Page 147 of Niccolo (Mafia Kings #7)

Niccolo

A s bad as I thought my brothers might react –

It was worse than I expected.

However, at least nothing happened until we reached the house.

Dario, the Widow, Lucia, Massimo, and I rode in a separate limo on the way back.

Massimo was the most low-key of my brothers, so he did little more than give me some side-eye.

Dario just sat in stony silence.

“Why’s everyone being so quiet?” Lucia asked.

The Widow sniffed. “The meeting with the Council was… unusual.”

“Unusual how?” Lucia demanded.

“Well,” I said with a smile, “I made my uncle blow his top by making a pun about Aurelio ‘taking a fall.’”

“Ha!” Lucia said, more an exclamation of triumph than a laugh. “Good – fuck those motherfuckers!”

“Language,” the Widow said wearily.

At least Lucia was on my side…

Because Dario and Massimo both glared at me.

The big showdown happened when we were all gathered in the Rome mansion’s parlor – just me and my brothers. No one else.

“What the FUCK, man?!” Adriano roared as he paced back and forth.

“You’ll have to be a little more specific,” I replied. “I don’t know which part you’re talking about.”

“YOU SLEPT WITH FAUSTO’S CONSIGLIERE?!”

“Oh… that part.”

“What the FUCK were you THINKING?!”

“I had a plan.”

“You had a fucking PLAN?!”

“See, that’s funny – because it was sort of a fucking plan – or a plan that included fucking, anyway – ”

“Nic,” Adriano snarled, “you keep making light of this, I swear to GOD I’m gonna punch your fuckin’ teeth down your throat.”

“Alright! Jesus! Yes, I slept with her. Happy?”

“WHY?”

I shrugged. “I wanted to fuck her.”

Adriano lunged at me –

Everybody shouted angrily –

And I raised up my arms to ward off the blow.

Adriano pulled back at the last minute, but he loomed right above me.

“One more fuckin’ joke,” he hissed. “Just one more fuckin’ joke.”

“Adriano,” Dario snapped. “Back off.”

Adriano stepped away from me and looked angrily at Dario. “I don’t understand why you’re not furious about this! He’s out there fucking the…”

Dario stared coldly at Adriano.

“…you knew,” Adriano said in shock. “You KNEW.”

“Of course I knew. You think Niccolo wouldn’t inform me of what he was doing?”

“And you LET HIM?!” Adriano raged.

Dario sighed. “Niccolo?” he said wearily.

I knew what that meant.

He wanted me to explain myself.

“I pegged her as Fausto’s consigliere the night of your wedding,” I said to Adriano.

“I met her right before Fausto left, and I was taken by how intelligent she was. She said some things… comments about chess… that made me reconsider everything that had happened with the Turk and Mezzasalma. Only later did I put it all together and realize she was the one who had planned it all.”

“Wait – Fausto didn’t plan any of it?” Roberto asked in shock.

“I’m sure he had a hand in it, but no – Sofia did.”

“Oh, so she’s not the enemy’s consigliere anymore – she’s Sofia,” Adriano snarled.

“Well, I mean – I did fuck her, you know.”

“How did you find out it was her and not Fausto?” Roberto asked. “Did she admit to it?”

“No, she didn’t – but I was his apprentice for over a decade.

I know him. I know how he thinks. He’s cautious.

Overly cautious. The Turk – Mezzasalma – they were far too audacious.

Too bold. I knew Fausto had outside help, and she fit the bill perfectly.

She’s a former chess grandmaster. She’s brilliant, both at strategy and tactics. ”

“It sounds like you admire her,” Lars said.

“Well, he did FUCK her,” Valentino said savagely.

I shot Valentino a glare, then looked at Lars. “Even if they were on the enemy’s side, wouldn’t you have the greatest respect for a soldier who’s so good at what they do that it raises the bar for what ‘good’ actually means? Somebody who embodies all the best qualities you value in a soldier?”

Lars sighed grudgingly. “I suppose… but if you’re correct, then this woman planned the hit on your brother. You do realize that, right?”

“Said the man who’s now married to the would-be-assassin,” I snapped.

Lars glared at me but didn’t say anything more.

“You were literally sleeping with the enemy,” Roberto said in irritation.

“Said the man who was also sleeping with the enemy!” I shot back.

“Hey,” Roberto said, wounded. “In my defense, I didn’t know she worked for Lau when I slept with her.”

“Oh, it makes it so much better that she duped you.”

“How long has this been going on?” Valentino asked angrily. “Did you fuck her at the wedding?”

“No, only you do things like that,” I retorted.

“Not anymore. He’s a married man,” Massimo said, trying to lighten the mood –

But Valentino wasn’t having it.

“So when did you fuck her the first time?” he demanded.

“In Hong Kong.”

“Jesus, that long ago?!” Valentino snapped.

“Yes,” I sighed.

Roberto looked at me in shock.

“Don’t start,” I warned him.

“Is THAT why you went?!” he asked indignantly. “You went there to FUCK her?!”

“Can we stop saying ‘fuck’ so much?” I asked. “How about ‘I slept with her,’ or – ”

“Did you make sweet, sweet love to her, Nic?” Adriano asked sarcastically.

Except for Dario and me, everyone else laughed.

“Okay, fine, let’s go back to ‘fucking,’” I snapped.

“Did you arrange to meet her in Hong Kong?” Roberto asked.

“No, it was more of a hunch.”

“A hunch?! You flew all the way to Hong Kong on a hunch?!”

“There was a poker tournament in Macau, and I found out she played poker – ”

“I thought you said she played chess,” Lars interrupted.

“She did – does – she got thrown out – it’s a long story,” I said, waving him off.

“Is that the only time you slept with her?” Valentino asked.

“No, I slept with her in Rome,” I said coldly.

“Are THOSE the only times you slept with her?”

“No,” I said, trying to deflect. “Anyway, I – ”

“When else did you sleep with her?” Valentino demanded.

I glared at him, then sighed. “In Taormina.”

“In Taor– that’s in Sicily!”

“Yes.”

“When the fuck did you have time to see her in Sicily?! We were together the whole day I got married to Cat. The only other time was when you dropped me off with – ”

Valentino stopped, and his face filled with pure rage.

“YOU FUCKED HER WHEN YOU TOOK ME TO DON VICARI?!” he roared. “IS THAT WHY YOU ARRANGED THE GODDAMN MARRIAGE – SO YOU COULD FUCK HER?!”

“NO!” I yelled. “We arranged – we – me and DARIO – arranged the marriage to get allies when we thought you – ”

I pointed at Lars.

“And you – ”

I pointed at Massimo.

“And you – ”

I pointed at Roberto.

“Might be dead!”

“But you still took me away from Cat and gave me to that goddamn psychopath,” Valentino said, his face a mask of hatred, “and then you WENT AND FUCKED FAUSTO’S CONSIGLIERE?!”

“It wasn’t like that,” I protested.

“WHAT WAS IT FUCKING LIKE, THEN, NIC?”

“Valentino,” Dario said. “Control yourself.”

“But he – ”

“Control yourself.”

Val sat back in his chair, though I knew it was taking all the willpower he had not to scream at me again.

“Niccolo arranged the marriage because he was trying to do what he thought was best for the family at the time,” Dario said.

“And then he went and fucked this girl right afterwards,” Valentino said angrily, but in a regular voice.

“And I allowed that as well,” Dario said coldly as he stared him down.

Valentino looked bitter as hell… but he didn’t say anything back.

“And why did you allow it?” Adriano asked Dario, voicing what Valentino was afraid to say out loud.

“Because I trust Niccolo’s judgment,” Dario said as he stared at Adriano, almost daring him to challenge him.

“Right now, you’re the only one,” Adriano griped.

“I had a plan,” I said. “It’s not like I was just off gallivanting around.”

“You keep saying it was part of a ‘plan,’” Adriano snarled at me. “Why the hell did the plan include fucking her?”

I sighed.

I knew what I was about to say wouldn’t go over well.

But…

It had to be said.

“I thought I could seduce her over to our side,” I muttered.

The entire room – besides me and Dario – exploded in laughter. Again.

“YOU?!” Valentino said mockingly. “YOU seduce anybody?!”

“Ha ha,” I said without laughing. “I know you think you’re the only one who can make a woman fall in love with you – ”

“Oh – so you weren’t just fucking her,” Adriano said in amusement. “You were so fucking good in bed she was gonna fall in love with you – is that it? JESUS.”

“There was something between us,” I snapped.

“What, exactly?”

“A connection – chemistry – we both felt it.”

“Oh my god,” Adriano said, half mockingly, half-stunned. “You’re falling for this chick.”

I didn’t say anything…

Because I didn’t want to admit he was right.

“You ARE?!” Adriano said, shocked. “What the FUCK, Niccolo?!”

“Why?!” Valentino asked, scoffing. “She’s cute, but she ain’t all that.”

I looked at him scornfully. “All you see in women is a pretty face, a pair of tits, and an ass. Is it so hard to believe that I could find Sofia’s mind incredibly alluring?

That I could appreciate how brilliant she is, the same way you ogle a woman for her body?

That I could find her sexy because I value the qualities she possesses: intelligence – cunning – daring – genius? !”

“Holy shit,” Adriano muttered. He sat down in a chair like he’d had the wind knocked out of him. “You tried to seduce her… but she ended up seducing you.”

“It’s not like that,” I protested. “It’s a two-way street. In fact, even now – ”

“Niccolo,” Dario warned.

I looked over at him. He shook his head, and I clammed up.

“Seriously?!” Valentino snapped. “You’re going to keep us in the dark again?!”

“What is or is not transpiring with Sofia Toscani is part of my privileged conversations with my consigliere,” Dario said, his voice cold as an Arctic blast. “And as Don of this family, I reserve the right to keep certain things secret until the time I deem it necessary for them to be revealed.”

Valentino looked away resentfully.

“Do you have a problem with that, Valentino?” Dario asked in a quiet yet dangerous voice.

“…no, Don Rosolini,” Valentino murmured.

“Good.” Dario looked around the room. “I suggest you all remember that whatever actions Niccolo took, he took with my permission – because I trust his judgment. You may not… but you will respect the fact that I do. Is that clear?”

The entire room muttered Yes, Don Rosolini, though not all the voices – Adriano and Valentino’s chief among them – were enthusiastic about it.

Suddenly, there was a knock at the door.

“Come in,” Dario commanded.

Our foot soldier Giorgio poked his head in.

“Don Severino is here to see you,” he said respectfully.

Dario and I exchanged surprised looks.

“Send him in,” Dario said.

Giorgio opened the door and stood aside for Don Severino, who strolled into the room with a dour face.

“Well,” Severino said, “THAT was one of the most interesting Councils I’ve ever been part of.”

“It was,” Dario agreed neutrally.

Severino looked at me angrily. “Quite a display you put on, consigliere.”

“Against the man who killed my father?” I answered. “Not nearly enough of a display, if you ask me.”

Severino just stared at me coldly for a few seconds –

Then turned to Dario. “Fausto is suing for peace.”

Dario was shocked –

Almost as shocked as me and everyone else in the room.

“What?!” Adriano said involuntarily.

“He wants this to end,” Severino said, ignoring Adriano and focusing on Dario. “He wants to meet to see if you can reach an accommodation.”

“An accommodation?” Valentino scoffed. “For killing Papa?”

Severino looked over at him like he was worm shit –

And Dario gave Val a warning glare, too.

Valentino went quiet. Sullenly quiet, but quiet nonetheless.

Dario looked over at me. “Consigliere?”

“Just Dario and Fausto?” I asked Severino.

“No,” Severino answered. “Both consiglieres will be in attendance, as well.”

My mind started whirling.

Could this be Sofia’s doing?

“We should hear what he has to say,” I told Dario.

“Why, because she’s going to be there?” Valentino asked belligerently.

Dario gave him another SHUT THE FUCK UP look, but I ignored my youngest brother.

“Where?” I asked Severino. “At the building where the Council met?”

“No. Fausto’s convinced you’re trying to kill him, so he wants the highest level of security possible.”

“And where would that be, if not one of your properties?” I asked.

“The Vatican.”

There was a muted exclamation of surprise from almost everyone in the room.

“The Vatican?” I said in disbelief.

“I have friends in high places,” Severino said grimly. “I called in a few favors.”

I glanced over at Dario. “Well… can’t pass that up.”

Dario looked at Don Severino. “When?”

“This evening at 9, an hour after it closes to the general public. I’ll come by at 8:30 to escort you there personally.”

“Alright,” Dario said. “We’ll be ready.”

“Good,” Severino said, then scowled at me. “And try to keep any inflammatory behavior to a minimum while you’re there.”

“I’ll try,” I joked.

Severino stared at me angrily.

“I’ll be good,” I promised, though with a bit of sarcasm in my reply.

He glared at me some more, then turned to Dario. “8:30.”

Then he left the room.

All of us – all my brothers and Lars – stared at each other in shock.

“Holy shit,” Adriano whispered.

“Not bad,” Massimo joked. “Take in a little sightseeing while in Rome.”

“Try not to fuck Sofia while you’re in the Sistine Chapel,” Valentino snarked.

“Are we STILL on this?!” I griped. “Not ONE of you has mentioned how I made Fausto lose his shit at the Council! How about some recognition for that?”

There was a slight murmur of approval from everyone.

“…okay,” Valentino admitted. “That part was pretty cool.”

“Thank you,” I snapped.

“Still – try not to fuck her in the Vatican,” he said with an impish smile.

I wanted to be mad at him –

But it was hard to do when it was exactly the sort of thing I would have said.