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“Does that mean the mercenaries surrendered?”
The Widow scoffed. “More like turned tail and ran.”
“We killed everybody on the island,” Lars said. “When the ones on the boats heard their boss was dead, they decided to make a hasty retreat.”
Niccolo gave me the evil eye. “About that part where their boss was dead…”
“…what?” I asked innocently, although I knew what was coming.
“You could have let him live.”
“I think he did exactly the right thing,” Adriano said.
“Yes, well, you enjoy shooting people we could otherwise use as bargaining chips,” Niccolo said sardonically. Then he turned back to me. “If we had Aurelio, we could have forced Fausto to the bargaining table.”
The Widow snorted derisively. “You honestly believe a man who would betray his own blood would drop all his plans because his son failed him and was captured?”
Niccolo knew better than to argue with the most powerful mafiosa in all of Italy. “I’m just saying…”
“Sometimes,” I said, “it’s better to set a fearsome example.”
The Widow looked at me with an approving smile and nodded slightly.
Niccolo glanced at the two of us and knew something was up.
“…perhaps,” he grumbled.
“It doesn’t matter,” Dario said. “Our brother is alive and Lucia is safe. Our families are whole. That’s all I care about.”
“Speaking of family…” I said, then frowned. I looked up at Adriano. “My clothes – ”
“I remembered,” he said with a grin as he pulled something out of his pocket. “Once they took them off you, I made sure to grab it.”
He handed me the small box.
“Thanks, man,” I said.
“Don’t mention it.”
“Signora Fioretti,” I said to the Widow, “I would like to ask your blessing for the hand of your granddaughter in marriage.”
The entire room gasped.
Dario and Niccolo, in particular, looked at the old woman, worried how this might play out.
Lucia regarded her grandmother with both fear and excitement shining in her eyes.
The Widow stood up straight and smiled slightly. “I give you my blessing… and I welcome you into my family as my grandson.”
Everyone in the room broke out in a cheer.
I opened the box. Inside was a fairly close match for the toy ring I had given Lucia in the grocery store…
Except on this one, the band was really gold, and the stone was an actual ruby. Adriano had raided our mother’s old jewelry boxes for something that came close.
“Lucia Fioretti… I love you – will you ma– ”
Lucia burst into tears before I even finished.
