Page 97 of Mafia Kings: Dario

I turned bright red and hid my eyes with my hand.

Massimo laughed but scolded Valentino at the same time. “Stop teasing her.”

“Oh my god, oh my god, oh my god…” I murmured, mortified.

Valentino howled with laughter. “Funny, that’s what you say with Dario – just louder and higher-pitched. ‘Oh my god, oh my GOD – ’”

“STOP IT!” I cried out as I threw a dinner roll at him.

“No food fights, children,” Massimo chided us playfully.

“Yes, Dad,” I said, half-joking and half-annoyed.

“The truth is, we’re glad you’re with him,” Massimo said.

“Can wepleasestop talking about this?” I begged.

“I’m talking about in ageneralsense. Not in a Valentino kind of way.”

“What, sex in the kitchen pantry?” Valentino asked.

Massimo made a face. “You do it near the food? Come ON, man…”

“PLEASE can we stop talking about this!” I whispered.

“Alright, alright. But Iamglad you’re here,” Massimo said. “At the house, I mean.”

“Why?”

Massimo smiled. “Because I’ve never seen my brother happier.”

29

I’ve never seen my brother happier.

I thought about Massimo’s words as we made our way back to the car.

Part of me was elated…

…but part of me was confused.

Dario was still frightening to me in many ways.

He was also a complete enigma.

He seemed like he was angry with me half the time…

…and the other half, he seemed like he was obsessed.

I started thinking about the second half…

And what he had done to me that morning…

When Massimo put a hand on my back and pushed me gently through the street.

“Go faster,” he whispered.

“What?” I asked as I came out of my daydream.

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