Page 70 of No Greater Oblivion

“What’s the point in lying?” his sister replies. “Dahlia is right. We should put everything out in the open.”

“Not everything.”

“Yes, everything,” I protest. “If you want to be with me, this is nonnegotiable. I turned a blind eye to everything before and I thought ignorance was better than unwanted knowledge but⁠—”

“You changed your mind. Why? Has something happened?”

“Your behavior lately is motivation enough. What other reason would I need?”

He bites his tongue.

Lettie continues, “The twelve families only respect a relationship when it’s been brought to their attention. Otherwise, the romantic partner is left vulnerable.” Her head whips around and she holds up a hand, effectively silencing her brother. “Don’t interrupt me.” Lettie returns her attention to me. “Girlfriends, boyfriends, flings. All those people are dispensable. Only spouses and longtime partners are respected and protected. Which means if a Don wants to give a partner the protection of his name and family, he’s obligated to present them to the other families.”

“With the added caveat of them never being able to return to their normal lives,” Alejandro interjects hotly. “Or did you forget that part, Leticia?”

“Oh, please. No one’s enforced that rule for years.”

“Slow down!” I snap. “Jesus Christ…this isn’t helpful. What do you mean the person can never go back to their normal life?”

Diego replies this time. “The twelve families aren’t keen on the idea of their identities being so well known. There was a time, back in the seventies and eighties, where they used to just kill the girlfriends when the Dons were done with them.”

“But they don’t anymore!” Lettie adds hurriedly. “Haven’t for a while.”

“How reassuring,” I deadpan.

“If anyone so much as breathes in your direction, they’re a dead man. Don’t worry about the other families,” Alejandro says. “They know better.”

I almost comment on the fact he had to kill a number of people to protect me last year but think better of it. Best to move onto the next question.

“What exactly do you guys do?”

“Elaborate,” Alejandro says.

“The business.”

“What about it?”

“Shipping things can’t be all you do. Otherwise, you wouldn’t—” I stumble over my words. “Well…you know…be involved in other stuff.”

“The shipping company exists under the umbrella of the enterprise, it’s…” Alejandro searches for a simpler explanation but I don’t think there is one. “Narvaez Enterprises is a multinational holding company and conglomerate. Which means we either own or have a controlling interest in a number of other companies, related or otherwise. The most important one is the shipping company which Abuelo founded sixty years ago.”

“What other kinds of companies fall under the umbrella?”

“Tia Leticia’s tequila business in Mexico, for one. Tio Horatio’s cruise ships, fashion brands, real estate companies. We specialize in luxury goods. Whether it’s luxury real estate, jewels, cars, whatever you can think of.”

“Why is the shipping company the most important?”

“Because it’s the oldest and worth the most. In a single quarter it can bring anything from two to three billion dollars. Not to mention the shipping company handles the distribution of all the other subsidiaries. If we lost it, the rest of the enterprise could potentially collapse in on itself.”

When he says billion, I almost choke on my own saliva. I busy myself with making more notes.

Billion—emphasis on the B.

As I write the word out, something occurs to me. “Wait, so if you guys are worth so much why all the Corleone stuff?”

Lettie’s nose scrunches with distaste. “The what?”

“You don’t need to be involved in whatever illegal business the other families partake in. You guys are rich enough without it.”