I knew exactly what he meant:
They were going to question theCamorrathug…
And it could get really,reallyugly.
Mei-ling apparently understood, too, because she said, “We’ll cross that bridge when we come to it.”
Niccolo shrugged. “Alright.” Then he turned to me and gestured at Emilia. “Giorgio, if you would.”
I nodded, put my arm around my girlfriend, and guided her back out to the loading dock.
Massimo walked along with us, his arm around Lucia’s shoulders…
And Adriano brought up the rear, holding Bianca as she wept quietly.
When we reached the loading dock, an unpleasant scene was waiting for us.
The gorilla was sprawled out on the concrete floor, still unconscious, his bald head smeared with blood from where I’d bashed him with my gun.
The other foot soldiers were struggling to lift him. Each guy had an arm or a leg, two others were trying to lift his torso, and they werestillhaving problems.
I marveled that Vincenzo, Amadeo, and I had been able to get him into the car. Must’ve been all the adrenaline as the fire engines approached.
Emilia cried out in terror as soon as she saw the thug.
Bianca had a slightlydifferentreaction.
She ran over and kicked the unconscious guy in the ribs as hard as she could as she screamed in incoherent rage. “MOTHERFUCKING COCKSUCKER!”
The guys carrying him dropped his body and backed away as she continued to kick him over and over.
“YOU DICKLESS PIECE OF SHIT!” she screamed. “I HOPE YOU BURN IN HELL, YOU SON OF A BITCH!”
I totally understood why Bianca wanted payback – and I was inclined to let her have it.
Unfortunately, Adriano wasn’t.
“Babe, babe – whoa, whoa,” he said as he grabbed Bianca around the waist from behind.
She fought Adriano like a wildcat, but he finally pulled her away.
Emilia pressed closer to me and trembled.
“Come on, get in the car,” Adriano said as he put Bianca in the back of the Mercedes he’d driven to the warehouse.
That was the only choice. After all, the oneI’darrived in had a backseat smeared with blood.
I thought about what I’d told Emilia before our date at the Boboli Gardens.
Nobody’s shot anybody from inside the car, nobody’s shot at the car from the outside, and nobody’s bled or died or anything inside the car. All we’ve done is drive around in it. That’s all.
I couldn’t say that anymore.
“Promise me you’ll make him pay,” Bianca said through tears of rage.
Adriano gave her a dark smile. “No need to worry aboutthat,babe.”
Emilia looked at me, frightened, but I kissed her.
