30. August 25, 2024 #2
“I don’t think it’s too outrageous a guess that this is how General Howard is funding his escape from St. Lucia,” God surmised.
“Howard needs cash because he can’t touch his accounts.
He’s probably been collecting favors from all his old contacts to keep afloat.
Daleyza mentioned she’s seen him with her family in the past.”
“Hmm. So he comes to Daleyza’s brother and asks to cash in his favor. Rodrigo gives him a painting.”
“It would make sense,” Midas replied. “We haven’t seen any movement on his accounts, so we know he had to have had a backup plan in case he needed to escape and couldn’t access his funds. I’ll start a search on the dark web for any famous paintings being auctioned off.”
“And it’s also no surprise that we’d find connections between the Salieri and the Nazis. It’s a perfect match made in hell. I’m willing to bet we’ll find more caches like this as we dig further into these assholes.”
Her stomach turned as she continued to survey what was in the vault and what it meant.
“I still can’t believe this,” she whispered.
“By all accounts, my madre would never have allowed something like this in her life. I was always told she didn’t even tell white lies—that’s how Catholic she was—so allowing Nazi contraband inside our home? No.”
“Maybe she didn’t know,” Steel said simply. “You said it yourself. Women in our circles weren’t often aware of business.” He paused. “I never thought to ask. What was her ancestry? I know she was at least partly Latin.”
The answer caught in her throat. It would be the nail in the coffin, so saying it out loud pained her. However, Midas found information quickly, so denying she knew was pointless.
“Austrian. On her father’s side.”
No one spoke. Ildefanso stared at her, a strange expression on his face. “What’s wrong?”
“How did your father meet your mother, Daleyza?”
“Believe it or not, my mother was one of the nurses who tended to Papá’s second wife.”
“Steel,” Midas interjected, “I’ve researched the company logo. It’s been with the company for fifty years.”
“Madre de Dios!” His face took on an ashen complexion.
“Wh-what?” she stammered.
Midas explained, “The trucking line has been around since before you were born, Daleyza. You’re the youngest child, with significant years between you and your eldest brother.
Rodrigo’s sixteen years older than you, so he could almost be your father, and you were barely nineteen when you married Steel. ”
“You’re glimmering,” he whispered.
Coldness crept over her flesh. Like TB, she’d never really believed Livia’s claim to have the glimmer, nor that Ildefanso shared the trait.
It was far more likely that his brain was simply putting together clues and coming to realizations.
But sometimes? He’d get this… look. Times like this, it made her think maybe Livia was truthful.
“What are you talking about?”
“It’s you. All this time, ever since Uncle Maico showed up, I couldn’t figure out—why now?
Why did it take them so long to find you?
The only reason to have waited so long is they’re seeking initiation to the Salieri, and the two of you are the last female descendants of my family.
Madre because she bore a child for my father.
You because you’re a direct family member of your father, and by extension, Rodrigo, and my wife.
My family came after you because they were ordered to do so. I’ve been so stupid.”
“Someone better start making some sense,” God grumbled.
“Salieri forced their members to breed a son, then destroyed all evidence of the mother.”
“And Steel’s mother was alive. She was never executed, so they weren’t members first. Fuck me running!”
Fear somersaulted through her. “I don’t understand.”
Steel anchored her, his hands on her shoulders. “Rodrigo. Your other brothers. You all have different mothers, don’t you?”
“Yes, Papá was married three times. Rodrigo was from his first wife, the twins from his second, and then me.”
“How did he lose his wives?” God growled.
“Rodrigo’s mother died when she committed suicide. Postpartum depression, I guess. The twins’ mother was killed in a car accident. My mother died from an unknown food allergy shortly after my quinceanera.”
“Let me guess,” Steel said. “Just before that party General Howard was at.”
Stunned, Daleyza replied, “Yes. A couple of weeks. It’s part of why I didn’t want to go.
It seemed wrong to dress up and be happy when she’d passed so recently.
The only thing I enjoyed about it was the dress.
Wearing it made me feel closer to her. But what does all of this have to do with the Salieri? ”
“I’ll bet that party was when the Salieri officially welcomed your family into the brotherhood.
Not the party itself, but it was a cover for them to meet publicly.
” Steel put his hands on Daleyza’s shoulders, grounding her, his expression sympathetic.
“I’m sorry, belleza. Your mother’s death was their act of proof. ”
She couldn’t breathe. Couldn’t think. While she tried to process how the horror of her past could have been so much worse, they continued talking.
“Then why wasn’t Daleyza killed as well?”
Steel’s eyebrow arched, even though Midas couldn’t see him. “You’ve seen her.”
“Fuck. Of course. She’s beautiful and was of breeding age.”
“Yes. But she was too young, or they decided to save her as a prize for one of the Worthy.” His eyes seemed to burn with fury. “Perhaps even for a future alliance.”
“Maybe that was the plan all along. Give her a few years to mature, then give her to one of the three Colonel brothers to bring in the cartel. They had the logistics set up through her family, along with a small production source already in the fold. Steel’s father’s star was on the rise.
He was sucking up the smaller operations with great speed. ”
“My first child was a son, and my father knew I would never run and leave her unprotected. Eventually, I would have been brought into the fold, or met my end, as we expect Andres Deschamps’ father did. Remember? His wife died, then his car went over the cliff. Timing is suspect.”
“One of your brothers would have been a better choice. Why you?”
“A third son to help solidify the cartel’s hold is better than two. I was a bastard, but I was still favored. Maybe he thought I would comply if he threatened my son? Don’t know.”
“These people are insidious,” God growled.
“And patient. Remember, they tested new members hard. Offers into the brotherhood took a long time because an offer was never made without being absolutely sure that the men would be willing to follow Salieri tenets.”
“Yes. So they tested their loyalties. This whole process started with her father. He died. My father executed him for a shipment that disappeared.”
“Maybe it didn’t have anything to do with a shipment. What if her father had second thoughts?” Midas asked.
“Possibly,” Steel admitted. “Hardly matters now.”
“Fanso?”
“What is it?”
“Why did they come after Madre now?”
“My brothers want entry into the brotherhood. Loose ends. Women are not permitted to survive, so the final test often involves removing all females in the direct line. The Salieri had surveillance on me from one of my trips to check on you both, so I led them right to you. And if my family could woo me back—threaten you both to convince me, even better. They would never keep their promise to leave you alone, but they’d offer it as a hope to entice me. ”
“Heads up, people,” Midas interrupted. “Waters’ signal has officially gone offline. You two need to progress to the oubliettes.”
God’s voice was garbled. He must have been working on another one of his suckers. Steel said they were how he managed stress. “Seal it back up,” God ordered.