Page 64 of Mafia Star

“You’re smart to be suspicious, but I know we aren’t being recorded. They wouldn’t ignore my request.”

Request. That’s laughable. It was a command, and one I think whoever Sawyer is knows not to disobey.

“Can you tell us what happened?”

Massimo pulls out chairs for Sinead and me before he moves around to the other side.

“We walked to the restaurant, but when we got there, Pauly checked it and said something felt off. A moment later, we saw Vinny fighting one of the men who followed me. When I looked the other way, I didn’t see Tony. Vinny knocked the guy out and was trying to get to us when Marco and Pauly took me inside. We went straight to the men’s restroom, where Pauly locked us in. A few minutes went by. I think. I don’t have a sense of time for what happened. Then a guy knocked on the door and spoke in Italian to Marco and Pauly. They said it was Luigi, but Marco wasn’t sure if he could be trusted. He wouldn’t tell me why. Pauly said he was trustworthy. Pauly went out first, and when Marco and I followed, Pauly had his arm around Luigi’s throat and a gun to his head.”

I pause as the fear rushes back to me. I’m picturing everything that happened. All I want is Marco right now. I’m trying not to panic since I know Massimo and Luca can physically protect me. I know Sinead will run laps around these agents. But Marco is the only person I’ll feel safe with.

Sinead covers my hand and gives it a squeeze.

“This isn’t the initiation into the family anyone wants for you, but you’re amazing. You’re stronger than most, and that’s saying something about the men in this world.”

“Family?”

Sinead’s smile is gentle as she nods. Am I going to be forced into marrying Marco now? Do I know too much? Is it the only way to stay alive?

No. Pauly said I’m Nicoletta’s future daughter. Marco and I have already talked about being all in for a long future. He told me that once his family knew we were together, they’d treat me as one of them. He didn’t date before me. I’m certain he didn’t introduce any women to his family. I inhale and calm down. I can keep going with my story.

“Luigi knew how to disarm the emergency exit alarm, so we went out the back. Marco heard something or sensed something. I don’t know. He had his arm wrapped around me again with his chest to my back. That’s how we went into the restaurant. He turned as we ran, and I know I heard a gun with a silencer. A second later, a bullet landed beside my left foot. Luigi and Pauly were back and forth, sometimes in front of us and sometimes behind us. Marco saw someone to our right that I didn’t. He shot them, then he shot one of three officers who stepped into the alley in front of us. By then, Vinny and Tony were running toward us. The other two officers went down, but I don’t know which of the four men shot them. We ran to the car and were so close before someone tackled Marco and me. Marco fought him, and I shot him.”

“What?”

Massimo and Sinead speak as one. I nod.

“I don’t know what came over me. That’s the worst cliché, but it’s true. The guy was hitting Marco, and I spotted Marco’s gun near their heads. I grabbed it and put it to the man’s head. I told him to stop, or I would shoot. I moved it to the outside of his shoulder and did. Marco forced my hands down before I killed him. Somehow, I wound up in the car, but Marco didn’t. Vinny was already in there and tried to drive off. Then I called you and Gabe. That’s when I realized Afonso was in the car too. You know what happened after that.”

I will not cry. I will not fucking cry. If I start, I won’t stop. If I’m joining this family, then I need to buck up, buttercup. That makes me think I seriously need psychiatric help. How can I not be more fazed by all of this than I am? I’ve shot a lot of shit in my life but never a person. I don’t have an inkling of remorse.

Sinead’s still smiling at me as she speaks. It doesn’t match the question.

“Did the press see you shoot him?”

“I don’t know. I didn’t notice there was any at the time. I don’t think they’d realized what was happening at the back of the building yet. But by the time I was in the car, and Vinny tried to leave, there was press gathering. They were taking photos of Marco as they arrested him.”

Massimo nods, and his lips twitch too.

“They’ve done us a favor by calling the press. Now we have photographic and video evidence of everything. I’ll subpoena all of it. It’ll show no one Mirandaed the men. It’ll show you didn’t resist, so there was no reason to handcuff you. It’ll show you leaving the restaurant with Sinead, no longer restrained. It’ll show what an utter shitshow they made of this bust.”

“Why did it happen?”

I flinch. That feels like an idiotic question to ask. I try to clarify.

“Why did it happen today?”

Massimo shrugs nonchalantly.

“We don’t know yet. They thought the wind blew the right way. Maybe it was convenient. Maybe someone wants a promotion. It could have been any number of reasons. The thing that concerns me the most is that they did it with you present. There’s no justification for that beyond witness intimidation. They wanted to scare you into telling them what you know about our family.”

“It’ll be a fucking freezing day in hell before that happens.”

I mutter my response, but I cringe when I realize I swore in front of Massimo. He doesn’t react.

“I don’t understand why those agents approached me. Why would one of them shove me?”

Sinead answers that.

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