His Test Was Fake, But My Death Was Real novel · Chapter 20 of 24
Chapter 20: The Heir's Ring
Dario woke at two in the morning and the first thing he did was reach for his coat.
It was draped over the chair.
I was sitting under it, with Aldo's gold ring in my fist.
"You're awake," I said.
"Is it done?"
"No. It's tomorrow."
He looked at the sling on his arm, and at the clear tube in the back of his hand, and swore in a voice with no strength in it.
"Where's Stefano?"
"In the hall. He hasn't left since you went in."
"Good. Let him sit."
"Dario, your father collapsed."
His face did not move.
"I know. The nurse told me."
"He put this in my hand." I opened my fingers. "He said, 'Not him.' I think he meant Vincent."
Dario stared at the ring.
It was a heavy old gold band, worn on one side, with the Carrano crest cut into it and a thin dark line where it had been mended.
"That was my grandfather's," he said.
"What do I do with it?"
"You don't wear it."
"I'm not going to."
"You carry it into that room."
I sat on the edge of the bed.
"I don't know if I can walk in there," I said. "Camille is going to scream. The lieutenants are going to look at me the way they looked on the bridge."
"They looked at you on the bridge because they were told to."
"They liked it."
"Some of them did."
"I want those ones," I said. "The ones who laughed. I want every one of them in that room."
He took the hand with the ring in it and held it in his good hand, and I saw him realize what he was doing.
"Is this all right?" he asked.
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