Chapter 180
180
Rachel
Iknew that Lars’s mission wasn’t that different from the ones he’d gone on in Afghanistan when we first started dating.
And it wasn’t that different from the ones I’d gone on for MI6, either.
There was always danger. That was the life he and I had lived for years.
But still, I’d just gotten him back –
And it terrified me to think I might lose him all over again.
So I did whatever I could to keep my mind off what was happening in Venice…
Which Niccolo helped with immensely, in spite of himself. He was quite diverting without even realizing it.
First, he demanded I be kept separate from Dario, Dario’s wife Alessandra, and Adriano’s wife Bianca.
Then Niccolo insisted I be handcuffed to a chair in the parlor, and he would guard me personally.
Which I found hilarious, although I was obviously smart enough not to show it.
After a short argument between the two brothers, Dario gave in. He told me it would all be over shortly and that I should ask Niccolo for anything I needed.
Lars was right. I liked Dario immensely.
He was vastly different from the organized crime bosses I’d crossed paths with during my career. There was something almost… noble about him.
And – overlooking that one moment when I thought I was going to die in a hail of bullets – I was still shocked that Dario had let me off the hook for the assassination attempt.
Nobody I knew would have ever done that. Especially not MI6.
Whatever the bond between Dario and Lars, it was incredibly strong.
Lars had told me to trust him about his friend, and he’d been right. I would be sure to tell him that when he got back.
I stressed that to myself repeatedly:
I would tell him when he got back.
Not if.
When.
While ten armed guards kept their pistols pointed at me, I let Niccolo handcuff me to a wooden chair. Then he dismissed the men and kept watch over me with a Glock in his hand.
I decided Niccolo was actually pretty admirable. He was obviously devoted to his family. Plus, he was the only one in the group thinking straight.
I decided to tell him that.
“You can trust me,” I said, “but I want you to know that I understand and even approve of your suspicion p>
“Is that so,” he said sarcastically.
“Yes. If I’d walked into MI6 with an assassin who’d tried to kill someone in the agency, and asked for all to be forgiven just because I vouched for him, MI6 would have shot the assassin and questioned my sanity. So I think you’re behaving rationally p>
“By that standard, should I go ahead and shoot you?” he asked with faux sweetness.
“That wasn’t what I’d hoped you’d take away from that example p>
“I’m sure it wasn’t p>
An hour after Lars left, Niccolo had a servant deliver two breakfast trays. Niccolo placed one of the trays on a coffee table for him and warily put the other on my lap.
Though both my hands were cuffed to the arms of the chair, I could still reach everything on the tray. I had to hunch over, but I could eat without a problem.
The food was amazing: prosciutto, smoked trout, fresh bread, sweet butter, three types of pastries, a cup of espresso, and a mimosa with freshly squeezed orange juice and champagne.
“This is delicious,” I said.
“I’m glad you approve,” he said archly. Then, coming down a bit from his grumpiness, he said, “Your Italian is excellent p>
“Thank my mother,” I muttered.
“Ah – Camilla from Pescara p>
I looked at him in surprise. “You know about that p>
He snorted.
“Know about it? When Dario said we needed to find her, I was the one who supervised the men we sent there.” He looked at me as though deciding how carefully to tread. “They said your mother was a very… colorful character. Her coworkers still remembered her quite vividly after all these years p>
I grimaced. “‘Colorful’ is a very diplomatic way of putting it p>
“I take it you’re not a big fan of your mother’s… ‘colorfulness p>
“No. We’ve been estranged for years p>
“…I’m sorry to hear that p>
He sounded sincere.
I shrugged. “We all have family issues p>
Niccolo gave a short, bitter laugh. “Don’t I know it p>
“Your uncle,” I suggested.
“Yes,” he said, then added with a smirk, “My uncle – and your former employer p>
“Former,” I stressed. “And a one-time deal only p>
He looked thoughtful. “You know, I was curious about something – ”
His cell phone rang.
“Excuse me,” he said, then got up to take the call. He walked to the other side of the parlor and talked quietly with whomever was on the other end.
However, he took his eyes off of me.
Mistake.
I pulled a pin out of my hair and quickly picked the locks on both my handcuffs.
But rather than do anything else, I sat in my chair and continued eating breakfast.
Once he was finished with the call, Niccolo sat back down. “As I was saying – ”
“I’d like to make a point,” I interrupted.
“Which is p>
I held up both of my hands – now free of the handcuffs.
Niccolo’s eyes bugged out, and he frantically pointed his pistol at my head.
“Calm down,” I said gently as I cuffed my left wrist back to the arm of the chair. “I wanted to demonstrate that I could have killed you just now… but I didn’t. Because I truly appreciate Dario forgiving me, and because I bear no ill will towards him or any of you. Lars obviously cares a great deal for you, your brother, and your entire family… and by extension, that means I’ll never hurt any of you p>
Niccolo regarded me with new interest as I clicked the other handcuff onto my right wrist and began eating again.
“Impressive,” he finally said.
“Thank you p>
Niccolo put the gun down on the coffee table – the first time he’d let go of it – and sipped his cup of espresso. “Back to my original question. I’d like to know something p>
“Ask away p>
I expected him to quiz me on MI6 –
But that wasn’t even close.
“Did you meet with my uncle in person p>
“I did p>
“What about my cousin Aurelio p>
“Tall guy, perpetually pissed off p>
“That’s the one p>
“Yes, he was there, too p>
“By any chance… was there a woman present p>
“Mid to late twenties, very pretty, glasses, studious looking p>
Niccolo’s eyes shone as he leaned forward. “So you did see her p>
“She didn’t say much – hardly anything at all p>
“It doesn’t matter,” he said excitedly. “Tell me everything p>