Chapter 2 - The Man Who Ran First
Damian saw Victor move.
His hand disappeared beneath his black jacket.
Tessa stopped breathing.
“Damian—”
Victor pulled something out.
Nico’s name flashed across the screen of his phone.
Victor stared at it, then at Damian.
“Boss.”
Damian’s hand remained near his own weapon.
“Put it down.”
“It’s Nico.”
“Put it down.”
Victor slowly lowered the phone onto the marble.
No one moved.
Smoke continued pouring from the SUV behind them.
Fire alarms screamed through the hotel.
Victor raised both hands.
“Someone’s playing with us.”
Damian’s face showed nothing.
“That usually becomes obvious before a car explodes.”
Victor looked at Tessa.
“What did she tell you?”
Tessa held his stare.
“Enough.”
“You don’t know anything.”
“I know the caller said your name.”
Nico’s phone continued ringing from the marble.
Victor glanced at it.
Damian noticed.
“So did you.”
Victor shook his head.
“This is what they want. They want you looking at us instead of whoever planted the bomb.”
Tessa said, “The man who planted it wanted me to stop Damian.”
Victor looked at her sharply.
“Then maybe he’s your friend.”
Damian’s eyes hardened.
“That’s enough.”
Sirens approached from the street.
Victor took one step back.
“We need to leave.”
“In what?”
“There are backup vehicles underground.”
Tessa’s stomach tightened.
“No.”
Victor laughed without humor.
“Again with the valet orders?”
“The garage could be compromised.”
“We can’t stay outside.”
“She’s right,” Damian said.
Victor looked stunned.
It was small.
A twitch.
But Tessa saw it.
Damian saw her see it.
He turned toward the hotel.
“Inside. Private conference room. Nico finds the suspect. Nobody leaves the building.”
Victor stared at him.
“You want to lock yourself inside a hotel after an assassination attempt?”
“I want to know who knew my schedule.”
Damian began walking.
Tessa remained still.
He looked back.
“You’re coming.”
Her eyebrows lifted.
“I’m what?”
“You saw the bomber.”
“I’m an employee.”
“You’re a witness.”
“I have a job.”
Damian glanced toward the flaming remains of his SUV.
“You just saved my life. I think your manager will excuse you.”
He walked inside.
Tessa looked at Victor.
Victor stared back.
The message on her phone seemed to burn through her pocket.
DON’T TRUST THE MAN WHO RUNS FIRST.
But Victor had not run first.
Nico had.
Unless the words meant something else.
Tessa followed Damian.
The Bellmont’s private conference floor occupied the third level of the east wing.
Within ten minutes, police had sealed the entrance.
Fire crews flooded the driveway.
Guests were evacuated through the west lobby.
Damian refused to speak to officers until his attorney arrived.
Tessa sat at one end of a long walnut table while an emergency technician wrapped her shoulder.
“You should get imaging done.”
“I’m fine.”
“You might have a fracture.”
“I can move it.”
“That doesn’t mean—”
“I’ll go later.”
Across the room, Damian stood at the window.
Nico had not returned.
Victor paced near the door.
Elias had been taken to the hospital with a broken wrist and possible concussion.
Tessa looked at Damian.
“Your other guard.”
He turned.
“Elias?”
“Yes.”
“What about him?”
“Was he supposed to be outside when you left?”
Damian’s gaze sharpened.
“All three were.”
“And they knew what time?”
“All three.”
“Who else?”
“My driver.”
“Where is he?”
Damian looked at Victor.
Victor stopped pacing.
“He called in sick this morning.”
Tessa sat straighter.
Damian’s expression darkened.
“He what?”
Victor hesitated.
“Food poisoning.”
“You didn’t tell me.”
“It wasn’t important.”
“My armored vehicle explodes and the man who normally drives it happens to call in sick.”
Victor looked toward the floor.
“When you say it like that—”
“How else would you like me to say it?”
Tessa interrupted before Damian’s anger escalated.
“What’s the driver’s name?”
“Marco Silas.”
“Call him.”
Victor pulled out his phone.
No answer.
Again.
No answer.
Third time.
Voicemail.
Damian spoke without looking at Victor.
“Find him.”
Victor nodded and left the conference room.
Tessa watched the door close.
“Do you trust him?”
Damian looked at her.
“Victor?”
“Yes.”
“He has worked for me eleven years.”
“That wasn’t my question.”
Damian studied her.
“You ask dangerous questions.”
“Today seems like a dangerous day.”
For the second time, something almost amused crossed his face.
Then vanished.
“My father trusted Victor.”
“Is that supposed to reassure me?”
“No.”
Damian walked to the table and sat across from her.
“What did the caller say exactly?”
“Just his name.”
“Nothing else?”
“No.”
“And the message?”
Tessa showed him.
DON’T TRUST THE MAN WHO RUNS FIRST.
Then the photograph.
THE CAR WAS ONLY THE WARNING.
Damian stared at both.
“Send these to Nico.”
Tessa did not move.
“What?”
“The message says don’t trust the man who runs first.”
“Nico ran after the bomber because you ordered him to.”
“I know.”
“Then why would the sender phrase it that way?”
Damian leaned back.
“You think it refers to someone else.”
“I don’t know.”
“Who ran first when the explosion happened?”
Tessa remembered.
The blast.
Bodies falling.
Damian on one knee.
Nico moving toward him.
Victor farther back.
Elias striking the column.
No.
That was after.
Before the blast…
Tessa closed her eyes.
The parking lights flashed.
She shouted.
Damian turned.
Nico lunged.
Victor—
Victor had already started moving.
Away from the SUV.
Half a second before the explosion.
Tessa opened her eyes.
“Victor.”
Damian did not react.
She continued.
“Before the blast. I think Victor moved first.”
“Think?”
“I wasn’t watching him.”
“You’re sure enough to accuse him?”
“No.”
“Good.”
The coldness in his voice irritated her.
“You asked.”
“I did.”
“And I answered.”
Damian leaned closer.
“In my world, an accusation can get someone killed.”
“In mine, pretending you didn’t notice something can do the same thing.”
Silence settled between them.
Finally Damian said, “That may be the first sensible thing anyone has said to me today.”
A knock came at the door.
Damian’s attorney entered with two private investigators.
Behind them came a hotel security officer.
“Mr. Vale, police need a formal statement.”
“They can wait.”
The security officer looked at Tessa.
“Ms. Reed, your manager is asking for you.”
Damian stood.
“She stays.”
The officer blinked.
“I’m sorry?”
“She’s a witness.”
Tessa spoke.
“I can speak for myself.”
Damian looked at her.
She returned the look.
“I’m staying.”
The officer nodded and left.
One of the investigators placed a tablet on the table.
“We pulled hotel cameras.”
Tessa leaned forward.
“Did you get the man under the SUV?”
The investigator’s expression turned strange.
“No.”
“Why?”
“Camera seventeen went offline at 3:58.”
“When did Damian arrive?”
“3:41.”
“And the explosion?”
“4:17.”
Damian’s eyes narrowed.
“Which camera covers the SUV?”
“Seventeen.”
Tessa asked, “Any other angles?”
“Camera eleven catches part of the driveway.”
He tapped the screen.
A grainy image appeared.
The SUV.
Bell staff moving.
Guests arriving.
Then at 4:03, a figure in a maintenance jacket crossed the edge of the frame.
Face hidden.
At 4:09, he returned.
At 4:11, Tessa appeared.
She stopped.
Looked toward the SUV.
The figure emerged.
Looked at her.
Raised one finger.
Left.
Damian watched without blinking.
“There.”
Tessa pointed.
“Zoom in.”
The investigator did.
The image pixelated.
The man’s face remained unclear.
But something on his wrist became visible.
A tattoo.
A small black circle intersected by three lines.
Damian’s face changed.
“What?”
Tessa looked at him.
He stared at the tattoo.
“Nothing.”
“That was not nothing.”
Damian stood.
The attorney said, “Damian.”
“Leave us.”
“Not wise.”
“Now.”
Everyone except Tessa left.
Damian locked the door.
“What is that symbol?”
He walked back toward the screen.
“My father used it.”
Tessa stared.
“For what?”
Damian looked at her.
“A security division.”
“What kind?”
“The kind that never existed on paper.”
“Your father had a secret security unit?”
Damian’s jaw tightened.
“My father had many things.”
“Is he alive?”
“No.”
“How long?”
“Six years.”
“And the unit?”
“Disbanded after his death.”
Tessa looked at the tattoo again.
“Apparently not.”
Damian turned away.
Tessa watched him.
For the first time since she met him, he did not look powerful.
He looked haunted.
“My father trusted six men with that mark.”
“Victor?”
“No.”
“Nico?”
“No.”
“Elias?”
“No.”
“Marco?”
“No.”
“Then who?”
Damian hesitated.
“Five are dead.”
“And the sixth?”
Damian looked toward the window.
“I killed him.”
Tessa stared.
Before she could answer, Damian’s phone rang.
Victor.
Damian answered on speaker.
“Talk.”
Victor’s breathing came hard.
“We found Marco.”
“Where?”
“His apartment.”
“And?”
Silence.
Then Victor said, “He’s dead.”
Tessa felt cold.
“How?”
Damian asked.
“Gunshot.”
“When?”
“Coroner says maybe this morning.”
Damian’s eyes met Tessa’s.
Victor continued.
“And boss…”
“What?”
“There’s something written on the wall.”
“What does it say?”
Another pause.
Victor lowered his voice.
“ASK DAMIAN WHO SURVIVED THE FIRE.”
The call ended.
Tessa looked at Damian.
“What fire?”
Damian did not answer.
His phone vibrated again.
A video file arrived from an unknown number.
He opened it.
A dark room appeared.
A man sat tied to a chair.
Nico.
Blood ran from his forehead.
Someone stood behind him wearing a gray maintenance jacket.
The camera moved closer.
The stranger leaned beside Nico’s ear.
Then looked directly into the lens.
His face was finally visible.
Damian stopped breathing.
Tessa whispered, “You know him.”
Damian’s voice barely came out.
“He died six years ago.”
On the screen, the man smiled.
May you like
Then he spoke.
“Hello, brother.”
