Page 239 of Roberto

Roberto pointed the gun calmly at the lead asshole, who froze in his tracks. “Balls or head.”

I hadnotexpectedthosewords. I was a little unsure I’d heard him correctly.

“What?”

“Ask him if he wants it in the balls or the head,” Roberto said simply.

I stared at him in shock –

Until he used the Voice.

“ASK him.”

A thrill went up and down my back, and I turned to the thug.

“He told me to ask you, ‘Do you want it in your testicles or your head?’”

The guy looked shocked –

And then he laughed.

He ignored me completely and started shouting at Roberto in Cantonese.

“Fuckin’ pussy – go ahead and try it, you stupid motherfucker!”

Both the street thug and I were shocked beyond words when Roberto calmly pointed the gun between the thug’s feet and pulled the trigger.

BLAM!

I screamed in terror as the gunshot echoed all around us –

But the three thugs screamed even louder.

“What are youdoing?!”I yelled at him.

Roberto ignored me and just pointed the gun back at the leader, who looked like he’d shat himself in fear.

“Balls or head?” Roberto asked calmly…

And then lowered the gun so it pointed at the thug’s pants.

The two men in the back ran for it –

And the leader quickly followed them.

Then Roberto turned to me…

And my shock became terror.

I had let amafiosotake away the only piece of power I had –

And now I was utterly helpless.

He must have read my mind because he glanced down at the gun in his hand –

And then he did something I never would have expected:

He offered it back to me.

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