Page 231 of Niccolo

I stared at him in dread, knowing he was about to tell me something horrible. “What are you talking about?”

“Within twelve hours of the wire transfer, every single bank manager involved supposedly committed suicide. Jumping off tall buildings, stepping in front of busses… suicide by pills was one of the less gruesome methods.”

Nausea filled the pit of my stomach.

What the fuck had Fausto done?

“I… I had nothing to do with that,” I stammered.

“But you knew,” Niccolo said with cold self-righteousness.

“I didn’t knowanything!”

“You went into business with a mobster who killed his own brother. Did youreallythink he wouldn’t murder a bunch of innocent people to cover his tracks?”

I felt like my breakfast was about to come up.

Then I realized something –

And all my nausea went away, replaced by ice water in my veins.

“You knew this last night, didn’t you?” I asked accusingly.

“So what if I did?” he retorted.

“You held back asking me this the entire time… not only so you could use that information for maximum leverage, but so you couldfuckme first. In case I reacted badly – right?”

He shifted uncomfortably in his seat but didn’t say anything.

“You wanted to get yourdickwet before you manipulated me,” I said with all the disgust and contempt I could summon. “So tell me, Machiavelli – who’sreallythe fucking monster here?”

“I had hoped you would come around – ”

“What, by making me come?” I sneered. “Get me off, then bend me to your will? It’s ALL just a fucking game to you, isn’t it? People aren’tpeople –they’re justthingsto be manipulated and discarded.”

“Oh,that’srich,” he snapped. “You should try selling that line of bullshit to Lazaro.”

“Who?” I asked, legitimately confused.

“Fausto’s mole. The man who told you I was coming to Taormina.”

My stomach plunged.

…so THAT was his name.

Niccolo saw my reaction and twisted the knife even more. “You tried to guilt mefor fucking you – but youhadto know there was a good chance we’d eventually find out who the traitor was. That didn’t bother you last night, though, did it?”

I felt sick again –

And my shame quickly turned to rage.

“I didn’t know who the mole was, and I told Fausto this was a trap,” I hissed. “But you’re leaving out one tiny detail.”

“And what’s that?” Niccolo said contemptuously.

“If he dies,youmotherfuckers are the ones who’llmurderhim.”

Niccolo looked like I’d slapped him.

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