Chapter 6 - Why Dominic Met Mara
Dominic put the phone on speaker.
“Who is this?”
The man laughed softly.
“Ask Mara where she met you.”
Mara stared at the phone.
“Boston.”
“More specifically.”
She frowned.
“A charity auction.”
Dominic remembered it perfectly.
Mara had been arguing with an auction coordinator because a donated painting had been mislabeled.
Dominic had watched her for ten minutes before introducing himself.
She hadn't known who he was.
At least that was what he'd believed.
The voice continued.
“Who invited you, Mara?”
“My mother.”
Mara stopped.
Her mother had insisted she attend.
Dominic looked at her.
“Where is she now?”
“Florida.”
The man laughed again.
“No.”
The call ended.
Mara immediately dialed her mother.
No answer.
Again.
Nothing.
Dominic called Marco.
“Find Evelyn Bennett.”
They returned home before sunrise.
Neither slept.
Mara sat at the kitchen island staring at old photographs.
Her mother had always been private.
Evelyn Bennett worked as a bookkeeper when Mara was a child.
Or claimed she did.
Mara searched through old messages.
Then found something.
The invitation to the Boston auction.
Her mother had forwarded it personally.
You should go. You might meet someone interesting.
Mara had laughed at the time.
Now she felt cold.
Dominic sat beside her.
“Whatever this is, it doesn't change us.”
“What if I was sent to meet you?”
“You didn't know.”
“How can you be sure?”
He looked at her.
“Because our first conversation lasted twenty minutes and you spent eighteen of them telling me I was standing in your way.”
She almost smiled.
“You were.”
“I know.”
“You thought I was rude.”
“I thought I was going to marry you.”
Mara stared.
“After twenty minutes?”
“Twelve.”
She laughed despite herself.
Dominic touched her cheek.
“That wasn't arranged.”
Marco called.
They found Evelyn.
Not in Florida.
In New York.
She was waiting at a small apartment owned under another name.
Mara and Dominic went together.
Evelyn opened the door before they knocked.
She looked at her daughter.
“You found out.”
Mara's throat tightened.
“Found out what?”
Evelyn let them inside.
On the table sat a box.
She opened it.
Inside were documents belonging to Vittorio Serrano.
Dominic stared.
“How did you get these?”
“Your father gave them to me.”
Mara looked between them.
“You knew his father?”
Evelyn nodded.
“I worked for him.”
Mara sat slowly.
“You told me you were a bookkeeper.”
“I was.”
“For the Serranos?”
“Yes.”
Mara felt betrayed.
“All these years?”
“I left before you were born.”
“Why send me to that auction?”
Evelyn closed her eyes.
“Because Vittorio asked me to.”
Dominic frowned.
“He was dead.”
“He wrote instructions before his death.”
“What instructions?”
Evelyn handed Dominic a letter.
If my son ever succeeds in leaving the organization behind, introduce him to a life that has nothing to do with us.
Dominic read it twice.
Mara stared.
“My mother introduced us because your dead father wanted you to meet normal people?”
Evelyn almost smiled.
“Not specifically you.”
That mattered.
“The auction invitation went to dozens of people connected to charities Vittorio trusted. I encouraged you to attend because you'd spent months hiding after your engagement ended.”
Mara looked embarrassed.
Dominic glanced at her.
“Engagement?”
“Not important.”
“We've been married almost five years.”
“And now is when you're jealous?”
“Yes.”
She almost laughed.
Evelyn continued.
“I knew Dominic might attend. I did not know you would meet. I certainly didn't expect you to marry.”
Mara exhaled.
“So our marriage wasn't arranged.”
“No.”
Dominic squeezed her hand.
“But someone knows about this,” Evelyn said.
“Who?”
“Antonio knew part of it. Celeste knew about the trust.”
“And the man on your phone?”
Evelyn went pale.
“What man?”
Dominic played the recording.
She listened.
Then whispered one name.
“Gabriel.”
Dominic frowned.
“Who is Gabriel?”
Evelyn looked at him.
“Your father's former attorney.”
“He died.”
“No.”
Of course he hadn't.
At this point, Dominic was becoming tired of supposedly dead men.
Evelyn opened another compartment in the box.
“The trust wasn't created to enrich Mara.”
“Then why?”
“To protect her.”
Mara stared.
“From what?”
“From anyone trying to use Dominic's marriage to regain control of the organization.”
Evelyn explained.
Vittorio had known Dominic would eventually dismantle the criminal side.
He also knew resistance would come from within the family.
So he placed enough assets outside traditional Serrano control that Dominic's future spouse would have independent voting power.
Not because he knew Mara.
Because he knew his son.
“He believed the person Dominic loved would be the one person the old family couldn't control,” Evelyn said.
Mara felt tears gathering.
For months she had been told she was Dominic's weakness.
Vittorio had designed the trust because he believed love might become Dominic's strength.
Dominic read the letter silently.
Then Mara noticed another envelope.
Her name was on it.
She opened it.
Inside was a legal document.
An amendment to the trust.
Mara read it.
Then read it again.
“What?”
Dominic asked.
She handed it to him.
The forty-two percent did not transfer automatically on their fifth anniversary.
Mara had to choose to accept it.
If she refused, the assets would transfer to a foundation.
Celeste's entire scheme had been unnecessary.
Mara laughed bitterly.
“She never even asked.”
“No.”
“I would have refused.”
Dominic looked at her.
“Don't decide yet.”
“I don't want your family's money.”
“It isn't their money.”
“What?”
He turned the document.
“Look.”
The assets had been separated from criminal holdings decades earlier.
Hotels.
Land.
Investment funds.
Legitimate businesses.
Vittorio had cleaned them before establishing the trust.
Evelyn said, “He wanted the money used differently.”
Mara looked at Dominic.
“For what?”
“You decide.”
Her phone rang.
Celeste.
Mara hesitated.
Then answered.
Celeste was crying.
“Mara.”
“What happened?”
“He has Bianca.”
“Who?”
“Gabriel.”
Dominic took the phone.
“Where?”
“I don't know. She called me screaming.”
“Why would Gabriel take Bianca?”
“Because she found something in Antonio's files.”
“What?”
Celeste sobbed.
“A list.”
Dominic's expression changed.
“What list?”
“Everyone who helped kill your father.”
Silence.
Celeste continued.
“My name is on it.”
Dominic stared at the phone.
“You were twenty-six.”
“I didn't know they were going to kill him.”
“What did you do?”
“I gave Antonio his location.”
Dominic went completely still.
Mara reached for him.
Celeste cried harder.
“I thought they were going to stop him from meeting federal agents. I swear.”
Dominic could barely speak.
“You betrayed him.”
“Yes.”
“Why tell me now?”
“Because Gabriel has the original evidence.”
“And Bianca?”
“He says he'll kill her unless I bring him Mara.”
Mara froze.
Dominic's face hardened.
“No.”
Celeste whispered, “I'm sorry.”
Then the apartment door exploded inward.
Dominic pulled Mara behind him.
Marco reached for his weapon.
A figure stood in the hallway.
Celeste.
Blood covered her sleeve.
She held a phone in one trembling hand.
“He followed me.”
May you like
Behind her, the elevator doors opened.
And someone stepped out.
