“You think that’s letting go?” Lilliana said.
“Perhaps not in the exact sense that you might prefer,” Fortunato said. “But don’t be petty, dear Lilliana… one can’t have everything one wants, after all. Is it not enough that I’m taking your advice in a general sense?”
“Right, because nothing screams ‘I’m over you’ like ‘If I can’t have you, no one will!’” Lilliana said.
“Personally, I’ve never really believed in that ‘if you love something, set it free’ rubbish,” Fortunato said. “Or maybe it just doesn’t apply if what you love is having it.”
“Is that what you think?” Lilliana asked. “I remember you being miserable when we were actually together… I think you were happiest when you were chasing me. And look at what happened with your casino. You wanted to force everybody out… why? So you could have control over a massive conglomeration of businesses, or because you missed the days when the Finger was just one man chasing a dream? I think if you’d succeeded in buying back control, you’d just have ended up more miserable than ever.”
“So, is my problem that I can’t let go or that I can’t stand success?” Fortunato asked.
“It’s the same thing, with you,” Lilliana said. “Your heart is in the chase, but when it’s all over, you’re left feeling empty inside… but you want to feel like it was worth it, so you cling stubbornly to whatever prize you’ve captured… you hold onto it tight until it breaks apart in your hands.”
“And… according to this in-depth and not at all off-the-cuff analysis of my psyche, me shooting you would be the ‘holding it until it breaks’?” Fortunato said. “I’m not buying it, dear Lilliana… it’s a bit facile, even for you, and of course it would so convenient if I had a psychological breakthrough that resulted in me deciding to let you go. Live. Let you live, when I’ve made up my mind to kill you.”
“You’ve made up your mind?” Lilliana said. “So, if I were to accept your offer to join you?”
“Are you?”
“It wouldn’t make much sense for me to do that, if you’ve made up your mind to kill me,” Lilliana pointed out. “But it shouldn’t matter one way or the other to you, if that’s the case.”
“Well, I have a bit of an ego thing,” Fortunato said. “Maybe I just want to know for sure before I blast you, whether or not you would join with me.”
“But that still leaves the basic problem that I have no reason to say I’ll join with you if I think you’re going to kill me.”
“Oh, you can hope I’m bluffing,” Fortunato said. “You’re good at that, Lilliana… at holding out hope. Better than anyone I know. Why else would you be standing here trying to stall me when I’ve got a clear shot on you? But it is hopeless, you know. Even if the cavalry does come charging over the hill, I can still drop you with a single shot.”
“You aren’t fooling anyone,” Lilliana said.
“That criticism would perhaps be more damning, had I a larger audience.”
“You still think you can have me.”
“You’re the last person who should be daring me to pull this trigger.”
“What’s more is you think that having me would make you happy,” Lilliana said.
“Now you’re not daring me so much as persuading me to.”
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