1

I wake up startled, a loud, deafening noise makes my heart race, because I know what it means. One shot. I look at the clock on the old bedside table next to my bed, it’s three in the morning, and the sudden urgency to get out of there makes me anxious. In the dark, I hear voices changing, and even though it is impossible to hear that distance, I try to follow the movement inside the place. I need to get out of here, or at least hide.

When I open the door, I see Sister Angela approaching, she puts her finger up on her lips and points to the robe, simple but comfortable over the chest next to the small closet. Then urgently signals me to follow her. I prayed every night that they would not find me, that they would forget me, but the truth is that in our world, practically everything goes from one to another. Money, property, trouble, hate, broken promises. And I am the legacy of a broken promise.

When I left New York two years ago, under the promise that I would not be the one to pay for my mother’s alleged mistake, I knew from the first detour of the driver to boarding a private jet that the Villani would not let me go my way. I knew they would find me, wherever I was, and even here, inside the Convent of Saint Lucia, in a village a hundred and twenty kilometers from Rome, I certainly was never safe.

I pass through the familiar corridors, as if it were the first time, almost stumbling on my feet, I am trembling, nervous and frightened, and I no longer heard the voices as I descended stairs and walked away towards the back of the old building, were etched in my thoughts. What did they say to Mother Ines? They were threatening her, it was a fact, and tears ran down my face as we hurried toward one of the cells, where the novices used to be fasting for days. Sister Angela opened a closet, and pushed away at least a dozen religious robes, and then slipped her hand under the highest shelf, revealing a false bottom, and then she broke the silence.

“Giulia, get in here, quick” she points out the dark background where a person would fit comfortably, if it was that I could find that comfortable “one of us will come get you when they’re gone.”

I almost told her that the Villani family might not let them live so someone would come and get me, but something in her sister’s tone told me that she already knew that. As she explains to me how to open the latches from the inside, I approach and hug her, and she hugs me back, we both know it might be the last time we’ll ever see each other. Villani had been looking for me for a long time, but that doesn’t mean I would stay alive.

“Child, we have little time, please go inside, be silent no matter what is happening out here” she hands me a medal of the Archangel Michael, and leaves me speechless, because she always used it “pray, have faith, that they will not find you.”

“Sister, please stay with me” I asked thinking about hearing all kinds of sounds approaching, when in fact it was just the fear of being caught screaming inside me.

“We promised Donatella” she speaks as she gently guides me to the hideout “that we would keep her safe. This was your mother’s last refuge, and while you’re in this convent, we’ll be standing between you and Villani.”

The bottom closes in front of me, and then I hear her close the closet doors, and then it’s just me, the silence that came after Sister Angela’s footsteps moved away, and the most complete darkness.

It didn’t take long for me to be found, and I have to confess that from inside that closet, shaking and trying to keep my breath contained trying to go unnoticed, there wasn’t a moment when I thought they wouldn’t find me. My mother used to say, in the years that we had to leave everything behind, and change address, city or country, sometimes without destination, Villani did not stop until he achieved his goal. When I was a child I did not understand, but when the false back of the closet was identified, and the door violently opened in front of me, for the first time since his death, I felt fear.

“Signorina Cavaliere” said the man in front of me “you have to come with me.”

Where else would I go? Not far from there I heard voices, outside the convent more shots and even if I refused, even if I protested, kicking, I did not know what was happening. If I answered that I would not go anywhere, he could throw me on his shoulders easily, and take me wherever he wanted. Or he could take the gun I saw him holster up before he said anything when he saw me, and hit me. The only certainty I had was that he would not kill me. If this was his mission, he would have already accomplished it.

“Signorina, per favore” he reached out his hand, while another man entered the cell, holding his cell phone in his pocket “we need to be quick.”

“Levi, the Russians” this one seemed in a bad mood, as if it were the last place where he would like to be “someone was following us, they are coming in the dozens!”

The man who now I know is called Levi, looks apprehensively in my direction:

“You must come with me, or you will fall into their hands if they do not kill everyone first!”

“Mother...” I was able to speak “sisters... What did you do to them?”

“They’re all right!” the other man said gruff “if you care about them, we have to get out of here now!”

“I promise that nothing will happen to Signorina” Levi insisted, pointing the door.

I felt Levi’s hand guiding me down the hall, going to the back of the old building, my bare feet on the icy ground and the night air invading my senses as soon as the door opened. I heard gunshots again, making my heart race, and then I turned quickly to the building, it was not like that I should leave the place that welcomed me for years, after the death of my mother, I felt a grip on my arm and the other man dragging me to the car, to which Levi would drive, cursing me in good Italian!

“Get in soon” he pushed me on the leather seat and then moved away, going back to the night, while Levi went to the iron gate that was already open.

He sped up, and I saw men talking on their cell phones, ordering that the others should keep the Russians occupied nearby, and that security in Rome Province should double, in the background Mother Ines and some nuns in front of the main door, looked towards the car, I raised my hand to wave, but I knew they couldn’t see, and that’s when I heard Levi talking to someone on speaker.

“I’m on my way, boss.”

“We are sending reinforcements” said the voice across the line, which made me realize how determined he was, Levi said the word boss, it was him, Michael Villani himself talking “good job, Levi.”

Then he hung up. I thought about what should be the Villani, because despite knowing exactly why I was taken to him, I tried to ignore his existence until now. The cursed Villani, who had invaded the convent, tormenting everyone, with men everywhere, searching the place that was of peace and tranquility with his inadequate presence there! I felt a trembling go through my body, anger and indignation, that’s why my mother fled, that was not a fair world for a woman. After that I take a deep breath, and I start to be really afraid of what can happen to me, I can’t cry, Rome is a few hours away, and now I know he’s waiting for me.

I just want to maintain the minimum of dignity, but the fact is that since the time I woke up I understand that the minimum control I still had over my life and decisions was left behind, in the small room I occupied, from where I liked to see the countryside from the window, and wake up with the singing of birds. Everything was left behind, I had brought nothing with me. Personal objects, documents, photos with my parents, letters from Nikolai. Given the circumstances I wonder now if I should have taken seriously when Nik said I should run away with him, knew that if I had accepted, he would have found a way, but would return the same life he had with my mother for years, and did not want to run forever.

I thought if in Chicago, my uncle already knew what had happened. Joe Cavalieri, my mother’s older brother, who had been covering tracks for years and providing resources to keep us out of sight of the mafia, especially the Sicilian, well represented by the name Villani in New York. The situation was worrying, the conflict between the Villani and Cavalieri families had been going on for decades, and I learned very early that I did not need to have killed someone to have blood on my hands.

“Soon we will arrive at the Villani residence, Signorina” I heard Levi’s voice, calm, and realized that he was looking at me in the mirror “I know that you must be afraid, but tomorrow morning will return to your country.”

“Did your "boss" decide that, or Joe Cavalieri?”

“It was Mr. Villani, thinking about what would be best for you” he turned his eyes to the road, little busy in front of him.

“He has no idea what he did’ I spoke closing the matter, with the impression that Mr. Villani and I would not like each other.

If there is silence inside the car, my head seems to be about to explode. I can’t think of anything without remembering another important situation, or previous conversation, message, letter or phone call, and I needed to at least know how to behave, what to say, since I would soon be face to face with one of the most dangerous men in the mafia. My mind was teeming with innumerable possibilities of what might happen when I met Michael Villani, and though all that time I sought to know as little as possible about him, and his "family business," whenever I heard his name, people always called him impulsive, ruthless, cruel.

“We arrived” I heard Levi, and looked at the big gates in front of the car as we approached. He lowered the glass for a moment, intending to rush the man into the guardhouse, and those near the gates, which were quickly opened.

We passed quickly entering a path leading to a beautiful mansion, little lit, but very elegant. Levi parked in front of the main entrance, and asked me for a moment. I watched men in strategic places, thinking that Michael Villani went to a lot of trouble to get me to him, and soon Levi opened the car door so that I would also get out of the vehicle. He pointed the door, which opened as soon as we got close. A quiet hall and very well decorated with its classic bicolor floor, and indirect lighting, which led to two stairs curving up to the upper floor. In front of us, a large hall, equally well decorated and then double wooden doors closed, and as we went in that direction, I soon had the hunch that it should be something like a library or office.

When Levi moved the doors away, which ran silent I saw an essentially masculine environment, some men surrounded the table that was in the background, and when they were dismissed, I could see the figure of the man in front of me. He looked at me, puffed on his cigar, putting it aside over the ashtray. He looked at me for a while, as if he were considering whether to speak to me, with his merciless blue eyes, until he stood up and came towards me. Michael Villani was very different than I imagined. The athletic type, without exaggeration, black hair and a bushy beard, he really knew how to make a good first impression, in my case, not so good despite admitting that he was in fact very attractive. Wearing well-cut clothes, the white shirt with the folded sleeves revealed strong arms, the pants and the vest fit perfectly to someone who must go to the gym a lot. The face would be worthy of magazine covers, the square chin, well-designed lips, and a perfect nose. Completely different from the non-existent beauty man I had created in my mind all that time!

“Miss. Giulia Cavalieri” his voice sounded low and purposely inexpressive, Michael came closer to me, as if he was wanting to have a better view, and know if there was something beyond bare feet, a prudish bedding and a simple robe “I must say, I’m surprised.”

Of course he was! Around him, I should look sloppy and well, not that I used to dress like the women he was used to living with, but I would certainly be more presentable.

“I’m sorry” he said, he did not look away and was beginning to make me worried “but, I had no time to get ready, since I was awakened to gunfire, rushed by Levi, and dragged to a car by that other!”

“Dragged?” his gaze narrowed towards Levi, wondering what it was about.

“Fabian, boss” Levi replied immediately.

“Did he drag her to the car?” his tone changed slightly, making it clear that he had not approved of his soldier’s attitude.

“He’s not what we might call a patient man, sir” he piggybacked, and he went on “I must say that the Signorina was shaken, it wasn’t her fault.”

“Tell Fabian to come to me in the morning” I felt a chill, his tone was slightly incisive, and threatening.

“Yes, sir” Levi agreed and the environment was completely silent before he continued.

Then he turned his attention to me again, but I couldn’t stop thinking about how he would react to Fabian. He came closer and I shrunk, noticing Michael’s right hand reaching a lock of my hair, pulling it away from my face.

“ You’re prettier than your mother.”

“You knew my mother?” Obviously not, but he seems pretty sure of what he’s saying.

“Not personally.”

So he pointed something at the table behind him and I could see there was a picture of her on the top.

“The women in your family” he pauses, as if he was remembering something, then continues what he was saying “I heard, that you attract many admirers.”

I do not answer, afraid of the direction that conversation could take, then I hear the sound of heels coming towards us, until she enter the room and stop a few steps from where I am. For some reason, I don’t think it’s a good idea to look back, as if this simple move would make me lose something important about why we were all here. As he did not even look at the newly arrived woman, I remain silent.

“How old are you, Giulia?”

“Nineteen” I spoke, and saw a brief eye roll, which he did not even try to disguise “I do twenty years in a few weeks.”

“Do you know why you’re here?”

“Because a Villani was rejected by my mother” I spit out the words, I was sick of that feud and resentment.

“Because Villani and Cavalieri have been fighting every alley in New York and Chicago since your mother rejected my father.”

His voice was low, and he moved slowly stopping inches from me: “Every club, every point, every stolen shipment, There’s always a Villani pointing a gun at a Cavalieri. It wasn’t just a broken marriage agreement, but probably your mother didn’t tell you the whole story.”

“Michael” I hear the woman’s voice, a note of restlessness prevailing “You shouldn’t talk about it now.”

“My mother didn’t love her father!” I defend my mother’s memory. “She never had the option to refuse that deal. And your father overcame, the proof is that here we are, the children of Donatella and Erico, face to face.”

He comes closer holding me by the nape of his neck, the smell of his perfume, cigar and whiskey are a curiously pleasant mixture, fingers wrapping me as if it were settling between my skin and hair, I hear Michael’s low voice in my ear:

“A whore, who betrayed her family, regardless of the confrontation, who started right there in the church” the pressure of his fingers became stronger “ and continued where the reception would be. And taking advantage of the situation, your uncle’s men, Tony, robbed us, killed loyal soldiers, dragging my "famiglia" into the same mud where Donatella was wallowing.”

I take a step back when, it’s too late when I realize the sound of the slap that struck the cheeky Villani who hated my family, his eyes seemed to sparkle with hatred!

“Why did you bring me here if you hate my family so much?”

“Your mother didn’t keep her promise, but I keep mine” he said “your uncle Joe Cavaliere is now the capo, and both he and my father wanted to end this feud. So, months after your mother died, they agreed that the best way to take the first step is to unite our families.”

“My uncle couldn’t have agreed to that!”

“We’re leaving for home tomorrow, and as soon as we get there I have a meeting with him” so he took a deep breath, then looked over my shoulder. for the woman who was near me “our guest needs to rest, take her from here.”