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All the world’s a stage,

And all the men and women merely players;

They have their exits and their entrances,

And one man in his time plays many parts …

—William Shakespeare, As You Like It

Chapter One

Luca

“Dude, you look like fucking Zorro”

Alessandro holds a big-ass tray of chiocciole between us as he makes this proclamation His brown eyes are wide, and he looks earnest, because Alessandro is an earnest kind of guy

Still, I’ve gotta roll my eyes because they’re not behind a black mask “It’s a bandana, not a mask, Alesso And it’s over my mouth I’m a train robber”

He shakes his head, trying not to s, which makes his vampire teeth protrude over his lower lip “You sure about that?”

“Sure I’uy?”

“I’ht, you can count on it”

I laugh, and Alesso gives rin He jerks his chin over his shoulder and says, “There’s so hall” He nods at the swinging double doors that separate the kitchen froreen shit and a bunch of tissue-papery white flowers Leo fucking disappeared after he brought the empty tray in here, and the sterno flaonna catch their shirt on fire before we can drop another dish on top of that flame”

I nod, walking around the counter behind Alesso to grab the stainless steel tray, weighted with ribollita I clutch the hot serving dish by its edges and start toward the doors “I gotcha covered, Count”