Page 130 of Niccolo

“Correct.”

He was silent for a few seconds… then muttered,“Well played.”

“Thank you.”

“I want you to remember two things, though.”

I prepared myself for a couple of parting threats. “What.”

“Number one: Niccolo is brilliant. No matter how good you think you are, he’ll see through your deceptions – so be careful. And if he’s truly coming to Macau to see you, there’s an excellent chance he’ll kill you if you don’t switch sides.”

Another shiver ran down my spine.

“Well, then, I’ll just have to make himthinkI’ve switched sides,” I said in a blasé voice. “What’s the second thing?”

“If you DO switch sides, I’ll make it my mission above everything else – even above destroying my nephews – to take you captive, at which point I’ll have you skinned alive. And as you’re bleeding out, I’ll make you watch in a mirror – since you won’t have eyelids anymore – as I gut you like a fish. That, I promise you.”

Despite having steeled myself, my blood still ran cold.

Because I knew he meant it.

“Good luck, Sofia,”he said, then hung up the phone.

56

Despite Fausto’s serial killer threats, he came through with the money.

Shortly after I checked in at the El Dorado, the concierge let me know that they had received a wire transfer for one million euros.

“Would you like me to have a line of credit established for you in the casino?”he asked over my hotel room phone.

“No, I want you to wire it immediately to a bank,” I said, and gave him my account information in Italy.

The whole ‘wire it to the casino’ ploy had been a negotiating tactic – nothing more. I didn’t want Fausto promising to pay me, then weaseling out of it once I returned to Italy.

Plus, since I knew Fausto had been able to steal the Rosolini brothers’ money, I didn’t feel comfortable giving himmybank information.

And now that I had the money, there was no way I was gambling it away.

If things got really bad, I could always make a run for it.

A million euros would take me pretty far…

Although maybe not far enough to outrun my new boss.

After I freshened up, I went downstairs to the casino floor to wait.

I didn’t have to wait long.

I sat in the bar area near the poker tournament. The game was in full swing, with hundreds of players sitting around dozens of tables.

Part of me was irritated not to be playing in the tournament, but I reminded myself I was playing abiggergame. One with higher stakes and much more lucrative rewards.

I ordered a sandwich and a mocktail – no alcohol. After all, I had to stay sharp for what came next.

If it came at all.

In the end, there were no guarantees I was right about Niccolo’s reasons for coming to Hong Kong…

---