Page 354 of Niccolo

Roberto looked at me in shock.

“Don’t start,” I warned him.

“Is THAT why you went?!” he asked indignantly. “You went there to FUCK her?!”

“Can we stop saying ‘fuck’ so much?” I asked. “How about ‘I slept with her,’ or – ”

“Did you make sweet,sweetlove to her, Nic?” Adriano asked sarcastically.

Except for Dario and me, everyone else laughed.

“Okay, fine, let’s go back to ‘fucking,’” I snapped.

“Did you arrangeto meet her in Hong Kong?” Roberto asked.

“No, it was more of a hunch.”

“Ahunch?!You flew all the way to Hong Kong on ahunch?!”

“There was a poker tournament in Macau, and I found out she played poker – ”

“I thought you said she played chess,” Lars interrupted.

“She did – does – she got thrown out – it’s a long story,” I said, waving him off.

“Is that theonlytime you slept with her?” Valentino asked.

“No, I slept with her in Rome,” I said coldly.

“Are THOSE the only times you slept with her?”

“No,” I said, trying to deflect. “Anyway, I – ”

“Whenelsedid you sleep with her?” Valentino demanded.

I glared at him, then sighed. “In Taormina.”

“In Taor– that’s in Sicily!”

“Yes.”

“When the fuck did you have time to see her in Sicily?! We were together the whole day I got married to Cat. The only other time was when you dropped me off with – ”

Valentino stopped, and his face filled with pure rage.

“YOU FUCKED HER WHEN YOU TOOK ME TO DON VICARI?!” he roared. “ISTHATWHY YOU ARRANGED THE GODDAMN MARRIAGE – SO YOU COULDFUCK HER?!”

“NO!” I yelled. “We arranged –we– me and DARIO – arranged the marriage to get allies when we thought you – ”

I pointed at Lars.

“And you – ”

I pointed at Massimo.

“Andyou– ”

I pointed at Roberto.

---