Page 87 of Mafia King's Forbidden Obsession

Reaching into my pocket, my fingers brush against the cool surface of my cell phone. I dial Enzo’s number while I descend the stairs. The number dials for a few seconds, then Enzo’s voice crackles through the speaker. “Ezra, lovely to hear from you.”

“Cut the crap, Enzo,” I snap. “I hear you’ve got a problem with the product.”

He snickers, but there’s an edge to it. “You know, Ezra, it’s hard to trust someone who delivers crap when I’m paying top dollar. You increased the price for fakes? I’m not about to let that slide.”

My blood boils. “Too bad you have so many dollars to pay for drugs but not enough to employ a standard purity testing method. I don’t trade my product quality for anything,” I say, in a calm, controlled tone. “I know it’s our first time doing business, but you probably got it mixed-up with drugs from your old supplier. I’m not the one supplying you with anything less.”

“Then let’s meet and test them,” he challenges, his tone dripping with arrogance.

“We checked and tested the drugs before you paid, Enzo,” I sigh in exasperation.

“Yes, before you scammed me.” I stop abruptly, and Elio almost bumps into me.

I clench my hand into a fist. “Scam you? What do you take me for?” I grit out.

“Ezra, our first encounter isn’t looking good,” he says. His tone is serious.

“Alright, neutral ground by 10:30 a.m. sharp.” I don’t wait for him to say anything before hanging up.

“Capo, la mia opinione personale(Boss, my personal opinion)…” Elio hesitates, “…I don’t think we need to meet up again. I mean, we tested the products before supplying them.”

“Ne sono ben consapevole(I am well aware), Elio, but he’s a first-time customer. We need to prove we’re reliable… if he doesn’t fucking know that already.”

“Ma Capo— (But Boss—)”

“Get the men ready. We need to leave now.” I cut him off with an air of finality.

“Sì, Capo(Yes, Boss).” Elio gives in.

He goes to summon the needed manpower while I sit in the car and wait. In thirty minutes, five men file into a van while Elio rides with me.

The city fades behind me as I drive toward the outskirts until I pull up in front of an old, abandoned building. Its rusted walls and shattered windows display anything but the ‘neutral ground’ they call it. My eyes dart to every corner as I scan the area.

I grab a stick of cigar and a lighter from the armrest and exit the car the same time Elio does. I take a slow drag from the cigar, waiting.

The tension in the air is thick, like the calm just before a storm. Finally, three cars pull up, engines growling as they park in a row.

The doors swing open, and the Vincenzi men step out. I spot their boss, Enzo Vincenzi, at the center, dressed in a slick black suit.

“Elio,” I murmur, my voice low, “…tienili d'occhio(…keep an eye on them).”

He nods, and I step forward to meet Enzo halfway.

“Ezra,” Enzo greets me with a practiced smile, though his eyes are cold. “I hope we’re not late.”

I exhale a cloud of smoke, narrowing my eyes at him. “Let’s just get down to business.”

“Certo(Of course),” he forces a smile as we walk towards the warehouse.

We get through the doors. Metal crates are scattered around inside the warehouse. We make our way to the clear center, where two plastic chairs are arranged on opposite sides of a blue plastic table. Enzo and I immediately take the chairs, glaring at each other.

“Let’s see what you’ve got,” Enzo says, tapping the table.

I signal to Elio, who steps forward. He sets two clearly labeled bags neatly on the table. Elio takes a step back and I nod at Enzo.

He lifts a hand and one of his men steps forward as well. He drops two clearly labeled pouches, exactly like ours, on the table.

“Let’s put your claims to the test.” I motion to Elio, who steps forward once again with a box cutter, slicing open the first bag with accurate precision. I take a pinch of the heroin and sniff it. “Just in case you think I might poison you,” I grunt, nodding at him to taste his product.

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