Page 232 of Massimo

“Take your time. We’re not going anywhere.”

Zollner pointed at the phone and put a finger to his lips. Aurelio muted the cell.

“You know, I could probably hit her from here,” Zollner said cheerfully.

“It’s 2500 feet to her palazzo,” Aurelio said, surprised.

“I’ve made farther shots than that.”

I looked at them in horror. “NO!”

“Relax, nobody’s doing anything,” Aurelio said. “Stop showing off, Zollner.”

The Swiss asshole smiled. “Just an option.”

“Signor Rosolini,” Nona said from the phone.

Aurelio tapped the button to unmute. “Yes, we’re – ”

“NONA, THERE’S A SNIPER!” I screamed.

Aurelio stepped behind me and put his arm around my throat, crushing my windpipe.

“Don’t,” he hissed in my ear. Then he said, “You must excuse your granddaughter, Signora Fioretti. Yes, there is a sniper up here… but he’s not for you.”

“Don’t worry, Lucia,” Nona said. “I’m behind bulletproof glass.”

Aurelio shot an irritated look at Zollner, who shrugged and grinned like Nobody’s perfect.

“Can you see your granddaughter? Wave for her, Lucia,” Aurelio hissed in my ear.

I lifted my arm and did as he ordered.

There was a long pause on the other end of the line.

“…what do you want?” Nona finally said.

“An alliance between our families,” Aurelio purred. “Nothing more.”

“And you plan to get it by holding my granddaughter hostage, is that it?”

“Let’s just say she’ll be the glue that binds our agreement together.”

“And if that agreement doesn’t hold?”

Aurelio grabbed my wet hair and forced me up against the railing. “Well, it’s a long way down.”

I felt my stomach lurch. A hundred feet below me, the ground seemed to spin slightly.

“STOP,” Nona snapped. “You’ve made your point.”

“Good,” Aurelio said as he pulled me back from the railing. “I’m glad.”

“I’m assuming you’ll want some kind of meeting to cement our newfound agreement.”

“Absolutely. Clear your schedule for later this afternoon – I have something to take care of first.”

“And what is that, pray tell?”

---