Page 343 of Marcello

A marble statue of the Virgin Mary looked down over the wooden pews. Gorgeous frescoes adorned the ceiling, and unlit candles sat atop an altar.

The room was eerily reminiscent of the chapel in the Rosolini family’s house –

Which Rachel told me had been reduced to ash and rubble.

All because of Lucrezia and her brother.

I kept that in mind as I entered the room.

Lucrezia tossed her gun away, then raised her arms and sank to her knees.

“I surrender,” she called out.

Massimo came in behind me, followed by Lucia and the Widow’s foot soldiers.

Massimo and I advanced down the center aisle, checking the chapel for hidden Camorra, but Lucrezia was alone.

“Please, don’t shoot me,” she begged. “This was all my brother’s fault – I swear to God, I didn’t want any of it!”

“FUCK YOU, bitch,” Lucia snarled.

“You don’t understand,” Lucrezia whimpered. “Look at what he did to me – ”

And she ripped off her sunglasses.

I had seen a lot of horrifying things during my time in Afghanistan –

But what Cesare had done to Lucrezia ranked right up there.

Her left eye socket was completely empty, and the skin around it was viciously scarred. The eyelids were nonexistent.

I winced.

Maybe she saw my reaction. Whether she did or didn’t, Lucrezia looked right at me with her good eye and whispered, “Please.”

“Kill her!” Lucia shouted.

“Babe – ” Massimo started.

“She tried to destroy our family! KILL her!”

But Massimo was like me. I knew he wouldn’t shoot a woman – especially not an unarmed one.

I wasn’t sure about the Widow’s men, though.

“Everyone, stand down,” I ordered.

“WHAT?!” Lucia screamed.

“I’m surrendering,” Lucrezia whispered. “I’m your prisoner now.”

She was speaking directly to me.

She probably knew I’d been a soldier…

And that I wouldn’t kill someone who surrendered. It was a war crime.

I knew she was playing me…