Page 184 of Mafia Kings: Valentino

But then I realized that Rocco hadn’t sold me out. Not intentionally, at least.

His eyes were downcast, his lips were quivering, and he looked like he might start crying any second.

There was a bright red mark on his cheek –

Like he’d been viciously slapped.

Or maybe even punched.

The ‘tough guy’ had gotten smacked around by Daddy.

But then I realized what that meant forme:

Nothing good, that was for sure.

“You wanted to see me?” I asked.

“Where the fuck were you today?” Vicari snarled.

I stared at him in surprise.

Oh shit.

“Yeah,” Don Vicari said with a savage smile. “I’ve got eyes and earseverywhere.Rocco didn’t know I had a mole in his crew. He called me earlier to tell me Rocco punched you and left you behind, and then you just disappeared. So tell me,pretty boy– what the fuck were you doing?”

I knew from Rocco’s expression that the jig was up.

No point in lying.

…unless it was lying by omission.

“In exchange for punching me in front of his crew – so he got to look tough in front of his guys – Rocco let me go,” I said. “So I went drinking.”

Rocco, who had been staring at the floor like a five-year-old, looked up at me in surprise.

Don Vicari frowned. Apparently he hadn’t been expecting a confession.

(Even though I left out the part about who I was drinkingwith.And what else I was doing with her.)

“Bullshit,” Vicari snapped.

“It’s the truth.”

“Where were you drinking?”

Shit.

“I don’t know Ragusa,” I said. “Somewhere near some steps.”

There were a shit-ton of steps in Ragusa, so I figured it could’ve been anywhere.

Don Vicari narrowed his eyes suspiciously.

“Let me smell your breath,” he demanded.

I’d told him about the drinking because I knew I could sell it.

Not only had Cat and I drunk the complimentary bottle of champagne that came with the room…

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