Chapter 27: Lucky Legacy Bank

Chapter 27: Chapter 27: Lucky Legacy Bank

Author's Note: I was going to post another pic but DaoistKq1vOg posted a WAY better one so we're rocking with his, I'll post it on this note and on the previous mission.

"....."

Lucky gazed at his son with a frown before shifting his focus to the likely cause of the situation, setting the paper down with deliberate care.

"Let me guess, you're Madame St. Clair and you're Bumpy Johnson." Lucky could quickly pieced together the two familiar figures that he always read about in his reports of Harlem.

"Yes Mr. Luciano-"

*Sigh*

"I don't know what theatrics you said to my boy, but unlike that irresponsible carpet stain, I actually think with my actual head." Lucky sat back in his chair, knowing how much of a fool Ricky could be for a pretty thing like Madame.

"My time is money but I'll give my boy the benefit of the doubt, you have two minutes." Lucky looked at his watch, returning his gaze to the two before folding his hands.

"Mr. Luciano-" Bumpy tried to inject but Lucky didn't even care to give him the time of day.

"Starting now." Lucky completely seized control of the narrative, leaving Madame St. Clair to hastily sift through the paperwork she had previously gathered.

Within a split second, Madame St. Clair then launched into her sales pitch that was far more detailed than the dumbed down one she gave to Ricky.

However, as Lucky grasped the implications of her words, his eyes widened, and he erupted into hysterical laughter at the audacity of her proposal.

"A negro bank?" Lucky hysterically laughed, wiping his eyes at her entire pitch only for Ricky to nudge Madame to continue since she was losing her window.

Understanding his intent, Madame St. Clair altered her approach as she walked over and sat down directly in front of Lucky.

"It is not a negro bank but a bank that serves everyone from all walks of life, which so happens to serve blacks as well." Madame informed Lucky, who tried his best to suppress his laughter, but it was nearly impossible given the absurdity of her idea.

"Madame, I know a doll like you might not realize this, but the banking industry has been a crap show ever since the market went and sh*t on itself." Lucky spread out his hands as to show how this idea was completely out of it.

"So I don't know what you said to ensnare my son, but this isn't going to happen." Lucky waved his hand dismissively, seeing no reason to invest in such a terrible plan based on a notion like 'equality' since to him, it was irrelevant unless it made money.

He wasn't wrong to think so since three years ago, the market crashed springing the start of the 'great depression' which had the country by its collar but the banking industry by the balls.

Banks were closing left and right as some banks had to go so far as to withhold people from withdrawing the money.

Although the stock market had taken a huge dive, the banks were the ones to suffer the most along with the people they served.

So, Lucky didn't see the investment opportunity in this bank since the average person in his shoes would think, 'where is the money?'.

It didn't help that he focused solely on the low income associated not only with Black people but with Harlem as well.

"Mr. Luciano-"

"Are you not listening to my words, a bank needs money, real money, and no one has enough to save since they use what they can to scrape by." Lucky once again interrupted Madame who was at her limits.

*BAM*

"Mr. Luciano, I know you might be apprehensive about investing in an industry that has taken the brutality of the market crash but see the potential in this!" Madame slammed her hands onto the table, trying to urgently convey her entire words.

When Lucky was about to completely close himself off to Madame, he sighed heavily when gazing to the side to see Ricky staring at her ass.

"It was only the white man and woman that had their money in the banks, all blacks have their money tube socks or in crumbled bags tucked in their air vents, just ten minutes-no, one minute of your time to go through the data-" Madame felt the opportunity slipping from her grasp as she became desperate, clinging onto anything she could but Lucky was too fed up.

"Enough." Lucky sighed, rubbing his forehead until he gazed up to see Ricky simply give him a shrug, silently telling him that a minute wouldn't hurt.

"You know what, since you convinced my boy then the least I can do is give you one minute, but after that you gotta scram." Lucky decided to humor Madame for the sake of Ricky as she nodded.

"I only need you to read these papers." Madame then took out the papers in her briefcase which she had been safeguarding with her life.

Lucky rolled his eyes but took the papers, putting on his reading glasses and initially, he scanned the words casually, but soon his gaze hardened, drawn into the details before him.

Without realizing it, Lucky became absorbed in the contents of the papers, setting them down in surprise.

Madame had achieved her lavish lifestyle through the numbers game, leveraging her credibility when the banks had lost the trust of both black and white customers.

This trust had enabled her to succeed where others struggled, but Lucky was focused on the fact that the money he expected to see as simply pennies, was significant; the amount flowing through Madame's hands was enough to achieve something even he found challenging.

'I can clean hundred of thousands of dollars easily if I had numbers like these.' Lucky thought to himself, reaching beside him to grab the landline.

*Click*

"Meyer, get down here it's urgent."

1 hour later,

"These-......these are accurate." Meyer confirmed the notification, learning that Frank had been called to the meeting as well.

Surprised by the sudden summons, Meyer attended nonetheless, never imagining the significance of the numbers on the paper before him.

These weren't just any statistics; they were the figures from Madame's Numbers game, revealing how many black people paid, borrowed, and consumed from her hands.

Meyer was taken aback by the impact of these numbers, realizing the extent of Madame's influence in Harlem when he observed it to be miniscule at best.

"The greatest strength of this idea is that the government is trying their best to fix the banking industry, meaning they are approving a lot of banks." Meyer first gave the good news to Lucky who rubbed his chin.

"The problem with this idea is that it is incredibly hard to not only enter but to stay afloat since you need a solid foundation to keep a stream of profit along with keeping people coming in." Meyer said while turning the paper, shaking head in disbelief at what he was about to say.

"Honestly Lucky, if you spearheaded this bank with the clean money you have now and Madame's notoriety within the community, then it might just work." Meyer spoke words he'd neve thought he'd ever say.

"The governments usually closely monitor things like this but with these numbers it might be-"

"Meyer I'm serious, would this truly work." Lucky gestured, suggesting that if they could pull it off, they wouldn't need to rely on Bank of America just to hold their legitimate money but they could also launder their illicit funds at exceptional rates.

To Lucky, Bank of America was simply a vault that protected their clean gold.

But with this idea he actually had a way to polish all that dirty gold tucked away within his couch cushions.

"I'm 85% sure that this will work and I'm low balling you." Meyer spoke up, breaking the awfully silent room as Lucky turned his attention to Madame.

"How much do you want?"

"5% of the company."

"Not a chance,1.5%."

"5.5"

"2-"

"Deal."

The negotiation was brief but when Lucky offered her two percent, she quickly accepted, knowing that even one percent would set her up for life.

Lucky understood the importance of having her involved; without her, the black community wouldn't trust him in the slightest.

"Meyer, go inform all the mob bosses and tell them of this proposal to see if any of them will invest in it." Lucky ordered, handing some papers to Meyer's who nodded but suddenly halted.

"But don't bring these documents." Lucky then took the real documents instead of Madame's sales pitch which only made Meyer show a confused expression.

"But they won't-"

"I know."

Lucky only wanted to give them a chance, not to actually invest money, as he intended to monopolize this idea, a fact Meyer quickly grasped.

"Right away." Meyer nodded before rushing out of the room, leaving Lucky to turn to to Frank.

"Franky."

"Yes boss."

"I need you to handle Dutch Shucliz." Lucky spoke out words that surprised not only Frank but Madame.

In fact, Madame wanted to ask for a favor regarding Dutch since he was starting to enter Harlem before demanding unreasonable protection fees.

"That jew is trying to encroach on what's ours." Lucky informed him which made Frank nodded with a resolute and stern expression.

"Of course boss, it'll be taken care of." Frank then winked at Ricky before walking out of the room while only leaving the four of them.

"Making a bank doesn't just take a day but will take a year, maybe even more." Lucky looked her dead in the eyes though she was unflinching.

"Don't worry Lucky, I'll hold up my end of the deal." Madame stood up along with Lucky before they shook hands.

"What should we name this Bank anyways?" Lucky asked and this time it was Ricky's turn to jump in.

"What about 'Lucky Bank'." Ricky said as Lucky frowned but Madame tilted her head back and forth.

"That's stupid." Lucky frowned however RIcky was adamant about it and literally started ranting off different names.

"What about Lucky Savings Bank?

"No."

"What about Lucky Prosperity Bank?"

"No."

"What about Lucky Capital Bank?"

"No!"

"What about Lucky Harbor Bank?"

"NO!"

"What about Lucky Legacy Bank-"

"GOD DAMMIT RICKY FINE!" Lucky yelled as Ricky wouldn't drop it for the life of him, causing him to explode in anger.

"You know what, 'Lucky Legacy' has a nice ring to it." Madame thought to herself, seeing Lucky take a deep breath to calm himself.

Hours passed, and a letter, which many would describe as a joke, appeared on the doorsteps of not only all the commission but also the executives at Bank of America.

However, none of them took the words seriously and not even Profaci, who wanted to get into Lucky's good graces, would take this chance.

But unbeknownst to them, it would be one of their greatest mistakes.

1 month later,

"Now class, would anyone like to solve this equation?" Ms. Collins asked before gazing around as she scrunched her brows while looking at Ricky sleeping at his desk.

"Ricky!"

"W-Wha?" Ricky's head shot up at the sound of giggles, meeting the glare of Ms. Collins.

"Would you like to solve the equation?" Ms. Collins' passive aggressive tone was palpable but Ricky simply ignored it while setting his head down.

"Nope." Ricky set his head back down as Ms. Collins let out an aggrieved sigh.

"RICKY!"

"Alright geez~" Ricky stood up before grabbing some chalk and writing '2' on the whiteboard.

"That is incorrect Ricky, this is the history portion of our class."

He savored the sensation of her soft lips, then deftly took control, exploring her inexperienced mouth with his own.

*Ahem*

"I don't mean to intrude on you two lovers but the meeting is about to start." Ruth forcefully interjected herself into the moment.

"R-Ruth?!" Maria pushed away from Ricky as he frowned at the sweet taste forcefully ripped away from him.

"Come on Ricky, we need to go back to the meeting." Maria grabbed Ricky's hand while urgently leading him back into the room with a heavy blush adorning her face.

"Oh honey no." Ruth stopped her as Maria flinched with Ruth untangling her hand from Ricky's.

"Your masquerade is bleeding, we need to fix you up cause right now you are such a mess~" Ruth joked, making Maria suddenly realize something while covering her face, taking out her pocket mirror and looking.

Although she tried her best, it was still a lackluster job which made her immediately bolt towards the girls bathroom.

However Ricky frowned since he clearly felt the underhanded insult in Ruth's words which made him feel immediately annoyed.

Ricky wasn't only experienced in only love making but slightly in the inner workings of women and although it is impossible to understand them fully, he still knows a thing or too.

One of those things is how ruthless women can be to their own friends. It was surprising when he first learned this but as time passed his attention to it became clearer.

"Ricky I have to go, save me a spot." Maria yelled back at him before entering the bathroom, pulling Ruth with her though she was staring at Ricky.

Winking at him playfully, Ruth turned to follow Maria as Ricky squinted his eyes since although Ruth was a target, that was it.

Ricky definitely didn't want anything more than a physical relationship with Ruth or maybe making her his mistress, but now he understood that she wanted more than that, which could make the future troublesome.

'I'll need to find a way to deal with her.' Ricky was about to go back into the meeting until he saw a letter sticking out of his locker.

Curious, Ricky grabbed it and read the contents only for him to let out a laugh at the perfect timing.

Ricky walked back into the meeting hall while making direct eye contact with Henry before they nodded to each other seemingly signaling something.

Meanwhile in the bathroom,

"Soooooo, spill it~" Ruth playfully nudged Maria, watching her clean off the bleeding mascara before her cheeks tinted red.

"He asked me out." Maria squealed as Ruth's face shattered into pieces though when Maria turned to her, she showed a smile.

"I'm so happy for you~" Ruth held out her arms as they hugged before her expression dropped into a cold one.

"Tell me all about it, I want to know everything."

Maria then explained her interaction with a dreamy expression all the while Ruth continued to force a smile.

"Oh no~" Ruth suddenly put a hand on her mouth right when Maria finished causing the naive girl to incessantly worry.

"W-What is it?" Maria asked worriedly but Ruth turned away.

"No, I shouldn't say since I don't want you to worry-"

"Ruth please~" Maria grabbed Ruth's shoulders as she saw her only friend let out a tired sigh.

"Maybe it's just me, but I think you might be moving a little too fast." Ruth confessed as her eyes flashed with malicious intent.

"W-Wha-"

"And I also think you're being a little too pushy with Ricky, I mean you practically lunged at him." Ruth's words made Maria face drop in worry as she covered her mouth.

"W-What should I do!" Maria asked as her tears welled up as Ruth shook her head.

"If it was me, I'd take it slower and make him work for it." Ruth gave false advice as Maria listened on battered breath.

"R-Really?" Maria asked as Ruth smiled while caressing her curly black hair with a warm touch.

"Of course, would I ever lie to you."

Maria sneaked into the meeting a little while later as she sat down next to Ricky with a nervous expression.

"Ricky?" Maria whispered as Ricky raised an eyebrow but leaned down to let her whisper into his ear.

"D-Do you think we're moving too fast?" Maria anxiously asked, making Ricky's eyebrow twitch.

"Not at all." Ricky tried to ease her worries while side-eying Ruth who winked at him again before turning back to the meeting.

"Maybe you only asked me out because I'm being too pushy-" Maria had gotten into her own head at this point and was self sabotaging herself.

"Maria." Ricky took both hands as she slightly shook from his touch, her beautiful blue eyes gazing up at Ricky's warm smile.

"I assure you, I asked you out not because you forced me, but because you've captivated my every thought." Ricky took both her hands in an assuring manner, watching her worried face blossom into a warm smile.

"Really?" Maria's unease washed away almost immediately letting Ricky nod his head.

"Of course Maria, you're a one of a kind gal and I'm lucky that you're even this taken with me." Ricky caressed Maria's cheek as she leaned into his touch.

"Oh Ricky~"

"Excuse me, is there a problem?" Ruth suddenly voiced out towards Ricky and Maria, seeing their behavior and disrupting it on the guise of them disrupting the meeting.

"Nope, carry on." Ricky assured Ruth who scrunched her eyebrows but before she could say something, Henry glared at her.

"Ruth, you better watch yourself, this isn't a time where you can throw around your authority." Henry whispered in a threatening tone until she saw the other council members glaring at her with disapproving expressions.

Ruth gnashed her teeth, but leaned back in her chair while gazing daggers at Maria who ducked her head.

The meeting ended and as soon as it did, Ricky shuffled Maria out of the hall before Ruth could even get in their radius.

"Ruth!" Henry called out as Ruth was about to charge after Ricky and Maria.

"You're going too far." Henry warned with the other council members slowly circling around her.

"Do you really want to do this now, you'll regret it?" Ruth showed a hideous scowl though none of the members flinched.

"Although I hate that negro lover, he's someone that can't be messed with." Joseph with a thick southern accent, with a scowl mirroring Ruth's, actually saw the reasoning through his hate while warning her to back off.

"That Alabama hick is right, Ricky's position in the world is similar but vastly different." Jerry pointed out as Joseph gritted his teeth at his blatant disrespect.

"You can't bully Ricky like us Ruth, it's literally going to get you killed." Randal shook his head since he knows all too well what happens to the men who mess with the Luciano family.

"And his family also got a 35% bump in their power due to them taking over all of the Irish mob's mobs activities in Harlem." Robert adjusted his glasses as the others all nodded at this.

"Do you even know who I am?" Ruth scornfully mocked, her true colors started to bleed much like Maria's mascara from earlier.

"Ruth, your actions will comprise not only your position but-"

"One word." Ruth held up one finger forcing them all to look at her with squinted eyes.

"All it takes is one to make not only my father, but my grandfather hold each and everyone one of your parents' company by the balls." Ruth showed her might, forcing them all to look away except one.

"You think I'm afraid of you Ruth?" Henry, the only person who could avoid the wrath of a Rockefeller, asked out but Ruth simply smiled.

"I only need the majority to be afraid of me." Ruth pointed at the rest of them, following the direction where he saw the others unable to take his side any longer.

"Stay out of my way Henry or you'll regret it."

An hour after the meeting concluded, Ricky drove Maria home, knowing the circus wouldn't start for another five hours.

Despite wanting to spend more time with her, he was dismissed on the pretext that she wasn't "prepared."

Returning to a predetermined spot, Ricky waited patiently until a Ford pulled up and Henry got out.

"Ricky." Henry nodded as Ricky smirked while standing up and shaking the hand of his handler.

That letter was a simple time and place where Henry gave his regard, signaling he wanted to meet up.

"Why did you send me that letter, is it because of Ruth?" Ricky asked though he didn't need an immediate answer as Henry sighed heavily.

"Ricky, she's out of control." Henry walked over and leaned against Ricky's Cadillac, furrowing his brows upon seeing the emblem.

"A Cadillac, really?" Henry frowned after understanding the make and model only for Ricky to give him a shrug.

"What, it's not like you'll just give me a Ford-"

"Done, anyways Ruth has become too much as of late." Henry, without blinking, willingly agreed to give Ricky a car while getting to the topic.

"Not only is she a Rockfellar but her father controls the highest grossing steel company in this age." Henry clicked his tongue since as of late, Ford Motors stock price has been falling due to his incompetent father.

"However, the problem is that John. D Rockefeller has holdings in all of the council's companies." Henry conveyed the truth as Ricky raised an eyebrow.

"I thought you were the leader-"

"HAHAHAHAHAHA!" Henry burst out laughing at Ricky's words as he almost fell off the car.

"Me, the leader?" Henry pointed to himself in a self deprecating way.

"Ricky, she basically let me be the leader because she doesn't want to do the added work that comes with it." Henry sighed after telling the truth, making Ricky understand something as he smirked.

"Oh Henry." Ricky patted Henry's shoulder, his eyebrows raised at this since Ricky almost fell for it.

"I'm not helping you without a price." Ricky could see where Henry was getting at and quickly took control of the conversation.

"Ha, alright fine what do you want." Henry dropped the facade and got to the point as Ricky's smile extended.

"I want a seat at the table." Ricky spoke words that Henry knew he was going to hear.

"It's not that simply-"

"Then figure it out." Ricky interrupted Henry who sighed heavily, but eventually nodded in response.

"Then-"

"I also want you to handle all the aftermath that comes with it and also I want my position to be in name only, I don't want to do any work either." Ricky fired off more conditions which only made Henry scrunch his eyebrows.

"Then wouldn't I simply be replacing Ruth with you?" Henry was in disbelief, unable to understand why he would agree to this.

"Well, who would you rather have, me or Ruth?" Ricky genuinely asked Henry, who was about to retort, only to halt his words.

Honestly, compared to Ruth who always has to have things go her way in everything, Ricky doesn't even care about his status within the club and simply comes to meetings for the free booze and food.

"Neither, but I guess I'll settle for you." Henry joked prompting Ricky to burst into an enormous fit of laughter.

Ricky didn't need to think about it for long, readily agreeing to Henry's demands as he composed himself, he looked directly at Henry and spoke with a sleazy smile.

"Now listen closely, I have a plan."

Meanwhile, in a secret room in the Vatican, a priest knelt on both knees, clenching his necklace tightly.

"Father Sebastion, signs of Dracula have been discovered in New York." A voice was heard from the darkness.

Then within the next seconds, candles started lighting up in a flurry while revealing the upper brass of the church seated above while gazing down at Father Sebastion.

"You are to meet up with Abraham Van Helsing and use the power of god to assist the cursed one in his mission to vanquish that horrid creature from this world at last." Another voice came as Father Sebastion sighed heavily at this, grabbing his forehead in immense distress.

"Holy council, may you send another to be Abraham's handler, I'm afraid he is too troublesome and uncooperative." Father Sebastion asked in a pleading tone, only to see the answer written on their faces.

"By the grace of god." Father Sebastion sighed in a dejected manner as the other council members nodded.

"By the grace of god, may he guide you on this treacherous path."