Chapter 6 - The Cousin Who Wanted Everything
Marco and the security team intercepted Michael's men in the hallway.
Sebastian helped his father toward a second exit, but Antonio stumbled when his injured leg gave way.
“Leave me,” Antonio gasped.
“No.”
“Sebastian, listen to me. If they capture us both, Vincent wins.”
Sebastian tightened his grip.
“I'm not losing you twice.”
They reached the kitchen as a crash sounded behind them.
Michael appeared in the doorway.
He held a pistol, but his hand trembled.
“Put him down,” he ordered.
Sebastian moved between Michael and Antonio.
“You don't want to do this.”
Michael's expression twisted.
“Don't tell me what I want. You were born into everything. The business. The money. The respect. Uncle Antonio chose you before I even had a chance.”
“You could have built something of your own.”
“Why should I build when you were handed the throne?”
“Because being handed something doesn't mean you know how to keep it.”
Michael's face darkened.
For a moment, Sebastian thought his cousin might shoot.
Then a voice came from the hallway.
“Michael, put the weapon down.”
Vincent stood at the far end, flanked by two men.
He looked older than Sebastian remembered, but his eyes were sharp.
“Uncle,” Sebastian said. “This ends now.”
Vincent shook his head.
“You have no idea how much work it took to keep this family alive. Your father was weak. He wanted to turn legitimate, sell assets, and hand the business to people who never understood what it cost to build.”
“So you tried to kill him?”
“I tried to preserve what he created.”
“You stole forty million dollars.”
“I invested in the future.”
“You planted explosives in his car.”
Vincent's face remained calm.
“Your father made enemies. He was always going to die eventually.”
Antonio stared at his brother.
“You were my family.”
Vincent's expression flickered.
“And you were going to destroy everything.”
“I was going to stop men like you from destroying it.”
Vincent gestured toward Michael.
“Take them both.”
Before the men could move, a siren sounded outside.
Then another.
Federal agents and local police surrounded the lodge.
Michael turned in panic.
“What did you do?”
Sebastian looked at him.
“I made a phone call before we entered the property.”
He had contacted the authorities with the evidence recovered from the funeral home and the security logs linking Vincent's companies to the attack. The location of the lodge had been included in the report.
Vincent's men hesitated.
Marco emerged from the hallway, holding his hands up to show that he was no longer armed.
“It's over,” Marco said.
Vincent looked at the windows.
There was nowhere to run.
He lowered his weapon.
Michael did not.
In a desperate attempt to escape, he grabbed Antonio and pulled him toward the back door.
Sebastian lunged.
The two men crashed against the kitchen table. The pistol skidded across the floor.
Michael struck Sebastian across the face and reached for the weapon.
Antonio, drawing on the strength he had left, seized Michael's arm.
“Enough!”
Michael shoved him away.
Antonio fell against the cabinet.
Sebastian saw red.
He tackled his cousin and pinned him to the floor just as agents rushed into the room.
“Hands where we can see them!”
Michael was handcuffed.
Vincent was arrested minutes later.
As the agents escorted them outside, Vincent turned toward Antonio.
“You'll regret this. The family will fall apart without me.”
Antonio looked at his brother with quiet sadness.
“No, Vincent. The family began falling apart when I let you believe that loyalty meant obedience.”
Sebastian helped his father sit down.
The fight was over.
But the truth was not yet complete.
Luis Ortega was still missing, and without his testimony, Vincent's lawyers could claim that the explosion had been carried out by unknown enemies.
Sebastian looked at the envelope in his hand.
“Let's find Luis.”
May you like
Antonio nodded.
“Then let's finish this.”
