Chapter 7 - Pier Nine
Cole finally told the truth.
Vincent’s father had not died peacefully in his sleep.
He had been killed.
Cole had found him at Pier Nine twelve years earlier.
Before dying, Antonio Marchetti made Cole promise to tell Vincent it was a heart attack.
“Why?”
Vincent asked.
“Because you were twenty-six and ready to start a war.”
“I deserved the truth.”
“Yes.”
Cole’s voice broke.
“But your father believed the truth would get you killed.”
Vincent punched him.
Cole hit the floor.
Nobody intervened.
Vincent turned away.
“I trusted you.”
“I know.”
“Get out.”
Cole rose slowly.
“Vincent—”
“Before I forget what my father saw in you.”
Cole left.
At 11:40 p.m., Vincent prepared for Pier Nine.
Alina stood in front of his car.
“You’re not going without me.”
“Yes.”
“They asked for me.”
“That’s why you’re staying.”
“Daniel is Mia’s father.”
“And Mia needs one parent who isn’t tied to a chair.”
Alina glared at him.
“You don’t decide that.”
Vincent stepped closer.
“No. But I decide whether I deliver you to Samuel.”
“You’d risk Daniel?”
“I’ll bring him back.”
“How can you promise that?”
“I can’t.”
The honesty silenced her.
Vincent looked toward the mansion.
“I can promise something else.”
“What?”
“If anything happens to me, you and Mia will be protected.”
“I don’t want your protection if it requires you dying.”
The words escaped before she could stop them.
Vincent stared.
So did Alina.
Neither spoke.
Finally he said, “Stay with Mia.”
Vincent went to Pier Nine.
Samuel was not there.
Daniel was.
Tied inside an abandoned warehouse.
A speaker sat beside him.
Samuel’s voice came through it.
“You always were predictable, nephew.”
Vincent freed Daniel.
Then the warehouse doors locked.
Gunmen appeared above them.
Vincent’s team returned fire.
Daniel crawled behind machinery.
A bullet struck Marco’s vest.
Vincent dragged him to cover.
Then the lights died.
In darkness, someone unlocked a side door.
“Move!”
Cole.
Vincent recognized his voice.
Cole had followed them.
He led them through an old drainage passage.
They escaped seconds before the warehouse exploded.
Outside, Vincent grabbed Cole.
“I told you to leave.”
“I’ve disobeyed you once in twelve years.”
“You lied for twelve years.”
“Yes.”
Cole looked toward the flames.
“And I’m going to spend whatever years I have left making that right.”
Vincent released him.
Daniel was alive.
Marco was bruised.
Nobody had died.
But Samuel had achieved something.
He had forced Vincent to reveal which men he still trusted.
Back at the mansion, Alina saw Daniel and ran toward him.
Mia followed.
Daniel fell to his knees.
His daughter wrapped her arms around his neck.
Vincent watched from a distance.
Something painful moved across his face.
Alina noticed.
Later she found him outside.
“You saved him.”
“He saved himself too.”
“Thank you.”
Vincent nodded.
“Why did you never marry?” she asked.
His eyes moved toward her.
“That’s an unusual question.”
“You looked at Mia and Daniel like you were remembering something.”
Vincent was silent.
Finally:
“I was engaged.”
“What happened?”
“She died.”
Alina immediately regretted asking.
“I’m sorry.”
“Her name was Sofia.”
He looked toward the garden.
“She was pregnant.”
Alina’s chest tightened.
“Vincent…”
“Car accident.”
The words struck both of them.
Alina whispered, “Like your mother.”
Vincent went still.
He had never connected them.
Not because he was foolish.
Because grief could hide patterns better than lies.
He called Marco.
“Pull Sofia’s accident file.”
An hour later, they found the report.
Brake failure.
Same manufacturer.
Same mechanic who had signed the inspection of Vincent’s mother’s car twenty-five years earlier.
The mechanic had supposedly died.
But a payment had been made to him three days after Sofia’s death.
From a company owned by Gabriel Voss.
Vincent sat motionless.
Samuel hadn’t only killed his mother.
He had taken Sofia.
And Vincent’s unborn child.
Alina touched his hand.
He did not pull away.
Then Marco entered.
“Boss.”
Vincent looked up.
“We found Samuel.”
“Where?”
Marco placed a surveillance photograph on the desk.
Samuel was entering a private medical facility.
Beside him walked a woman.
Vincent stared at her.
His face lost all color.
Alina looked at the photograph.
“Who is she?”
May you like
Vincent whispered:
“Sofia.”
