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My mind wanders to Portia and what she must be thinking. Tonight she saw proof with her own two eyes that I’m a harmless businessman, and not some heavily affiliated mafia big shot. Will it change her mind about our relationship?

My prayers are answered minutes later when we’re driving through the city streets of Newport, on our way to my penthouse, and my phone starts ringing.

At first I expect it’s Gavino to update me about her taxi, or possibly Maurizio to discuss the situation back at the warehouse.

It’s neither of those two. My caller ID reads the name of the woman on my mind. The woman who is my obsession and always will be.

I answer on the second ring. “Ciao, dolcezza.”

“Ciao,” comes the voice on the other end. But it’s not Portia. It’s a male voice. It’sSergio Sacrimoni.

My fucking heart stops beating inside my chest. I can barely grit out the words, “Why are you calling from this number?”

“I’m here with my friend—you know the cute little lady from the news—and I saw your name in her phone. I figured… why not give you a call? I think we have some things to discuss.”

27

PORTIA

I can’t getout of the warehouse fast enough.

Both my heart and mind are racing. I can’t begin to calm myself down. Everything I’ve heard and witnessed has made it impossible.

Sergio Sacrimoni and his crew of soldiers are escorted out of the warehouse by Il Diavolo’s men. It’s an embarrassing defeat for the newly promotedcaporegime, who I’m guessing was supposed to fill Luigi Grasso’s shoes after his murder.

Yet, in only a matter of days, he’s screwed that up.

He didn’t see the trap that Il Diavolo had set up for him. He walked right into it, hook, line, and sinker.

Though I hadn’t either. I hadn’t known that following Milos Popovic and Sergio Sacrimoni would result in meeting up with Il Diavolo at the place alleged to be his base of operations.

Milos himself didn’t even realize he was being played. He thought he really knew the location. He claimed he’d been given a tour days before.

I don’t doubt that he had. After finally witnessing Il Diavolo in the flesh, something tells me that was intentional on his part. He must’ve set up a fake tour to make Milosthinkhe had been shown his compound. He’d done so knowing full well that Milos would never keep it under wraps.

The second Sergio and the rest of the Tucos came knocking, he’d sing like a canary.

Still, I never expected what happened to unfold.

Tonight I got confirmation that the Belluccis are behind the new psychedelic drug called Nectar that’s being sold at U4EA and every other popular club in the city. They’re flooding the streets with it, likely raking in untold levels of dough from sales.

The Tucos had the same plan but were slower to roll theirs out.

Now Il Diavolo is demanding sole ownership of the drug. He wants a complete and total monopoly.

If Titus Tuco refuses, possibly the biggest mob war in American history could unfold right in our city.

It’s the biggest story of not just my career, but possibly the decade. I’m the journalist with the scoop.

With the voice recordings and videos saved on my phone.

I couldn’t capture everything or else risk being caught, but I got enough to blow everything wide open. All I need is Finkle’s backing to air it on Metro News.

And if he doesn’t agree…

My mind lands on Rafael. I had been so shocked when he appeared that I had to cover my mouth or I would’ve gasped out loud and blown my cover.

He was meeting up with gangsters like Il Diavolo and Sergio Sacrimoni, confirming what I had suspected.