Page 2 of Bred To Be Owned

I wasn’t sure what to think about that. On the one hand, I wasn’t surprised that my mother knew. She had a pulse for everything that had occurred in the compound. On the other, I had seen nothing inappropriate until last week, so it made me question how she knew. I wondered if she’d conned one of the staff to spy on our inner family. If she had, I’d have to be careful.

“He can’t shield you, so don’t even think about doing anything foolish. You will marry Old Man Lombardo, bear him a couple of children, and hope he dies quickly.” My mother ate a piece of watermelon.

“Mitéra, I can’t. Please! I don’t love him,” my sister sobbed at the table. “Please.” The tears streamed down her cheeks in two rivers.

“You think I loved your father when I came from Greece at eighteen? I didn’t. I married a man that I didn’t know and built a family. Get a grip.” My mother stood gracefully from her chair, placed her napkin on the table, and waltzed out of the dining room.

My sister looked at me, and I didn’t have any words. I was just glad that our little sisters were still with their nanny and didn’t have to witness this.

Irini rushed from the room, burying her face in her hands as she cried. She’d wait for Markos, and I hoped he’d be able to calm her down enough to get through tonight. I sent a silent prayer to anyone who listened that they wouldn’t make this situation worse.

As I sat amongst the breakfast dishes, my perspective shifted. I was the second daughter of the don of the οικογ?νεια. Eventually, my father would seal my fate in an arranged marriage, and I never wantedto be in the same position my sister was. Sitting back in my chair, I contemplated the future.

The only way out was to become an undesirable – not eligible for marriage. I only knew of two ways to earn that status with the Family. One was to become a whore, and they would never let me. The other was to have a useful skill. If I showed interest in running a business, and I was good at it, they would never push me into an arranged marriage. It wouldn’t make sense if I generated extreme amounts of clean money.

I stood from the table and ran to the library, not caring how much noise I made. I opened the door and stood in the corner, ogling the shelves of books. This was my favorite room in the house; it would hold the keys to my future.

Looking at the bookcases, I found the business section and pulled the first one off of the shelf. Dragons would have to wait. The library had comfy chairs, so I grabbed some paper and sat with my book, preparing to take notes.

***

My tombstone was going to read,Here lies Toula Petrakis.Death by Boredom. I was being overly dramatic, but this was one of the worst dinners I’d ever attended. I didn’t know what I had expected, but it wasn’t this.

My father sat at the head of the table, puffing his chest with importance as he cut into his steak. He’d take a bite, set his fork down, and then try to engage Old Man Lombardo in conversation. However, the Old Man would ignore my father, forcing his sons to step in and fillthe silence. They were just delaying the inevitable. I could have told them the whole thing was awkward.

My mother sat on the other side of my father, speaking only when someone addressed her. Occasionally, she would chuckle, even when no one had said anything remotely funny. The only good thing about this dinner was that no one bothered Irini. The Old Man didn’t pay her any attention, and no one forced her into the conversation. It was probably for the best because she looked like she would fall apart if asked to speak. Her breathing had been shallow when we sat down, like she was trying to stave off a panic attack. Once we had finished the first course, she calmed down enough to make it through.

I tried to pay attention, but my mind would often wander. I didn’t want to be here, but I was stuck playing my role in this farce.

“Yes, we already have the leverage in place for the new casino,” Frankie Lombardo said, taking a sip of water.

Finally, something good was going to happen tonight. I’d written down terms I didn’t know from the book this afternoon, and “leverage” was on my list. If they kept talking, I might get enough clues to figure out the definition. Frankie was sitting directly across from me, and my smile caught his attention. In my excitement, I’d forgotten to keep my features schooled.

“What is it, bambina?” he asked me, smiling back. Frozen Frankie had a friendly smile, and it lit up his face as he stared back at me. I would have never believed the stories about him were real. The guards were in awe of his commercial freezer use.

“It’s nothing, sir.” I quickly lowered my eyes to my lap, hoping he’d turn the conversation somewhere else. I already felt like everyone was staring at me, and I didn’t want to know how angry my father was. This was not a suitable conversation for a child, and my father wouldcall me one, even though tradition had forced me to grow up faster than the other girls in my class.

“No, it’s something. What is it?” He had asked me a direct question, forcing me to answer.

I took a deep breath and raised my head. “Leverage is one of the terms I didn’t understand in my book this afternoon.” I kept it simple, not wanting my parents to know of my plan. The longer I could keep it to myself, the better off I was going to be. I sneaked a glance at my mother, and her eyes narrowed at me, but I didn’t dare look at my father.

“Frankie,” the Old Man chided him, but all he did was smile wider at me.

“Leverage comes in many forms, bambina. You and I are competing for the same piece of property, but I am a lowly pauper.” He dramatically raised his hand to his heart. “You’re a rich heiress. Who do you think is going to win?” He waited for me to answer.

“I would,” I whispered.

“That’s right. Money makes the world go round, bambina. Too many people don’t have it, so when you flash it, their eyes are looking elsewhere instead of on the prize.” He leaned forward and placed his elbows on the table. I heard my mother gasp.

“Sometimes, instead of money, you need connections, like the casino. There are many people in this city, some influential, some who just want to hear themselves talk. However, when you go into business with someone, you want to analyze what they bring to the table. Do they know the same people you do? Can they ask their connections for favors while you work yours? That’s leverage over the operations that haven’t rubbed elbows with the rich and not-so famous.”

“Thank you,” I whispered. “I understand now.”

“Don’t forget, bambina. When all else fails, muscle is your only way in.” Frankie went back to cutting his steak, not paying attention to anyone else in the room. I lowered my eyes, not wanting to know how much trouble I was in for this stunt, even though I hadn’t started it.

“That’s enough, Francesco. There’s no need for the girls to know how family business works,” the Old Man said, staring at his son over his fork as he brought it to his mouth.

“There’s no harm in explaining. Next time, she won’t have to ask.” He winked at me.

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