Page 96 of Marcello

It almost felt like he was… frustrated.

After a few seconds, Fausto calmed down. “Lucrezia – that’s Cesare’s sister, correct?”

“Yes.”

“The one whose eye he put out for violating their incestuous little bond?”

I grimaced in distaste. “That’s the one.”

“Who’s in charge now, Lucrezia or her brother?”

I told him that it appeared they were going to share control. Which, in practice, probably meant Lucrezia would handle the business end while Cesare did the killing.

“Tell me more about the sister.”

I spent five minutes profiling Lucrezia – her strengths, of which there were many, and her weaknesses, of which there were few.

Her biggest weakness was her attraction to – and willingness to put up with – a psychotic asshole like Cesare.

Fausto was intensely interested. He asked dozens of questions.

When he was finished, he lapsed into thoughtful silence.

“So… is this enough to make sure my family’s safe?” I asked.

“Hardly. Call me if you learn of a specific plot against my nephew. Until then, keep me apprised of everything the Capronis do.”

Before I could protest, he hung up on me.

I raged and cursed him for a good ten minutes.

A question finally occurred to me: who did I hate more – Fausto or Cesare?

At least Cesare wasn’t devious enough to keep fucking me over. As evil as he was, he still had that going for him.

31

Another four years.

Another thousand horrors.

I numbed them at the expense of my liver and my soul.

I gently prodded Cesare during that time, searching for details about his plan to kill Dario – but neither he nor Lucrezia would tell me anything.

It felt like they were freezing me out.

I was afraid they suspected me of being a mole, and that’s why they wouldn’t tell me –

But when I asked Cicciobello, Ciro, and Toro, they didn’t know anything, either.

As a result, my family remained under Fausto’s thumb…

And so did I.

Every day during those four long years, I wanted to call my mother, Gemma, and Edoardo –

But I remembered Fausto’s warning all too well: