Chapter 81

Mafia Kings: Valentino: Chapter 81 I had more to do before dark.

Cat was so freaked out by the body that I sent her to buy clothes for me instead.

While she was out, I had her drop Paolo’s ID and credit cards in separate sewer grates, careful to wipe off her prints before she ditched them.

She returned an hour later with a duffel bag. Inside were two sets of shirts, pants, and shoes that closely resembled what I was wearing.

I changed into the first set of clothes, stashed the second set in the duffel bag, and threw in a towel from the hotel.

Then I waited until half an hour after sunset –

Which was already fucking late at 8:30 PM.

Ordinarily, we would have been back at Don Vicari’s by 6.

He probably started calling Paolo’s phone around 6:30...

And then it was a two-hour drive from his home to Ortigia.

I just prayed he hadn’t already sent his men to search for Isabella.

Because if he had, and they found me before I got rid of the body...

I was fucked.

Once it was dark enough, I sent Caterina outside to wait for me.

If I got arrested, I didn’t want her to get caught, too.

Then I moved the body.

There wasn’t an elevator, so I only had one other option.

I strained to keep the suitcase semi-upright as the wheels dropped from stair to marble stair.

CLACK!

CLACK!

CLACK!

Luckily, only two people passed me on the stairs.

They gave me a glance but didn’t pause to talk.

Five minutes later, I exited the side door of the hotel, sweating profusely.

I rolled the suitcase to the street along the Mediterranean and scanned for pedestrians.

There were several strolling along the sidewalk –

Exactly where I needed to go.

FUCK.

I was definitely going to need that diversion from Cat.

I looked around.

There she was, one street over, just like I’d told her.

She gave me a worried smile and started walking towards me –

And then I heard Isabella’s voice.

“Valentino?”

I whirled around.

I was suddenly plunged into a nightmare:

Cat walking towards me from one side –

And Isabella and Ludavica approaching from the other direction.

Oh SHIT –

Cat’s going to blow a fucking GASKET!

Despite my stress, I realized how funny the situation was:

I was more worried about Cat and Isabella meeting than I was about the dead body I was carting around.

“What the fuck are you doing here?” I whispered at Isabella as she walked towards me.

“Val?” Cat said behind me, her voice trembling. “Who are they?”

FUCK, FUCK, FUCK –

“You must be Cat,” my future wife said brightly as she walked up. “I’m Isabella. This is Ludavica, my – uh, my servant.”

Isabella extended a hand to shake.

I just knew that Cat was going to slap it away, or cuss her out, or something –

But instead, she took Isabella’s hand.

Hesitantly, but she took it...

And shook it limply before letting go.

Cat looked like she was trying hard not to cry.

I felt fucking awful –

And I took it out on Isabella.

“WHY are you HERE?”

“Don’t talk to her like that,” Ludavica snapped.

I turned on her next. “I don’t remember asking you a goddamn – ”

“They’re here, Valentino,” Isabella whispered, her voice panicked. “My father’s men – they’re here.”

My heart stopped in my chest.

“Where?” I asked hoarsely.

“I saw one of them in the crowd, so Lu and I slipped away.”

“How did you know where to come?!”

“Paolo mentioned the hotel name, remember?”

She was right.

You got a text, boss. She’s at the Locanda dell’Ortigia.

“What do we do?” Isabella asked, frightened.

SHIT.

I turned to Cat. “You’ve got to leave. Get a taxi and go somewhere – anywhere but here – but you have to leave NOW.”

“I can’t leave my things!” Cat cried out. “That’s all I have!”

I wanted to say, Except for your fucking LIFE, which you’re going to lose if you don’t LISTEN to me!

But I didn’t want her to panic, so I said, “Babe, you have to trust me – ”

“She’s got a couple of minutes,” Isabella interrupted. “My father’s men are looking on the other side of the island. I doubt they’re searching over here yet.”

“But – ”

“You still need to change,” Isabella said as she pointed at my shirt. “If you show up wearing that, my father will know the difference.”

Goddamn it!

The plan was falling apart.

“Bring his clothes down here when you come, but hurry,” Isabella said to Cat. “We’ll be waiting in that alley over there.”

Cat nodded frantically, then ran back inside the hotel side entrance.

“Why did you do that?” I asked angrily.

“Because we need to talk,” Isabella said as she headed for the alley.

“Talk about what?!” I asked as I dragged the suitcase behind me.

“You don’t have time to change clothes anymore, and your hair’s going to be wet when they find us.”

“Okay?” I said, like AND?

“They won’t buy our story, so we need a new plan. I came up with one on the way over here, but you’re not going to like it.”

“Well, the current plan is fucked, so I don’t think the new one could be any worse!”

“Just wait till you hear it.”

“What is it?”

“I’m going to lead my father’s men directly to you.”

I stared at her in shock.

“...what?!”

Isabella quickly explained.

She was right: I absolutely fucking hated the new plan.

But it was the only chance we had.