Page 349 of Marcello

“Ah,” I muttered, finally understanding. “To negotiate.”

“If they can be negotiated with.”

“Everyone can be negotiated with,” I said with a confidence I didn’t actually feel. “How long will these marble tables last if the Camorra open fire?”

“Not long enough.”

“Well,” I said, interlacing my fingers and cracking them outwards, “let’s see what I can do.”

136

Dario

Basement

The basement was a series of columns and arches that formed a honeycomb of smaller rooms. The only exception was a large, open central area.

A Camorra thug’s corpse hung on a chain from one of the arched doorways. The man’s face was a bloody pulp.

I wondered what he’d done to deserve that.

Knowing his boss, probably nothing at all.

I was standing at the bottom of the steps when Cesare tossed his gun on the ground. Then he stepped out into the dim light of the single bulb hanging from the ceiling.

He wore jeans and a wifebeater that showed off the tattoos on his arms and neck…

And he was smirking.

“Well? You all talk, or what?” the arrogant prick asked.

I handed my pistol to Giorgio, who stood on the steps above me.

“Sir – ” he whispered.

“Do not interfere. That is a direct order.”

Giorgio took my gun, and I stepped down onto the stone floor.

My holster, bulletproof vest, and long-sleeve shirt were constricting, so I took them off.

Then I stood to face him, barechested – just like I had trained so many times with Lars.

Cesare assumed the stance of a boxer and began to move around me in a semicircle, his feet dancing back and forth like a prizefighter as he threw fake punches into the air.

I stayed in one place and kept my stance loose, just like Lars had taught me.

Cesare leered at me. “You know, I enjoyed fucking your bitch up. She screamed real good.”

My blood began to boil, but I didn’t allow him to get the best of me.

“I would’ve made her suck my dick, but you got there a little too early,” he continued. “Maybe once I’m done with you, I’ll go back down to Florence and finish what I started.”

“Like I finished off your father?” I asked.

The look on Cesare’s face immediately changed.

His expression twisted with rage, and he stopped his fancy footwork and stood still.