“It wastwo,”I snapped, “and I saved Lucia and Bianca’slives.”
Emilia talked over me. “ – and I came out and saw you’d beat the shit out ofanotherguy – ”
“A BAD guy – ”
“ – and then your mafia boss makes me get in a car and takes me to a warehouse where I seeyouall covered in blood – ”
Okay, I didn’t exactly have a comeback to that one.
“ – and then your boss takes me out to his mafia family’s palace in the middle of nowhere, where you pretty much tell me I can’t go home – ”
“Looks tomelike I’m taking you home,” I said, my voice louder than it should’ve been.
“ – so you tell ME, Giorgio:do you understand why I’m acting like this?”she yelled.
I just fumed as I stared out at the road.
I waited a moment to cool down…
Then said, “Okay, I’ll admit, it wasn’t the best day – ”
“It wasn’t thebestday?! IT WASN’T THEBESTDAY?!”
“What do you want me to say?! Yes, it sucked! Yes, I’m sorry you had to see that shit! YES, I’m sorry you got pulled into this! YES, I understand why you’re upset!”
Emilia sat there with her arms crossed over her chest.
When I glanced over, she wasn’t angry anymore –
She looked really upset, with tears trickling down her cheeks.
“Aw, come on, babe,” I said, feeling horrible. “Don’t cry.”
She sniffled and wiped her tears away.
“Look, I know things went all to hell,” I said, “but this was the worst thing that’s happened in…”
I couldn’t bring myself to lie.
“…in a really long time,” I finished lamely.
She looked at me in disbelief. “Are you saying this isn’t theworstday you’ve ever had working for them?”
I flashed back to Lorenzo, bleeding out on the ground on San Michele Island.
I saw Lazaro reeling from Adriano’s gunshot to the back of his head, then falling into the grave I’d just dug for him.
I remembered the firefight in the restaurant the night Mezzasalma’s men kidnapped Bianca.
“…one of the worst,” I muttered.
“What about when you gotshot?”she snapped. “Wasthatthe worst?”
“Yes,” I said nastily,“thatwas the worst.”
She turned and stared out the window again.
There was a long silence…
