Page 136 of Roberto

Bastard.

“Fifty million wasn’t enough?” I asked coldly.

“Apparently not,”Fausto said.

Lau gestured to the phone. “I informed your uncle that this is aCosa Nostramatter, and we do not wish to become involved. If we killed you, and then your brothers defeated your uncle, your brothers would undoubtedly come afterusfor revenge. We have no desire for an international war. Not only that, if word got out that the Syndicate had murdered one of its investors, it would be bad for business.”

I laughed incredulously. “Bad for business.”

Lau smiled. “Yes.”

I glowered at him. “You must have cutsomekind of deal because you’ve done nothing but stall me for the last three weeks.”

Lau shrugged. “We have no intention of unnecessarily incurring the wrath of either your brothersoryour uncle – beyond the annoyance of not agreeing to either of your demands.”

On the speakerphone, I heard Fausto mutter something in Italian, though I couldn’t make out what he said. Then he spoke in English.“Excuse me, gentlemen, I have to take another call. The offer still stands, Mr. Lau.”

“I must regretfully decline,” Lau said with a smile.

“Hopefully not for too much longer. Goodbye, Nephew.”

“Fuck OFF, Uncle.”

Fausto laughed, then hung up the phone.

I stared angrily at Lau. “So if my uncle kills my brothers,thenyou’ll kill me.”

“That would seem to be the situation,” Lau said, as though he had nothing to do with it.

I pointed at Gota and Xi. “Why the charade, then? Why drag themto Hong Kong?”

“We had to confer and make a final decision about your situation.”

“What, you couldn’t do it over the phone?”

“This is not the sort of decision one makes over the phone. Besides, there is other business to attend to while they’re here.”

“So what’s your decision?” I asked sharply.

Lau smiled. “To wait and see.”

“‘Wait andsee’?”I repeated incredulously. “What the hell doesthatmean?”

“We have been monitoring the situation back in Italy. I must admit, we expected your uncle to win quite handily, but your brothers proved surprisingly tenacious. We didn’t expect them to last longer than a week – yet here they are, still alive, standing toe-to-toe against your uncle.”

I turned to Gota and sneered, “My uncle, thefull-bloodedSicilian.”

Gota just chuckled.

I turned back to Lau. “And what are you waiting tosee,exactly?”

“Who wins. That is the side we will do business with.”

I stared at him in disbelief. “What are you talking about, ‘do business with’?”

“We negotiated with your uncle. OrIdid, on the others’ behalf. I would not consent to kill you, in case your brothers were victorious – but I agreed to keep you here in Hong Kong and make sure your family didn’t have access to the funds. Inreturn… if your brothers perish… then we will kill you,and Fausto will become an investor in the Syndicate in your stead.”

I stared at him. “And if my brothers win?”

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