Chapter 7 - THE DINNER TRAP
Richard Vale chose the restaurant.
Private room.
Back entrance.
No cameras.
That told Claire almost everything.
She arrived at 7:00 p.m. wearing a dark green dress and Adrian's wedding ring.
Not because she had changed her mind.
Because Vale expected to see it.
Adrian waited two floors below with federal agents.
He hated the arrangement.
Claire knew because he had asked her three times whether she was certain.
Three times.
Not ordered.
Asked.
Progress could be infuriatingly small.
Vale stood when she entered.
"Claire."
He kissed her cheek.
She resisted the urge to recoil.
"Richard."
Dinner began normally.
Architecture.
Budgets.
Historic preservation.
Then Vale mentioned her father.
"You have his eye."
Claire set down her wineglass.
"You knew him?"
Vale smiled.
"Everyone knew Daniel."
"Adrian never mentioned it."
"Adrian doesn't mention many things."
There it was.
The wedge.
The same wedge Owen had used.
Vale leaned back.
"Has marriage to a Cole been difficult?"
Claire gave him exactly what he wanted.
"More than you know."
"I probably know more than you think."
Her pulse quickened.
"Meaning?"
"Adrian's father destroyed people."
"And Adrian?"
Vale smiled.
"Apples rarely fall far."
Claire touched her stomach.
Vale noticed.
"You shouldn't raise a child in that world."
"I've thought the same."
"Then leave."
"I tried."
"Try again."
Claire looked at him.
"Why do you care?"
For the first time, his warmth disappeared.
"Because your father should have."
Claire's throat tightened.
"Should have what?"
"Walked away."
Vale realized too late.
Claire whispered, "You were there."
Silence.
Downstairs, agents listening through her earring heard everything.
Vale slowly smiled.
"You're wearing a wire."
Claire stood.
Vale overturned the table.
The lights went out.
A hand grabbed Claire.
She drove her elbow backward.
A man cursed.
Claire ran.
The hallway erupted with shouting.
Then Adrian appeared.
He reached her.
"Are you hurt?"
"No."
He took her hand.
They ran toward the stairs.
A gunshot cracked.
Adrian jerked.
Claire screamed.
He fell against the wall.
Blood spread across his shoulder.
"Adrian!"
"Keep moving."
"I'm not leaving you."
"Claire."
"Don't you dare."
Federal agents stormed upward.
Vale was captured near the kitchen exit.
Claire knelt beside Adrian.
His face had gone gray.
She pressed both hands over his wound.
"Stay with me."
He looked at her.
A faint smile appeared.
"You're giving orders now?"
"Shut up."
"That's my wife."
Her eyes filled.
"Don't call me that like this."
"Like what?"
"Like you're dying."
"I'm not dying."
"You don't know that."
"I do."
"How?"
His fingers closed weakly around hers.
"Because you finally came back for me."
Claire's tears fell.
"No."
His smile disappeared.
She leaned closer.
"I didn't come back."
Adrian looked at her.
"I just didn't leave you on the floor."
Despite the pain, he almost laughed.
"Fair."
At the hospital, doctors removed the bullet.
It had missed major arteries.
Claire waited.
She told herself it was because he was the father of her child.
Because they had survived something together.
Because leaving before knowing he was safe would be cruel.
At 2:40 a.m., Adrian woke.
Claire sat beside the bed.
He looked surprised.
"You're here."
"For now."
He nodded.
No demand.
No assumption.
She handed him water.
"Vale confessed enough to implicate Owen."
"And my father?"
"Evidence suggests Thomas ordered my father's death."
Adrian closed his eyes.
"I'm sorry."
Claire studied him.
"You didn't do it."
"No."
"But I benefited from everything he built."
"Then decide what you do with it."
He looked at her.
"What would you do?"
Claire shook her head.
"That's your decision."
Adrian stared at the ceiling.
Then said, "Burn it down."
She frowned.
"Meaning?"
"Every illegal route. Every offshore account. Every partnership I inherited that depends on fear."
"Adrian..."
"I spent years telling myself I could control my father's machine without becoming him."
He looked at her.
"I was wrong."
Claire's eyes burned.
"Don't change because you think it'll bring me home."
"I know."
"Do you?"
"Yes."
He took a breath.
"I want our child to know what I do for a living without me having to lie."
That was different.
Claire stood.
"I need sleep."
"Okay."
She reached the door.
"Claire?"
She turned.
"Your appointment is Thursday."
Adrian looked almost afraid to ask.
"I remember."
A long pause.
"Would it be all right if I came?"
Claire considered him.
"Ten o'clock."
His face changed.
Hope.
Small and careful.
"Ten."
She left.
In the hallway, Marcus was waiting.
He smiled.
"Don't."
"I didn't say anything."
"You were about to."
Marcus raised his hands.
Claire walked toward the elevator.
Behind her, Adrian's room went quiet.
Then Marcus's phone buzzed.
He checked it.
His smile vanished.
"Mrs. Cole."
Claire turned.
"What now?"
Marcus showed her the message.
It came from Adrian's attorney.
A court order had just frozen Cole Logistics.
And according to the filing, Adrian's company no longer belonged to Adrian.
May you like
Someone had transferred controlling ownership forty-eight hours earlier.
To Claire.
