Chapter 82 Failed Transaction

Thorton Gallardo POV

Rome, Italy

The city is built on a river, a mosaic of the old and the new. The centuries-old cobblestone streets are lined with modern lamp posts, and the exterior walls of buildings are painted in an array of muted beiges and pastels. On the surface, it’s a quaint riverside city. A perfect vacation spot for those who don’t mind the year-round cold.

But I know the truth. Just below the surface, the capital city of Rome has a swarming, thriving criminal underbelly. It’s simply a matter of knowing where to look.

“They’re late,” Samuel grumbles. He cracks his knuckles, then his neck, then his back, the loud popping similar to squeezing a fistful of bubble wrap. It’s one of his biggest tells when he’s nervous. If there’s a joint he can crack, he will.

“Have a little patience,” I remind him as I fiddle with my lighter. “They’ll be here.”

“What if it’s some kind of trap?”

The possibility this meeting might be a set-up did dawn on me, but we’re not in a good enough posit