Page 270 of Niccolo

“Hopefully not for too much longer. Goodbye, Nephew.”

“Fuck OFF, Uncle,”Roberto snarled.

Fausto laughed and hung up the phone.

“Alright, so what’s the problem?” he asked.

“Zollner’s dead.”

Fausto stared at me in shock. “…what?”

“I think Lars shot him.”

Fausto rushed over to me and stared down at the tablet screen.

It was unmistakable: Zollner’s body lay on the ground in a slowly spreading puddle of red.

“WHAT HAPPENED?!” Fausto shrieked.

“I don’t know – one second he was aiming, the next second his head exploded.”

“Jesus fucking Christ!” Fausto snarled as he unmuted the tablet.

Our ears were assaulted by a series of gunshots echoing nearby –

But we barely noticed because of who appeared onscreen.

Massimo stumbled up the stairs, covered in blood from head to foot. A gigantic slab of metal was somehow attached to one arm, and it dripped with gore.

His eyes…

His eyes looked like he was on the verge of insanity.

“…no…” Fausto whispered in horror.

Not at what had happened to his nephew…

But what he knew was about to happen to his son.

Aurelio was playing the coward again, crouching behind Lucia –

But this time with a gun to her head.

I didn’t think it was possible, but I hated him even more than when he’d hit her.

“S-stop,”Aurelio whined.

Massimo looked over at Zollner’s corpse.“Looks like your mad dog got put down, cousin.”

“I’ll kill her if you come any closer!”Aurelio cried out.

“I’m staying right here. Are you alright?”he asked Lucia.

The madness left his eyes – and was replaced with love.

“Yes… considering. Better than Elmer Fudd, anyways,”she said, tipping her head towards Zollner.

Massimo laughed, and the madness returned as he looked at Aurelio.“Listen to me, cousin. Are you listening?”

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