“Ah, so that’s it,” Giovanni says. “The Rizzos are treacherous bastards, and now you want vengeance against them in addition to vengeance against me. You plan to kill me after we rescue my daughter, don’t you?”
“No,” I tell him. “You get to live.”
He studies me warily. “Why do we need you? I have enough men to storm the Rizzo compound on my own.”
“They’ll either kill her or escape with her before you find her,” I tell him. “We have a back way inside the compound. It’ll be less guarded, especially if we launch a diversionary attack from the front.”
He purses his lips as if considering. Then: “I want my money back.”
“It’s yours.” I look at Luciano.
My brother promptly grabs a handful of bills from the open case and then shuts it. Gesturing at the money, he explains to Giovanni: “My advance fee.”
He tosses the suitcase roughly to Giovanni, who catches it and glares at my brother.
“You know I can’t let you live when this is over, don’t you?” Giovanni tells me. “I can’t forgive you for kidnapping my daughter.”
“You can certainly try to kill me,” I agree. “In fact, you can try now if you want.”
I turn my gun around and place it in his hands. He looks stunned for a moment, then instantly points it at my face and pulls the trigger. It clicks harmlessly.
“Like I said, you cantry,” I taunt. “Which doesn’t mean you’ll succeed. As if I’d trust you enough to give you a loaded handgun. But don’t worry, I’m sure you’ll have another chance to kill me at some point. Assuming I don’t kill you first.”
“I thought I get to live,” Giovanni says drily.
I smile patiently, though I’m sure it doesn’t reach my eyes. “You do, if you don’t try to kill me.”
Giovanni tosses the gun back to me. “How do I know you’re telling the truth about the Rizzos? I could be sending my men into a trap.”
I reach underneath my shirt and produce the necklace Angela gave me.
“You fucker,” Michelangelo hisses, taking an angry step forward.
“Uh-uh,” Luciano trains his pistol on Michelangelo’s face and the man freezes.
Giovanni stares at the necklace for a long moment.
“You could have taken that from her under duress,” he says softly.
“No,” I tell him. “She gave it to me of her own free will. I swear it to you. Just like she did the first time, eight years ago.”
He hesitates. “You have a back way inside?”
“We do,” I agree.
Giovanni nods. “We’ll kill them all.”
I bear my teeth in a grin. “Good.”
* * *
My brothersand I are taking the speedboat back to Ustica. The waters are calmer now, and the ride is smooth.
We agreed that we’d strike shortly before ten o’clock tomorrow morning. Giovanni would recall his men from across Sicily, and they’d spend tonight and tomorrow morning returning to Palermo. Then we’d rendezvous outside the Rizzo estate and put our plan into action.
Angela only has to survive the one night in the Rizzo household. Just the one night.
Still, a lot of things can happen in a night.
