Chapter 34 I swing back open the door and flip on the light. As I quickly pace toward him, I read his stained lips.
“It’s me, Valentino Greco,” he says.
I’m bulldozed to the floor. Valentino Greco. I prayed I’d never hear that name again. He’s barely recognizable beneath the grime and swelling. Short hair now and no sideburns. He’s gained weight. His face is fuller, but some of that might be from the swelling. The fact that Valentino is lying right here, right now, means that an atomic bomb has been released from high above and it’s dropping fast. Its shadow’s looming over me and is growing larger. Impact is imminent.
I fall to my knees as the room seems to spin. I grab Valentino by the chest of his shirt, feeling his blood ooze between my fingers and shout at him to explain why he’s he
