Total pages in book: 82
Estimated words: 79336 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 397(@200wpm)___ 317(@250wpm)___ 264(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 79336 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 397(@200wpm)___ 317(@250wpm)___ 264(@300wpm)
I didn’t know when that moment would come, but I believed in my heart it would someday.
Pope Zephyrinus stood between us, blanketed in our shadows. “Welcome, Darius.” He extended his hand.
Darius struggled to take his eyes off me, hostile like I’d been the one to kill his brother. But he possessed some inkling of manners when he turned to the pope and took his hand. “Thank you for having me, Your Holiness.”
“Of course.” He gestured to the couches on the rug. “Let’s have a seat.” He moved to the armchair in the center of the two couches.
We went right back to our death stare.
Darius’s eyes left mine to do a quick check of my body, clearly noticing my change in size since we’d last crossed paths. “Good, you aren’t a vegetarian anymore.” He turned his back on me and walked to one of the couches. Took a seat, knees wide apart, forearms on his thighs in a position that would allow him to jump up instantly if he wanted to. “Oh, and your brother says hi.”
I hesitated because the jab stung even though I’d been prepared for it. I fortified my mind with all the armor I could muster, but it still wasn’t enough to dull the sting. I inhaled and brushed it off as I took the seat across from him, the coffee table between us, surrounded by bookshelves and artwork from the Renaissance.
“Got something to say?” It came out as almost a bark. Probably would have been a shout if the pope weren’t there. “I came all the way down here. You better have something fucking good to say.”
“Mind your manners when you speak in the presence of the Holy Father,” I said calmly.
Pope Zephyrinus raised his hand slightly and shook his head, excusing the classless behavior.
Darius went quiet then, but his jawline was tense like he had more to say but was smart enough not to say it. My response hadn’t even been offensive, but this man couldn’t tolerate any kind of criticism at all.
“It’s come to my attention that arms are getting into the hands of our enemies through Florence.” I came right out and said it. “I’ve already had intelligence from MI6 that a terrorist attack is imminent somewhere in the EU. I’m concerned that the two events are connected. A treaty has been signed with the EU through the UN not to sell any types of weapons outside our allies. I’m afraid someone in your jurisdiction is violating this agreement.”
His stare didn’t change at all. He continued to look at me like he hadn’t heard a word I said.
I waited for him to say something.
The pope looked back and forth between us.
I realized nothing would come. “Have you nothing to say?”
“Thank you for the information. Are we finished here?”
“No, we aren’t finished,” I snapped. “Because you need to stop whoever is doing this . . . or stop doing it yourself.” My gut instinct was always right, and judging by his indifferent reaction to this information, not only did he know about the sale, but he was a part of it.
“Sounds like you’re trying to tell me how to run my country.” He moved forward slightly, farther off the couch, his fingers stitching together. “Which is none of your fucking business.”
“It is my business when it affects everyone else. When it directly violates an international agreement. You can conduct whatever nefarious activities you wish, but not at the expense of innocent people.”
“I can do whatever the fuck I want, Constantine.”
“You already make money hand over fist. Just sell to a different buyer. You still get your money, and you can do the right thing for the first time in your goddamn life—”
He slammed his hand down on the coffee table and made it tremble. “Mind your manners when you speak in the presence of the Holy Father, asshole!”
The pope raised both of his hands before we went for each other’s throats. “Gentlemen, let us be civilized. Remember, this is a discussion, not an attack.”
“Country before profit, Darius,” I said. “Money is important, but there are things infinitely more important.”
“God, you’re such a pussy. Little vanilla ice cream bar sitting there covered in little nuts.”
The pope gave a sigh.
“Your spine is as weak as your brother’s, which is why I was able to snap it in half so fucking easily—”
“I’ll fucking kill you—”
“Then do it. You think a couple protein shakes is enough to take me on, pussy? I didn’t like your face the last time I saw it, and now I fucking hate looking at it. See the same pussy eyes that thought they could look at my wife’s cunt and get away with it—”
“Enough.” It was the first time I’d heard my uncle raise his voice.
Darius scooted back on the chair, withdrawing from his rage.