Chapter 5 - The Father Who Had Been Dead for Seventeen Years
Thomas survived.
Barely.
The bullet had entered beneath his shoulder and missed the artery by less than an inch.
Adrian moved him to a private medical facility guarded by men Marcus trusted personally.
Elena refused to leave his bedside.
When Thomas woke, she was sleeping in a chair.
Again.
Adrian found her there at six in the morning.
He placed a blanket over her.
Thomas opened his eyes.
“You’re Adrian Vale.”
Adrian looked at him.
“Yes.”
“You’re watching my daughter sleep.”
Adrian paused.
“That sounds worse when you say it.”
Thomas almost smiled.
“Do you love her?”
Adrian went completely still.
Elena continued sleeping.
“I’ve known her six days.”
“That wasn’t my question.”
Adrian looked toward her.
“No.”
Thomas watched him.
“You’re lying.”
Adrian’s jaw tightened.
“I don’t know.”
“Better.”
Thomas closed his eyes.
“My daughter deserves a man capable of admitting when he doesn’t know something.”
“You seem unusually comfortable discussing your daughter’s romantic future with a suspected criminal.”
“I’ve spent seventeen years around criminals.”
Thomas opened one eye.
“You’re not the worst one.”
“Comforting.”
Elena stirred.
Her eyes opened.
“Dad?”
Thomas smiled.
“Hi, Ellie.”
She cried immediately.
Then became angry at herself for crying.
Then cried harder.
Adrian quietly left.
Father and daughter needed the room more than he did.
Two hours later Thomas told them everything.
He had been an accountant for Vale Maritime.
Nathaniel Vale—Adrian’s father—had been trying to move the family businesses away from organized crime.
Dominic opposed him.
“He believed legitimacy was weakness,” Thomas explained.
Nathaniel discovered Dominic was building a private network using family money.
Before he could expose him, Nathaniel died.
Thomas found evidence of poisoning.
Dominic discovered Thomas knew.
“So you ran,” Elena said.
Thomas looked ashamed.
“I thought I could disappear for a few months, gather evidence, then return.”
“Seventeen years.”
“I know.”
“You let Mom believe you were dead.”
His eyes filled.
“Dominic threatened both of you.”
Elena stood.
“You should have trusted us.”
“You were thirteen.”
“Mom wasn’t.”
“I was afraid.”
Elena turned away.
Thomas did not ask forgiveness.
That helped.
Adrian understood the lesson.
Sometimes love did not excuse the damage caused by fear.
Marcus entered with new intelligence.
Dominic’s network had acquired weapons, vehicles and surveillance equipment through shell companies.
“He’s preparing something,” Marcus said.
Thomas nodded.
“Founders Night.”
Adrian’s face changed.
Vale Meridian’s annual Founders Night gala was eight days away.
Nearly every influential business leader and political figure in Chicago would attend.
Elena understood.
“One room.”
Thomas nodded.
“One room containing everyone Dominic needs to control.”
“What does he plan to do?”
“Create chaos. Blame Adrian. Then step forward as the man who restores order.”
Adrian laughed coldly.
“He intends to destroy my legitimacy and my organization at the same time.”
Thomas nodded.
“And kill anyone who can expose him.”
Including Elena.
Adrian looked at her.
“No.”
She folded her arms.
“What?”
“You’re leaving Chicago.”
“No.”
Thomas blinked.
Marcus looked down.
Adrian frowned.
“This isn’t negotiable.”
Elena stood.
“Interesting. Because I wasn’t negotiating.”
“There will be armed men.”
“There have already been armed men.”
“You nearly died twice.”
“So did you.”
“I’m accustomed to it.”
“That is not the impressive argument you think it is.”
Thomas coughed to disguise laughter.
Adrian glared.
“Do not encourage her.”
“She gets that from her mother.”
Elena’s expression softened for half a second.
Then Adrian’s phone rang.
His face hardened.
“What?”
He listened.
Then looked at Elena.
“Your apartment.”
Her stomach dropped.
“What happened?”
“Fire.”
They arrived twenty minutes later.
Flames had already destroyed most of the building.
Elena stood across the street watching firefighters work.
Everything she owned was inside.
Photographs.
Her mother’s letters.
Her father’s old watch.
Childhood albums.
Gone.
Adrian stood beside her.
“I’m sorry.”
Elena did not cry.
That worried him more.
“My mother’s recipes were in there.”
He looked at her.
“Stupid, right?”
“No.”
“She wrote them by hand.”
Adrian said nothing.
Elena finally broke.
Not because of money.
Not because of clothes.
Because of a stained notebook containing her mother’s handwriting.
Adrian held her.
This time she did not hesitate.
She buried her face against his chest.
“I hate him.”
“I know.”
“I want him to lose everything.”
Adrian’s hand moved slowly over her hair.
“He will.”
She looked up.
“No killing.”
His mouth tightened.
“Elena.”
“No.”
“He murdered my father.”
“And stole mine.”
“He tried to kill you.”
“I know.”
“He burned your home.”
“I know.”
Adrian stared at her.
“Then why are you protecting him?”
“I’m not.”
She touched his chest.
“I’m protecting you.”
That silenced him.
“You kill Dominic, he still controls who you become.”
Adrian looked away.
Elena lifted his face back toward hers.
“Beat him without becoming him.”
Their faces were inches apart.
Neither moved.
Then Adrian kissed her.
Slowly.
Carefully.
As if asking a question.
Elena answered by pulling him closer.
For several seconds the burning building disappeared.
When they separated, Adrian rested his forehead against hers.
“This is a terrible idea.”
“Probably.”
“Your father is going to kill me.”
“He’s recovering from a gunshot.”
“He seems resourceful.”
She laughed through tears.
Adrian smiled.
Then Marcus approached.
“I hate interrupting whatever this is.”
“You should,” Adrian said.
Marcus handed him a phone.
“We intercepted a message from Dominic.”
Adrian read it.
His expression changed.
Elena looked.
Three words.
Bring me Thomas.
May you like
Below them:
Or Elena dies first.
