Four of our men stood in a waiting room, watching through a doorway as something happened on the other side.
In the other room were high-pitched screams of pain.
Serpente and Mangiavatt laughed like they found it funny.
Guercio looked disgusted –
While Cinghiale licked his lips lustfully.
As soon as they heard us, they whipped around with their guns –
“DON’T SHOOT!” Romeo barked, and they all lowered their weapons.
I stalked past them to see what they’d been watching –
And my stomach turned.
Dario Rosolini’s pregnant wife lay on the floor, curled up in a fetal position –
As Cesare viciously kicked her defenseless body.
I was numb to most of the heinous acts my brother committed on a regular basis –
But this?
This was over the line.
Thisobliteratedthe line like it wasn’t even there.
“WHAT THE FUCK ARE YOU DOING?!” I screamed at him.
He looked up at me, his features twisted with demonic glee, his face dotted and streaked with blood.
“Dario Rosolini’s not here,” he cackled, “so I’m taking it out on his bitch.”
I felt like I might puke –
Until Romeo stepped past me.
“You don’t want to do this,” he said in a low voice.
Cesare’s glee turned to rage as he pointed his gun at Romeo. “What thefuckdid you just say?”
Having a pistol pointed at him didn’t rattle Romeo in the slightest. He said calmly, “Dario Rosolini’s coming up the stairs. We need to get out of here.”
Cesare’s rage turned to glee, and he howled with laughter. “YES! Let’s go KILL the motherfucker!”
My stomach twisted with fear.
He’s going to get us all slaughtered –
But then Romeo said, “He’s got two dozen men with him.”
It was a lie –
Or at best an exaggeration –
But it was a plausible one, and it made my demented cretin of a brother reconsider.
