After telling him how to reach the store, which was located in the same building, about a dozen feet from the main entrance, I watched him get into the elevator.
I suspected it would take him more time than it should, but less than I needed to get myself made up. I rushed to the bathroom, combed my hair, applied some quick makeup—one of those “I have no makeup on, that’s just how I look every morning” things—put on a tracksuit and sat on the couch.
Massimo returned faster than I thought, without using the intercom.
“When did you get to Poland?” I asked as soon as he came back.
He hesitated, glancing at me.
“Breakfast first, talk later, Laura. I’m not going anywhere. Not without you, anyway.”
He put the groceries on the table and walked over to me.
“You make breakfast, baby girl, okay? I know next to nothing about cooking. Meanwhile, I’ll need to use your laptop.”
I pushed myself to my feet and headed to the kitchen.
“You’re in luck. I love to cook and I’m pretty good at it,” I said, and got to work.
In thirty minutes, we were sitting on the soft rug in the living room, having an all-American breakfast.
“Okay, Massimo. I’ve waited long enough. Talk!” I said, putting my fork down.
The Man in Black leaned against the couch and took a deep breath.
“Ask away,” he said, pinning me with his icy stare.
“How long have you been in Poland?” I asked.
“Since yesterday morning.”
“Have you been here while I was out?”
“Yes. When you left with Olga. Around three in the afternoon.”
“How do you know the code and how many keys are there to this apartment?”
“I came up with it myself. It’s my year of birth. Only the two of us have the keys.”
Nineteen eighty-six. He was only thirty-two. I got back to my interrogation. It was more important than his age.
“Have your people been here since I got here?”
Massimo crossed his arms on his chest, smiling. “Of course. You didn’t think I’d leave you alone, did you?”
I had known the answer to that question, even if only subconsciously. That feeling of being watched constantly—it hadn’t come out of nowhere.
“How about yesterday? Did you send people to follow me?”
“No. I’ve followed you myself, Laura. I’ve been to all those places, including your ex-boyfriend’s apartment. I can tell you this: when you got into his car at the club, I was this close to shooting the guy dead.”
Massimo’s gaze was cold and deathly serious. “Let’s clear something up. Either you stop seeing him at all, or I get rid of him.”
I knew negotiating wouldn’t get me anywhere, but hundreds of hours of training on how to manipulate people didn’t go to waste—I knew how to spin this.
“I’m just surprised you see him as a rival,” I said impassively. “I didn’t think you’d be afraid of any competition. Especially after I saw those photos, he’s definitely not of any interest to me. Envy is weakness. You only feel it when you know your rival’s worthy. So, at least as good as you, or even better.” I faced him and kissed him softly. “I didn’t think you had weaknesses.”
The Man in Black sat still in silence, playing with his cup of tea.
“You know what, Laura? You’re right. I can accept an argument if it’s rational. What do you suggest?”
“What do I suggest?” I repeated his words. “Nothing. That part of my life is behind me. I don’t care if Martin feels otherwise. He can keep pestering me. I don’t care. Besides, just like you, I never forgive disloyalty. Oh, and while we’re talking about him: What did you put into his drink on my birthday?”
Massimo set down his cup and sent me a discomfited look.
“What? You thought I wouldn’t find out? That’s why you forbade me to talk to him? So I wouldn’t learn the truth?” I hissed, my teeth suddenly clenched.
“What counts is that he cheated on you. Not everyone feels the need to do that under the influence of what he got. It wasn’t a roofie or MDMA. It was simply something that made the alcohol work faster. We only wanted him to get drunk quicker than normal. I won’t lie to you. I had my hand in that. But he didn’t go after you as soon as you ran away. I did slow him down, of course. But, just think—how much would that have changed? Would you really like the whole situation to have played out differently?”
He rose from the floor and took a seat on the sofa.
“Sometimes I get the impression you forget who I am. I can change for you, when I’m with you, but I won’t change for everybody else. If I want something, I get it. I would have kidnapped you that day or some other one. It was just a matter of time and methods.”
His words made me angry. I knew he would have done what he wanted, but the knowledge that I had nothing to say about any of that was making me furious.
“You really want to dwell on the past? We can’t change it now,” he said, leaning toward me and squinting slightly.
“You’re right,” I conceded.
“What about Naples?” I asked, screwing my eyes shut at the thought of the words I had heard weeks ago. “The TV said you were dead.”
Massimo stretched out on the sofa, leaning back. He studied me for a while, as if trying to gauge just how much of the truth I’d be able to bear. Finally, he started talking.
“When I left our hotel room, I went to reception. I wanted to give you some time to make your decision. Crossing the hall, I noticed Anna stepping into the car of her half brother. I knew that if don Emilio was here, something must have happened—”
I interrupted him. “What do you mean, don?”
“Emilio is the head of the family in Naples. Western Italy is their turf. After what she said when we met her, and knowing her character, I knew Anna was up to no good. I had to leave you. I knew she wasn’t expecting that. And if she wanted to get you by going after me, I needed to mess up her plan. So I got back to the yacht and went to Sicily from there. In order to keep appearances up, I ordered one of the women from the staff at the Titan to join me. She put on your clothes and went home with me. Then we went to Naples. I’ve been planning to meet Emilio for weeks. We run some businesses together—”
“Wait,” I cut in. “You dated another capo’s sister? You can do that?”
Massimo laughed and took a sip of tea.
“Why not? Besides, I thought it a great idea at the time. The potential merger of two major families guaranteed peace for a long time, not to mention total dominance in most of Italy. You see, Laura, you have it all wrong. The Mafia is a company. A corporation. Like every business, mergers and acquisitions play a big part of our activity. The difference is that they’re a bit more brutal than in normal companies. I’ve had a good education. I’m well prepared to run our business. I was taught diplomacy, and I resort to violence only when I have no other choice. That’s why my family is one of the most powerful and wealthiest Italian mobs in the entire world.”
“The world?” I asked, puzzled.
“Yes. We run our business in Russia, Great Britain, the US… well, to be honest, it would be easier to say where we don’t run any business.” The pride he took in his work was evident from the way he spoke.