Page 33 of Mafia Kings: Dario

The gardens were amazing, with bushes and shrubs cut into all sorts of interesting shapes. There were also gorgeous patches of flowers in a dozen different colors.

Everywhere I went, there were young men in their 20s keeping guard. All of them had guns slung over their shoulders – either shotguns or some sort of military-looking rifle.

All of them were polite and greeted me with“Ciao, signorina.”There were a few lingering stares but nothing more.

I guess Dario’s instructions that I not be touched had filtered down to the foot soldiers.

But their presence made me nervous, so I went off to a field where no one was around.

As I walked, I looked for a route to make my escape. I didn’t like being jailed here, no matter how luxurious the cell.

Being the Rosolinis’ prisoner – especially Dario’s – filled me with anger and dread. I desperately wanted to get back home to my father, so I began to study the grounds and see if there was a way to leave undetected.

As I was walking, movement on the ground suddenly caught my eye.

I looked down and my heart stopped.

Coiled on the ground not four feet away was a viper.

There are only two poisonous snakes in Tuscany, but the aspic viper is by far the most common – and the most dangerous.

People could die from their bites. It didn’t happen often, but itdidhappen.

I was standing there, terrified, frozen in place –

When suddenly I heard a distantCRACK –

And the snake’s head exploded.

I shrieked and stumbled backwards, then looked behind me.

At first I didn’t see where the gunshot could have come from – there was no one in the field –

And then I looked at the mansion, which was over 600 feet away.

Someone waved to me from one of the balconies on the third floor.

I couldn’t tell much about his face – but I could see the sun glinting off his golden hair.

Lars.

I saw him motioning me towards the house with a big motion of his arm.

I dutifully walked back. I was a bit glum that my every move was apparently being tracked…

But on the other hand, I didn’t care to stumble across any more poisonous snakes.

Lars met me halfway, in the middle of the field near the swimming pool. There was a curving set of stairs directly from the third floor to the ground level, which is how he reached me so quickly. There was a massive sniper rifle slung over his shoulder.

“You have to be careful out here,” he said with a smile. His Italian was excellent, though he still had an indistinct European accent that stood out from everyone else’s. He didn’t sound Swedish, but hedefinitelydidn’t sound local.

“You shouldn’t stray so far from the house,” he continued in a friendly tone.

“Or what, you’ll shoot me?” I snapped.

Ordinarily I would have gone out of my way not to anger him – but I was still afraid from the viper, and adrenaline was coursing through me. That’s probably why I was so bold.

He just chuckled. “No, I’d have to sling you over my shoulder and carry you back, and you might not like that so much.”

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