Page 83 of Marcello

“Uh… with all due respect, sir, I don’t know if I can,” I said. “Rein him in, I mean.”

Aristide gave me a resigned grimace. “Yeah, well, I can’t either – so just do your fuckin’ best.”

“Yes, sir.”

“Alright, get back in there. He’s got a job for you.”

Aristide turned away from me dismissively and continued to smoke as he stared out at the Bay of Naples.

I walked inside and went in search of Cesare. I found him in the foyer, muscular arms crossed in front of his chest.

“Well?” he asked.

“I’m pretty sure I got the job.”

Cesare burst into a smile and slapped me on the arm like a proud older brother. “I knew it! You played it fuckin’ cool in there, man, and my old man took notice. People usually piss their pants when they talk to him, so I know he – ”

“Ooooh, who’s this?” someone said from above.

It was a young woman’s voice, feminine but smoky.

I turned and looked up to see a pretty girl about my age descending the stairs.

She wore a black sleeveless dress and a pair of designer sunglasses, which had flaps on the sides that completely hid her eyes.

She looked amused, though I couldn’t understand why.

Behind me, Cesare’s voice went ice-cold. “This is Romeo.”

When I glanced back at him, he looked furious.

What the fuck?

“Well, helloooo, Romeo,” the girl said. She paused high enough on the stairs that she was still taller than me, and put out her hand expectantly. “Lucrezia Caproni.”

I was forced to step forward to shake her hand. “Pleased to meet you.”

“I’ll bet you are,” she smirked.

She held onto my hand longer than was necessary. Cesare grabbed my shoulder and jerked me back, breaking the handshake.

“We’ve got somewhere to be, so fuck off,” he snarled at Lucrezia.

“Oh, I’d like to fuck something, alright,” she said with a seductive smile. “Or somebody.”

There was a very weird vibe going on. I just stood there uncomfortably, not saying anything.

Cesare looked like he wanted to kill his sister –

But instead he opened the front door and shoved me outside.

“Ciao, Romeo,” Lucrezia called. “Looking forward to seeing you again.”

“With your one good eye,” Cesare taunted her.

Huh?

‘One good eye’?