Chapter 6 - The Night Chicago Chose Sides
Mother refused to come.
For exactly four minutes.
Then I showed her Victor's message.
She sat down.
The color drained from her face.
"You knew someone was with Dad."
Mother looked at Ethan.
"You told her?"
"I didn't know who."
I turned back to Mother.
"Who was there?"
Her voice became almost inaudible.
"Vittorio."
Roman stopped moving.
His father.
"You said your father nearly got Roman's father killed."
Mother looked at Mercer.
"Because Victor discovered Vittorio was helping us."
Roman stepped closer.
"My father was with Thomas when he died?"
Mother nodded.
"Why didn't you tell me?"
"Because Vittorio made me promise."
Roman's face became stone.
"Why?"
"He believed Victor had someone inside your family."
"Ethan?"
"No."
Mother looked directly at him.
"Your uncle Salvatore."
Roman cursed softly.
Salvatore DeLuca had been Roman's father's younger brother.
He'd vanished after Vittorio's death.
Everyone assumed he'd fled overseas.
"Where is he?"
Mother shook her head.
"I don't know."
Mercer's phone buzzed.
He read something.
"We have movement at Mercer Vault."
"Victor?" I asked.
"Seven vehicles."
Roman checked his watch.
"Then we go now."
The drive took twenty-three minutes.
It felt like three hours.
Roman sat beside me in the rear seat.
Mother rode in another vehicle with Mercer.
For several minutes neither Roman nor I spoke.
Then I reached for his hand.
I didn't think about it.
I simply did it.
He looked down.
Then at me.
"Your father might have seen mine alive after everyone thought he was gone," I said.
"Possibly."
"You okay?"
"No."
The honesty surprised me.
I squeezed his hand.
He turned it over and threaded his fingers through mine.
For a marriage built on contracts, the gesture felt dangerously real.
"Claire."
"Yes?"
"If this goes badly—"
"Don't."
"I need to say it."
"No."
His eyes hardened.
"You don't get to control everything."
"Neither do you."
For one absurd second we nearly smiled.
Then the vehicle stopped.
Mercer Vault Services occupied an anonymous building near the river.
No sign.
No marble lobby.
Just concrete, steel and cameras.
Victor Rinaldi waited inside.
Silver hair.
Gray suit.
Calm smile.
He looked like someone's wealthy grandfather.
That made him more frightening.
"Claire Bennett."
"DeLuca."
His smile widened.
"That was quick."
Roman stepped beside me.
"You wanted us."
"I wanted Margaret."
Mother entered behind Mercer, who was pretending to be one of Roman's men.
Victor's smile vanished.
"Margaret."
She stared at him.
"Give Claire the records."
He laughed.
"Still giving orders."
"You've taken enough."
Victor looked at me.
"Your mother has always been dramatic."
"My mother has been many things."
Mother flinched.
Victor gestured toward a steel hallway.
"Box 417."
I held up the key.
"Open it."
"You own the account."
"So?"
"Only you can."
Of course.
We followed him.
Roman stayed close.
At the vault door, a scanner read my fingerprint.
Green light.
The lock clicked.
Inside were hundreds of steel boxes.
417 waited near the center.
I inserted the key.
My hand trembled.
Roman covered it briefly with his.
"Steady."
I turned the key.
The box opened.
Inside were three ledgers.
A flash drive.
A sealed envelope.
And an old cassette recorder.
Victor sighed.
"Thomas always loved redundancy."
Mercer's voice crackled in my hidden earpiece.
We have confirmation. Keep him talking.
I lifted the envelope.
"For me?"
Victor said, "Everything Thomas did was for you."
"Then why did you try to steal it?"
"Because your father became sentimental."
Roman stepped closer.
"And you became greedy."
Victor smiled.
"Your father understood me better."
"My father hated you."
"Your father was me."
Roman's jaw tightened.
Victor continued.
"Until he decided he wanted to become respectable."
He looked at me.
"Men like us always want legitimacy when our children become old enough to judge us."
I opened the envelope.
Inside was a notarized statement.
Thomas Bennett.
He described the original laundering scheme.
My accidental signature.
Margaret's cooperation with federal investigators.
And the fact that I had no knowledge of any criminal activity.
Relief hit so hard my knees weakened.
I was clear.
My father had protected me.
I looked at Mother.
Tears filled her eyes.
"He did it."
Victor shrugged.
"For now."
Roman's gaze sharpened.
"What does that mean?"
Victor reached into his jacket.
Roman moved instantly.
But Victor withdrew a phone.
He tapped the screen.
A photograph appeared.
A man tied to a chair.
Older.
Gray hair.
Alive.
Roman stared.
I looked at him.
"Who is that?"
His voice came out rough.
"Salvatore."
Victor's smile returned.
"Your uncle has been my guest for eighteen months."
Roman looked murderous.
Victor continued.
"He can confirm who killed your father."
Mother whispered, "Victor."
"Quiet."
He pressed play on a video.
Salvatore raised his head.
"Roman."
The recording was recent.
"If you're seeing this, Victor finally decided I stopped being useful."
Roman's breathing changed.
Salvatore continued.
"Your father discovered Victor was moving narcotics through Bennett warehouses. Vittorio wanted out."
Victor watched Roman.
Enjoying every second.
Salvatore's voice shook.
"I told Victor where Vittorio would be."
Roman went still.
"I betrayed my brother."
The video ended.
Victor smiled.
"There. Closure."
Roman lunged.
I grabbed his arm.
"Roman."
He stopped because I said his name.
Not because Victor deserved mercy.
Because Roman understood what killing him in front of witnesses would cost.
Victor's eyes narrowed.
Interesting.
He had expected violence.
Roman gave him restraint.
Victor hated it.
I lifted the ledgers.
"You've lost."
"No."
Victor looked at Mother.
"I still have Bennett."
I almost smiled.
"You don't."
"Your mother controls twenty-six percent."
Mother stepped beside me.
"Not anymore."
Victor stared.
Mother removed a document from her handbag.
"I signed my shares into Claire's trust forty minutes ago."
My mouth fell open.
"You what?"
She didn't look at me.
"I should have done it years ago."
Victor's face finally changed.
Rage.
Roman said quietly, "That's seventy-nine percent between us."
Victor looked around.
At me.
At Roman.
At Mother.
At the cameras.
Then he laughed.
"You think corporate votes matter?"
He reached into his coat again.
This time Roman reacted faster.
A weapon appeared.
Mercer shouted.
Men moved.
Everything happened at once.
Roman pushed me behind the vault wall.
A gunshot exploded.
Then another.
Metal rang.
People screamed.
I fell.
Not because I'd been hit.
Because Roman had shoved me down.
I looked up.
He remained standing.
For one second.
Then his face changed.
His hand moved toward his abdomen.
Blood appeared between his fingers.
"Roman?"
May you like
He looked at me.
Then collapsed.
