Page 376 of Niccolo

One of our old foot soldiers.

He looked down at me sympathetically as he kicked my gun away from me –

But he didn’t stay long.

Instead, he ran towards Dario.

There were five foot soldiers around him, like hyenas surrounding a wounded lion.

Their guns were all aimed at him – but they hesitated.

Rather than plead for his life, my oldest brother scowled at them.

“Do it,” he snarled.

A second later, their pistols erupted in a hail of gunfire…

And Dario slumped to the ground.

165

Sofia

Itipped the white king over onto the board.

“Checkmate,” I said.

Fausto stared at the silent image of Dario on the ground, white shirt slowly turning red, his eyes and face blank in a thousand-yard stare.

“It’s… it’s over,” Fausto whispered, almost like he couldn’t believe it.

Then he burst out laughing.

“IT’S OVER!” he roared and lifted both arms in jubilation. “IT’SOVER!”

“Not completely,” I said as I reached inside my purse.

“What do you mean?” Fausto said, his face full of joy, still lost in celebration.

I backed ten feet away from him as I pulled out my pistol and aimed it at his face. “Pay me.”

166

Fausto stared at me in shock. “What are you doing?”

“I decided to take your advice from when we first met – and cheat.”

He gave a contemptuous laugh. “Are you fuckingseriousright now?”

“Deadly serious.”

I pointed the gun towards the monitors and deliberately opened fire.

BLAM BLAM BLAM BLAM BLAM!

Fausto shrieked and stumbled away, his arms covering his head, as the monitors blew up in a shower of sparks and all the screens went black.

“WHAT THE FUCK IS YOUR PROBLEM?!” Fausto shrieked.

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