“I’ll also need a very sharp pair of scissors,” Mei-ling said.
“Fuck yeah,” Adriano said, now happily on board. He searched inside the office until he found a big pair of scissors that could have cut through cardboard. “What about these?”
“Perfect.”
“Darling,” Roberto asked quietly, “do you want me out there?”
Mei-ling kissed him lightly on the lips. “No, I can’t have the distraction. Just know that whatever you’re about to see isworkand nothing more.”
“What?!” he asked, suddenly alarmed.
“Don’t worry.”
“Let me come out there.”
“No – ”
Suddenly, Roberto’s voice dropped in pitch, and he becamefarmore dangerous-sounding. I’d never heard him like that before. “Let me come out there.”
Mei-ling put a finger to his lips to quiet him. “Not now. Just trust me… please?”
He looked conflicted, but finally nodded.
“Thank you,” she said, then kissed him once more. She grabbed a couple of bags and headed for the door –
Then turned back. “By the way, I’m going to need all your phones. Massimo will come get them.”
“What?!” Niccolo asked, indignant –
But she was already gone.
“What the hell is she going to do?” Niccolo asked Roberto.
“Iknow what she’s going to do,” Adriano said with a grin.
“No,” Roberto told him. “Trust me, you don’t.”
“Why do you say that?”
“Because I have noideawhat she’s going to do.”
“She got the straight razor and scissors for a reason,” Adriano pointed out.
“Whatever you’re imagining, I can guarantee you, you’re wrong.”
“We’ll see.” Adriano smirked. “All I know is SignorCamorraShithead ain’t gonna like it.”
“That,”Roberto said, “I’m in total agreement with.”
84
Once he was done setting up, Massimo told all the foot soldiers besides me to wait outside the warehouse. Then he came into the office to collect our phones.
“Why do you need these?” Niccolo asked as he handed his over.
“You’ll see,” Massimo replied.
“Why’d you send the foot soldiers out?” Adriano demanded.
