Page 389 of Niccolo

“You’re speaking on behalf ofallthe members of the Council?” Dario asked.

Don Severino smiled evilly. “I’m sure I can persuade them to see it my way.”

“Does that apply to me as well, I wonder?” the Widow said as she forced her way past Massimo to the front.

Severino looked at her in surprise – then glowered at her. “If you take their side… then yes. Consider yourself cut off.”

“What a pity,” the Widow said drily. “It seems the Council has lost not one, but two families today.”

“Three, if you count Fausto.”

“I don’t,” the Widow retorted.

Severino glowered at her, then looked at Dario. “Once you depart, don’t come back. Your Rome privileges are all used up.”

“I’m sorry to hear that,” Dario replied quietly.

“Not as sorry as you will be,” Severino snarled, then turned and left with his foot soldiers.

“Oh, my,” the Widow said once he was gone. “He seems quite put out.”

“Is this something we should worry about?” Rachel asked her husband.

Lars looked at Dario. “I don’t know – is it?”

“Not today,” Dario replied. “We survived one war; no need to plan for the next one right away. Besides, we need to get back home…”

My oldest brother looked at me and smiled.

“…and have a wedding.”

171

Sofia

We got married on Niccolo’s family’s estate just a few days after we got back from Rome.

By then, it was common knowledge in theCosa Nostrathat Fausto was dead, even though the police never found a body – which had taken up permanent residence in Tuscany out in the olive groves.

Don Severino also made it known that I had turned on my former employer.

It didn’t matter that I did it out of love. Not to the rest of theCosa Nostra.

Something else that didn’t matter to the macho assholes who ran the mafia? Fausto’s treachery towards his own brother and nephews. It had never been ‘proven,’ so they could overlook it.

Guess whatdidmatter to them?

The fact that a woman had been appointed asconsigliereand then betrayed her boss.

It was aninfamia!

You would think the world would end because of it, judging from some of the texts Niccolo got.

It didn’t matter to me. I had a long history of men who looked down on me.

Thank God I’d found a whole family of them who respected me instead.

Anyway, the only families in theCosa Nostrawho attended the wedding were the Widow of Venice – and Alessandra’s grandmother from Genoa.

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