When Olive Leaves Beckon

Book excerpt: For years, Mario Rossetti has been living a double life. Most people know the affable, handsome Italian from Verona as a member of the Monte Carlo Casino security team and/or a joint owner of olive groves in Tuscany. Few are aware that Mario is a mercenary. Violence, misery and death describe his alter-egos engagements when on missions with European colleagues in Third World countries, mainly in Africa. Their current mission is to assist the return of a former African leader to establish himself as his countrys new leader. Mario was given a small share of the countrys inactive diamond mines as additional compensation. Mario reaches a point when he feels a need to reassess his lifestyle. While on a mission, he begins to question whether he feels more than friendship with Marianne, a Belgian schoolteacher. A change would mean becoming more sedentary. A topsy-turvy romance ensues causing Mario to put wedding plans on hold, leading him to depart on another mission to Africa. Yet, he must reflect ---- Are olive leaves truly beckoning him? Ultimately, it comes down to this --- make love, not war.