Chapter 5

Looking at her phone, Poppy couldn't believe her eyes as she looked at the image of a woman who was the spitting image of herself.

"Who is this chick and who is the hottie she's with? That's funny. Those girls think I'm her. Eh, at least it got a good sale out of it."

Laughing it off, she went right back to work of setting up the store display window.

Within an hour, word had spread like wildfire about the little boutique in Lincoln Park being the new shopping hotspot. The place was packed all day with customers who were constantly thinking she was this Claudia woman.

Poppy knew it was wrong to pretend to be her, but she still took a few selfie photos and smooshed up her clientele. After all, it was making her a small fortune in just a few hours. It wasn't like she was admitting to anything. Poppy was just playing along to the hype. If they asked who she really was, she'd gladly tell them her real name. For now, it was bringing in high paying customers and was just what the designer needed to get her business off the ground.

At the end of the day, Poppy was ready to close shop. Just as she went to turn off the open sign, a man walked in, dressed in a grey pinstriped suit with dark sunglasses that looked a little more intermediating than dapper.

"Hello, sir. May I help you?"

"A gift from the Chicago Outfit." He handed her an envelope without so much as changing his facial expression.

"What's this?"

"Just tell Gambino we look forward to the new business opening in the community. We will be sure to spread the word. Consider this a gift for your new store opening. Congratulations, ma'am."

As quickly as he came, the man turned on his heels and left the store.

Looking into the envelope, Poppy's eyes widened. "Wait! Come back! I'm not…"

As she ran out the door, the man was already in an awaiting car that sped off.

Stepping back into the store, she couldn't believe what was in her hand. "There must be… five thousand dollars here."

Remembering the news report earlier, it occurred to her what had just happened. She had seen enough mob movies to know this was a payoff of some kind. Maybe a peace offering between two crime families.

"Oh, shit. They think I'm the girlfriend of a mob kingpin. Luke Gambino is… mafia. I'm so screwed."

Flopping down in the stool, Poppy covered her face with her hands with the cash covering her eyes. Slowly she lowered it, thinking, "Well it is a gift for my grand opening. They can't blame me for mistaken identity… right?"

***

The next morning Claudia Ricci shoved her clothes in a bag, rushing to get out of the penthouse before Luke came back. She absolutely hated pretending to be in love with the high-profile mafia boss. She thought him to be as arrogant as they come, and all she was there for was the money. She never cared for him, and had Roman D'Amico paid more attention to her, she would have never come up with the plan to set up Luke for murdering his brother. Payback for his rejection.

The fact was, Claudia was a full-time hustler and playing a scam was her game. She found the richer the man was, the more she could put her charms on them and get whatever she wanted. Unfortunately, she didn't plan for the fact the mafia men kept tight grip on their money and their women. Getting the cash that she was seeking wasn't as easy with Luke as it had been with stock market investors and fortune five hundred types.

Until she met her new boy toy, that she kept on the side, Claudia was failing at getting Luke to hand over the cash. He even suggested she start up a business and work for a living. Usually, she would swindle large amounts of cash out of her sugar daddies to pay her bills, living a life of luxury. Fine cars, expensive clothes, and jewelry was all she cared about. But Luke seemed to want a real relationship and a family. Something she had no interest in. She wasn't going to ruin her perfectly fit body for having babies.

Meanwhile she'd play with her low life boyfriend Kasey and had him do her dirty work. He was willing to do anything for money, and their plans were perfectly in line with each other's greed and deception.

Hearing her bedroom door swing open, she turned quickly, pulling her gun from where she placed it on the bed. The man at the door laughed, holding up his hands in defense as he sauntered in.

"Whoa there, Tex. Mind putting that gun away before you shoot someone?"

"Ugh, Kasey, it's just you." Putting her gun back on the bed, she went back to packing. "Did you get the money?"

"Yep. Two-point-five million in unmarked bills from Luke's safe. Luke will think that Roman betrayed him when the money goes missing, and all hell is going to break loose soon. Every gang in the city is on high alert. He'll think Roman is behind stealing the money and one of his security guys was in on it."

"And the preacher," she asked closing her travel bag. "He was the reason Roman left me in the first place."

"Dead. Just like you said. We made it look like the local street gang did it for the cops. Roman will think Luke was involved out of some old vendetta they have against each other. I paid off the guys for the hit, and we can get the fuck out of here."

"The Eye of the Serpent connection?"

"Yep. Your contact really has it out for the made families in Chicago. They are interfering in his business and was willing to do whatever it took to help us set Luke up."

"And Roman?" she said, turning around to face him. "What about our plan? Did it work?"

Walking to the woman, Kasey James smiled at Claudia like his own personal trophy. Placing his hands on her shoulders he gave her a wink. "Babe, relax. No one is going to know we're behind this."

"You don't know that. And don't tell me to relax."

"Listen, Roman already thinks Luke is the one who put out the hit, and the cops think it was a drug deal gone wrong. They are going to be too focused on the funeral to figure this out until we are far out of the country. If they do, they're going to think the Eye of the Serpent guy was involved and the trap is set to take them both down. Either way, it looks like Luke was behind it for now."

Claudia smiled to herself. Was it all really going as she had planned? It all seemed too easy.