Page 237 of Niccolo

After I was an asshole for a bit, Dario intervened.

At first he played the stern martinet… but then he softened. Not only did he give Caterinamoremoney, he also humiliated me by making me go stand in the corner – and then ordered meto give her allmymoney, too.

A beautiful performance by all!

Especially by me, if I do say so myself.

My only real qualm was that Caterina looked like she was going to have a heart attack the entire time.

Poor girl… I reallyhadscrewed her over by sending Valentino away, and then I nearly gave her a coronary.

I just prayed it was the right decision.

Sending Valentino away, I mean.

Because if it wasn’t, I was never going to be able to forgive myself.

“You’re welcome,” I joked to my brother once we were far enough away from the two women.

He turned and glared at me.

“Did I say that out loud?” I asked. “I meant, ‘Good job.’”

“I don’t like toying with my wife like that,” Dario said, irritated.

“I know. I’m sorry,” I said, and felt another pang of conscience over how I’d tried to manipulate Sofia.

It was an addiction of mine, apparently…

And I just didn’t know when to fucking stop.

Dario grumbled, then said, “As long as Alessandra is happy, then it’s all for a good cause, I suppose.”

“I think you mean, as long asyou’renot miserable in your marriage,” I joked.

Dario shot me another look.

“Sorry, too soon,” I agreed. “Now, let’s go see our mole before Adriano does something rash.”

“You never told me how it went with Fausto’sconsigliere.”

“Not nearly as well as it went with Alessandra and Caterina,” I said grimly.

I filled Dario in on Sofia as we walked down the stone steps to the basement.

At one point, Dario stopped and stared at me.

“How did you fuck up so badly?” he asked, stunned.

“You don’t have to rub salt in the wound,” I snapped.

“Well… at least we know where the leak came from. Time to plug it.”

I was overcome with guilt as I remembered Sofia’s words in Taormina:

If he dies, you motherfuckers are the ones who’ll murder him.

“Is there any way we could spare him?” I asked quietly.

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