“What is that?” Catalina rose to her feet. The crashing noise followed by a man shouting froze Mira as well.
“I heard it too.”
“Domi! It’s coming from Domi’s office.” Catalina raced out of the parlor. Mira ran after her.
Dominic rolled over, the agony in his throat and face made him weak and nauseous. Lorenzo grabbed him by the front of his shirt and forced him up, but Domi could barely stand. He wept hard. He’d never shed so many tears since the death of Papa Tomosino. Dominic’s pain stalled his assault.
“Kill me.” Dominic begged. “Do it. Before Gio finds out.”
Lorenzo drew Dominic into his arms and hugged him to his chest. He hadn’t felt so lost since the night he sat alone after Catalina married and went off with her new husband and new life.
“I love you! You stupid, stupid jackass!” Lorenzo said. “How could you do this to our Catalina?”
“I don’t know.” Dominic wept.
The door opened. Dominic heard Catalina before he saw her. She attacked Lorenzo, swinging her fist for him to let Dominic go. Lorenzo shoved him off to grab her and calm her. Catalina snatched away and grabbed Dominic’s face, touching his bruises and weeping.
Mira looked at the destruction of the office then to Dominic’s bloody face. She stepped back, horrified. She stared at Lorenzo in disbelief.
“Ottenga l'inferno assente da lui ora! Get the hell away from him, now!” Catalina shouted.
Lorenzo rose from the ground, and Dominic tried to calm Catalina saying he was fine. He struggled to stand. Mira watched Lorenzo head for the door. Stepping in front of him, she blocked his way. “Where do you think you’re going?”
“To see Giovanni.”
“I don’t think so!” Mira said. She glanced to Dominic who was held up by Catalina. They all looked at her, surprised by the firm tone in her voice. Hell it shocked her as well.
“Scusi,” Lorenzo tried to step around her.
“I said no. You will not speak to him about this!”
“You don’t tell me—.”
“I just did. So help me God, Lorenzo, you don’t want to make an enemy out of me. It’s my arms he comes to in the middle of the night, and it’s my voice that whispers in his ear. Don’t make me stand in between you two because I’ll be here long after you’re gone!”
Lorenzo looked at Mira, confused by the threat.
“Step back!” Mira shouted.
Lorenzo did. Mira turned her anger to Dominic and Catalina. “You two have royally screwed things up, and my Giovanni is going to be devastated.”
“I’ll face him.” Dominic said.
“No!” Catalina cried clinging to him.
Mira shook her head. “She’s right, you won’t face him and neither will you!” she pointed at Lorenzo. “I’ll do it.” Mira sucked down a deep breath.
“Mira, he doesn’t have to know.” Catalina said. “Franco deserved what he got! Franco é una vera regina, finnochio!” she spat.
Lorenzo frowned and looked at her confused. “He was gay?”
“Never mind that!” Mira’s voice silenced them. “No matter what he was, Catalina, you two knew going behind Giovanni’s back to do this would have repercussions.”
“He beat me!” she shouted.
“He did what?” Lorenzo demanded.
“I said stop!” Mira shouted. “Stop it! Killing him was wrong! Why don’t you people get that? Are you all crazy?” Mira put her hands to her head. Lorenzo stepped to her. She looked up a bit wary.
“You knew he hit her and slept with men and you said nothing? Domi was right to kill the son of a bitch!”
Mira glared at Lorenzo. “I was going to handle it.”
“How?” Lorenzo laughed in her face. “Like this?”
Mira rolled her eyes. “Does the how matter now? The only thing that matters is that this family isn’t ripped further apart. That there be no more got damn killing!” she shouted back. “He was a human being. You can’t possibly think solving problems means taking a person’s life.”