“You left them ALONE in the fucking dress shop?!” Adriano roared.
I winced. Iknewthat was what he would zero in on.
“Nobody knew what was going to happen, boss. And your wife gave me a direct order – ”
Adriano got right up in my face. “You don’t WORK for my fucking wife, you WORK for ME! And when I TELL YOU to guard her EVERY FUCKING MINUTE OF EVERY FUCKING DAY,THAT’SWHAT YOUDO!”
“Take it easy on him, Adriano,” Niccolo said.
“WHY?!”
“Because if Giorgio had been in the shop, they probably would have killed him as soon as they walked in.”
“Not if he was watching the front door!”
“What if he was talking to Bianca? What if he had his back turned for aninstant?Is he supposed to have eyes in the back of his head? Face it, we got insanely lucky.”
“Bianca got insanely lucky to have all of her work burned up?!” Adriano snarled.
“Yes, that part hurts,” Niccolo said. “I know it’s a crushing disappointment for her. But if I had to choose, and one of theoptions is Bianca dead – or alive with third-degree burns over 90% of her body – then I’ll take the outcome we got.”
Adriano fumed, but he couldn’t really say anything to that.
I felt bad that I hadn’t been able to stop the shop from burning down – but having lived through it, I knew it was a minor miracle I’d gotten both women out of the store without a scrape on them.
And I was incredibly grateful to Niccolo for having my back. Otherwise, Adriano might have put a bullet in me before he came to his senses.
“Right now, we need information,” Niccolo said. “We need to know why foot soldiers from theCamorrawere in Florence… who they worked for… and why they came after Bianca’s shop.That’swhat we need to focus on.”
At that moment, Massimo walked in. “The asshole’s awake.”
Adriano glared at Niccolo. “I want first crack at him.”
“Be my guest,” Niccolo said. “ButIask the questions.”
“Fine,” Adriano snarled. “Let’s go.”
“Hold on,” Niccolo said, and put out a hand. “When I tell you to stop, youstop. I don’t want you getting carried away and killing this guy before we find out what we need to know.”
Adriano didn’t say anything.
“Adriano,” Niccolo said, his voice a warning.
“I won’t kill him until you give me the go-ahead,” Adriano said, his voice low and dangerous.
Niccolo shrugged. “Alright… let’s go.”
79
Emilia
Bianca cried all the way out of Florence.
Lucia was in the middle of the backseat, and she held Bianca’s head in her lap. She stroked her hair and murmured soothingly… although what she saidwas pretty far from soothing.
“Don’t worry… we’ll get the fucking bastards that sent them. Dario and Adriano and Massimo will crucify them. Don’t worry.”
I don’t know if it comforted Bianca, but it scared the hell out of me.
