Couture Criminals
Cheeky owner of a struggling fashion boutique, Poppy Fields dreams of having her designs rocking the couture runways in Paris and Milan. While fantasizing about the glamorous life, her world is about to collide with the devil himself in the form of a dangerous mafia leader, Roman D’Amico, out for revenge for his dead brother. Often mistaken as the future wife of one of Chicago’s most notorious crime bosses, and Roman’s rival gang member, everyone who enters Poppy’s little shop believes they are doing a favor to the Gambino family. When her doppelgänger waltzes into her boutique, the women are shocked to find they look like twins. Leaving her identification behind as a ruse to flee the country, Claudia switches lives with the unsuspecting fashion designer. When Luke Gambino falls for the ploy, he believes Poppy is his runaway bride, forcing her to take on the persona of the real Claudia Ricci. Following the murder of his brother, Roman D’Amico is looking for revenge. When he suspects the Gambinos are behind it, he plots to kidnap the rival gang member’s wife. Unknowing that the women have switched places, Roman kidnaps the wrong couture diva. With Claudia missing, Poppy must keep up the ruse, and convince Roman to keep her alive or fall into the hands of the murderous Gambino family.
Chapter 144
The pressure was on when Carlos, aka the Razor, told Luke time was being wasted and he needed to do the hit on Luciano and prove his loyalty to the Serpent. The order was pushing him to get Luke initiated, and there were threats that if Luke didn't do what they demanded of him, he'd end up in the visor, and maybe even the maze. Carlos didn't think Luke knew, but lucky for the good guys, someone had come forward in the Serpents people who was a mole for Luke.
He hadn't met the man who was working on the inside to bring them down, but the phone calls that were sending warnings, all ringed true.
Luke sat in wait in the back of Luciano's restaurant, waiting for the older man to step out into the alley. He had watched him for a week and the man defiantly was a creature of habit. Every day, the same routine.
Dressed in black, Luke stood in the shadows, waiting for the time to act. Just feet away a rented car with the motor running, ready for a fast escape.