Total pages in book: 82
Estimated words: 79336 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 397(@200wpm)___ 317(@250wpm)___ 264(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 79336 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 397(@200wpm)___ 317(@250wpm)___ 264(@300wpm)
I took a breath, growing bored as it continued.
Rocco crossed his arms over his chest. “He’s really going for it, huh?”
I walked forward, pulled my gun out of the back of my jeans, and aimed at the spot between his eyes, making sure not to miss and damage the stone of the Pantheon. I pulled the trigger, hit my mark, and then he was dead.
I turned to the fountain, all of the people who were brave enough to watch from behind the barricades we’d put up. “Touch my people and provoke my wrath. Hurt my city and provoke my rage. Attack the Roman Empire and your body will hang from the Pantheon to be feasted upon by crows.” I stepped away from the crowd of people and gave an order to one of my men. “Leave them up until their bodies start to rot.”
Prologue IV
Constantine
I arrived at the restaurant and stepped onto the patio. The small tables were covered in white tablecloths, little vases that held a single rose. It had a slight view of the ocean over the cliff, the sea sparkling in the sunshine. The motorbikes and vans were audible from the other side of the restaurant, the city bustling with people coming and going.
Tommaso was already there, his men spread out among the other tables, enjoying their cappuccinos. The other guests in the restaurant didn’t have a clue that they dined among Cosa Nostra.
Tommaso had ordered his coffee, and he sat with his legs crossed, his suspenders visible because his jacket hung on the back of his chair.
I came to the table and gripped his hand before I gave him a nod.
He smiled up at me. “Constantine, sit.”
Took a seat across from him and relaxed in the chair.
“You look like you need an espresso.”
“A double.”
He chuckled, then slightly raised his hand to get the attention of the waiter. “A double espresso for my friend here.”
We sat in silence until the waiter brought the little cup on the saucer. Then he returned to his job handling the other tables. I knew Tommaso owned the place, so everyone jumped to be of service to him. I wasn’t sure if they knew he was the head of the mob, but I thought it was pretty obvious.
“Giovanni told me how you handled that deal last night. Impressed—as always.”
We were supposed to make an exchange with a dealer last night. We’d already agreed on the amount, but my intuition told me it was a setup. When we got there, the product had been swapped with a fake, and they had snipers on the roofs.
But I had snipers on their snipers, and once they were taken out, I snapped all of their necks.
“I’ve worked with Harold for many, many years. Never expected him to go back on his word like that. How did you know?”
I gave a humble shrug. “I’ve always been good at reading people.”
“And when did your intuition pick up on his treachery?”
“A couple weeks ago,” I said. “I was doing a drop with Alfonso, and I spotted him across the street at Leonardo’s.”
His eyes narrowed. “We’re his dealer.”
“Exactly. I think Leonardo suggested to cut the middleman out of the deal, and then that planted an idea in his mind . . . a ridiculous one. It was just a hunch without sufficient evidence, but I never give people the benefit of the doubt. I trust my instincts—always.”
He gave a nod. “If your intuition were a racehorse, I’d put my money on it.”
I grabbed the little espresso and took a drink. “Thank you, Tommaso.”
He took another drink of his cappuccino before he got the attention of the waiter. “Let’s eat. I’m starving.” The waiter was there in a flash. “I’ll have the catch of the day—extra lemon.”
I handed over the menu without looking at it. “I’ll have the same.”
“Would you like that cleaned?” the waiter asked.
“No,” I said.
Tommaso gave a nod in approval. “He’ll clean it for both of us.” When the waiter walked away, he said, “I like a man who can prepare his own food.”
“That’s what a life in the restaurant business will do to you.”
“How’s your family?”
“Good. My ma was happy I came up for a visit.” I’d been in Palermo for two years now, and I knew it was the right move for me. A new city with new people, a chance for me to be something other than a cook and a fisherman. My mother never asked me to come back, never complained about losing me at the restaurant, and let me find my own path in life. Isabella and I could finally be in the same room together. I’d moved on, and I got the impression she had as well.
“Does she know what you do down here?”
I gave a shrug. “I’ve never outright said it, but she’s a smart woman.”