Page 247 of Mafia Kings: Valentino

The foot soldier hurriedly opened the sliding door.

I breathed through my mouth this time, but the stench was so bad I could taste the putrid air on my tongue.

Eliseo Marconiwas still chained up. He still had the IVs, too, but it didn’t look like he had much more life in him.

His breathing was ragged. He was slumped over, and his head hung just inches from the dirt floor.

His infected wounds were even worse than the last time I’d seen him. His entire body looked like one giant, weeping sore.

In the light of the lantern, with all the shadows around him, he truly looked like something out of Dante’sInferno.

“WAKE UP!” Don Vicari shouted.

I winced as he kicked theconsiglierein the head.

The guy jerked, then slowly raised his ruined face.

“…Don… Vicari…”

“Were you working with anyone else?” Vicari seethed.

Theconsiglierefrowned. “…what…?”

Vicari squatted down with the lantern in front of theconsigliere.“Tell me the truth, Eliseo. Were you working with anyone else?”

The guy looked slowly from Vicari to me like he didn’t understand.

Vicari was squatting down beneath me. The foot soldier was still outside the barn.

Nobody else but theconsiglierecould see my face…

So I silently mouthed,Paolo.

Theconsiglierefrowned.

I mouthed it again, more exaggerated.

PAOLO.

For a second, I was afraid that maybe theconsiglierewould sell me out –

But no.

He saw that I’d given him a chance to end his misery, and he played his part to the hilt.

“…Paolo…” theconsiglierewhispered.

Vicari was silent for a second –

Then he exploded in rage.

“WHAT DID YOU TELL HIM?! WHAT DID YOU DO WITH THE MONEY?!”

Theconsiglierechuckled. “…it’s… gone. Paolo… has it all…”

“WHERE IS IT?!WHERE IS IT?!”

Theconsigliere’schuckle became a taunting laugh. “…fuck you… you stupid fucking moron…”

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