Chapter 5

Arianna POV: 

“Do you have a moment to discuss the numbers,” He asked me. 

If this was him in his day-to-day life it was no wonder he gave off the persona of a ladies' man, he looked striking in his black suit and gray striped shirt. I was taken at the sight of him but brought myself out quickly. 

“Yes,” I gestured to the seat across the table. 

I’d read over the paperwork on the proposed deal, there was one final block that neither had a business on and they had been squabbling over it for years so instead of continuing fighting they joined forces. 

It screamed that they were trying to destroy each other from the inside out, I didn’t plan on being the fuse for either of them. 

He quickly picked up the chair, giving me a challenging smirk and setting it down beside me. “This will be easier,” he offered before sitting and gesturing for me to continue. 

“It looks like we have more than enough to participate, our projections for this quarter alone outperform our last year's earnings,” I began. 

“I know,” He sighed. 

“Well good, since we’re going fifty-fifty on this venture it’s only fair that Is ee your books for the last quarter,” I offered. 

“Of course,” He opened the file and I looked over their portfolio. 

At first glance, everything looked good but I knew numbers and money. They were doing great which is all I should have been concerned about but, it didn’t seem to add up. Here and there money was coming in greater than the expected sum, they were making more than they should have been and I couldn’t seem to find the reason why. 

“Trouble?” He smiled at me as I looked over the page again trying to see where the extra money was coming from. 

“Wh-” 

“We agree to go fifty-fifty on this venture so if you have the money necessary that’s all this meeting is needed right?” 

“You know that we have the money, what I don't understand is why you are agreeing to this in the first place?” 

He grinned at me again like I was playing right into his hand, I felt once again like I was missing something obvious. 

“It’s a good business deal is it not?” 

“Well it has the potential to be mutually beneficial, I have to admit this is risky considering the gridlock you two seem to have in the city. If you don’t outright own the company you two have invested and own considerable parts of every corner of the community. Going into business together seems like a good way to get into trouble,”  I gave a pinched smile at my disdain for their war over the business in town. It seemed the two of them deemed every mom-and-pop shop the collateral for their egos. 

He leaned forward, “You know your face says everything you’re thinking, I find it very refreshing,” 

“Let's get into it then,” I sighed dodging his continued demands to open me up to him. I did not appreciate this man, the way I responded to him, the desire I had for him, it was too powerful and he distracted me. 

I found myself in a constant state of wanting him to be pressed up against me or on the other side of the planet, there seemed no in-between. The thing that set me the most on edge was that throughout our conversations he appeared to be dancing around this obvious fact that I was wholly unaware of. 

I couldn’t tell you why he and my father who seemed bitter rivals now had decided to join together. Someone might suggest it was for my sister's sake, but they’ve clearly never dealt with businessmen. There was something that was forcing them to do this, there was something Gio knew about my father, and there was a reason my father was so ardent to keep me in the family business. 

I was tired of the bread crumbs Gio was dropping for me and, saint-like as he appeared I wasn’t going to ask my father I just needed to find a way to figure it out. I didn’t know where to start. 

We finished going over the quarterlies and the pre-ordained down payments. He stood up from his chair buttoning his jacket and then stalked over towards me. “I know it's challenging jumping into the mess in the middle of it, especially with a mind as yours,” He handed over their books for me to look for any discrepancies. 

I finished up my work for the day watching the people filter out of the crowded office. The one thing I admired about my father was he didn’t fall into the sleek glass modern world, he kept up the original buildings' facades brick-faced, pipes all over, wooden offices and windows. He was old school, another juxtaposition to Gio. He ran with new suits and sleek modern sports cars, I hadn’t seen his house or offices yet but I could imagine the opulence they exuded. 

I put my jacket on and closed up the office for the day, I had felt guilty to be angry with Gio for insisting he was lying about a business deal with my father. Then the insistence something was under my nose kept nipping at my heels. 

I looked both ways as I left the office and headed over to my car. 

“Excuse me!” A man came up behind me. “Ms. Caputo,” He called after me I got to the other side of the street and turned a man in a horribly fitting suit came up and nodded to me. 

“Hi there Detective Mosley,” He grinned. He was young for a detective, with blonde hair and hazel eyes. He had a boyish charm in a way, I’m sure he hated that in his line of work. 

“Detective?” I stood away from him, he hung his head in realization. 

“Yeah, unfortunately,” He scratched his head and looked back at my father's building. “How long have you been back in your father's life,” 

I started to answer but my mind caught up before my mouth could speak. Why did he need to know? Why was he keeping tabs on me…no, on my father. 

“Do you have concerns about my father?” I responded to his question with my own uninterested in the cat and mouse game if I wanted that I go back to Gio. 

He laughed a little. “You are far more to the point than your sister,” He stepped closer pulling out a card. 

“We’re investigating your father for money laundering and racketeering, as well as mister uuhhh Risci his business partner,” He explained and the wind went out of my lungs. “Here’s my card I don’t think you have anything to do with this yet but before it’s too late talk to me,” 

I grabbed his card and got into my car slamming the door and speeding off. Money Laundry, racketeering. 

Was my father in the Mob?