Chapter 9 - The West Gate Betrayal
Victor answered.
No voice.
Only a recording.
Antonio Romano spoke from beyond the grave.
“If you’re hearing this, Salvatore’s network survived us.”
Victor closed his eyes briefly.
The recording continued.
“The person leading it will carry my name because that is how Salvatore planned to control my family after I was gone.”
Harper looked at Isabella.
Victor whispered, “What does that mean?”
Isabella went pale.
Thomas knew.
“Antonio had a brother.”
Victor turned.
“My uncle died before I was born.”
“No,” Isabella said.
“He disappeared.”
The name was Luca Romano.
Antonio’s younger half-brother.
Resentful.
Ambitious.
And erased from the family after Antonio discovered Luca had partnered with Salvatore.
Arthur had never been the mastermind.
He had inherited his father’s position beneath Luca.
The recording ended with coordinates.
Victor recognized them.
An abandoned Romano shipping terminal in Brooklyn.
Thomas said, “That’s where Evelyn’s daughter is.”
Harper looked at Victor.
“And probably Arthur.”
Victor wanted Harper to remain behind.
She refused.
“You’re not a soldier.”
“No.”
“You could get killed.”
“So could you.”
“That’s different.”
“Only to you.”
Victor stared at her.
Harper stepped closer.
“Evelyn’s daughter is there because Evelyn failed to kill you. If we leave that child there, we become exactly what these people think we are.”
Victor’s expression changed.
“Us?”
Harper realized what she had said.
She did not correct it.
They went.
At the terminal, Victor’s team found three guards unconscious.
Someone had arrived first.
Inside a warehouse, Arthur Rossi was tied to a chair.
Evelyn’s daughter sat nearby unharmed.
Arthur looked at Victor.
“You finally figured it out.”
“Where’s Luca?”
Arthur laughed bitterly.
“You still think you’re hunting him.”
Victor approached.
“Aren’t I?”
“No.”
Arthur looked at Harper.
“He’s hunting her.”
Harper’s blood chilled.
“Why?”
“Because Thomas didn’t just copy the accounts.”
Arthur smiled.
“He hid the access key.”
Thomas stepped forward.
“I destroyed it.”
“No.”
Arthur shook his head.
“You gave it to your daughter.”
Harper stared at her father.
Thomas said nothing.
“Dad?”
Arthur laughed.
“She doesn’t know.”
Harper’s voice shook.
“Know what?”
Thomas finally looked at her.
“The key isn’t an object.”
Arthur’s smile widened.
“It’s something you’ve known since childhood.”
Harper remembered her father teaching her strange strings of numbers.
Games.
Memory exercises.
License plates.
Phone numbers.
Dates.
That was why she remembered everything.
He had trained her.
Without telling her why.
Thomas whispered, “I needed someone who could carry information nobody could steal.”
Harper stepped away.
“You used me.”
“To keep you alive.”
“You keep saying that.”
Arthur suddenly looked toward the warehouse doors.
His face lost all color.
“He’s here.”
The lights shut off.
A single spotlight came on above Harper.
May you like
Then a man’s voice filled the warehouse.
“Hello, little accountant.”
