had shrugged. It had served as a warning to everyone. Whether they were dead or alive did not matter to him.
The next morning Paulo had met his eyes in brief thanks.
Matteo now glanced across the courtroom and there was Talia, the mother he had warned that night, and she gave him the tiniest smile, though he did not return it.
No one must ever guess what had happened back then.
Especially now that Malvolio would be walking the streets again.
The judge was calling for calm. The panicked people were still trying to take in that Malvolio would be back amongst them, Paulo for now was forgotten.
The other two had got off, no doubt he would too but then the courtroom was rocked again.
Paulo Durante—colpevole.
Paulo would be taken to the mainland for sentencing. The judge was calling for calm as people stood in the stands, shouting and raising their fists at the frail old man.
It was not justice that drove them to berate Paulo, it was fear of Malvolio.
As Matteo stepped out of the courtroom, despite the fierce sun in the bright blue sky it was a black day indeed.
As soon as Luka was processed and freed he came to talk to his friend.
Some things could not be discussed yet today they were.
‘Matteo, I am going to speak with Sophie. Now that her father has been imprisoned her name too will be mud. I am leaving, I am not going to be my father’s second in charge. I am taking Sophie to London with me.’
Matteo nodded and, though he didn’t show it, he was surprised at Luka’s honesty about his father, but nothing prepared him for what came next.
‘You need to come with me.’
‘Me?’ Matteo said. He knew Malvolio would never allow it. He had already tried to leave once and, eternally mistrusting, he wasn’t even sure that his friend wasn’t calling his bluff—testing him as his brother once had. ‘Why would I come with you? Nothing changes for me...’
‘Everything changes,’ Luka said, and Matteo felt his insides still. ‘With me gone and Paulo about to be locked away, you will be my father’s second man.’
‘There is Dino,’ Matteo said, referring to his half-brother, but Luka shook his head and Matteo could hear the blood pulsing in his temples as he realised that a distant heir, himself, had suddenly been promoted.
‘There will be a lot of bloodshed to come,’ Luka said, and Matteo knew then that he would be the one to exact Malvolio’s revenge on those who had had the courage to speak out against him.
‘We fly at nine tomorrow,’ Luka said. ‘If you tell anyone, well, you know what might happen, and not just to you. Think about joining us,’ Luka said, and Matteo didn’t respond, though his mind was busy as his friend spoke on. ‘For tonight, just celebrate with my father, carry on as if you are thrilled that he has been released... He’s watching your every move, Matteo. He doesn’t believe you are completely loyal. Tonight you have to show him that you are, tonight you have to convince him that you want every part of his depraved lifestyle, or you and anyone you care for will be some of the forest that he is about to start clearing...’
‘Then it is lucky I care for no one.’
Luka looked at his friend. ‘Maybe this life is what you want,’ he said, because even if they had a lot of history between them Matteo gave away little and no one really knew what went on in his mind. ‘If it is then I wish you well, Matteo.’
‘And you.’
‘Even if you aren’t going to join us, can you do one thing for me?’
Matteo nodded.
‘Get him royally pissed so he sleeps like a bear through the morning.’
‘Done.’
Luka walked away then and Matteo was in no doubt that he was heading off to try and persuade Sophie to join him.
Malvolio was processed through the court quickly and Luka had been right. It was clear that Matteo was now the go-to man—everyone was turning to him and asking what would be happening tonight.
‘Perhaps a street party,’ Matteo said. ‘Everyone can see him that way and welcome his release.’
Matteo just wanted to keep him away from the bar and Bella.
He sat outside the jail house in his boss’s car and shook Malvolio’s hand in congratulations when he climbed in.
‘What happens tonight?’ Malvolio asked.
‘A street party,’ Matteo said. ‘All the town wants to see you.’
‘Am I ten years old?’ Malvolio scoffed. ‘Matteo, I thought you could do better than that for me. I want a very exclusive party. Perhaps I need to organise it for myself.’
‘I will sort it,’ Matteo said. ‘Do you want to go home first?’
‘Yes, then we will go straight from there to the hotel. It has been a long wait....’ He told Matteo to slow down and he halted the car and the window slid open and Malvolio called over Pino, a young boy who cycled around town, delivering messages.
‘Hey, Pino...’ Malvolio said but, instead of giving his instructions in front of Matteo, got out to speak to the young boy and then returned to the car.
‘Now it will be a good night,’ Malvolio said.
They drove on to Malvolio’s home and Angela, his housekeeper, greeted him anxiously.
Malvolio took a drink of whisky and so too did Matteo. Then Matteo paced the floor, making calls to the hotel to arrange the party as the fat man showered and changed and then came down in a loud suit.
Malvolio was, Matteo noted, still sweating even after a shower.
He was repulsive.
‘You look nervous,’ Malvolio commented when he saw Matteo’s strained features. Usually Matteo was the coolest of the lot.
‘Why would I be nervous?’ he asked. In fact, he was asking himself the same thing.
He neither knew nor cared anything about Bella Gatti.
Then he remembered how she blushed around him and a day a couple of years ago when Dino’s mouth had gone too far and he had stepped in.
Yes, he noticed her more than he cared to admit to and he could not stand what awaited her tonight, but for now all attention had to be placed on Malvolio, who was grilling him.
‘I thought you would be honoured to find out that you are to be my second man.’
And Matteo knew his life depended on his response.
‘Now that you have said that I shall be...’ Matteo smiled ‘...I
