Page 128 of Mafia Virgin (The Kings of Italy)

We began walking through the house, searching for signs of life on the first floor. Now that my uncle was dead, the house should be filled with D’Agostinos and my father’s men. “Where’s Gloria? Where did everyone go?”

Massimo grabbed my arm as he moved closer. “Something is wrong.”

“What? How do you know?”

“Stay here.” He went to the front windows and peeked through the curtains. Then he pulled out his phone and hit a button. It rang and rang.

“Who are you trying to call?”

“Vito. I don’t see anyone outside.” He marched back to me and took my hand. “Come on. I’m taking you to the panic room.”

“Try Enzo.”

“He rarely answers his own phone, not unless it’s your sister. Come. We’re wasting time.”

He tugged me along, but I dug in my heels. “I’m not going to the panic room. I’m going up to stay with my father.” I’d go crazy in the panic room, alone, wondering what was happening to everyone else.

“Emma—”

I tore my arm out of Massimo’s grip. “I’m going to his bedroom. I’ll be fine. Go, find out what’s happening.”

“My orders are to stay with you.”

I wasn’t going to argue. “Then let’s get upstairs to stay with my father.” I hurried toward the stairs, desperate to reach my father’s room and make sure he was okay.

Massimo trailed me, his footsteps silent on the old floors. I tried to think positively. Enzo and his men were capable, so everything was probably fine. We would laugh about this later, and Enzo and Vito would tease Massimo for overreacting.

When we reached my father’s room I pushed open the door. I’d hoped to find Gloria sitting next to my father’s bedside.

Instead I found Don Virga.

And he was pointing a gun at Massimo.

Massimo started to lift his gun, but Don Virga was faster. The silencer on the end of the gun muffled the sound to just a puff of air, and Massimo crumpled onto the ground, clutching his abdomen. I gasped and covered my mouth with my hands. Oh, no. Was he dead? Blood pooled on the floor underneath him to stain the carpet dark red. My chest hollowed out and I started to kneel, desperate to help him.

“Don’t move,” Virga barked. “Or I’ll shoot you, as well.”

I forced myself to stand perfectly still. My father didn’t move. Was he dead? Asleep? “What are you doing here?”

Virga settled deeper into his chair and kept the gun trained on me. It was the second time today I’d been held at gunpoint and I was not a fan. His weathered face broke into a slick grin. “It is nice to see you again, Signora Buscetta.”

Massimo moaned on the ground at my feet. Thank god he was alive. “You need to let me help him,” I said and gestured to Massimo.

“You should be worried about yourself, Emma. Tell me, why are you not in Palermo?”

“I came for a short visit. To see my father.”

Virga shook his head. “Lies. You came to escape your husband, to escape your duty to the Cosa Nostra, no? Did you honestly think I would let you disobey my orders?”

“I didn’t escape him. I came here to see my father.”

“Is that so?” Virga adjusted his pistol so it was aimed at my father’s prone form. “Perhaps I should kill your father to make sure you do as you are told.”

“No!” Relieved that my father was still alive, I took a tiny step closer to the bed. “I’m not disobeying your orders. There’s no reason for anyone else to get hurt.”

“I will decide who else gets hurt from now on, little girl.”

Speaking of hurt, why hadn’t my father stirred? “What did you do to him? Why isn’t he awake?”

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