Chapter 5 - The Night Claire Never Told Him About
Dominic didn't ask the question immediately.
That frightened Claire more.
They returned to the townhouse.
Rachel stayed with Marco.
Claire followed Dominic into his study.
He closed the door.
"What happened?"
Claire stared at the floor.
"Five years ago?"
"Yes."
"You won't like it."
"I haven't liked anything I've learned tonight."
Claire finally looked at him.
"We met before."
"I know."
"No."
She swallowed.
"Not the courthouse."
Dominic frowned.
Claire continued.
"Three weeks later."
A memory surfaced.
A charity gala.
Too much champagne.
A woman with brown hair.
They had spoken on a balcony.
Dominic remembered her face only vaguely because she had used another name.
"Anna."
Claire nodded.
"You told me your name was Anna."
"I was investigating you."
Dominic's expression hardened.
"You slept with me for information?"
"No."
"Then why?"
Claire looked ashamed.
"I didn't plan it."
That night had been strange.
Two lonely people.
One conversation.
One mistake that didn't feel like a mistake until morning.
Claire disappeared before Dominic woke.
He never saw "Anna" again.
Months later, she discovered she was pregnant.
By then she had uncovered Salvatore's network.
She believed Dominic was part of it.
"So you thought I was dangerous."
"I knew you were dangerous."
"There's a difference."
"Not when you're pregnant."
Dominic turned away.
"You should've told me."
"I know."
"No. You don't."
His voice broke slightly.
"I missed five years."
Claire's eyes filled.
"I know."
"Her first word."
"I know."
"First steps."
"I know."
"Birthdays."
"I know."
"Stop saying that."
Claire fell silent.
Dominic put both hands on his desk.
He had spent his life accumulating things men considered valuable.
Buildings.
Money.
Power.
Influence.
None could purchase five lost years.
Then he saw Lily's pink drawing lying on his desk.
She had made it earlier.
Three stick figures.
One labeled MOMMY.
One labeled LILY.
The third wore a black suit.
DOMINIC.
He stared at it.
Claire saw.
"She likes you."
"She doesn't know me."
"She wants to."
Dominic looked at her.
"Do you?"
Claire couldn't answer.
His phone rang.
Marco.
"We found the account."
The encrypted ledger.
Rachel had provided enough information.
But they needed Claire's password.
They opened the account.
Thousands of files appeared.
Payments.
Judges.
Police officers.
Politicians.
Salvatore's entire hidden empire.
Dominic understood why his father wanted it destroyed.
Claire whispered:
"This could put him away forever."
"If we survive tonight."
Dominic copied everything.
Multiple drives.
Multiple secure servers.
Then he sent a package to a federal prosecutor through an attorney he trusted.
Claire stared.
"What are you doing?"
"Making sure killing us won't bury the truth."
At 11:40 p.m., Dominic headed for Pier Seventeen.
Claire insisted on coming.
"No."
"She's my daughter."
"She's mine too."
The words stopped both of them.
Dominic had never said it aloud before.
Claire nodded.
"Exactly."
They went together.
Pier Seventeen was nearly empty.
Salvatore's instructions demanded Dominic arrive alone.
Dominic had never been good at following instructions.
His people remained hidden several blocks away.
Claire wore a concealed transmitter.
Dominic carried the encrypted drive.
At midnight precisely, headlights appeared.
A black sedan stopped.
Raymond Shaw stepped out.
Then Salvatore.
Then Lily.
Claire almost ran forward.
Dominic stopped her.
Lily saw them.
"Mommy!"
Claire's entire body shook.
Dominic stared at his father.
Salvatore looked older but unmistakable.
"Hello, son."
"You've got ten seconds to release her."
Salvatore smiled.
"Still impatient."
"Nine."
"Give Raymond the drive."
"Release Lily."
"Drive first."
Dominic held it up.
"You know me better than that."
Salvatore looked amused.
"I used to."
Dominic stepped closer.
"You don't know anything about me."
"I created you."
"No."
Dominic's voice remained calm.
"You created the reason I spent twelve years becoming someone different from you."
Salvatore's smile disappeared.
Lily looked between them.
"Dominic?"
His expression softened instantly.
"I'm here, sweetheart."
Claire heard it.
So did Salvatore.
Something changed.
Salvatore finally understood that Dominic already knew.
"Ah."
He looked at Claire.
"So you told him."
Dominic's eyes hardened.
"Give me my daughter."
Salvatore placed a hand on Lily's shoulder.
Dominic's entire body tensed.
Salvatore noticed.
"Interesting."
"Remove your hand."
"Or what?"
Dominic stepped forward.
"Find out."
Raymond reached inside his jacket.
Dominic's hidden men moved into position.
Then sirens sounded.
Not Dominic's doing.
Federal vehicles flooded both entrances.
Salvatore turned.
Claire smiled faintly.
"The files were already sent."
Salvatore's face transformed.
Raymond panicked.
He grabbed Lily.
Dominic moved.
Fast.
Lily screamed.
Claire ran forward.
Dominic struck Raymond's arm away and pulled Lily against himself.
Gunshots echoed from somewhere behind the vehicles.
Dominic covered Lily with his body.
Agents rushed in.
Raymond fell.
Salvatore ran toward the pier.
Marco intercepted him.
Within seconds, it was over.
Claire reached Dominic.
"Lily!"
"I'm okay, Mommy."
Claire grabbed her.
Then grabbed Dominic too.
For one strange second, the three of them stood together.
Family.
Not repaired.
Not yet.
But alive.
Federal agents arrested Salvatore.
Raymond survived.
The ledger was secure.
Dominic believed the nightmare might finally be ending.
Then one agent approached.
"Mr. Moretti?"
Dominic turned.
"We searched your father's vehicle."
"And?"
The agent held up another brown envelope.
"There's something inside addressed to Lily."
Claire froze.
Dominic opened it.
Inside was a birth certificate.
He read it.
Then read it again.
Claire whispered:
"What?"
May you like
Dominic lifted his eyes.
"The father's name isn't mine."
