, I’ll message you later about everything tonight and this latest development.
The rest of the girls send different emojis before I close out my messages. I shut down my computer and unplug everything. I carry it out of my apartment and into my car. What is going on with Mirabella? Will she let me in? I drive the forty minutes to her place and stop outside the gate.
“Can I help you?” The guy at the gate asks as he looks me over and into my car.
“Mirabella is expecting me. I’m Benvolio Rossi.” He talks into his wrist and waits for a reply before opening the gates and telling me to head in. As I get out of the car, another guy pats me down. “I’m not carrying a gun. I have a cell phone and a computer.”
“He doesn’t need a pat-down. He hates guns.” Mirabella’s voice comes from the doorway. I swallow hard, staring at her. She’s wearing leggings and a t-shirt. In the three years since our failed wedding day she’s even better-looking, if that’s even possible. “Bring your stuff into the office. Do you want a beer or whiskey?”
“Beer would be good.” My voice squeaks as I watch her hips sway back and forth as she walks away. I head into the office and place it down on the desk. She has a few computers on the desk. “Still playing with the dark web?”
“Always. I went to Faro’s house earlier to get his computer, but he ended up having three. I took over my dad’s business in tonight. The Fab Five are now running this territory. I don’t trust Faro, so I wanted to get his computer before he could change anything.”
“Is that where the bruises came from?” She tries to hide her face, but I grab her wrist. “La Mia Anima,don’t turn away from me. Tell me what he did.” She sighs. Mirabella tells me everything. “It’s nice you can be so open with me about the mafia life.”
“I can’t believe Dad told you. It’s why I couldn’t marry you. I didn’t want this life for you, but somehow they found you.”
“I’m attached to you, so of course they’re going to find me. Let’s get my computer up and running so we can see who it is.” I smile at her. She types on the other computers as she waits for me to boot up.
“Is this the computer from college?” She laughs. “It was a dinosaur then.”
“A teacher’s salary doesn’t allow for a lot of upgrades. The apartment sets me back a lot after the wedding, paying for Mama’s house, and my niece’s extracurricular activities. There isn’t much left for me.”
“I have an extra one. I just bought it. You can have it. What do you mean, ‘after the wedding’?”
“You don’t know? Faro made me pay back my half of everything. I’m still paying him. I should pay it off in about four months.”
“I ended the engagement and Papa said nothing to me about it.” She sighs. “I’m so sorry. I never meant for you to do that. Why would Faro do that to you?” I shrug. She stares at my background picture. “I’m sure your girlfriend doesn’t like that picture.”
“I don’t have a girlfriend. I’m still engaged to you.” I wink at her, poking her nose. She connects to the internet and types away. I walk around the office, taking everything in. “How are you doing with everything? I’ve been worried about you.”
SEVEN
MIRABELLA
The bruising is revealingitself quickly, and I can’t hide anything from Lio. I sigh at the question he asks me. How am Idoing?
“To be honest, I’m fucking overwhelmed. I don’t understand who would kill my dad or any of the fathers. Faro actually thought he was going to be in charge.” I scoff. “He did this to me. He wanted to give me a message.” I roll my eyes.
“I’ve never liked that guy. I always met your dad alone, always just the two of us. On the rare occasions he showed up, he looked at me like I wasn’t good enough for you. I thought he was the reason for us not getting married.”