Chapter 5 - THE MAN DOMINIC TRUSTED
Dominic did not reach for his weapon.
Marco’s gun was pointed directly at Evelyn.
That was why.
“Put yours on the floor,” Marco said.
Dominic obeyed.
His expression revealed nothing.
“Eight years,” Dominic said.
“Don’t.”
“Eight years you stood beside me.”
“I said don’t.”
“You took a bullet for me in Cicero.”
“And I spent eight years waiting for you to understand what that bought me.”
“What did Victor offer?”
Marco laughed bitterly.
“You still think everything is about money.”
“What, then?”
“My brother.”
Dominic’s eyes changed.
Marco continued.
“Your father had him killed.”
“Your brother disappeared after stealing from three crews.”
“He stole because Anthony Calder had been using him to move cash. When the books didn’t balance, your father needed someone disposable.”
“I didn’t know.”
“Of course you didn’t. Princes rarely know who gets buried under the castle.”
Evelyn watched Dominic absorb the words.
He did not deny them.
“Victor told you this?”
“He showed me proof.”
“And in exchange?”
“I watch you. I report who enters the house. Who you trust. What you learn.”
“You photographed Evelyn?”
Marco looked at her.
“Yes.”
A chill moved through her.
“Why?”
“Victor became interested after he learned Thomas Reed’s daughter worked inside the mansion.”
“So my hiring wasn’t an accident.”
“No.”
Dominic’s jaw tightened.
“Who hired her?”
Marco smiled.
“Your mother.”
For the first time, Dominic looked genuinely shaken.
“My mother didn’t know who Evelyn was.”
“You sure?”
Marco motioned with the gun.
“Give me the drive.”
Evelyn clutched it.
“No.”
Marco aimed at her chest.
Dominic stepped between them.
“Shoot me first.”
Marco’s face twisted.
“You think that makes you noble?”
“No.”
“Move.”
“No.”
Evelyn stared at Dominic’s back.
He was shielding her with his body.
The dangerous man everyone feared was standing unarmed between her and a bullet.
Marco’s finger tightened on the trigger.
Then the lights went out.
Dominic moved instantly.
A shot exploded.
Evelyn dropped.
Dominic slammed into Marco.
The gun skidded across concrete.
They fought in darkness.
Evelyn crawled toward the weapon.
Her fingertips touched metal.
Marco kicked Dominic away and lunged toward her.
Evelyn grabbed the gun.
“Stop!”
Marco froze.
Her hands shook violently.
Dominic rose behind him, blood running from a cut above his eyebrow.
“Evelyn.”
She kept the weapon trained on Marco.
“I’ve never fired one.”
“I know.”
“How?”
“You’re holding it like it personally offended you.”
Despite her terror, a breath of laughter escaped her.
“Take it.”
Dominic approached slowly.
She gave him the weapon.
He unloaded it.
Then looked at Marco.
“Leave.”
Marco stared.
Evelyn did too.
“You’re letting him go?”
“No,” Dominic said. “I’m giving him the opportunity to decide whether Victor owns the rest of his life.”
Marco’s expression broke.
“You think I can just walk away?”
“No. I think you can tell us where Rachel Beck is.”
Silence.
Then Marco looked down.
“Old printing plant on Ashland.”
Dominic immediately called another team.
Marco continued.
“Victor has six men there.”
“Rachel alive?”
“She was yesterday.”
“And the mansion?”
“Two men. They were supposed to take Molly.”
Evelyn stepped toward him.
“You let them near my sister?”
Shame appeared in Marco’s eyes.
“I disabled one alarm. I didn’t know Molly had moved rooms.”
Dominic’s voice became deadly.
“If she’s hurt—”
“I know.”
“No. You don’t.”
They returned to the mansion.
Molly was safe.
The two intruders had fled when the backup alarm activated.
When Evelyn reached her, Molly threw both arms around her.
Dominic stopped at the doorway.
He did not intrude.
Molly noticed.
“You saved my sister?” she asked.
Dominic glanced at Evelyn.
“She saved me first.”
Later that afternoon, Rachel Beck was recovered alive from the printing plant.
Warren wept when he saw her.
Evelyn watched from across the courtyard.
Dominic stood beside her.
“You could have killed Marco,” she said.
“Yes.”
“Why didn’t you?”
“Because revenge is useful for about thirty seconds.”
“And after that?”
“You still have the same problem.”
Evelyn looked at him.
“You aren’t what people say.”
“That depends which people.”
“I’m serious.”
“So am I.”
His expression became distant.
“My father built an empire by making men afraid of him. I inherited the empire and the fear. Sometimes I used both.”
“Do you regret it?”
“Some things.”
“Not all?”
“No.”
She appreciated the answer more than she wanted to.
Dominic looked toward the city.
“My mother has been asking to see me.”
“Since when?”
“Since this morning.”
“And you think she knows about my father?”
“I think she knows something.”
They found Eleanor Calder in the mansion’s private chapel.
At seventy, she remained elegant and terrifyingly composed.
Her eyes settled on Evelyn.
“You have Thomas’s eyes.”
Evelyn stopped.
“You knew my father.”
Eleanor nodded.
“Very well.”
Dominic’s voice hardened.
“You hired Evelyn intentionally.”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“Because I promised Thomas Reed that if the past ever returned, his daughters would have protection.”
Evelyn felt anger rise.
“You could have told me.”
“And put you in danger sooner?”
“I was already in danger.”
Eleanor looked ashamed.
“Yes.”
Dominic placed the photograph of Victor on the table.
“Where is the rest of the evidence?”
His mother looked at it.
Then at her son.
“I hoped you would never ask.”
“Where?”
Eleanor’s eyes filled with something Dominic had rarely seen.
Fear.
“Inside your father’s coffin.”
May you like
No one moved.
Then she added, “And Victor knows.”
