Bow Down(194)

“This is insane,” I said, taking a step back.

“Wait, Cassidy. Do you still want to save lives?”

“Of course,” I said. “But I’m done with the human trafficking story.”

“I don’t care about your story. Do you want to know why I started the Spiders?”

“Okay,” I said. “Tell me.”

“I wanted to join the mafia ever since I was a young girl. Where most girls dreamed about their wedding day, I dreamed about the day I’d run my own crew. I was my father’s daughter, and I taught myself what I could about the business for as long as I could.

“Until one day, my father forbade me to learn any more. When I pushed back and wanted to join, he refused. And so instead of doing what he wanted, which was to go off to college to become some normal idiot girl, I locked myself in my bedroom and I learned.

“It all started online. I got very, very good with computers, and I slowly created a following. Soon, I had my own cyber gang, and that slowly evolved into the real thing. One day, I heard about the girls who were being bought and sold, and I knew I had to do something about it.

“We never called ourselves the Spiders. We wanted to save the city, stop the mob, and free the poor girls locked in sex slavery.

“Now, though, I want to start a real organization. To do so, I need to make peace with my father, and come out of the shadows.”

I could hardly believe what I was hearing. This beautiful, strange girl had gone from a talented computer hacker to running a deadly and highly trained organization of freedom fighters, all because her father wouldn’t let her join the mob. She was either the craziest person I’d ever met or the most dangerous.

She smiled at me. “So now you know. I’m the leader of the Spiders and my father’s greatest enemy.”

“I still don’t understand what you want from me.”

“It’s simple. I want you to broker a peace between my people and my father’s people.”

“I can’t do that. I don’t have any power.”

“Sure you do. He thinks you can contact the Spiders, correct?

I nodded slowly. “That was you, wasn’t it?”

“Yes,” she said, smiling. “It was me.” She shrugged and then continued. “Tell them we contacted you and want to meet to make peace. Tell them whatever you need to.”

“I don’t think they’ll make peace with you, Louisa.”

“They will,” she said. “The Russians are still out for blood, remember. We’re already in talks with them to end our bloodshed. Arturo will have to come around sooner or later.”

“Does your father know?”

“Of course not,” she said, laughing. “That old fool doesn’t know anything.”

“Why do you think he’ll listen to me?”

“He won’t. But he might be willing to listen to Rafa. Or at least he’ll come to the table, even if he comes to kill us all.”

“You’d walk into a trap.”

“Maybe.” She smiled. “I’m very good with traps.”

I shook my head, overwhelmed. I didn’t know how to take all of this in.

“Does Rafa know?”

“You’re the only person who knows. You cannot tell a single person about my involvement with the Spiders. Do you understand?”

“I understand.”

She stared at me. “If you think you can get revenge for what we did to Rafa, think again. Despite what you think, I’ve done a lot of good for this city, and I won’t let you torch that.”

“I understand,” I repeated.

“Good.” She began to walk to the far bank. “Go tell Arturo you got in contact with us, and ask for a peace. I’ll know if he agrees.”

“Why me?” I called after her again.

“Because I like you.” She reached the far side and smiled at me. “Good luck, Cassidy. Don’t let me down.” She waved and then disappeared into the trees.

I stood there in the freezing water, not sure what to think.

That was so much to take in. Louisa Barone ran the Spiders, and she wanted me and Rafa to try to broker a peace. And I was the only person in the mob who knew her real identity.

I began to trudge back to my shoes, my mind whirling. I knew I wasn’t going to betray her trust, but I didn’t know if I could make this peace happen. I didn’t fully trust her, and I didn’t believe that she really wanted a peace deal.

Still, this was her father. It was her own damn family. She was a member of the Barone family, even if she wasn’t allowed to actually join the mafia. Could she really kill her own people?

I had no clue what to do. I sat down and tied my shoes, and I just stayed sitting. I stared out over the water, my mind running through the possibilities.