Page 153 of Savior

I was a fool to think it would last.

“We’ve had contact with Don Adamo. I wanted to sort this out with him and Barone. I needed him to know that any further attempts to get to you or any other woman associated with mine or Brynne’s families would be met with swift retaliation.”

“Basically,” Brynne adds, “we claimed you as a family so that you were safe. It was a necessary measure.”

Sloane nods, but I can feel her racing heart through her wrist.

“After leaning on him a bit,” Ardesia says, “I found out that he wasn’t taking girls off the streets that were easy bait. He was only taking girls he was essentially given.”

“Given?” I ask, an edge to my voice that could cut glass.

“Don Adamo is like any other mafia boss in the five boroughs. His hands are in many pies. This means he has bookies and collectors for gambling, betting, etc. When people couldn’t pay, they knew about his other business...”

“Where he traded in flesh,” Sloane adds.

Ardesia nods. “It’s well known that he’ll take trades of flesh to settle debts.”

“Who would’ve… my mother?” Sloane concludes, body shaking with anger in my lap at the realization.

But Ardesia shakes his head. “Not your mother. I assumed the same at first. It was your friend, Myra.”

Sloane stills, the news washing over her, likely clobbering all she’s ever known to be true. Myra is her closest and oldest friend. The one thing she had sometimes, she told me out of her mouth.

“She… But why?” Sloane asks.

“Her father got into trouble with the feds, embezzling and many other charges. Myra was cut off from her money supplywhen that happened. She tried to win money in one of Adamo’s clubs. Turned out bad for her, though, and she ended up owing.”

“Why didn’t she tell me?” Sloane asks in a whisper, likely speaking to herself and not the table.

“Well, she can’t sell you if you’re aware of what’s happening,” Dante snorts unhelpfully.

Sloane pays him no mind, though.

“She came to see me the other day,” Sloane tells them, and Brynne sits up in her chair, the picture of stealth and charm.

“And?” Brynne asks her.

“Something was off. She’s come to see me twice, and I thought something was wrong both times, but Luca said it was likely nothing.”

“In this business, Sloane, we always listen to our guts,” Ardesia says as shame spills through my body.

“So she sold me to settle her debts? The entire time I was a prisoner, she was living her life free of worry because I took over her sentence?”

Brynne nods. “Essentially, yes.”

I hug her tighter, and she allows it, twining her fingers over mine splayed on her stomach.

“That fucking bitch!” Sloane says.

“Now, the question is, what do you want to do about it?” Brynne asks. “We can visit her, or you can. It’s your call.”

Silence blankets the room as she shifts on my lap. “I’ll handle this myself.”

Ardesia nods, and the men surrounding the table disperse like ants, leaving their mound to forage.

“Would you two like to stay for dinner?” Brynne asks.

Business concluded.

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