Page 171 of Niccolo (Mafia Kings #7)

I stood up rapidly as my brothers and Lars all formed a wall in front of their wives.

Don Severino stood at the far end of the parlor.

He looked as angry as the devil and as implacable as the Grim Reaper.

A quartet of his foot soldiers stood behind him like the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse.

My only consolation was that they didn’t have their guns drawn.

Yet.

“Sir, I’m sorry,” Giorgio apologized to Dario as he ran up behind Severino’s foot soldiers. “They must have come in from a secret entrance – I had all the doors guarded.”

“It’s alright,” Dario said as he nodded reassuringly. “Go see to our departure.”

Giorgio looked at Severino distrustfully but turned and left the room.

“Why are you here, Don Severino?” I asked cheerfully.

Severino was in no mood to joke. He fixed me with a dead-eyed look and said, “Because it’s my fucking house.”

O-kaaaaaay…

He turned to Dario. “What the fuck have you done?”

“Nothing you need to worry about,” Dario replied calmly.

“Your clothes say otherwise,” Severino snarled as he pointed at our red-stained shirts. “My only question is, why aren’t the police swarming the place?”

“Because Captain Gallo of the Rome Police Department let everyone on the force know that an action movie would be filming in the Palatine Hills today,” I said.

“One of those ‘found footage’ things. We even rented the body cameras from the police department. Today was the big finale, so the cops knew to stay away.”

“…really,” Severino said slowly, not quite knowing if I was bullshitting him or not.

To be accurate, he was fully aware we hadn’t been filming a movie.

But he couldn’t tell if the part about the cops and the cover story was real.

“We didn’t get the permits in time,” I said, “but with a few well-placed payments here and there, I’m sure they can back-date everything.”

“And what will they find when they go to my other house?” Severino snarled. “The one where Fausto is staying?”

“Nothing,” Dario said.

“Nothing?!”

“Perhaps some damage to the walls and floors of the library due to some pyrotechnics used for the movie,” I said. “Which we’ll be more than happy to compensate you for. But no blood. And certainly no body.”

“And where is Fausto?” Severino asked angrily.

“On his way back to Tuscany.”

“Then maybe we should call him,” Severino said… though he didn’t reach for his phone.

“I wouldn’t expect him to answer.”

“Ever, I’m assuming,” Severino said darkly.

I smiled. “Probably not.”

Severino nodded slowly like he was only now beginning to understand the full extent of our treachery.

“And Fausto’s men?” he asked.

“Well,” Dario said, “they’re not his men anymore. They’re mine.”

Severino stared at my brother –

Then gave a single, short bark of a laugh.

“You’re really something, Don Rosolini,” he said darkly.

“I’ll take that as a compliment,” Dario answered.

“Don’t,” Severino sneered, then looked at Sofia. “And you. I was impressed with how vicious you were yesterday at the Council. If I weren’t so disgusted by your betrayal, I’d be even more impressed that it was all an act.”

“Considering that every one of his men turned against him, too,” Sofia said coolly, “I’d say Fausto was the problem, not me.”

Severino smiled menacingly.

“Well, there’s all sorts of problems, the way I see it.” He turned to Dario. “Including the fact that you killed a rival member of the Cosa Nostra who was under my protection.”

“Killed who?” I said. “Fausto’s on his way back to Tuscany. Albeit permanently incommunicado.”

Severino glared at me. “Just because I can’t prove he’s dead doesn’t mean you didn’t kill him.”

I smiled. “Just like me not being able to prove Fausto killed my father doesn’t mean he didn’t.”

Severino was pissed off at having his own words thrown back in his face.

“I know you were old friends with our uncle, Don Severino,” Dario said, “but surely you can understand why we did what we did.”

“Even though we didn’t do anything,” I added.

“Well, I hope it was worth it,” Severino snarled. “As of this moment, you are in breach of your agreement that you would not commit any violence within the boundaries of Rome. As far as the Council of the Cosa Nostra is concerned, consider yourself persona non grata.”

“You’re speaking on behalf of all the members of the Council?” Dario asked.

Don Severino smiled evilly. “I’m sure I can persuade them to see it my way.”

“Does that apply to me as well, I wonder?” the Widow said as she forced her way past Massimo to the front.

Severino looked at her in surprise – then glowered at her. “If you take their side… then yes. Consider yourself cut off.”

“What a pity,” the Widow said drily. “It seems the Council has lost not one, but two families today.”

“Three, if you count Fausto.”

“I don’t,” the Widow retorted.

Severino glowered at her, then looked at Dario. “Once you depart, don’t come back. Your Rome privileges are all used up.”

“I’m sorry to hear that,” Dario replied quietly.

“Not as sorry as you will be,” Severino snarled, then turned and left with his foot soldiers.

“Oh, my,” the Widow said once he was gone. “He seems quite put out.”

“Is this something we should worry about?” Rachel asked her husband.

Lars looked at Dario. “I don’t know – is it?”

“Not today,” Dario replied. “We survived one war; no need to plan for the next one right away. Besides, we need to get back home…”

My oldest brother looked at me and smiled.

“…and have a wedding.”