Page 348 of Marcello

When I got to the foyer, I realized something was very wrong.

The front door of the mansion was open, and both our men and the Widow’s foot soldiers were carrying marble tables outside, four men to a table.

What the hell?

The Amatos’ mansion was constructed in a unique way. The front door led to a stone atrium with sturdy stone walls and an arched ceiling.

The far end of the atrium had massive wrought iron gates with a gigantic bar locking them in place. All very medieval.

Massimo, Lars, Roberto, Valentino, and the foot soldiers were piling marble tables on our side of the gates.

They turned the tables on their sides so the stone tops faced outwards, and stacked them on top of each other till the barrier stood six feet high.

Lucia was there, too, standing behind a corner inside the stone atrium.

I raced over to Lars. “What the hell is going on?!”

“See for yourself,” he said, and pointed to an inch-wide gap between the marble tabletops.

I put one eye to the opening and took a look.

Just beyond the gates were massive marble steps. They led down to an open courtyard filled with ancient Roman columns and statues.

But my attention wasn’t on the statues in the courtyard. It was on the four dozen SUVs parked 150 feet from the house.

It was difficult to see in the darkness, but I counted dozens of thugs with tattoos and automatic rifles pouring out of the SUVs. They immediately ran and took cover behind the courtyard’s statues and columns.

“…oh shit,” I muttered. “Where did they come from?!”

“I saw Lucrezia make a phone call,” Lars said. “I didn’t know who she was talking to, but I’m guessing it was the rest of the Camorra.”

I thought about something Marcello had said:

All I know is, if Lucrezia calls the rest of the clans to come help kill you, they’ll show up in a heartbeat.

He’d apparently been right.

I wondered what my wife would make of this situation –

And whether I would ever see her again.

I stepped back from the marble tables. “Did you take Lucrezia prisoner?”

Lars looked grim. “No. Lucia killed her.”

“What?!”

“Shot her in the head.”

I looked over at Lucia standing in the atrium. She was keeping a watchful eye on her men and barking orders at them.

Hmm…

Apparently I underestimated her.

I turned back to Lars. “Adriano said he was going to find Dario – ”

“Which is why I wanted you down here until he comes.”