Page 232 of Mafia Kings: Valentino

“Lu,” Isabella hissed.

Ludavica shut up.

“What’s the big problem?” Isabella asked me.

“I need to make sure he disappears, if you get my drift.”

Isabella frowned. “Can’t you just tell Papa he attacked you?”

“In a hotel room? Registered in Caterina’s name?”

“…oh. Yeah, I guess that won’t work.” Isabella got a look of grim determination on her face. “What do you need us to do?”

“Stay here at the restaurant. Just keep ordering food and drinking,” I said as I pulled out three hundred euros and laid them on the table.

“That’s allyou want us to do?”

“Yes – but you’re going to have to keep doing it until after dark.”

Ludavica’s eyebrows shot up. “That’s a long time.”

“Yeah, but I can’t do anything until it gets dark.”

“What are you going to do?” Isabella asked.

“The less you know, the better. Do you have a phone number to call your father?”

Isabella looked surprised. “Yes, but do you really think that’s a good – ”

“Don’t call it. Not until I tell you I’m ready.”

“Why would we call him at all? Can’t you just drive the three of us back home?”

“I have to make it look like Paolo ran. If he ran, he wouldn’t leave us the keys.”

“…oh. Yeah, thatwouldlook suspicious. But why can’t we help?”

“Because when your father asks you questions, I need you to be able to lie.”

“I can lie to my father easier than you think,” Isabella said.

Yeah, right.

“I need you to lieconvincingly,and it’ll be easier if you just stay here all night. You can say Paolo told you he had to take a call, then he left and never came back. The servers will be your alibi. If anybody asks them, they’ll say you were here the whole time.”

“What aboutyou,though?” Isabella asked. “Where areyougoing to say you were, if you weren’t here with us?”

I grimaced. “I haven’t gotten that far yet.”

“We can help,” Isabella said.

“Speak for yourself,” Ludavica grumbled.

Isabella shot her an angry look.

Ludavica rolled her eyes – but she didn’t say anything else.

Isabella looked back at me. “Just tell me what you need me to do.”

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