Chapter 84

Mafia Kings: Valentino: Chapter 84 “WHAT THE FUCK HAPPENED?!” Don Vicari roared.

It was past midnight, and we were all in the Don’s study.

Isabella sat on a chair, her face pale but cleaned up. There were a couple of stitches in a cut near her hairline.

Ludavica sat next to her, unharmed but terrified.

I was wrapped in a blanket – less to keep me warm than to make sure I didn’t get the furniture wet – as an old Sicilian country doctor cleaned the scrapes and cuts on my face with iodine. I hadn’t even been allowed to change my clothes before the questioning started.

“I told you, Papa,” Isabella said in a timid voice. “Paolo slammed my head against the wall. Valentino chased after him, and... I...

I don’t remember much else.”

Don Vicari looked furiously at Ludavica. “What happened?!”

She pointed at me with a trembling finger. “Paolo knocked him over the railing into the water.”

Vicari glared at me. “Well?”

“I ran after him, but he pulled his gun, which is why I hesitated. Then... I don’t remember much else.”

I knew my injuries would sell the story for me. The right side of my face was bruised and cut, and the doctor said I’d suffered a mild concussion. Not to mention I’d nearly drowned.

Don Vicari stood there fuming in silence –

Then shouted “OUT!” at the doctor.

The old man got out of there real fast.

Don Vicari leaned down in front of me, his eyes blazing. “Why the hell would Paolo do all this?”

“I don’t know.”

“What do you know?”

“Earlier in the afternoon, he left the restaurant to go make a phone call,” I said. “When he didn’t come back, I went to go find him, but I couldn’t.”

“You LEFT my daughter by HERSELF?!” Vicari roared.

“She was in a restaurant full of people. She was safe. Besides, I thought I’d find him and be back in five minutes.”

“You should’ve called ME!”

“I don’t have a phone, remember?” I snapped. “Besides, I didn’t think he was a fucking traitor – I just thought he was slacking off on his job.”

Vicari looked like he wanted to break my face –

But he got control of himself. “He disappeared from the restaurant, but you caught up with him at some point. How?”

“He’d been gone several hours by the time it got dark. At that point, I didn’t think I should leave the girls alone – so I took them with me, and we all went looking for him.”

A lot of the details in my story wouldn’t hold up if Vicari’s men questioned the restaurant staff. For instance, that I’d taken the girls with me.

However, I’d been in the restaurant when I’d told them I’d killed Paolo. I was hoping that in the hustle and bustle, the restaurant workers would be fuzzy on the details.

If not, I was fucked.

“And you found him,” Vicari snarled at his daughter.

“Yes,” Isabella said.

Vicari looked angrily at me. “Why weren’t you together?”

“We were just a block apart,” I replied. “One street over from each other. I figured we could cover more ground if we spread out.”

Vicari turned back to Isabella. “And what was Paolo doing?”

“He was on the phone. He was acting... strange.”

“Strange how?”

“Like he was nervous.”

“Did you hear what he said?”

“Not really... but I heard him mention Eliseo.”

Of course, it was all a lie.

When we were discussing the plan – when it went from just hiding the body to Isabella and Ludavica playing an important part –

I’d told Isabella to mention the consigliere’s name.

Why? she’d asked.

Just trust me.

Turns out I was right.

Don Vicari’s reaction was powerful and instant.

He stepped back, a look of shock on his face like he’d been slapped –

Then he leaned over and screamed at Isabella, “WHAT DID HE SAY?!”

Isabella flinched and started crying. “I don’t know! I just heard him say Eliseo’s name!”

I had to hand it to Isabella.

When she’d told me, I can lie to my father easier than you think, I’d thought she was being overly confident.

But – hell – even I was buying her performance.

Vicari stood up, his face a mask of rage, and paced back and forth like an angry tiger.

Finally he turned to Isabella and Ludavica. “The two of you – go to bed! NOW!”

They both scrambled for the door.

Once they were gone, Vicari turned to me.

“Let’s go,” he snarled.

“Where are we going?” I asked warily.

He smiled evilly. “I think you know.”

I did.

The barn.

“Can I change into dry clothes first?” I asked as I stood.

“No,” he said as he pushed me out the door.