Page 130 of Mafia Virgin (The Kings of Italy)

“After you,” Zani said with a sweep of his hand. “I’m not going first.”

“You are supposed to protect me. You took an oath.”

“I took a blood oath for the Cosa Nostra, stronzo. Not to climb walls and rescue women you never should have let go in the first place.”

We crossed the street. It was after sundown, so we had the added benefit of the darkness for sneaking onto Mancini’s estate.

Even in the dim streetlight, it wasn’t hard to find the section of the wall Emma told me about because there were obvious foot holds in the stone. I placed my feet inside and pushed up to grab the top edge. Three seconds later I was over, dropping to the ground, with Zani quickly following.

The two of us kept close to the wall as we moved toward the house. I couldn’t hear any guards. I glanced back at him and read the concern on his face, as well. Normally, mafiosi are laughing and joking with each other, so this silence meant we needed to be alert.

Lights blazed inside the house and perimeter. A covered pool was surrounded by shrubs, while a circular drive sat up front. I headed for the drive. No one would expect us to walk right in the front door.

I clutched my gun loosely as we edged around the cars, keeping low, our shoes soft on the stone. I told myself there was a good chance we’d walk inside and find Emma safe with the D’Agostinos, Reggie Mancini already dead.

Just as we were about to climb the steps, the door opened and Emma appeared. She was wearing an oversized hoodie, her head down, but I’d recognize her anywhere. My lungs inflated, relief like a drug in my veins, and I started to smile.Thank Christ.

Then a man stepped up behind her, and the second he saw me he grabbed Emma from behind. She stumbled backward, arms flailing, but it was too late.

Virga’s gun rested against her temple.

Her startled gaze met mine. “Giacomo! What are you doing here?”

I kept my gun at my side, but Zani had his pistol trained on Virga. Though I wanted to look at Emma, I didn’t dare. I needed to keep calm. “Let her go.”

Virga shuffled Emma in front of him until they were both on the stoop. “You have saved me a trip to Palermo to kill you, Buscetta. And I get to do it in front of your pretty wife.”

“The only one who is dying today is you. Release her and maybe we’ll kill you quickly.”

Virga gave a soft whistle and four men materialized like ghosts from the side of the house. I recognized them from Virga’s yacht, and they each held a Glock on us. “Drop your weapons,” Virga ordered. “Or I shoot your wife in the head.”

My muscles shook with fury and resentment, mostly at myself. This never should’ve happened. I never should have let her out of my sight, so this was my fault.

“You won’t hurt her,” I said. “Ravazzani and D’Agostino will wipe you and your clan off the face of the earth, if you do. Not even you are that stupid.”

“It will be a tragedy.” Virga’s face morphed into an exaggerated expression of mourning. “Bullets were flying everywhere. We have no way of knowing who shot her, though I did my best to protect her from you.”

“They will never believe it.”

“They will, because they hate you. You married their innocent sister-in-law without their permission, a second son who is nothing more than a dumb ox.”

I remembered my call with Ravazzani, his anger at the marriage and insistence I give up any claim to Emma. D’Agostino hadn’t been any friendlier. They would shed no tears if Emma were widowed today.

But would they believe her death was an accident? There was a chance Virga could convince them. After all, the whole world thought Emma meant nothing to me because I’d stupidly let her go. I agreed to an annulment. Why would anyone think I’d tried to protect her?

Still, I didn’t want to give up. The fighter in me couldn’t let that happen. All those years enduring my father’s cruelty, all those years taking out my anger and aggression on my opponents in the ring? I never thought I would bend to another man, not while I still had my wits and my strength.

But this was different. This was Emma. I couldn’t bear to see her hurt, not if I had the power to prevent it.

Besides, what did my life matter if she died?

“Let them go,” I said. “You want me. So, give Zani a car and let him and Emma go. I’ll stay.”

“I’m not doing it,” Zani said quietly. “I’m staying with you.”

Despite my best intentions to remain focused, my gaze drifted to Emma’s face. She was staring at me, her eyes full of emotion, those lips I loved to kiss trembling with fear. I hadn’t seen her so pale before, so terrified. Not even when Virga forced us to marry. She was so brave, mia piccola innocente, and it killed me to see her like this.

I had to keep her safe.

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