Page 103 of Niccolo (Mafia Kings #7)

Niccolo

I had a lovely dinner with Dario, Alessandra, Adriano, and Bianca, during which we toasted the imminent return of our ‘little lost lambs.’

I was woken shortly before midnight by a phone call.

I stared at the number in sleepy confusion.

When I realized it was the public phone booth in Padola, my blood ran cold.

I wasn’t supposed to hear from Massimo until 6PM.

If he was calling me now, it was not good news.

In my alarm, I forgot all protocol. “What’s wrong?!”

Massimo could barely contain his fury. “Aurelio sent a professional. He got Lucia.”

“Shit,” I muttered. “Are you alright?”

“I’m alive.”

“Are you injured?”

“Banged up a bit, but I’ll be fine.”

“Lars isn’t here yet – he’s arriving in another couple of hours – ”

“I know. I want you to let him know he shouldn’t come to Padola. He should meet me somewhere else.”

“Where?”

“I’ll call from the road and let you know. This phone is bugged.”

I paused as what he was telling me sank in.

“Then what the hell are you doing CALLING from it, then?!”

“I want Zollner to know that I’m going to fuckin’ kill him,” he snarled. “Do you hear that, Friedrich? You’re going to die a very slow and painful death.”

I assumed ‘Friedrich’ was the ‘professional’ Aurelio had sent.

“Let me get this straight – right now, you’re basically sending a MESSAGE to the man who took Lucia.”

“Correct.”

“‘A slow and painful death’ – that’s making it personal.”

“It is what it is.”

“In fact, it’s VERY personal, considering you were just supposed to be Lucia’s bodyguard.”

For the first time, Massimo stayed silent.

I groaned. “TELL me you didn’t sleep with her!”

“I could, but I’d be lying.”

“You fucking IDIOT! The Widow will kill you – ”

“It’s not like that.”

“Then what is it LIKE, exactly?!”

“I asked her to marry me.”

I sat there, stunned, until I finally found my voice. “Every time you speak, I don’t think you can shock me again – and then you go and prove me wrong. You PROPOSED to her?!”

“And she said ‘yes.’”

“Jesus – Massimo – ”

“Don’t start. You can chew me out later when she’s safe.”

“Why are you telling me this over a recorded line?! He’ll have that much more leverage over you!”

“Zollner already knows. He knew before he came after us.”

“Wonderful,” I griped. “So tell me, how the fuck are we supposed to save your new fiancée?”

“Zollner is taking her to San Michele, the cemetery island near Venice. That’s where he’s going to turn Lucia over to Aurelio.”

“How do you know all that?”

“Zollner told me.”

“He TOLD you?!”

“Yes.”

“Then it’s quite obviously – ”

“A trap.”

“He’s using her as bait – ”

“Because he knows I’ll come after her.”

“Not only THAT, but he wants you to bring US so he can kill all of us at once!”

“I know.”

Sofia was behind this; I just knew it. It was pure genius – the perfect deathtrap.

And Massimo was too blind with love and rage to see it.

We argued a bit longer until I gave in and told him to call me from the road. I said I would wake Dario and Adriano and put together a plan for when Lars arrived.

“…Massimo?”

“Yeah?”

“I’m glad you’re alright.”

“I’m alive,” he said grimly. “I won’t be alright until she’s safe.”