“Number two: tell the pimps their cut is capped at 20%. The women get the rest. Tell the pimps that our foot soldierswillbe checking in regularly with the women, and if there’s even thetiniestbit of doubt that the pimps are following our orders, the Tuscan countryside will be litteredwith shallow graves.”
This was better than I could have possibly hoped for! The harvest had come early!
“I’ll get on it right away,” I said mildly.
“We do this at cost,consigliere,”Dario warned me. “No matter how much Roberto protests, I don’t want to make a fucking cent on this.”
“At cost,” I agreed happily. “We’ll do this to save lives and safeguard the women in our territory – nothing more.”
“And for the time being,” he said dourly, “I don’t want a word of this breathed to my wife. I’ll tell her when I’m ready.”
I wasn’t entirely happy to hear that part, but only because I was worried for my oldest brother.
“It stays under the radar,” I agreed. “And you’ll tell Alessandra when you’re ready.”
Dario nodded and looked away.
When I left the room, he was still standing there, staring morosely out the window.
Whether he was pondering the future he wanted, or the future he felt he was being forced into, I didn’t know…
And I wasn’t entirely sureheknew which was which.
14
Giorgio
Caterina laid out bowls and plates of food on the kitchen island – all Tuscan specialties.Pappa al pomodoro,a hearty bread and tomato soup…frittataswith Italian sausage and fresh vegetables… and pancakes topped with sweet ricotta cheese.
“Oh my god, this is so good,” Raffaelo moaned after the first bite.
“It’s excellent,Signora,”I agreed, giving a chef’s kiss in the air.
Cat beamed. “I’m so glad you like it.”
As Raffaelo and I continued to eat, the women chatted with us.
“So, Giorgio, what’s up with you?” Cat asked.
“Just work,” I said. “SignoraBauer is teaching me to drive.”
“Huh?” Raffaelo said, confused. “You drove me and Adriano here this morning.”
“Not that kind of driving,” I explained.“Evasivedriving.SignoraBauer used to work for MI6 in England.”
Raffaelo stared at me. “She was a spy?!”
“Like James Bond,” Alessandra said proudly. She had always liked that her sister-in-law could go toe-to-toe with any of the men in the family.
“Whoa,” Raffaelo said, then shook his head. “There reallyhasn’tbeen much work for me lately – I’ve missed out on all the gossip.”
“Speaking of gossip,” Cat said, “you seeing anybody, Giorgio?”
“No,” I said, then hesitated. “Well…”
“Who?” Cat demanded playfully.
“There is thisonegirl…”
