Ivory Legacy (The Dark Mafia Prince of New York Book 3) by Clarissa Bright

Author:Clarissa Bright [Bright, Clarissa]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: anonymous
Published: 2024-10-30T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter Eighteen: Jade

Ihad heard about RICO. I didn’t know what it stood for, exactly…all I knew was that it wasn’t good.

The chill of the early morning winter air seeped into the Harbor Cove apartment, but Dante seemed oblivious to it as he stood up abruptly. He jammed his hands into his pajama pockets, a clear signal that his mind churned with far more troubling thoughts than the cold could impose. “Jade,” he started, voice low and urgent, “there’s a lot I need to tell you.”

Without waiting for a response, he began pacing back and forth, his every step a silent drumbeat of worry.

I watched him, my sleep-tousled hair likely a wild contrast to my sudden spike in alertness. His normally composed demeanor was frayed at the edges, replaced by a tension that didn’t suit him. “Dante, what is it?” I asked, my curiosity piqued despite the unease clenching my stomach. “You just mentioned something about RICO. What is it?”

His pacing halted, and for a moment he simply stared out the window where dawn painted the sky in pale streaks of color. It was a rare glimpse into the vulnerability he so expertly concealed, a vulnerability that seemed to be growing the longer he stayed silent.

Dante halted mid-stride, the muscles in his jaw working as he turned to face me. The early light cast half his face in shadow, making his expression all the more inscrutable. “Jade,” he began, the weight of his words hovering between us, “the RICO case—it’s not just an investigation; it’s a noose.”

“RICO?” I echoed, folding my arms across my chest. “You mean the law they use to take down organized crime?”

He nodded once, sharply, the lines around his eyes deepening. “Exactly. And the Carusos...they’re pushing for it, hard. They’ve got a vendetta against my family that goes way back, and now...” Dante’s voice trailed off, and he looked away, his gaze finding some distant point of concern.

“Tell me what RICO actually means, Dante. I need to know. And then tell me what the Carusos have to do with it.”

Dante’s gaze hardened as he turned to face me, the intensity in his dark eyes revealing a struggle between his instinct to shield me and his newfound openness. With a deep sigh, he sank into the armchair across from me, his tall figure seeming suddenly weary.

“RICO stands for the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act,” he began, his voice taking on a chillingly calm cadence. “It gives the government power to bring charges against an entire organization based on crimes committed by any member of that organization.”

“Okay. Now tell me about the Carusos and their vendetta,” I said, stepping closer, trying to read his guarded eyes.

Dante raked a hand through his hair, then let out a long breath. “It’s blood for blood, an endless cycle. My great-grandfather took something from them—a shipment, a territory, respect—it doesn’t matter anymore. What matters is the legacy of hatred it fostered. The Carusos won’t rest until the Morettis are destroyed, or vice versa.

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