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Jayla tries to call me back, but I’m out of my chair and walking away before she can. I pass right by their table on my way to the back of the restaurant, acting as nonchalant and casual as possible.

But my ears are strained, searching for any bit of info they can pick up.

“Saturday,” says one of Grasso’s men. “U4EA will be the spot.”

I make it to the bathroom almost buzzing with excitement. The context is missing about just why U4EA will be “the spot”, but that’s enough to justify more digging. More research into just what Luigi Grasso and his men are planning at the nightclub.

A grin comes to my face as I stand at the sink and pass some time washing my hands. If I come out of the bathroom too quickly, it’ll seem suspicious. I have to remain as indifferent as I had on my way in.

Twisting off the faucet, I reach for paper towels from the dispenser.

The bathroom door swings open.

The air I’m breathing disappears all at once as I glance over and find Luigi Grasso standing in the doorway.

“Hey, sweet cheeks. How you doing?” he says, jutting his clefted chin. “Mind telling me why you’ve been eavesdropping?”

19

PORTIA

“M-me?”I stutter. “Oh, I wasn’t eavesdropping?—”

“C’mon,” he interrupts, flashing a toothy grin, “a beautiful Black woman like yourself. You stand out in a place like this. You think I didn’t notice you the moment you walked in? You’re on TV, right? That cute one from the evening news?”

My protests fall flat.

Luigi beckons me over until I have no choice but to follow—or risk his potential wrath. He leads me back out to the dining room and orders one of his men to get up out of their chair so I can sit.

“How about you call over that woman you’re with?” he asks. “That your sister? She’s a cutie too.”

Jayla looks on the verge of passing out when she’s brought over to the table. A second soldier from Luigi’s crew gets up to make room for her.

Luigi either doesn’t pick up on our discomfort or he’s aware of it and chooses to rub it in that much more. He hasn’t stopped grinning as he glances between us and strikes up a conversation.

“Two beauties like you. Look at all those shopping bags at your table. Just out to treat yourselves?”

I nod tightly. “We were hungry and stopped by for lunch.”

“The server is my cousin. You know that? Elena says you ordered cannoli.”

“Dessert for lunch,” I add. “We were hungry and weren’t sure what we’d order ’til we saw the menu.”

“Coming to Bocca’s just for the dessert? That’s a first.”

I half rise out of my chair. “We really should be going.”

“Sit down, dollface. Nobody told you to go anywhere. We’re enjoying a nice lunch and invited you over as a courtesy. You appreciate the thoughtfulness, don’t you?”

Meeting Luigi’s taunting gaze, I’m aware how we’re being played. He knows the truth of the situation even if he hasn’t come right out and said it—I’m a reporter working a story and I was hoping to gain some insider info from them.

He’s dragging out the moment to demonstrate how easily he can intimidate people like me. Deciding my best bet is to be smooth and play along, I cast him a polite smile.

“Of course, I appreciate the consideration. Thank you.”

“What’re you two doing tonight?” asks the man on Luigi’s left. I recognize him as well from his well-known rap sheet around the city—Sergio Sacrimoni, the man who was miraculously acquitted on RICO charges. He blows cigarette smoke across the table and smashes the butt into an ashtray, his lips shaped like a trout’s mouth. “A couple tens like you. How about you join us for drinks?”

“That sounds like a great idea, Sergio. How about it, sweet cheeks?” Luigi asks.