Catalina’s eyes stretched to the point of bulging. “He’ll kill Domi, or worse, he’ll banish him. Domi will lose it all.”
Mira sighed. “I’m sure Domi knew that risk when he murdered Franco. Because that’s what happened right? Franco isn’t missing he’s dead!”
“I don’t know. Domi won’t talk to me.”
“You played with peoples’ lives. Killing Franco makes you no better than him!”
“Don’t you judge me!” Catalina snapped. “You have no idea what it’s like to suffer in love the way I have. All for family! You have no idea what it’s like to give yourself to a man that makes your skin crawl when he touches you but convince yourself that it’s not really that bad. You have no idea what it’s like to pretend at living while your heart bleeds for a man that is just down the hall. Don’t you ever judge me!”
Mira sighed. “None of it justifies taking a man’s life.”
Catalina dropped her head. “He might not be dead. We don’t know. And besides I love Domi. I only want to be with him,” she said through her sobs.
Lorenzo opened the door to Dominic’s office. Dominic heard him first because his face rested in his palms, his elbows on his desk. He lifted his head and frowned at Lorenzo.
“Where have you been?” Lorenzo asked.
“Get the fuck out!” Dominic answered. Lorenzo closed the door.
“Carlo and I met with Giovanni. You never came. Have you heard? Angelo is dead. I handled it.” Lorenzo slapped his chest in triumph.
Dominic drank and flipped through the pages of the ledger before him. “Yeah I heard you burned the fucking place to the ground. Now we have a new war on our hands. Do you not think Bonaduce will let this go?”
“Not my problem.”
Dominic glanced up, his face felt hot with the raging flames of anger burning under his skin.
Lorenzo narrowed his eyes on him. “Why are you drinking? What the fuck is going on with you?”
“I can’t do this.” Dominic rose. After he buried Franco he sat in the forest staring at the makeshift grave until the sun set, and then he drove the rest of the night along the Amalfi coast. His adrenaline wore off, and the cold hard truth sunk in. He had betrayed everything he believed in. And even harder to accept was how Catalina had manipulated his guilt to make him do it. He wouldn’t lie anymore. It was over. He loved Giovanni. He took a vow that meant something to them all. But the day he slept with Catalina he broke their brotherhood. Everything he’s done from that day forth has been tainted by that sin. Now he was no better than Lorenzo.
“Where’s Franco? Carmine is raising the roof telling everyone he didn’t come home. Now I hear he didn’t show up at work yesterday.”
“So?” Dominic shrugged.
“Last time I saw him he was leaving with you.”
The silence lengthened between them.
“Domi?”
He exhaled a deep breath but refused to look Lorenzo in the eye.
“Domi? What the fuck is going on?” Lorenzo pushed.
“Franco’s dead.” Dominic walked around the desk. He faced Lorenzo. “I did him.”
“You? Did him? Why?”
“For her. I can’t help it and God help me I never wanted to. I love her,” he confessed.
“You love who?” Lorenzo clenched his fist.
“Catalina. I’ve been in love with Catalina since she was sevente—.”
Lorenzo’s fist slammed into Dominic’s face. The force of the blow made his knees buckle and him to stagger back.
“Say it again! Say it again!” Lorenzo gripped him by the throat and threw him on top of the desk. He pinned Dominic down, fist raised to pummel him.
“I couldn’t help myself,” Dominic gasped, not bothering to struggle until the battle for breath began to make his chest compress and go tight as if it would implode. Clawing at Lorenzo’s hands his vision began to cloud over with tears as he fought for his life. Lorenzo tightened the grip on his throat. Dominic gagged. Lorenzo let his throat go. He dragged him off the desk and threw him into the reading table causing it to splinter and break apart.