Clean Slate (New Mafia Trilogy #2) Page 30

  It didn’t take too long to get to the airport and Victor snagged a spot in front of my terminal. Before I got out, he reached over and opened up the glove box to pull out a large yellow colored envelope that was fairly bulky.

  “This is a wedding present for Grant from Gio. Can you give it to him?”

  I hesitated before taking the envelope. “This doesn’t have like drugs or someone’s finger in it does it?”

  Victor laughed and shook his head. “No, nothing like that. This is a straight up legit present.”

  “Okay then, I’ll give it to Grant.” I placed the envelope in my carry-on bag and stepped out of the car. Victor grabbed my suitcase and set it down next to me.

  “Well, have a safe trip, Princess.” He gave me a hug. “Let me know if you need me to be your airport shuttle when you get back.”

  “I will. Thanks for the ride.” I walked away and looked back once, but Victor was already gone.

  It was only when I was on the plane and we had cleared the smog bank, that it really hit: I was going back to Philadelphia, back to where it all began.

  -END-

  Endings & Beginnings – Book Three of The New Mafia Trilogy

  Coming soon…

  Acknowledgments

  I seriously wouldn’t have made it this far without the unfailing support of my parents and family, especially “my boys” - my husband Steve and son Matt who have to deal with my distracted state the most – thank you for your encouragement and love. To my “Lit Bitches” Shannon, Beth, and Liz, I couldn’t have asked for better beta readers. To the fabulous ladies of my writers group, Marlee and Nicole, through the years as our friendship has grown, our writing has too. Thanks to the awesome Maine writers community for continuing to inspire.

  I’d like to extend a big thank you to Uel Gardner with Weaponcraft for sharing his knowledge on firearms. Gordon, thank you for your insight on the Southern California surf scene, writing about it helped me to get through a long, miserably cold Maine winter. To all of my friends and readers, thank you for your support. Your positive response to The Beautiful People helped me to keep on dreaming and writing.

  About the Author

  E.J. Fechenda has lived in Philadelphia, Phoenix and now calls Portland, Maine home where she is a wife, stepmom, and pet parent all while working full time. Crazy is how she likes it.

  E.J. has a degree in Journalism from Temple University and her short stories have been published in Suspense Magazine, the 2010 and 2011 Aspiring Writers Anthologies, and in the Indies Unlimited 2012 Flash Fiction Anthology. In addition to writing The New Mafia Trilogy, she is working on The Ghosts Stories Trilogy. E.J. is a member of the Maine Writers and Publishers Alliance and co-founder of the fiction reading series, “Lit: Readings & Libations”, which is held quarterly in Portland.

  E.J. can be found on the internet here:

  Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/EJFechendaAuthor

  Twitter @ebusjaneus (https://twitter.com/ebusjaneus)

  Tumblr: http://ejfechenda.tumblr.com/