Page 328 of Mafia Kings: Valentino

Cat looked at me in a panic as I lifted her off my lap and stood up.

I gave her a wink.Don’t worry. I got this.

Once again, I was going to have to face the music for what I’d done.

But after what had gone down in the chapel, this would be a piece of cake.

I walked over to a nearby alley with stone walls covered with vines. Niccolo followed right behind me.

“If you’ve got something to say to me, say it,” I said in a low voice.

“You disobeyed my orders over and over,” he hissed. “You deliberately sabotagedeverything– and you could have gotten us allkilled.”

“Yeah, well, it worked out – ”

“By the grace of God and an old Sicilian woman,” Niccolo snapped. “Dario should throw you out of the fucking family.”

I stood there in shock like he’d sucker-punched me.

Back in the chapel, I’d told Dario I would bear any punishment he doled out – including being disowned and banned.

But deep down, I didn’t really think he’d do it.

However, I knew Niccolowould.

“Is that what you’re going to recommend?” I finally asked. “As hisconsigliere?”

“Because of what you did, we can never trust you again,” Niccolo fumed. “When the chips are down, we have no idea if you won’t go rogue again and fuck us all.”

“That’s not what I asked,” I said coldly. “Are you going to recommend Dario disown me?”

“I’m going to strenuously suggest he consider the option,” Niccolo snapped.

If Nic was really going to push for me to be banned from the family, then fuck it –

I wasn’t going down without a fight.

“Fuck you,” I hissed. “YOU fucked up.”

Nic gave an ugly laugh. “By trusting YOU? Absolutely.”

“No – you fucked up because you goteverythingwrong. Lars is alive. Massimo’s alive. Roberto got the money. Everything’s fine.”

“No one knew it would turn out that way!”

“Yeah, but when itdidturn out alright, you werestillgoing to sacrifice me – even when it wasn’t necessary!”

“We made an agreement – ”

“AndIwas the one who was going to suffer for it.”

“I did what I did to give this family a fighting chance against Fausto!”

“Yeah, as long asyoudidn’t have to pay the fucking price.”

Niccolo’s face hardened. “Well, now we’re ALL going to have to pay the price. Do you realize what kind of an enemy you made today?”

“He can’t killme,”I smirked as I held up my hand.

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