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Instead, I said, “I need to know something, and I’d like a straight answer: if you and I are friends, will I be making things worse for myself?”
Dario looked at me for several seconds before he answered. “I won’t lie to you: you’ll be making new enemies by becoming my ally. But you’ll also be making new and powerful friends. Friends who can keep you safe and help you pass your sentence in far greater comfort.
“Unfortunately, you made some extremely powerful enemies today when you saved my life. There is no going back from that. They will come after you… that I can promise you.
“However, I owe you my life. After what you did for me today, it would be the height of ingratitude for me to insist you do what I want. I promise I will not take it personally if you go your own way. Even if you decide not to align yourself with me, I will do my best to make sure you’re left in peace… but there is only so much I can do. The simple truth is that alone, we are weaker and more susceptible to attack. Together, we are stronger – strong enough to fight back against the Camorra and quite possibly win. But whatever you decide, I will honor your decision.”
It wasn’t much of a choice.
The die had already been cast when I stopped the Camorra from killing him.
I hadn’t known it when it happened – but even if I could have gone back in time, I wouldn’t have changed what I’d done.
If I refused his offer, I could go it alone and probably die…
Or I could have an ally – and a powerful one at that.
I made my decision.
“I could definitely use a friend in here,” I said.
Dario broke into a huge smile. “You have one – for life.”
And he reached out and hugged me like a brother.
96
Afew minutes later, a voice in Italian blared over the loudspeakers. I didn’t understand a word of it.
“They’re telling us to return to our cells,” Dario translated. “They’ll probably put the entire prison on lockdown in retaliation for what happened.”
“Great,” I muttered.
“Don’t worry,” Dario reassured me. “I’ll tell them to leave you alone.”
I cocked one eyebrow. “Why would they listen to you?”
“The Camorra aren’t the only ones who can pay off the guards.”
I wanted to say, Just a humble ‘business associate’ of the Cosa Nostra, huh?
But common sense made me hold my tongue.
When we reached the cellblock, Dario said, “Don’t worry, everything will be fine. Try to get some rest.”
Then he slapped me on the shoulder and walked off.
I returned to my cell and waited tensely for a member of the Camorra to show up with a shiv. It was a relief when the guards came and locked my door.
Just as Dario had said, we were put on lockdown for 24 hours. We weren’t given any food, although at least we had water from the sinks in our cells – even if it was yellow and tasted like metal.
The next morning, I was lying on the top bunk thinking about Rachel when someone started shouting in Italian outside my cell.
I looked up to see a guard unlocking my door. Another guard stood behind him.
I jumped off the top bunk, half-expecting them to rush in and beat me –
But the guards stood back from the door as though they expected me to walk through it.
