Page 15 of Nico (Belles & Mobsters 2)

“Of all people, from my mother.”

“And you believe her?” Cassio asked, his voice doubtful. Not that I could blame him! My mother wasn’t exactly a role model or sane these days. More often than not, she was drunk.

“It was actually something I also heard even when I was a kid, from my grandmother. Apparently my great-grandfather hit a financial snafu and needed money. He was approached by one of your ancestors, Cassio, and was offered a bailout, in return for one of the belles in our family for two generations. My grandfather told him to go fuck himself, and that was it.”

The meaning of it hung heavy in the air. This was something completely different to human smuggling.

“What do they do with the women? They really marry a mobster?” Luciano asked.

I shrugged my shoulders. “They offer them for sale. You know, fancy upbringing and good pedigree fetches a high price among men in our world.” The whole concept didn’t sit well with me, but then it wasn’t as if I was an honorable man. “But the word is that belles from the Romano family have been fetching the largest sum for centuries. And about a hundred years ago, the Romano family got into human trafficking, led by their great-great grandmother. And guess who she teamed up with?” They all watched me with suspense. “You got it. With Cassio’s ancestors. The Romano family offered a perfect, legitimate front.”

My mother gave me a lead and it proved to be more than a needle in a haystack. Using my IT company resources, I was able to retrieve arrangements between the King and Romano family. Each transaction, each auction, it was all out there. History was easier to dig through than future plans. Every single move these days leaves a digital footprint. It was how Bianca’s mother inadvertently left a clue to her daughter.

“So, they were no longer required to offer their daughters?”

“Oh no, the agreement still stands. The Belles and Mobsters' agreement continued, including belles from the Romano family. It is the biggest auction, fetching the largest sums. Women go to the highest bidder. Unfortunately for the Romano family, not all their family members had the stomach for it. There were hushed stories of random family members disappearing or being brought down if they tried to fuck with their new, secret business. Till Kennedy Romano.”

Personally, I couldn’t understand any man being okay with his daughter, niece, or any woman being put up for auction. This Belles and Mobsters agreement should be squashed, along with the mafia men that participated in it. But first, I’d use it to my advantage.

“How is it that none of us heard of this before?”

“Well, none of us are really from old families,” I explained. “Alessio came from old money, but his family is based in Canada. My family only got rich about a hundred years ago with the construction boom. Your father, Luciano, was first generation in the States, and he worked himself up within the ranks. And you quadrupled, if not more, what your father made, so you would have never needed the money. Cassio and Luca weren’t in those circles, and really, their grandfather in Italy raised them. So their father kept them out of the loop.”

“Holy fucking shit,” Luca muttered. “Belles and mobsters. Who in their right mind would ever agree to offer a daughter to a man in our circles?”

He was right. I knew I wouldn’t want my children to be part of this underworld. It was cruel and unforgiving, putting every single member at risk. Just look at what it cost my sister.

“I would imagine desperate people would agree to it,” Cassio muttered.

“I hate that fucking old bastard.” Luca didn’t hide his feelings about his father. He hated him with a passion. Not that I could blame him. If Cassio and he knew the added part that I found out, they’d hate their father even more. They might even kill me once they learn I have known they had a sibling for years and kept it to myself.

However, I couldn’t risk exposing it. I had my own score to settle with Benito King first. Soft brown eyes flashed in my eyes, sending a pang of guilt at putting an innocent woman in the crossfire, but I hardened myself. My sister was innocent too.

“But again, there is no evidence for any of this. And good luck finding someone that would be willing to attest to this,” I added. The transactions I was able to dig up and historical events of the auctions were hard evidence, but there was still need for assumptions. It wasn't as if you could get a receipt for each belle sold.

Cassio's jaw was pressed so tight, I thought it might snap at any second.

I continued speaking, “As you know, Alphonso only had a brother. So there was no Romano belle offering. Kennedy Romano was in politics; he was pretty good too. He had a childhood sweetheart that refused to marry him for many years. The world was flabbergasted. They were a perfect match. She came from old money. The whispering is that her family knew about the ongoing deal the Romano family had and the human trafficking. Kennedy Romano became educated by his wife in his own family business affairs, after which he cut all contact with the Romano family. His political career grew fast and strong. He was going after the mafia and crime relentlessly. There were stories he could have easily become the next president. And they had a little girl; the only child for that generation since Alphonso never married.”

Luciano understood the meaning. His wife was owed to the King family.

“The word is that Grace Romano was meant for Benito King’s legitimate son,” I concluded with the last bit of finding. “Whatever the highest price she fetches, Marco King is to pay double.”

“What other families do the Kings have arrangements with?” Cassio gritted out.

“I don’t have concrete leads. Politicians, here in the U.S. and in Europe, movie stars, old families.” I took a deep breath and then slowly exhaled. If Cassio knew his father was prepared to drag a member of his own family through the auction, he’d blow a gasket.

Granted, Benito King didn’t know Bianca Carter was related to him. But it didn’t excuse his behavior.

“Do you think maybe Grace knows?” Cassio’s question was reasonable.

“We could ask her,” I suggested, glancing at Luciano.

His eyes traveled to the shattered vase pieces on the floor.

“She won’t tell us anything,” he concluded in a hoarse voice. I had to agree with him. Those two weren’t on best terms, and it was clear his wife didn’t trust him.

“Fuck, we have to do something,” Luca gritted.

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