Chapter 8 - The House Her Father Never Left
The Morgan house had been abandoned for years.
Tessa stood across the street staring at the peeling blue paint.
Marco remained beside her.
“You lived here?”
“Until I was 16.”
“You said your father died when you were 14.”
“We lost the house 2 years later.”
Marco looked at her.
She shrugged.
“Life doesn’t wait until grief is finished.”
That sentence stayed with him.
They entered through the back.
No guards.
No Shepherd.
Only a projector in the living room.
It switched on automatically.
Daniel Morgan appeared on the wall.
Tessa stopped breathing.
Her father looked younger than she remembered.
“Tess.”
Her knees weakened.
Marco caught her hand.
Daniel continued.
“If you’re watching this, then I failed to keep you away from all of this.”
Tessa covered her mouth.
“I’m sorry.”
The recording explained everything.
Daniel had discovered Shepherd’s identity.
He had hidden it inside Janus.
But he also left Tessa one final clue.
“Remember where you always hid when thunder scared you.”
Tessa stared.
Then ran upstairs.
Her childhood bedroom remained almost empty.
She knelt beside the wall.
“When I was little, there was a crawlspace behind the closet.”
Marco helped remove the panel.
Inside sat a small metal box.
Tessa opened it.
Photographs.
Documents.
And a name.
Shepherd was not a mysterious criminal.
He was Richard Vale, chairman of a respected private-equity firm, philanthropist, political donor, and one of Chicago’s most celebrated businessmen.
More importantly, he had been Victor Duca’s closest financial adviser.
Tessa whispered, “He knew everything.”
A floorboard creaked downstairs.
Marco turned.
Too late.
Men entered from both sides.
Richard Vale walked between them.
Silver-haired.
Elegant.
Smiling.
“Daniel’s daughter.”
Marco stepped in front of Tessa.
Vale sighed.
“Victor’s son. Always predictable.”
Marco’s hand moved.
A rifle aimed at Tessa.
He stopped.
Anthony was dragged inside.
Alive.
Barely.
Vale looked at Tessa.
“The pendant.”
“Enzo has it.”
“I know.”
His smile widened.
“Enzo works for me.”
Tessa’s stomach dropped.
Then Enzo entered.
Marco’s expression hardened.
Enzo wouldn’t meet his eyes.
Vale extended his hand.
Enzo placed the pendant in it.
Tessa felt 18 years collapse.
Vale had won.
Almost.
He inserted the storage device into a laptop.
Nothing happened.
“Encryption key,” he said.
His eyes moved to Marco.
Marco smiled.
“No.”
Vale aimed a pistol at Anthony.
“Then your brother dies.”
Anthony looked at Marco.
For the first time in years, no competition existed between them.
Only brothers.
Anthony shook his head.
“Don’t.”
Vale pulled back the hammer.
Tessa suddenly laughed.
Everyone looked at her.
Vale frowned.
“What?”
“You really don’t understand security.”
His expression changed.
Tessa pointed toward the pendant.
“That isn’t the drive.”
Vale looked down.
“It’s a beacon.”
Outside, sirens approached.
Vale turned on Enzo.
Enzo smiled.
“Daniel taught us redundancy.”
Chaos exploded.
Enzo attacked the nearest guard.
Marco moved.
Anthony dropped sideways.
Tessa grabbed the laptop.
Gunfire shattered windows.
Within minutes, Vale’s men were surrounded.
Vale escaped through the rear.
Marco chased him.
Tessa followed despite being told not to.
They reached the yard.
Vale had a car waiting.
He fired.
Marco shoved Tessa down.
The bullet struck Marco.
“Marco!”
He fell.
Vale’s vehicle disappeared.
Tessa crawled to Marco.
Blood spread across his shirt.
His eyes found hers.
“You’re crying.”
“Shut up.”
“That seems unprofessional.”
“Marco.”
He smiled faintly.
“You finally got me to smile.”
“Don’t you dare make this your moment.”
His eyes closed.
Tessa pressed both hands against the wound.
For the first time in her professional life, she had no clever solution.
No hidden entrance.
No backup plan.
Only Marco’s blood on her hands.
May you like
And one terrified thought.
She had fallen in love with him before either of them had been smart enough to admit it.
