Page 32 of Niccolo (Mafia Kings #7)

T he day before the wedding, ‘Diana’ arrived at Fausto’s for the meeting.

She was stunning. Even with minimal makeup, she reminded me of Gal Gadot, the actress who played Wonder Woman.

Adding to her already formidable glamor, she spoke with a posh British accent.

She was smart, capable, and perceptive –

And most definitely Rachel Bauer.

Fausto asked her point blank if that was her name. She neither confirmed nor denied it, but her expression of surprise told us everything we needed to know.

Fausto spun a little fable about how he and Dario were cousins, that he was the Good Samaritan who had anonymously sent Dario to jail, and now he feared Dario’s retribution.

Fausto portrayed himself as an innocent importer/exporter of olive oil, just as he’d said he would.

Not that she bought it. I could see the distrust on her face.

However, Fausto’s willingness to meet her 200,000 euro fee persuaded her.

After hearing her price, I was glad to be in the consigliere business rather than the assassin trade. It paid much better.

I didn’t say anything during the meeting with Rachel. I don’t know… there was something about her being former MI6 that spooked me. I didn’t feel any need for her to know anything about me other than my appearance.

Rachel looked at some maps Fausto had assembled, discussed logistics, and provided him with a list of supplies she needed. After that, she retired to a cottage on the edge of the estate. Fausto wanted to keep her close by in case an opportunity to kill Dario presented itself.

Thank God he did, because it wasn’t so much an ‘opportunity’ as a ‘necessity.’