He touched her face. She rubbed her cheek into his palm slow and easy. He knew better than to share the truth. She wouldn’t understand how he dealt with his grief. Though he had sex, it was nothing but a body function to slow his descent into madness. And it wasn’t often. In fact it had been months since he’d even seen a woman besides the ones in his family. “Sex was the last thing on my mind then… now… well I feel differently.” So many nights he dreamed of making love to her. Just the other night he had envisioned it so clearly. He couldn’t fathom how wonderful the actual experience would truly be. “You are the only woman to share my heart, now and forever.”
She stepped away from him. Delaying what was to come next. Giovanni didn’t want to seem over anxious, but he was in no mood for the cat and mouse game. Too much time had passed between them. He was grateful that she didn’t begrudge him this reunion, and he wanted to get on with it. Dominic told him to be patient with her, let her take the lead. Damn, if it weren’t hard to do so. He wiped his hand down his face and released a deep breath. Instead of pursuing her he walked over to the wine closet and removed a pair of merlot glasses and a bottle. “You know Italian now? Do you want me to speak it more?” he asked.
“Yes. It will help me learn faster. Oh, and Giovanni, I know other things too.”
Giovanni set the bottle and glasses on the surface of the bar and began his search for a corkscrew opener. “Really? Such as?”
“The Mafia.”
Giovanni glanced up at her. She was watching him by the fireplace. Her gaze intense and her mouth set in a determined line. She even had her hands resting on her hips. Amused, his brow arched. “What do you think you know about the Mafia, Bella?”
“Omertà. It’s the code of silence, isn’t it? The reason you won’t discuss your business with me? I think I read it was the sacred vow taken when being sworn into your family. Violation of the rules is punishable by death.”
Should he venture down this road with her? Discussing his family legacy would not endear her to him. He might push her further away. “What else do you know?” he asked holding her stare as he uncorked the bottle.
Mira cleared her throat.
She’d read everything she could find, both fiction and fact, about mafia families while pregnant. She was careful to keep it all from Kei. To her surprise, her research from books to every news article she read turned up no references of his family. The entire country rarely reported on gang warfare. Though she saw evidence of the war of Battaglia against Calderone, she never got any specific details.
“I know the difference between an earner and an enforcer. An earner is someone whose expertise is making money for the family and an enforcer is a person who threatens, maims, or kills someone who doesn't cooperate with family rules or deals.” She shifted nervously under his gaze. Mira couldn’t tell if he was pleased or angry by what she shared. Her heart began to race as his dark blue eyes bore through her. He had the most piercing stare she’d ever seen from a man.
“Continue,” he said softly.
“You are the Capofamiglia, the Don. Flavio was your consigliere and he was the counselor in the family. He advises the boss and handles disputes within the ranks. I’m sorry he betrayed you.” He poured the wine, and she quickly moved past the subject. “I’m what many would call a comare. A mafia girlfriend.”