The Academy (Part 2 of the Syndicate Series)

Chapter 3- The Unexpected Car Ride

Blaise:

Rosine would never do it. There's headstrong, and then there's the girl I had grown up with.... Well, a woman now. But nevertheless, she was the most adamant and principled person I knew. Fortunately, while she inherited her father's stubbornness, she hadn't gotten his temper. Rosine and Belle had grown more different than anyone could have imagined, but their reactions to Hugo's decision to sell them off was the most telling.

Maybe that was the reason that most of the men cared about Rosine. They didn't dislike Belle by any means, but it was more of a respect for the daughter of their don. They had adored Rosine from the moment she insisted on stepping in the boxing ring. It was as if someone took all of the good leadership qualities her father neglected and gave them to her instead. As she grew up, even her father's most devoted men couldn't ignore the favoritism he displayed for Belle over Rosine. Not that it bothered Rosine, she had accepted it and moved past jealousy years ago, but most of them did what they could to display the love her father denied her as she grew up.

I didn't like leaving Rosine alone right now, she looked close to a total breakdown, but I knew her, and I knew what she wanted. We were best friends, we shared everything with each other. But I also knew that at the end of the day, she was a private person and when she was this upset, she liked to be left alone to sort through her thoughts. The thought of her marrying someone had me feeling an odd mix of anger and something protective in my chest. It wasn't possible to pull apart the tangled mess of feelings, so I pushed them aside as I headed towards the kitchen, fully intending to down a glass of scotch or whiskey.

Claude had already beat me to it, leaning against the counter with a firm grip on his own glass. His grimace as he met my eyes was telling enough. He loved Rosine like his own daughter, watching his own brother sell her off probably gutted him, but he knew what would happen if any of us fought back.

"How bad is it?" I asked, reaching for the bottle next to him.

He didn't even bat an eye, just sighed, "Hugo just went to his room with a bottle or bourbon. He's proud of himself. He thinks he won something."

"He might have," I hated to admit. "You were in his office during the meeting. What happened?"

"This happened. Exactly what you would expect. They danced around the topic for a minute, then made the implications, then made the deal."

"Give me more than that," I insisted, slamming my glass down. "Tell me more about the reason that my best friend, my.... Explain to me exactly how Rosine was sold off to the highest bidder."

Claude's eyes were red, it was obvious that he had been rubbing them, which was a bad habit he had when he was stressed. "That's what's been bothering me. It wasn't the highest bidder. A lot of men in this business want someone quiet, a stereotype, that's true. But there are men out there that might appreciate a more opinionated and forceful woman in this industry. Probably not a boss, but possibly someone higher up that would be a better political match. I've even heard Hugo talk before about that Italian boy, Alessio, who's taking over for the Italians in a couple more years being a prospective option for one of his girls."

"What's your point?"

"It wasn't the best offer. He hasn't even fielded any other offers. He may not like Rosine as much as Belle, but he loves a deal in his favor. Hugo wouldn't do this. There's something else, some other motivation that he isn't saying out loud to any of us."

"I've been thinking that, too," I murmured as I took a sip. "So how can we figure out what's really going on?"

"You've still got a lot to learn, Blaise. How long have you known Hugo?"