Page 79 of Mafia Kings: Valentino

“So basically what you’re saying is, we’re the only ones desperate enough to strike a deal with him.”

“More or less.”

Fuckin’ GREAT.

My brothers were auctioning me off like a goat to some bunch of hick psychopaths, and their daughter probably had a unibrow.

Then I thought of something.

“Wait a second,” I said. “Mezzasalma was Sicilian.”

Mezzasalma was the guy who’d wiped out the Agrellas in Florence – and nearly killed Adriano while he was at it.

The only reason we’d finally gotten him is because he kidnapped Bianca. While Adriano and Massimo were chasing them, she yanked on the wheel of Mezzasalma’s car and wrecked it like the fucking badass she was.

“Yes,” Niccolo agreed, “Mezzasalma was from Sicily.”

“What if Don Vicari had something to do with Mezzasalma trying to kill us?!”

“I asked that already. He swore on his dead wife’s soul that he knew nothing about Mezzasalma’s plans. Don Vicari says he gave Mezzasalma the green light to leave Sicily and strike out fornew territory on the mainland, but he says he had nothing to do with Mezzasalma targeting the Agrellas – or us.”

“And you believe him?” I asked incredulously.

“Dead wife’s soul,” Niccolo reminded me. “Not a lot of things you can swear on that are more serious than that.”

“Unless he fuckin’ hated his wife.”

“Again, donotmake jokes like that around Don Vicari,” Niccolo ordered.“Ever.”

“I wasn’t going to,” I protested angrily.

“Actually, his dead wife brings me to my final point, and it’s something that’s not usually acknowledged – even by Sicilians.Especiallyby Sicilians.”

“What?” I asked, curious.

“Sicily is actually a matriarchy – and the SicilianCosa Nostraeven more so. It looks like a patriarchy on the surface, what with men doing all the killing and keeping a tight lid on their women… but at the end of the day, Sicilian mothers rule their sons. Wives don’t rule their husbands, usually – but mothers do. Their influence is subtle, but it is absolute.” Niccolo shrugged. “Not something that’ll necessarily be useful to you, and I wouldnevermention it to Don Vicari unless you want a swift kick in the balls… but it’s something I’ve seen play out in my dealings with Sicilians.”

“You mean watchingFausto’sdealings with Sicilians,” I said sarcastically.

Niccolo had basically been Fausto’s apprentice for years before the old bastard betrayed us.

“Yes,” Niccolo said, annoyed. “WatchingFausto’sdealings with Sicilians.”

“Fausto’s a full-blooded Sicilian,” I pointed out.

“But he grew up in Tuscany, too, just like Papa.”

“Yeah, but he betrayed his family. That’s something only the most cold-blooded asshole would do.”

“Well, good thing we’re forging an alliance with the Sicilians, then.”

“Why’s that?”

Niccolo smiled grimly. “Because it might take a few Sicilians tokilla Sicilian. Oh – one more thing.”

“What?”

“You might be harboring some delusion that you’re going to change Don Vicari’s mind. Maybe you think you can piss him offjuuuuustenough that he’ll call the whole thing off.”

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