My Funny Valyntine: Book One - The Pull

Chapter Eleven - Tell Me More, and More, and Then Some

"What do you know about the Compass Families?" Latin asks, tearing pieces of paper out of the notebooks, folding them and tearing them in half, then a third time, and writing one or two words on each.

"Not much. The Monks run the West, the Bassies have the East, the Ellyngtons take the North, and," she squirms at having to say the next name, "LaRocca, he's in the South."

"What about the families themselves?"

Valyntine shrugs, feeling a note of shame at not knowing more about the city.

"It's okay, Valyntine. The vast majority of the millions of people living here have no clue how their city operates. It's why we're in this office right now, so I can teach you. Here, take these." He hands her a stack of the pieces of paper, along with a small container of thumbtacks. She looks at the slip on top, it reads, 'West Borough.'

"What do you want me to do?" she asks as Latin is back to writing on more pieces of paper.

"Tack the first one there to the wall, above your head," he answers. "We're going to start with the West Borough. It's where the Pull led for most of the last seven months, and Apple District is also in the West."

She looks at the next slip of paper, it reads, 'The Duke, Charleston Monk.' The one below it, 'Rhapsody Monk.'

"Charleston Monk, also known as, The Duke – ugh, but the Elites do love their sobriquets for one another – and his wife, Rhapsody. Please, tack them beneath, 'West Borough.'

Valyntine does as instructed.

"Thank you. Do you know anything about either of them? If you don't, it's fine; I need to know where to start."

"I've never heard him called, 'The Duke,' and I didn't know his wife's name. He owns the Monk Mines, that's all I know."

"Indeed he does. Rhapsody is his second wife. His first wife, Eleanor, bore him two children." He points at the papers in her hand. Valyntine looks at the next names – 'Frankie Monk,' and 'Johnny Monk.' She places them beneath Charleston and Rhapsody's names. Before Latin continues, she looks at the next slip of paper.

"Who's Rosalie?"

"The best part of the Monk family," Latin says, sitting back in his chair, lacing his fingers behind his head, looking satisfied. "Before we get to her, there are some things you need to know first."

Valyntine sits down on the arm of the sofa, raising her eyebrows.

"Eleanor – Charleston's first wife – was not his choice of bride. We can cover the particulars later, time permitting, but the Monk's were major players during the Expanse. They discovered the mines, laid claim to them, and wiped out anyone who got in their way.

"Charleston's father wanted access to land in Wabash so he could build cheap housing for his workers. Eleanor's family owned most of the real estate in that area. She was obsessed with Charleston for years. But he was in love with a woman named Rhapsody, a woman whom his father would not have approved. Their relationship was an open secret throughout the Elites.

"Eleanor convinced Charleston to agree to the marriage. There are plenty of rumors how; I believe her father offered the Monks the land in Wabash for a share of the mine's profits. To seal it, I think the deal also required the unification of their two families.

"Charleston and Eleanor's children, Frankie and Johnny, are two years apart. Frankie, the younger of the two, is the incarnation of the worst wealth can do. He's entitled, spoiled, and if you'll pardon my directness, an outright prick. His older sister, Johnny, protects him like he's her cub, not her brother. She fights most of his battles for him, and he not only lets her but takes twisted pleasure in doing so."