Sins And Secrets

Chapter 35: Missy

12 April 2022

Obviously I said yes when the AlC asked me to be the main performer for the their annual benefit concert. Any artist would kill for the opportunity but I couldn't help but feel that maybe Alex had something to do with it. If that was the case I'd need to turn it down. I didn't want my achievements to be brought on because of him and the strings he could pull. I wanted to work and earn my place.

"You're doing that thing again where you overthink" Kimihiro said as we sat at the back of the SUV taking us home.

"Do you think the ALC chose me because I'm involved with Alex?" I asked rather than avoiding.

"I don't think so but that is a possibility" Kimihiro sighed "Alex is a powerful man, his family has a lot of pull with the ALC and other organizations. I wouldn't be surprised if that was the case"

That didn't help ease the tension I was feeling, but what it did do was bring up other questions about Alex and his family like, why are they so powerful? Surly owning a couple businesses doesn't make you king of the world? All three of them actually, they had too much power and too much money for just regular business people and then there were the guns, that made an appearance not once but twice and not to mention Jamie's quick reaction with a knife, the way they always spoke in ways that they were only saying what was necessary and the late night business meetings. I knew they were involved in some shady shit but maybe it was more than that? The men in my life were keeping a big secret and albeit so was I, there's didn't sit well with me.

"Keeks, what do you think those three really do?" I asked

"What do you mean?" Kimihiro looked at me so quickly I swear he got whiplash.

"Come on Keeks, you can't tell me they're just business men, they have some shady side hustle"

"The only hustle I know about are their businesses. All three families are very well known and respected in the business world" He looked down "but there have been rumors..."

"Rumors?" I asked

"I majored in business and in our final year we learnt all about those three families. There was this Jock, his name was Trent, rich kid from the upper east side. He would always brag about how his dad worked with the Marino's. Trent was absent from school for about two weeks and no one had heard from him, when he came back he was pretty badly beaten up, I overheard him talking about how he owed some guy money and the guy beat him but the Marino's took care of it. That's when I saw just above his elbow was a word tattooed" Kimihiro stopped looking nervous.

"What was the word?" I asked too intrigued in this story

"Omertà" He said in a hushed tone

"As in the mafia?"

"Shhhh" He hushed me "I don't know if it has anything to do with the Marino family or any of the families. For all we know Trent could have just wanted to be cool and was acting stupid." He said quickly "what I do know is that whatever the three of them are up to. It's not your business and you should stay out of it."

Before I could say anything more the car stopped and the door opened "We've arrived miss Carter" the driver said

"See you tomorrow Keeks" I said to Kimihiro, the story Kimihiro had told me had my mind working over time, I didn't even stop to wait for his goodbye before making my way up to the penthouse.

The mafia wasn't a real thing was it? Maybe in the 30s and 20s but now? Could it be true? No surely not, the mafia was just a story people told to scare each other or something in a dark romance. The men that had my heart surely couldn't be in the mafia. They would have to have Omertà tattooed as well and I haven't seen anything of the sort. Well that's what I thought until I really actually thought about it, Jamie had so many tattoos that it was hard to focus on all of them, Alex had one large one on his back which was his family crest. A lion holding a Phoenix by the throat and Gabe had a sleeve of tribal symbols on his left arm. I had not seen the word Omertà but maybe I haven't been looking properly.

The ding of the elevator brought me out of my thoughts and face to face with Alex.

"Peach!" He smiled brightly, his ocean blue eyes displaying nothing short of happiness to see me.

"Hi" I smiled stepping out of the elevator and into his arms as he hugged me tightly. Being here in his arms almost made me feel stupid for thinking he was in the mafia. He couldn't be, I knew Alex, Alex was charming and sweet and he was my safe place. I was in love with him and I couldn't bring myself to believe that he could be part of something so vile and cruel as the mafia.

Just the thought of it made my stomach turn and made me hug him a little tighter. I was an absolutely terrible girlfriend for thinking that of the men I love.

"Are you okay baby?" He asked softly rubbing his hand up and down my back

"I just missed you" I said as I buried my face in his muscular chest.

"I missed you too peach" I could hear the smile in his voice.

This mafia thing was so stupid maybe what I really had to be focusing on was  when the right time would be to tell them that I loved them?