Page 58 of His to Have
“Okay, what is it?” she asked, curiosity overriding her earlier firmness.
A slow grin crept across my face. “Tiffany’s and Co. They’re delivering something today, and I need you to intercept the package before anyone else sees it.”
“Delivering here? To the house?”
“Yeah, should be arriving within the next few hours. With all these people running around...” I gestured toward the chaos outside. “I can’t risk it getting lost or Yanna seeing it before tomorrow.”
Sophia nodded, understanding. “And you can’t do it yourself because...?”
I shook my head. “Can’t. About to be tied up with the old man. Family wine ceremony and marriage blessing with all the patriarchs.”
She nodded, understanding the tradition well.
Every male head of family would gather to share wine from bottles that had been aging since before I was born. Each would offer their blessing and wisdom for long-lasting marriage. It was one of the few traditions I actually respected. Though I didn’t need a room full of patriarchs to tell me how to make Yanna happy, I respected the hell out of the way these men took care of their women, prioritized their well-being, and built strong families.
“I’ll take care of it,” she said, then her expression shifted. “But while I have you... there’s something else we need to talk about.”
My eyebrows pulled tight, but she continued. “Have you talked to Steph?”
“Not since last week.”
“Oh,” she hesitated, choosing her words carefully. “She’s probably trying not to ruin your day, so maybe I should…”
“Nah, go ahead.”
Her expression turned serious. “This may not be anything but I figured you’d wanna know this.” She took a huge breath. “So, remember I told you about Orlando and Bianca buying property, seemingly going legit?”
My head shook slightly as I recalled that conversation. “Yeah, you mentioned they were making some moves, but didn’t think it had anything to do with the shit going on.”
Sophia’s eyes met mine with a pensiveness that made me a little uneasy. “Well, it turns out those properties they’ve been acquiring, are fronts. Which... whatever, that’s typically how business works in our circles.”
“Okay? So, what’s the problem?”
“The properties are actually being used as shell companies to move money. Specifically three of them. Large deposits weekly... that started right around Yanna’s first kidnapping attempt.”
The timing wasn’t lost on me. Nothing in this business was ever coincidental, especially when it came to making power moves. Something about this seemed... too calculated.
“We know who the shell companies belong to?”
Her head rocked from side to side. “Not all of them. Last time I spoke to Steph, she could only identify the owner of one of them... Roland. But I know he isn’t an issue anymore.”
“Not at all. But that definitelylinks the Moccasins to all this.” I rubbed my chin, wondering how deep their involvement really went. “Thanks Soph.”
“No problem.” She started toward the door, then paused with her hand on the handle. “This may not be anything, but worth mentioning. Each company was receiving $50,000 payments every week. Roland’s stopped, but the other two are still getting paid like clockwork. But one just had major activity. $150,000.”
“When?” I asked, now on full alert.
“Yesterday”
That stopped me cold wondering why Steph hadn’t brought this to me herself. That was her job. And as if Sophia had read my mind.
“She’s probably trying to handle it quietly, and gather all the facts before bringing it to you. As she should. However, I’m your consigliere. My job is to assess the threat and advise. I’d be failing the family if I didn’t inform you that someone just received enough money to cause serious problems. You needed to know.”
I nodded, appreciating her diligence. “‘Preciatethe heads up. Get back to the wedding festivities. I’ll handle this shit.”
She headed for the door, then paused. “And Teo? Don’t let this ruin your day. Whatever they’re planning, it’s not happening today.”
Once she left, I pulled out my phone and called Keem directly.
