Chapter 3 - The Brother Who Burned
Damian replayed the video three times.
Each time the same thing happened.
Nico struggled against the ropes.
The man behind him leaned into frame.
And Damian Vale’s dead brother smiled at the camera.
“Hello, brother.”
Tessa watched Damian instead of the screen.
His face did not move.
But one hand tightened into a fist.
“His name?”
Damian answered after a long silence.
“Adrian.”
“You said you killed him.”
“I thought I did.”
“That’s not the same thing.”
“No.”
“What happened?”
Damian looked at her.
“You ask questions like you have the right to answers.”
“You brought me into a locked room after someone blew up a car behind me.”
He almost argued.
Then he sat.
“My father built his empire through fear. Adrian wanted it. I didn’t.”
Tessa folded her arms carefully around her injured shoulder.
“You became the boss anyway.”
“Eventually.”
“That skips some important parts.”
Damian looked back at the frozen video.
“My father had a warehouse near the river. Six years ago Adrian discovered he had been negotiating with federal investigators.”
“Your father?”
“Yes.”
“Against his own organization?”
“He wanted immunity for himself.”
Tessa understood.
“He was giving up everyone else.”
“His enemies. His partners. His sons.”
“And Adrian found out.”
“Yes.”
Damian rubbed a thumb across his knuckles.
“He confronted him. I arrived halfway through. Guns came out. Fuel drums were hit. Fire spread.”
“And your brother?”
“He tried to shoot me.”
“So you shot him.”
“Yes.”
“Then?”
“The warehouse collapsed.”
“You saw his body?”
Damian looked at her.
“No.”
“There it is.”
“There what is?”
“The mistake.”
His eyes hardened.
Tessa did not look away.
“My father used to say never assume a danger is gone because you can’t see it anymore.”
“You quote him often.”
“He died teaching me most of the things I know.”
Damian’s expression softened slightly.
“How?”
Tessa looked down.
“Bomb disposal call. Roadside device outside Mosul.”
Damian said nothing.
“He told my mother and me never to build our lives around the worst thing that happened to us.”
“And did you?”
Tessa looked around the luxurious conference room.
“I park cars for rich people who yell at me because their steering wheels are warm.”
Damian almost smiled.
“Fair.”
The video suddenly resumed.
Neither had touched the screen.
Adrian appeared again.
This time the recording was live.
Tessa leaned closer.
Nico remained tied to the chair.
Adrian stood behind him.
“Damian.”
Damian rose.
“Adrian.”
His brother smiled.
“You look older.”
“You look alive.”
“I’ve been told that helps.”
“Where is Nico?”
“Safe enough.”
“You planted the bomb?”
“I planted a warning.”
“That SUV could have killed half the entrance.”
“Not with the charge I used.”
Tessa stepped closer to the tablet.
Adrian noticed her.
His eyes sharpened.
“And there she is.”
Tessa went cold.
“You know me?”
“No.”
“But you knew I’d see you.”
“I hoped you would.”
“Why?”
Adrian smiled.
“You looked like the only person outside who still paid attention to the world.”
Damian’s jaw tightened.
“You chose a valet to save my life.”
“I chose someone you would underestimate.”
Tessa looked at Damian.
He did not appreciate the comment.
Adrian continued.
“The bomb was directional. Rear charge. Timed after your remote unlock request.”
Tessa looked at the key fob.
“You marked it.”
“Yes.”
“Three lines.”
“Old family symbol.”
Damian stepped closer.
“What do you want?”
Adrian’s smile disappeared.
“To keep you alive.”
Damian laughed once.
“You blow up my vehicle to keep me alive.”
“If I wanted you dead, you would be.”
Nico struggled.
Adrian placed one hand on his shoulder.
“Your problem isn’t me.”
“Then let him go.”
“I will.”
“When?”
“When you understand why I took him.”
Damian looked at Nico.
“Is he involved?”
Adrian’s silence answered enough.
Nico shook his head violently.
“Boss, don’t listen—”
Adrian covered his mouth.
“Your security has been breached for months.”
Damian’s eyes narrowed.
“By whom?”
“Ask Victor.”
Tessa looked at Damian.
Victor again.
Adrian continued.
“And ask Elias why he changed hospitals.”
Damian frowned.
“What?”
“The ambulance that took Elias never arrived at Mercy General.”
Damian grabbed his phone.
Before he could call, Victor burst through the conference room door.
Two armed men followed.
Damian turned.
“How did you get in?”
Victor looked at the tablet.
The live feed had ended.
“What is that?”
“Where is Elias?”
Victor stopped.
“He’s at Mercy.”
“No.”
Victor’s face shifted.
“I was told—”
“By whom?”
The two armed men behind Victor looked at each other.
Tessa noticed.
Damian did too.
“Victor.”
His voice became dangerously calm.
“Who told you?”
Victor slowly turned toward the men behind him.
Neither moved.
Then one pulled a pistol.
Everything happened at once.
Damian shoved the table sideways.
Tessa dropped behind it.
Two shots cracked through the room.
Glass shattered.
Victor tackled one gunman.
Damian fired once.
The other man fell.
The first struggled with Victor.
Tessa saw a weapon slide across the floor.
She kicked it beneath the table.
Victor struck the man.
Damian crossed the room and disarmed him.
Silence returned.
Tessa rose slowly.
Victor breathed hard.
“Those were your investigators.”
Damian stared at him.
“No.”
Victor froze.
“They came with your attorney.”
“My attorney didn’t send them.”
Tessa looked toward the door.
“Then who did?”
Damian’s phone rang.
His attorney.
Damian answered.
“Where are you?”
“Outside the hotel.”
“You left?”
“I never entered.”
Damian’s expression changed.
The attorney continued.
“Police blocked access twenty minutes ago.”
Damian looked toward the unconscious gunman.
“Then who came upstairs with the security officer?”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
Damian ended the call.
Tessa’s stomach turned.
“How many people are inside this building?”
Victor checked the hallway.
“Too many.”
“We need to move.”
Damian looked at Tessa.
“You were right.”
“About?”
“The hotel.”
A fire alarm suddenly stopped.
The silence that followed felt worse.
Then the lights went out.
Emergency lamps turned red.
Victor drew his weapon.
Damian took Tessa’s wrist.
“Stay beside me.”
They moved into the hallway.
No staff.
No guests.
Nothing.
Victor whispered, “Service stairs.”
They reached the door.
Locked.
Damian tried the elevator.
Dead.
Tessa looked toward the end of the corridor.
A maintenance door stood slightly open.
“Someone wants us to go that way.”
Victor said, “Then we don’t.”
Tessa’s phone vibrated.
Unknown number.
GO TO ROOM 318.
She showed Damian.
Victor shook his head.
“Trap.”
“Probably,” Tessa said.
Damian looked down the hall.
“Which means someone is waiting.”
They moved toward Room 318.
Every step echoed.
The door stood closed.
Damian raised his weapon.
Victor positioned himself beside the wall.
Tessa stayed behind them.
Damian reached for the handle.
It turned.
Unlocked.
He pushed the door open.
Inside sat Elias.
Alive.
Uninjured.
Not a mark on him.
His broken wrist was perfectly straight.
He looked up at Damian.
Then at Victor.
Then at Tessa.
A pistol rested on the table in front of him.
Beside it lay a photograph of Damian’s father.
May you like
Elias smiled.
“You took longer than Adrian expected.”
