*ALLEGRA GREY POV*
Every day it was the same routine: wake up to Alice barging into my room with liquor, have an awkward and silent brunch with my family, go out on a few jobs with Alice, then come home and torture some prisoners.
You know, the usual.
My sister and her fuckboy had finally taken the hint and had been avoiding us since their homecoming. I'd never been a forgiving person, and part of me felt like I'd never be able to let go of what they did to me. But for now, they'd been avoiding me, and I honestly couldn't have been happier about it.
We'd been finding Russian assassins everywhere. Some would be attempting to get into our warehouses, others would be at the docks waiting for us to pick up a shipment, we even found another sneaking around our gate the other night. We managed to get some information from all of them, except they all said the same thing:
The end is near for you, Greys.
And that was always their last words.
Whatever Moskov was planning, he was doing a shitty job at it. For every Russian we found, we skinned them and sent their branded tattoo directly to him. The more brands we sent to him, the more men he sent after us. It all felt like a redundant, murderous cycle.
But today would not be the usual routine. Today was the day that we were anticipating and planning for: it was the day of the annual ball. Not only would we be trying to network and form alliances with other families, but we would also see Vladimir Moskov in person. Because of the ball's useless traditions, no weapons or security details were allowed within the event. We spent the last week preparing contingency plans just in case Moskov tried anything at the venue. Part of me wished he would try to kill us there; it would give me an excuse to finally slit that fucker's throat.
I settled on a simple off shoulder black dress. The high slit parted on my upper thigh, revealing my left leg with every step. The chiffon fabric hugged my waist and hips before falling loosely down my legs. The material draped loosely down my arms, stopping at my elbow. I threw on a simple gold necklace and some dainty earrings before I ran a hand through my wavy hair.
"Are you ready yet?" Alice called out from my bedroom.
"Let's get this shit over with." I said with a bored tone as I walked out of my bathroom.
One thing I loved about Alice was that she could switch between goofy and serious in the blink of an eye. It was nice to have a reprieve from the daily stressors that came along with this life, even if it was just momentary laughter.
We walked to the entrance of the mansion and entered our bulletproof limo. My parents, sister, and her fuckboy were already in the car waiting for us. My sister was dressed in a hot pink mini dress with matching heels. Sequins covered every inch of the dress, reflecting the illumination from the street lights.
My mother wore an elegant sleeveless gown. The satin fabric hugged her curves and the mermaid silhouette fanned out towards the bottom of the dress. Around her neck was the diamond necklace my father gave her while they were dating, she never took it off. My mother looked equally elegant and dangerous, a perfect combination for the monarch of the American Mafia.
Usually, Fernando planned these events all around the globe. Last year, it was in Turkey, the year before that was the Maldives. Thankfully, this year the venue was in our own backyard. We drove in silence as my father, Alice, my mother and I focused on our tasks for the night while Victoria and the fuckboy made small talk.
After about an hour's drive, we pulled up to an extravagant venue. Large white pillars lined the outside of the building and a red carpet was laid out for us to walk on. A crowd of paparazzi were surrounding the carpet, being held back by intimidating looking security guards and a flimsy looking gate.
Most Mafia leaders, including ourselves, were involved in some legal businesses as a cover up for our wealth. So to the world, my father owned Grey International, the largest luxury resort chain in the world.
I took a deep breath and stepped out of the limo. Flashes immediately blinded my vision as I raised a hand to my face and quickly walked down the carpet to the entrance. My father and mother did the same, occasionally smiling at cameras. Alice was practically running towards the entrance with her gaze locked onto the ground.
My sister was a different story. She loved the attention from the paparazzi and would always be the last one on the red carpet. Usually, everything she did annoyed me, but I was somewhat grateful that she took the attention away from us.
We walked into the building, leaving Blake and Victoria behind to handle the media while we checked in with security. They patted us down, and ran us through a metal detector.
After we were cleared by security, we entered the beautifully decorated ballroom. Large round tables were adorned with lavish white tablecloths that nearly touched the floor. In the center of the table, there were intricately carved marble vases, and inside of them were a variety of red flowers. There was a separate space for an all-white dance floor, and couples were gracefully dancing together as servers walked amongst the mingling guests with drinks and appetizers.
"Ah! The Greys. Such a pleasure to see you all again!" Fernando spoke loudly as he threw his hands in the air. He hugged my father before he kissed mine and my mother's hands.
Fernando Garcia was the leader of the Mexican Mafia. He was a very flamboyant man who was always dressed impeccably well, never a hair out of place. He was about 6'1, with very tan skin, and a neatly trimmed beard. His Spanish accent was thick, but his English was perfect. But behind his well put together appearance was a man who wouldn't hesitate to murder someone in cold blood. Fernando was known to be ruthless, but that's what you'd expect from the man who controlled most of the cartels.
"Allegra, looking as beautiful as ever." He said with a large smile.
"Thank you, Fernando, for having us. You seem to outdo yourself every year." I said as I motioned to the ballroom.
"Why thank you, my dear." He laughed. "We are doing things a bit differently this year. We decided to actually do some good for the community, and hold an auction for the Children's Cancer Research of America. You'll partake in it, won't you, Allegra?" He raises an eyebrow.
"That's very generous of you, Fernando. I'd love to participate." I agreed with a smile. Spending money wasn't an issue. Every year we donated millions to causes around the world. These events often had donations for charities in an effort to lower the suspicion of the public.
"Lovely! We'll need you by the stage in about five minutes." He said quickly before he kissed my hand once more.
"Fernando, if you have a moment tonight, I'd love to have a chat with you." My father said calmly.
"Absolutely, my friend! I'll meet up with you later this evening once everyone settles in." He said as he grabbed my father's shoulders and smiled.
"Now, if you'll excuse me, I have some other guests that need my attention." He smiled as he motioned to the crowd of people that filled the venue.
"Allegra, you might want to make your way to the stage. They'll be needing your assistance soon. Look for Andrea, she'll direct you." He said as he pointed to an extravagant stage with dozens of spotlights shining down upon it.
"Absolutely, Fernando." I said as I nodded before I made my way through the dance floor towards the stage.
I found a crowd of attractive women near the stage surrounding an older lady who I assumed was Andrea. I made my way through the women and stood next to her. I watched as she frantically directed the women, telling them where to stand and collecting their information. I coughed impatiently in an attempt to get her attention.
"Andrea?" I asked politely, raising my eyebrow.
"Ah, yes, my dear. You must be Allegra. Fernando has told me about you. You'll do wonders for this auction. Please, get in line, it's about to start." She said quickly as she pointed to the end of a long line of women forming on the side of the stage.
"And what exactly is up for auction?" I asked curiously as I tilted my head.
"Why, you are, my dear!" She said with a wide smile.
The fuck?!