Page 70 of Marcello

After that, Cesare led the way to a parking garage where a silver Maserati sports car was waiting.

I figured this was where I got left behind, seeing as it was a two-seater –

But when Lametta walked over to the passenger side, Cesare said, “Go do your fuckin’ route.”

Lametta looked at Cesare like he’d just found out Santa Claus wasn’t real.

“But – Romeo’s taking over for me – ”

“Yeah, tomorrow,” Cesare barked. “First I gotta introduce him to the crew.”

Lametta started to protest, but the furious look on Cesare’s face convinced him otherwise.

When Lametta stepped aside to let me get in, I could feel his eyes shooting daggers at my back.

As the Maserati roared away, I watched Lametta in the rearview mirror. He looked like a miserable little boy as he watched all his friends go to the circus without him.

“I don’t think Lametta likes me very much,” I said.

“Fuck him,” Cesare growled. “He’s a fuckin’ pussy.”

I looked at my new boss in surprise. “Why do you say that?”

“No fuckin’ balls.”

“But – he sells drugs.”

To me, that seemed like a job for hardened criminals.

“Selling drugs is pissant shit,” Cesare sneered. “Lametta’s never even shot anybody.”

“Really,” I said in astonishment. “So… you kind of threw me in the deep end of the pool yesterday, huh?”

Cesare laughed. “Fuck yeah, I did. And you swam like a motherfucker.”

Holy shit.

However, Cesare had just said that selling drugs was pissant shit –

And I didn’t want to be a pissant.

I remembered Fausto’s words:

The kind of information I seek is more likely to be found in the higher ranks of whatever Camorra clan you end up infiltrating.

“Not to get ahead of myself or anything,” I said, “but back in Florence, I was a business major. Accounting, logistics, supply chain management… I might be of more use to you doing stuff like that.”

Cesare glanced at me like he was sizing me up.

“We’ll see,” he finally said. “For now, do what you’re fuckin’ told.”

“Whatever you say.”

He grinned. “Now that answer? That’s exactly how you’ll move up.”

I resolved to do whatever was necessary to climb the ladder as fast as possible.

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