Page 278 of Niccolo
The Widow was effusive in her gratitude for Massimo saving Lucia’s life. I had never heard her so emotional before.
Without my asking, she volunteered to send a private jet to our property to pick us up. She said she would meet us at herpalazzoin two hours and then accompany us back to the hospital.
I told everyone to get ready to travel, then remembered Roberto. I needed to tell him to meet us in Venice rather than come back home.
But when I checked my messages, he hadn’t responded to my text.
I tried calling.
It went directly to voicemail.
SHIT.
Fighting back panic, I texted him,Call me as soon as you get this.
By the time the private jet got to our property’s landing strip, I still hadn’t received a reply.
The flight was uneventful. Rachel made fast friends with Alessandra despite having tried to kill her husband the prior week. And Bianca was impressed that Rachel had been a secret agent.
They all bonded by makingmethe villain, albeit in a comical way.
I went along with it…
Although I was internally panicking about Roberto.
As soon as we landed, I checked my messages again.
No answer.
FUCK!
I refused to let my imagination get the best of me, but it was hard not to picture him being dumped into Hong Kong Harbor by a bunch of Asian gangsters.
When we got to Marco Polo Airport outside Venice, Rolls-Royces were waiting for us on the tarmac, accompanied by the Widow’s foot soldiers.
Rachel gave me a questioning look.
“Courtesy of the woman whose granddaughter Massimo saved,” I explained.
“Can we trust these people?” she whispered.
I thought that was rather funny, considering what she’d attempted to do last week.
“I certainly hope so, but if they try anything… kill them for me, will you?” I joked.
She looked out seriously at the foot soldiers as though taking stock of what she would need to do. “Okay.”
“Uh… I was joking.”
“Iwasn’t.”
I chuckled. “Suddenly, I’m glad we brought you along.”
Now, if I could only send you to Hong Kong…
The cars took us to a dock by the water, where we boarded two speedboats that ferried us across the bay. Then we entered a private canal that led directly to the guarded entrance of the Widow’s palace.
I had never met the Widow in person, only seen her at a meeting ofconsiglieresthat Fausto had brought me to when I was a teenager. She looked older and more frail than ten years ago, but she still had the same indomitable gravitas that matched any don in theCosa Nostra.
