LITMIR.BIZ

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knew even that sentence could never atone for all the lives he had ruined.

      How he hated that man, Matteo thought, saving the smile that wanted to spread on his lips for a moment from now.

      ‘Malvolio Cavaliere—non colpevole.’

      The courtroom was silent for just a few seconds too long at the shocking verdict, but it was as if everyone, in the next second, suddenly realised that Malvolio was back in charge of Bordo Del Cielo and frantic applause ensued.

      Matteo did not join in, he just watched as Malvolio smirked.

      He was back.

      Matteo looked to where Malvolio’s greedy gaze drifted and now he better understood Bella’s look of fear.

      No!

      There was a moment of brief recall for Matteo—when he had first taken over management of the hotel he had checked the bar rosters and seen Bella’s name.

      He had scratched it out.

      ‘No,’ Matteo had said, because his intention was to clean up the bar. ‘She is to keep working as a chambermaid.’

      He would have no say now. Malvolio was free, and there was not a single thing he could do other than watch Bella sit and quietly weep.

      And then Paulo stood.

      He was Sophie’s father and a weak, frail man. His wife, Rosa, had died when Sophie had been small.

      By Malvolio’s hand, Matteo was quite sure.

      Matteo had worked alongside Paulo and had done some jobs that Paulo had either been too weak to do or could not bring himself to.

      Though Matteo might appear to be Malvolio’s yes-man, he quietly worked things his way.

      As the court stood Matteo remembered a night a few years ago. Paulo had been told to burn down a house where a family slept and Matteo, returning from the bar, sent to check on him, had found Paulo sitting on a wall, holding a bottle of accelerant, his head in his hands.

      ‘Talia was a friend of Rosa’s,’ Paulo wept. ‘I cannot do this.’

      ‘Then you are dead by tomorrow,’ Matteo had said without emotion.

      ‘Damn Malvolio.’ Paulo for once had been strong. ‘There are babies asleep in the house. I would rather be dead myself than do that.’

      ‘Perhaps,’ Matteo answered calmly. ‘But what will happen to Sophie if you are not here to protect her? What will happen to your daughter if you are gone? Maybe Malvolio will find work for her. How old is she now?’ Paulo’s face bleached white and Matteo sat down on the wall beside him, a few steps away from where a family slept.

      ‘Give it to me,’ Matteo said, and took the bottle containing the accelerant. ‘I’ll take care of things. You go home, Paulo.’

      ‘Matteo,’ Paulo protested. ‘I can’t ask you to do my work for me.’

      ‘Just go home,’ Matteo said. ‘I don’t have anyone that I need to take care of. No one worries about me and I have no one I need to worry for...’

      It proved a blessing that night.

      With Paulo gone, Matteo walked up to the small fisherman’s cottage. Through the open window he could hear a baby crying and her mother singing, trying to get the infant back to sleep.

      He should wait for the house to fall silent. Matteo knew all too well what to do.

      But instead of waiting for the hush of silence, he went to the small room and knocked on the window, startling Talia, who went to shout out.

      ‘Hush...’ Matteo said, ‘or you will get us all killed.’

      She nodded wide-eyed and held in her scream.

      ‘See this?’ Matteo said, and she nodded as he held up the bottle.

      ‘In five minutes’ time fire will tear through your house, so go and get the babies and go out of the back door with your children...’ As she went to go he halted her. ‘Wait.’

      Matteo picked up soil from the ground and smeared her tear-streaked face and then her hands, before Talia rushed off to gather up her precious babies.

      A miracle, the villagers had called it.

      Talia was a true heroine for somehow she had managed to get all her babies out in time.

      Malvolio had shrugged. It had served as a warning to everyone. Whether they were dead or alive did not matter to him.

      The next morning Paulo had met his eyes in brief thanks.

      Matteo now glanced across the courtroom and there was Talia, the mother he had warned that night, and she gave him the tiniest smile, though he did not return it.

      No one must ever guess what had happened back then.

      Especially now that Malvolio would be walking the streets again.

      The judge was calling for calm. The panicked people were still trying to take in that Malvolio would be back amongst them, Paulo for now was forgotten.

      The other two had got off, no doubt he would too but then the courtroom was rocked again.

      Paulo Durante—colpevole.

      Paulo would be taken to the mainland for sentencing. The judge was calling for calm as people stood in the stands, shouting and raising their fists at the frail old man.

      It was not justice that drove them to berate Paulo, it was fear of Malvolio.

      As Matteo stepped out of the courtroom, despite the fierce sun in the bright blue sky it was a black day indeed.

      As soon as Luka was processed and freed he came to talk to his friend.

      Some things could not be discussed yet today they were.

      ‘Matteo, I am going to speak with Sophie. Now that her father has been imprisoned her name too will be mud. I am leaving, I am not going to be my father’s second in charge. I am taking Sophie to London with me.’

      Matteo nodded and, though he didn’t show it, he was surprised at Luka’s honesty about his father, but nothing prepared him for what came next.

      ‘You need to come with me.’

      ‘Me?’ Matteo said. He knew Malvolio would never allow it. He had already tried to leave once and, eternally mistrusting, he wasn’t even sure that his friend wasn’t calling his bluff—testing him as his brother once had. ‘Why would I come with you? Nothing changes for me...’

      ‘Everything changes,’ Luka said, and Matteo felt his insides still. ‘With me gone and Paulo about to be locked away, you will be my father’s second man.’

      ‘There is Dino,’ Matteo said, referring to his half-brother, but Luka shook his head and Matteo could hear the blood pulsing in his temples as he realised that a distant heir, himself, had suddenly been promoted.

      ‘There will be a lot of bloodshed to come,’ Luka said, and Matteo knew then that he would be the one to exact Malvolio’s revenge on those who had had the courage to speak out against him.

      ‘We fly at nine tomorrow,’ Luka said. ‘If you tell anyone, well, you know what might happen, and not just to you. Think about joining us,’ Luka said, and Matteo didn’t respond, though his mind was busy as his friend spoke on. ‘For tonight, just celebrate with my father, carry on as if you are thrilled that he has been released... He’s watching your every move, Matteo. He doesn’t believe you are completely loyal. Tonight you have to show him that you are, tonight you have to convince him that you want every part of his depraved lifestyle, or you and anyone you care for will be some of the forest that he is about to start clearing...’

      ‘Then it is lucky I care for no one.’

      Luka looked at his friend. ‘Maybe this life is what you want,’ he said,

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