Page 129 of Marcello

Cesare scowled at me. “Don’t do it again.”

“I won’t.”

He shook his head contemptuously and walked out.

I stood there for a second and exhaled.

I thought about if Giulietta had been there. I wondered if she would have been impressed with how I’d handled a murderous psychopathic…

Or disgusted that I put up with such bullshit.

I hoped I’d never have to find out.

If I had my way, she’d never know this part of my life even existed.

Of course, it would all be moot if I never heard from her again.

That actually frightened me more than having Cesare point a gun in my face.

Maybe she’ll call tonight.

She will – she definitely will.

…hopefully.

I sighed, steeled myself, and went back outside to deal with the bullshit again.

39

She called late that evening.

I was at home, tired as a dog and thinking about hitting the sack early, when a Naples phone number with no name popped up on my screen.

I answered immediately.

“Hello?”

“Hey, Romeo,” a mischievous female voice said.

My heart skipped a beat, and a giant grin spread across my face. “Hey, Giulietta.”

“Miss me?”

“More than you can possibly imagine.”

“I don’t know, I can imagine a lot.”

“Yeah, well, after you basically ‘wham-bam-thank-you-ma’am’d me – ”

She giggled. “What’s the equivalent for a woman? ‘Blur-fur-thank-you-sir’?”

I burst out laughing. “What – you mean ‘fur’ as in pubic hair?”

“Something like that.”

“Well – it’s a little weird, but it works.”

“So glad you approve.”