Page 108 of Niccolo (Mafia Kings #7)

Niccolo

T he first thing I did once Lars was on the road was to place Rachel in a separate room from Dario, Alessandra, and Bianca –

And handcuff her to a chair.

Probably paranoid overkill, but still. If Rachel turned out to be working for Fausto, and this was all a brilliant ploy at getting enough to finish the job, I wasn’t going to be able to forgive myself – so I erred on the side of caution.

Dario fought me on it, but I threw a fit.

He eventually gave in… after he apologized to Rachel.

Apologizing to the person who tried to kill you.

Jesus fucking Christ.

I borrowed a Glock from a foot soldier and guarded her myself in the parlor. While I sat there, I texted and made calls to try to secure the speedboats.

Rachel attempted to win me over like any double agent would.

“You can trust me,” she said in surprisingly good Italian, “but I want you to know that I understand and even approve of your suspicion.”

“Is that so,” I replied sarcastically.

“Yes. If I’d walked into MI6 with an assassin who’d tried to kill someone in the agency, and asked for all to be forgiven just because I vouched for him, MI6 would have shot the assassin and questioned my sanity. So I think you’re behaving rationally.”

“By that standard, should I go ahead and shoot you?” I asked sweetly.

She smiled in amusement. “That wasn’t what I’d hoped you’d take away from that example.”

“I’m sure it wasn’t.”

Still, I am nothing if not a considerate host. I had the kitchen staff bring each of us a tray with breakfast.

She ate hungrily. We verbally jousted a bit, at which point I realized something:

Rachel might have met Sofia – and she might have witnessed the dynamic between her and Fausto. How my uncle treated her.

Rachel might just be able to provide some information about how I could turn Sofia against him.

“You know, I was curious about something,” I started –

When my cell rang.

I checked the screen.

The number was a contact of mine in Trieste, a boat dealer I trusted and had used before to hire out yachts. I’d dragged him out of bed 30 minutes ago to see if he could help with the speedboats.

I excused myself and went to the other side of the room to talk to him.

By the end of the call, I’d secured the boats in exchange for 50,000 euros a day – plus a promise to replace them if they were damaged.

I hope you come through with that 50 million euros, Roberto, I thought, then remembered I needed to call him.

Fuck it. We’d figure out how to pay the boat dealer back without the 50 mil. Roberto needed to come home now.

I texted Adriano and Lars, The boats are on the way and will meet you in Treporti.

Then I walked back and sat down opposite Rachel, who was still eating.

I returned to my original plan to ask her about Fausto. “As I was saying – ”

“I’d like to make a point,” she interrupted.

“Which is?”

She held up both her hands.

No handcuffs – like a magic trick.

My life passed in front of my eyes.

FUCK – !

YOU FUCKING IDIOT, YOU TOOK YOUR EYES OFF HER!

I whipped my gun up level with her head, but she quickly cuffed herself back to the chair.

“Calm down. I wanted to demonstrate that I could have killed you just now… but I didn’t.

Because I truly appreciate Dario forgiving me, and because I bear no ill will towards him or any of you.

Lars obviously cares a great deal for you, your brother, and your entire family…

and by extension, that means I’ll never hurt any of you. ”

Holy SHIT.

I had just made a deadly mistake.

She could have easily killed me while my back was turned –

And yet she’d done something that had instantly garnered my full and complete trust.

I had underestimated her.

“Impressive,” I said.

“Thank you.”

I was still trembling a little from the adrenaline coursing through my veins –

But in a show of good faith, I laid the gun down on the coffee table.

“Back to my original question. I’d like to know something.”

“Ask away.”

I questioned her about Fausto and Aurelio, both of whom she’d met –

And Sofia.

“By any chance… was there a woman present?”

Rachel went into recall mode. “Mid to late twenties, very pretty, glasses, studious looking?”

Jackpot!

I grilled Rachel for the next ten minutes about every subtlety, every interaction, every glance between Sofia and Fausto.

“Did she treat him with affection? With fear? Was there any sort of father/daughter dynamic going on that you noticed?”

Rachel frowned slightly, her eyes looking up as she tried to remember. “Actually… if I had to characterize their relationship, I would say… cool detachment. And a hint of annoyance.”

“Annoyance?”

“Fausto would occasionally say things she reacted to unfavorably. Very subtle – a tiny frown or bit of side-eye – but it was there.”

I frowned. “And Fausto didn’t react in any way to her negative expressions?”

“Like I said, it was very subtle. I also got the feeling he had his hands full with Aurelio.”

By the time I finished questioning Rachel, I had a pretty good idea of Fausto and Sofia’s relationship.

Businesslike… somewhat distant… verging on unfriendly.

The lack of respect was a key factor.

I wondered if I could take advantage of that and use it to pry her further apart from Fausto…

If I ever got the chance.

Then I felt bad. Once again, I was treating her as an object to be manipulated.

I quickly got over my guilt, though, when I remembered that Massimo, Adriano, and Lars could die today – because of Sofia.

So, yeah.

If I got the chance…

I was going to manipulate the fuck out of her.

As I was finishing up with Rachel, my cell phone rang.

When I saw it was Roberto, I hastily answered. “Are you alright?”

He sounded surprised. “Yes – why?”

“I was worried Fausto might have gotten to you.”

“No, I’m fine – what’s going on?”

I told him about Massimo, Adriano, and Lars.

“Come home,” I begged him.

“I will,” he promised. “Money or no money, I’ll be there as soon as possible.”

He made me promise to keep him updated about Venice, then hung up the phone.