Page 107 of Niccolo

Even though Sofia had participated in a number of recent international tournaments – Paris, London, and Amsterdam – she hadn’t placed highly after San Remo. Certainly nowhere near fifth.

Not only that, but she was registered for an upcoming tournament in Macau just a few days away.

That threw me for a second.

Why was she continuing to play poker if she was Fausto’sconsigliere?

Then the answer hit me:

I’ll bet the old fucking miser won’t pay her until after the job is completed…

And he won’t give her enough money to live on in the meantime.

Outside of his own personal luxuries – clothes, cars, and wine – Fausto had always been notoriously tightfisted.

When he was my father’sconsigliere,he had always wanted to underpay the foot soldiers and staff. Papa continually had to overrule him.

It made perfect sense: Fausto was too fucking cheap to pay Sofia what she was worth upfront.

Unfortunately for her, it also suggested my uncle might kill her if she didn’t deliver.

Not placing in the Paris, London, and Amsterdam poker tournaments was still a bit confusing, though.

Judging by the fifth-place finish in San Remo, Sofia was too brilliant to just crater like that.

I figured she hadn’tlostso much as she’d been distracted by her other duties.

San Remo was the last time she’d won big…

The last time she hadn’t been distracted…

So Fausto recruited her in San Remo four months ago, or shortly thereafter.

I’d bet my last dollar on it.

Which was a relief.

If I was right about the timeline, it meant shecouldn’thave been involved in my father’s death.

In addition, everything I found out about her increased her allure even more.

She had gone from one game I loved – chess –

To another I was evenbetterat – poker –

And had finally landed in the most thrilling game of all:

The Great Game.

Life and death in theCosa Nostra.

Well, well, well.

I look forward to playing you, Sofia Toscani, now that I know who’s sitting across the table from me.

But first, I had to tell my don what I’d found out…

And what I had planned.

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