AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“I don’t eat or drink half as much or as often as you do,” Dominic snorts, then gets serious again. “But this guy is only one problem solved. Before we get into the bigger picture, how is business going?”
He’s not talking about family business anymore. He’s talking about my personal business. I make my own living to fund my lifestyle by working as an anonymous loan shark for people who want to start their own business but can’t get the credit.
It’s lucrative but hands-on. Sometimes you have to force people to pay the money they owe you.
“It’s going well. Some people thought they could get away with skipping payments, and they’re no longer a problem. So what is Alessandro going to announce tonight at the family dinner?” I ask curiously.
Dominic shrugs. “It doesn’t matter. He leads the family, and if he says we all have to be there, then we all have to be there. Unless Alessandro himself excuses you from the dinner.’
“I wasn’t trying to get out of it,” I say defensively.
“I’m just saying…” He takes another bite of a sandwich, watching me. His phone starts to ring, and he checks who is calling. “I’ll be back.”
He leaves the room as he answers, so I check my social media while I wait. I have several notifications since I haven’t checked it all day. Some photos from the party last night. Man, that girl did not photograph well. Some messages are asking me about plans for tonight. Then some messages from previous girls I have shacked up with who are wondering if I’ve reconsidered dating yet.
There is one notification that grabs my attention when I see the name of who posted it. It’s a photo of Anastasia from the restaurant I saw her enter, and it looks like she was out to lunch with some girlfriends. I look at the young Latina girl standing right next to her. I feel like I recognize her or her features, but I couldn’t tell you from where.
I’m about to comment on the photo when my cousin returns. None of my family members are even remotely amused with my platonic relationship with Anastasia, so I pocket my phone and turn to him. Dominic sits down again and says, “Onto the bigger problem I mentioned earlier. Some women are being sold as part of a local gang unaffiliated with us. So we have no control over this situation. But, there is this…”
He grits his teeth before saying, “Aspiring politician trying to overthrow Alessandro, and he will be there making a purchase. I want to pose you as a buyer for one of our extended families, one that the gang running this auction won’t associate with us. While everyone is focused on the women at the auction, you’re going to take out the politician as quickly as you can. You’re taking two men with you. That’s all you can have according to the rules of the auction.”
“I’m glad our family doesn’t get involved in human trafficking,” I comment. “I think the whole thing is gross.”
“Agreed,” Dominic says, sipping his espresso. “But we have to do what we have to do to survive. That includes attending stupid shit like this, proving you meet the requirements. One of those is to have the funds to purchase their line of products. We will put a couple of million in your shell corporation bank account, which will be what they check when you arrive.”
“I’ll have to pretend to bid on someone to keep them from suspecting me. How do we know this politician won’t recognize me?” I ask.
“He’s new, and you’re a well-kept secret, even from our enemies,” Dominic says, wiping his mouth on a napkin.
I stand up and smile. “Thanks for lunch. I’ll get ready for the job. When is the auction?”
“Tomorrow night, don’t be late or hungover.” He stands as well. We both down the last sips of our espressos.
“I never show up late or hungover for a job,” I grin. “Maybe for family dinners, but never a job.”
“Don’t be late or drunk to tonight's dinner either,” he says, with a hint of authority.
I nod. “I won’t. You don’t need to worry. I’ll see you later, Dom.”
“Bye, Lui,” he says, returning to his expansive desk.
I leave and take the elevator down to the ground floor, and walk out to where I parked my car originally. Joining traffic again to go to my apartment is slow, but at least I have some energy by the time I shower again and get ready for our family dinner.
My Tia will be so upset if I don’t look smart when I get to her house.
I can’t get the auction off my mind. My father raised me with a deep respect for women. It’s important to treat them properly in our family. To do the things these auctions do to women, it’s unthinkable to me.
We’re far from innocent, but we don’t take young women from their families to sell them. I push the thoughts out of my mind because I will spiral if I start thinking about what we do to advance our family.
Once dressed and ready, I take my car and drive toward Alessandro’s house. A few of the family are already there when I arrive, and everyone wants to greet me and tell me what a good boy I am. If they only knew.
We sit outside with large tables under warm overhead gas heaters. The Volkovs must be joining us tonight, which excites me—it means I get to see Anastasia. It distracts me from the auction I have to attend tomorrow.
It always cheers me up when Ana is at a family meal. She tries hard to appear as a socialite with a very public life, but I know she’s hiding a side of herself that she doesn’t want anyone to see. There’s just something secretive about her that I want to find out about, but she hasn’t let me in that close just yet.
I would also be lying if I said I didn’t find her attractive. She has an ethereal beauty to her that intoxicates me when we speak.
Ivan, her father, is my brother-in-law, and he would probably rip my balls off and hang them from the tow bar of his truck as a message for future suitors.
