Page 255 of Mafia Kings: Valentino

The fucking spineless traitor!

“But – ”

“You WILL marry Don Vicari’s daughter, and there will be NO more discussion about it. Am I understood?”

“Fuck you, Nic,” I snarled.

I immediately regretted what I’d just said.

Don Vicari smiled like a cobra about to watch a mongoose get spitted and roasted on a fire.

“Fine,”Niccolo said, his voice even colder than Don Vicari’s.“I’ll go get Dario.”

“What?! No – wait,” I said, suddenly unable to breathe.

“Since you won’t listen to me, I think it’s time we involve him.”

The idea of what Dario would say to me –

The idea ofhisrage directed at me –

Ofhisdisappointment –

Hisbeing ashamed of me –

It was more than I could bear.

“ALRIGHT!” I yelled. “Alright, goddammit, I’ll marry her! Okay?! I’ll marry her.”

There was silence on the other end of the phone.

Then Niccolo hissed,“Don’t you EVER disrespect me again. Am I understood?”

“…yes.”

It was true – what I’d done was about as shitty a thing as you could possibly do in theCosa Nostra.

I had shamed Niccolo in front of another family. Not only would it make him a laughingstock, but it would make it exponentially more difficult to deal with Don Vicari in the future.

To Vicari, Nic would always be‘theconsigliere who bends over when his underlings tell him to go fuck himself.’

If I wasn’t his brother – if I were just some foot soldier who worked for our family – Niccolo would have told Don Vicari to go ahead and shoot me. And to make it long, drawn-out, and painful.

But I was desperate…

My back was against the wall…

And Nic was taking a psychopath’s side instead of mine.

I’d done the only thing Icoulddo in the moment.

The way I saw it, he’d left me no choice.

But then it got worse.

“Make him apologize to me,” Don Vicari said with a smile.

I stared at him in shock –

---