Page 67 of The Mad Don
Zaki’s head tilts.
“Are you telling me,” he says, “that you cannot overthrow him after all?”
“No. No, I can. I —” I swallow. “I just think he is getting suspicious.”
I cannot lose now. I am steps from the chair after all these years.
“Give me a full update,” Zaki says. “From the top.”
I tell him everything that led to the Russian coming in and Giovanni’s strange protection of her. Zaki sits as I speak. He pulls out a cigarette and lights it.
I cough; I should not have coughed. I keep my head down.
He exhales.
“Then we must wrap this up quickly.” He smokes. “You say he trusts the Russian girl.”
I nod.
He smiles.
“Imbecille.”
I keep my head down.
“Then use her to end him,” Zaki says.
He gestures for me to come closer.
I begin to stand.
“Striscia,” he says.Crawl.
I lower myself to my hands. The brace scrapes the tile. I crawl across the floor to where he is sitting — my hand throbs where he stepped on it.
I stop at his knee, and he bends down. He brings his mouth to my ear.
He speaks softly. My eyes widen as I listen.
I bow my head fast.
“I will not disappoint you,Signore.”
“I know you will not.” He sits back. “You may stand and leave.”
I stand. The leg shakes as I begin to turn.
“Fabiano.”
I stop.
“He is not stupid,” Zaki says. “If he is suspicious, he is being careful. Do not mess this up for me. I hate bad investments.”
“I will not,Signore. I swear it.”
He looks at me a moment longer. Then he lifts two fingers and whistles.
The woman behind the curtain comes out.
