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Prologue
Ihated shopping. Especially during the day, it was a real torture under the scorching sun of Naples. I was glad the glaring giantess was just about to set at the other end of the horizon and plunged the Carrefour parking lot into the first shadows of night.
There was a lot of activity though, especially inside, which I had fortunately already put behind me. Slower than usual, I packed the groceries into the trunk of my car, going over how much I had spent on them and how long the purchase would last this time.
It was a habit I'd trained myself since they had fired me. With a quiet sigh, I packed the last bottle of juice into the bag and heaved it into the car.
I heard another car approaching, pulled my shopping cart closer, and was already back at sorting the bags when I noticed heavy footsteps.
Irritated, I looked up, turning around.
"Merda!" I groaned, followed by a nervous laugh. "You terrified me."
Not a single muscle in the guys face moved. My heartbeat sped up. I tilted my head, my hand already on my key ring. How easy would it be to poke his eyes out in self-defense?
My reaction was to slow. Of course.
Before I could raise my hand, he had already grabbed me. Sharp pain exploded in my throat. I raised my hands. Clenched into fists I tried to hit him, but they didn't make contact. Not even once.
Instead, I became a manipulable doll he could just shove into the trunk. My vision blurred.
I heard the lid close and seconds later, the engine came to life. There was panic inside me, but I couldn't show any of it on the outside. Whatever he had injected me with prevented me from
1
Dario
Swaths of fog wafted from the nearby water towards the warehouse. The sparse streetlights around gave a certain touch to atmosphere somehow reminding me of a horror movie.
With crossed arms, I watched the flashing lights of the port of Naples, always mindful that we had arrived at the rendezvous point an hour earlier than agreed, to ensure no ambush awaited us. So far, everything was quiet.
Natale had turned the area upside down, while Emilio waited in the car to ensure a quick getaway, should it become necessary. In the meantime, I had taken up position outside and monitored everything else, including the clock.
The time our new business partner was to show up was getting closer and closer, and with it, I felt a certain nervousness awakening in my limbs, putting me on high alert.
"I don't like any of this," I muttered, knowing that the other two men could hear me over the in-ear.
My brother spoke up. "This is an important cooperation for us."
"I've never liked French people," Natale interjected.
"That still doesn't change the facts," Emilio returned, silencing my cousin and me.
The mafia didn't do business with just anyone. So accordingly I assumed that Emilio, as the boss of the entire organization, had made a careful selection that would not harm us and hopefully only bring benefits.
I let my fingers slide over the gun at my side, reassuring myself once again that we would have the upper hand in this first meeting.
"How much longer?" Emilio asked, snapping me out of my thoughts. I glanced at theBulgari Octoon my wrist.
"He's five minutes late," I grumbled.
If there was one unacceptable thing, it was making my brother wait. His time was too precious to show up in person for such meetings, but this time, he chose to handle the meeting himself. Just now our future business partner turned up late? Surely Emilio would show him how displeased he was as soon as the man appeared.
"Shall we leave, then?" Natale was back with Emilio by now, because they were already having a terse conversation. Only half of it reached me.
As I was about to retreat from my position the sound of screeching tires held me back. Very close by.
I made a grimace. Carefully I moved to the entrance of the warehouse, just in time to see a nondescript car coming to a stop in the middle of the hall. Since when did we do business with people who drove anAlfa Romeo?
