The ups and downs of first love are tough enough.

As political violence continues to roil Italy and racial violence grows in the USA, Sandra and Joe come back to the US to attend different schools. In Italy, a vicious public hate campaign targets Joe's mother, Nancy. In Virginia, Joe is learning brutal lessons about race relations in the United States, having grown up in Italy. In Washington DC, Sandra uncovers an international art forgery scheme. The two lovers meet again in Rome, where they discover that they and Nancy have a common enemy. Working with the FBI and the Italian police, they might be able to stop him, if they can stay alive that long.