“Emilia,” he said, his voice dark and commanding –
And suddenly the sweet man I’d known all these weeks was gone.
He radiated power.
Confidence.
…danger.
And a calm certainty that told me he would take care of it.
“Go inside. When I get back, the last couple of months in Milan will seem like a bad dream, and you’ll forget it ever happened.” He smiled and winked. “Go.”
He pushed my back gently and forced me through the door of the restaurant.
He waited until I walked past the hostess and over to the bar…
Smiled when I turned to look at him…
And then he was gone.
34
Giorgio
After I left Emilia in the restaurant, I headed back down the street.
Maurizio had been at least a hundred feet behind us. As soon as I saw him, he’d ducked out of sight – but I got a glimpse of his face under the nearest streetlamp.
As I walked down the dark street, I forced myself to keep calm.
I wanted to fuck the asshole up for making Emilia so afraid –
But I remembered what Adriano had said:
Give him a chance to leave town and never come back.
If he doesn’t take it, that’s on him.
Don’t kill him… but other than that, have at it.
I couldn’t go in hot.
I had to control my emotions, or I might get carried away.
I also remembered something Lars had said during my first weeks of training:
When you go up against somebody who KNOWS you’re coming…
Don’t come straight for them.
Don’t walk in spoiling for a fight.
Let them think you’re harmless –
That they have the upper hand –
And wait for an opportunity to strike.
