“No. We’re fine.” Mira pushed gently against the wall of chest before her to make Nico move away and not pursue the stranger. Nico nodded and the men shadowed her as she walked off. She glanced back for the Asian man but he had disappeared in the cluster of trees.
“Is everything okay?” Catalina asked. “Did you escape us again bambina?” Catalina tickled Eve’s side and her daughter laughed.
“Yes. Eve’s fine.” She dismissed the encounter.
The rest of the day was less eventful as they shopped throughout the streets of Napoli. They strapped Eve in a stroller they purchased as soon as they arrived at the market. Mira approached a street cart and purchased three scoops of gelato in a cup instead of cone. The smoky creamy flavor of pistachio mixed in with vanilla bean and caramel had her daughter bouncing and humming through each taste.
“She loves it!” Catalina laughed. “Zia can make the best gelato from scratch. I’ll be sure to tell her little Evie loves those flavors.”
They continued shopping and chatting along the crowded streets. It was a different experience. Storeowners catered to them as if they were royalty, and everything purchased was put on the Battaglia account. Catalina knew each of the men shadowing them by name, and Mira made sure to buy something for them all. The driver took three special trips to the car loading it with their haul. The trip to the toy store was a difficult one. Eve threw tantrums in every aisle demanding a doll or game. Catalina agreed to watch her as Mira shopped. The only way for her to do so was to buy one of the dolls and let her sit at the front of the store where she could play with it. When Mira finished shopping, she had the store clerk make arrangements for it to be delivered.
As they were leaving Mira couldn’t shake the feeling of being watched. She stood at the open car door and looked around at the other shoppers wary of the feeling, but still unable to shake it. Seeing no one out of the ordinary she gave up. It may have a lot to do with the fact that she’d lived in seclusion for almost three years, and now she was roaming the streets of Italy. Or it could be the doppelganger she met who looked just like her ex-lover. Inside the car she noticed how Catalina’s spirits had improved significantly. She was worried about her and thought of several ways to help.
“Can we stop by the factory?” Mira asked during the ride home.
“Why?”
“I’d like to see where Franco works. Maybe this woman he’s fond of works there too.”
Catalina shook her head. “I don’t want to see him. I doubt she’s someone who works for him. He’s not stupid.”
“It’s best you put on the brave face now and let him know he doesn’t intimidate you. Besides, you can say I insisted.”
Catalina sighed. Relenting she told the driver to take them to the factory before falling silent. Mira was determined to extract the creep from Catalina’s life. Keeping this secret from Giovanni had her stomach churning with worry.
They filed out of the car and headed inside the factory. Eve allowed Catalina to carry her while she held tightly to her doll from the toy store. Several people, men and women, stopped working to gawk at them. Mira didn’t mind the stares her way. What troubled her was the way many focused on her baby. Catalina stopped at the receptionist area asking where her husband was. The pretty dark haired woman answered, and Catalina nodded. “He’s in his office, I told her not to buzz him. We’ll surprise him instead.” Catalina smirked.
“Let’s do it.”
Large machines and noisy engines grinded and churned bottles up and down conveyor belts with people manning them on either side. The noise had Eve tense in her arms. It was hard carrying her daughter. She was older now. Mira kept shifting her from her left and right side. “I’ll take her.” Catalina offered.