Chapter 8 - The Man Who Finally Had Something to Lose
Hazel woke inside a church.
At least it had once been a church.
Dust covered the pews. Stained-glass windows had been boarded over, and rain leaked through the roof.
Her wrists were tied.
Anthony Romano sat near the abandoned altar.
Frankie Sullivan stood beside him.
Hazel stared.
“You two are working together again?”
Frankie laughed.
“Temporarily.”
“Your partnerships don’t seem healthy.”
Anthony almost smiled.
“I understand why Damian likes you.”
Hazel’s stomach tightened.
“You don’t understand anything about Damian.”
“I raised him.”
“And still betrayed him.”
That wiped away Anthony’s smile.
Frankie approached.
“Where’s the second copy?”
“Of what?”
“The files.”
“Probably somewhere very safe.”
He slapped her.
Hazel’s head snapped sideways.
Anthony grabbed Frankie’s arm.
“Damian sees a mark on her, this becomes harder.”
Frankie laughed.
“You still think you can negotiate with him?”
“I know my nephew.”
“No,” Hazel said.
Both men looked at her.
“You knew the man he was before.”
Anthony’s eyes narrowed.
“What changed?”
Hazel smiled despite her fear.
“He has something you don’t.”
“What?”
“People who chose him without wanting anything.”
Frankie rolled his eyes.
Anthony did not.
The words hit somewhere deeper.
Meanwhile, Damian stood in the estate security room studying old architectural plans.
Anthony had disappeared through a forgotten maintenance tunnel.
The tunnel connected to an abandoned road.
Traffic cameras caught his vehicle heading southeast.
Luca traced it to property Anthony had purchased twenty-three years earlier through a shell company.
St. Vincent’s Church.
Damian knew it.
His father’s funeral had been held there.
“It’s personal,” Damian said.
Luca loaded his weapon.
“Then he wants you angry.”
“He succeeded.”
“Which means we don’t give him what he wants.”
Damian looked at his oldest friend.
“You’ve become philosophical since being kidnapped.”
“I had free time.”
They moved.
At the church, Hazel worked her wrists against the rope.
Frankie and Anthony were arguing.
Their alliance was disintegrating.
“You promised Romano would bring the files,” Frankie snapped.
“He will.”
“No, he won’t.”
Frankie pointed toward Hazel.
“He cares about her, but he isn’t stupid.”
Hazel silently freed one hand.
Then headlights appeared outside.
Anthony smiled.
“Told you.”
Damian entered alone.
He carried a metal case.
“Let her go.”
Hazel’s heart slammed against her ribs.
Frankie aimed a gun at her.
“Case first.”
Damian placed it on the floor.
“Kick it.”
He did.
Frankie opened it.
A hard drive rested inside.
He smiled.
Anthony watched Damian.
“You always were sentimental.”
“No.”
Damian’s eyes moved to Hazel.
“I simply learned there are things worth risking something for.”
Hazel fought tears.
Frankie connected the drive to a laptop.
Empty.
His face changed.
“You—”
Damian moved.
Hazel threw herself sideways.
Gunfire erupted.
Anthony shot Frankie.
Frankie fired simultaneously.
Anthony collapsed.
Damian crossed the church as Luca’s team stormed through the side doors.
Frankie grabbed Hazel.
His arm locked around her throat.
A gun pressed against her temple.
“Stop!”
Everyone froze.
Frankie dragged Hazel backward.
Damian lowered his weapon.
“Let her go.”
“Throw it away.”
Damian did.
Hazel stared at him.
Frankie smiled.
“The great Damian Romano.”
He pressed the gun harder against her.
“Brought to his knees by a maid.”
Damian’s expression never changed.
“No.”
He slowly lowered himself.
“By someone I love.”
Hazel stopped breathing.
Frankie laughed.
But Damian was not looking at him.
He was looking at Hazel.
She understood.
Damian’s eyes flicked toward the floor.
Broken stained glass.
Hazel moved.
She stomped backward onto Frankie’s foot and threw her weight sideways.
The gun fired.
Damian lunged.
Luca fired once.
Frankie collapsed.
Silence.
Hazel hit the floor.
Damian reached her.
“Hazel.”
She stared at him.
No blood.
No wound.
“I’m okay.”
His hands shook as he touched her face.
For the first time, she saw Damian Romano genuinely afraid.
“You said something.”
“What?”
“Before.”
His forehead touched hers.
“Not now.”
“Oh, absolutely now.”
Despite everything, he laughed.
Hazel smiled through tears.
“You said you love me.”
Damian closed his eyes.
“This is terrible timing.”
“I’ve had a difficult week.”
He kissed her.
Right there on the dusty church floor.
Sirens approached outside.
Hazel wrapped her arms around his neck.
When they separated, she whispered, “I love you too.”
Behind them, Anthony coughed.
He was alive.
Barely.
Damian looked toward the man who had betrayed him.
Anthony whispered, “Finish it.”
Years earlier, Damian would have.
Instead, he stood.
“Call an ambulance.”
Anthony stared at him.
Damian took Hazel’s hand.
May you like
“You don’t get to make me become you.”
And together, they walked outside.
