Chapter 10 - THE SECOND SON
Vincent called Dominic seven times.
No answer.
Marco answered on the eighth.
“Dominic’s alive.”
Vincent nearly collapsed with relief.
“What happened?”
“Shot missed.”
“Who fired?”
“Lauren.”
The word struck harder than expected.
“Why?”
“At Keller.”
Vincent froze.
“Dr. Keller is there?”
“He entered through the service corridor.”
“Where is Lauren?”
“Gone.”
Vincent’s anger flared.
“You let her leave?”
“She chased Keller.”
“Find her.”
“I’m already moving.”
The call ended.
Matteo remained by the monitor.
The message had changed.
SUCCESSOR NODE TWO: SIGNAL LOST.
Not terminated.
Matteo exhaled.
“The system thought Dominic died because his tracker stopped.”
“What tracker?”
Vincent asked.
Matteo looked troubled.
“Black Crown monitors successors.”
“Since when?”
“Probably birth.”
Tessa stared.
“That’s insane.”
“No.”
Vincent said.
“That’s my father.”
He thought of childhood medical exams.
Private doctors.
Security bracelets.
Family signet rings.
All the strange procedures he had accepted because he was a Corvino.
“Where’s mine?”
Matteo shook his head.
“We don’t know.”
Vincent looked down at his body.
The bullet.
Surgery.
Medical devices.
What if the tracker had been damaged?
What if Keller had replaced it?
Vincent suddenly understood why the system activated two days earlier.
“Keller repaired my node.”
Matteo nodded slowly.
“Probably.”
“Why?”
“To make Black Crown recognize you as a successor.”
“But I already was one.”
“Not necessarily.”
Matteo looked at him.
“Salvatore intended Dominic to inherit.”
“You and I may have been excluded.”
“Someone added us.”
“Who?”
“That’s the question.”
Vincent looked toward the door.
“We go back.”
Matteo shook his head.
“Too dangerous.”
Vincent wheeled closer.
“My brother is at that house.”
“So is Keller.”
“Exactly.”
Matteo stepped into his path.
“You still don’t understand what Keller is.”
“Then explain it quickly.”
“He isn’t a therapist.”
“I gathered that.”
“He’s not FBI either.”
“Who is he?”
Matteo looked toward Tessa.
“His real name is Adrian Hayes.”
Tessa frowned.
Vincent’s mind stopped.
“Hayes.”
“Yes.”
“Thomas Hayes’s son.”
Vincent stared.
“Lauren has a brother.”
“Half brother.”
Matteo said.
“Older.”
“Why didn’t she tell me?”
“Same reason everyone keeps secrets from you.”
Vincent’s eyes hardened.
“Careful.”
Matteo almost smiled.
“Because knowledge around your family gets people killed.”
Vincent ignored the provocation.
“Adrian Hayes.”
He thought of Keller’s calm professionalism.
The man encouraging him to fight for every inch of recovery.
The man who knew his pain thresholds.
His medications.
His body.
“How long has he been near me?”
“At least six months.”
“Since the hospital?”
“Possibly before.”
Tessa whispered, “Could he have shot Vincent?”
Matteo shook his head.
“He was in Boston that night.”
“You’re sure?”
“I checked.”
Vincent felt the maze tightening.
Everyone was connected.
Nobody was the shooter.
Everyone had a reason to lie.
“What does Adrian want?”
Matteo answered.
“Black Crown destroyed his family.”
“He wants it erased.”
“Then why activate me?”
“Maybe he needs a successor to open it.”
Vincent understood.
“Only an authenticated heir can dismantle it.”
“Possibly.”
Matteo looked at him.
“Or steal it.”
They returned aboveground through a second exit.
Matteo released Maya with Tessa.
Vincent watched him.
“You’re letting her go.”
“She was never my enemy.”
“You kidnapped her.”
“I needed leverage.”
“That makes you my enemy.”
Matteo considered that.
“Maybe.”
Then he leaned down.
“But not tonight.”
Vincent looked into his eyes.
The resemblance to Salvatore bothered him less now.
Maybe because Matteo’s anger was honest.
Salvatore had hidden his.
“You coming?”
Vincent asked.
“To the mansion?”
“Yes.”
Matteo shook his head.
“Marco would shoot me.”
“Probably.”
“And you?”
Vincent thought.
“Depends what you say.”
Matteo laughed once.
For the first time it sounded almost like Dominic.
“I’ll meet you there.”
The drive back was silent.
Maya rested in the rear seat.
Tessa drove.
Vincent looked out at the city.
At one red light Tessa spoke.
“You okay?”
“No.”
“Good.”
He looked at her.
“Good?”
“I’d worry if you said yes.”
Vincent almost smiled.
Then she said, “Lauren may have saved Dominic.”
“I know.”
“That matters.”
“It doesn’t erase everything else.”
“No.”
Tessa agreed.
“It doesn’t.”
Vincent looked toward her.
“You always insist two things can be true.”
“Usually more.”
“I hate that.”
“I know.”
They reached the mansion at 2:48 a.m.
One window on the east side was broken.
Security vehicles crowded the driveway.
Marco met them at the entrance.
He looked exhausted.
“Dominic?”
Vincent asked.
“Library.”
Vincent moved past him.
Dominic sat on a sofa with a bandage across his temple.
Vincent stopped.
Dominic smiled weakly.
“Miss me?”
Vincent rolled closer.
Without warning he punched Dominic in the shoulder.
Dominic yelped.
“What the hell?”
“That’s for lying about being in New York.”
Dominic’s face changed.
“You know.”
“Yes.”
Vincent looked around.
“Where’s Lauren?”
Marco answered.
“No sign.”
“Keller?”
“Gone too.”
Vincent turned back.
“Tell me about the night I was shot.”
Dominic’s eyes lowered.
Vincent’s voice sharpened.
“Now.”
Dominic inhaled.
“I went to the restaurant because Calder called me.”
“Why?”
“He said someone wanted to discuss buying your share.”
“You already told me that.”
“He said if I came alone, he’d tell me who.”
“And?”
“I met him in the parking structure.”
“You denied being in Chicago.”
“I panicked after you were shot.”
“You left.”
“Yes.”
“You knew I’d think you were involved.”
“Yes.”
Vincent’s anger rose.
“Were you?”
“No.”
“Who did Calder say wanted my shares?”
Dominic hesitated.
“Lauren.”
Vincent went still.
Tessa looked up.
Dominic continued quickly.
“I thought he was lying.”
“Did you ask her?”
“No.”
“Why?”
“Because twenty minutes later you were shot.”
“And I couldn’t exactly accuse your fiancée.”
Vincent stared at him.
“Why did Calder tell you Lauren wanted my shares?”
“I don’t know.”
“Did she?”
A voice answered from the doorway.
“Yes.”
Everyone turned.
Lauren stood there.
Her white blouse was stained with dirt.
Her hair was loose.
A gun hung from one hand.
Marco raised his weapon.
Vincent said, “No.”
Marco lowered it slightly.
Lauren looked directly at Vincent.
“I tried to buy your shares.”
He felt the hurt almost physically.
“Why?”
“Because if I controlled fifty-one percent of Corvino Holdings, I could stop the harbor deal.”
“Why stop it?”
“Because Black Crown is buried underneath it.”
“We know.”
Her eyes moved to Tessa.
Then back.
“You went below.”
“Yes.”
“With Matteo.”
Lauren went pale.
“He has Maya?”
“Had.”
Lauren looked relieved.
Vincent noticed.
Again, two things could be true.
She had lied.
She could still care.
“Where is Adrian?”
he asked.
Lauren’s expression changed.
“You know.”
“Yes.”
“He escaped.”
“Why did you shoot at him?”
“He was going to kill Dominic.”
Dominic looked at her.
“You’re sure?”
“Yes.”
“How?”
“Because he believes every Corvino heir has to die.”
Vincent’s jaw tightened.
“Why?”
“Because our father died trying to destroy Black Crown.”
Vincent frowned.
“You told me your father disappeared.”
Lauren’s eyes filled.
“I lied.”
“Again.”
“Yes.”
“What happened?”
Lauren stepped into the room.
“Salvatore found him.”
Vincent knew before she finished.
“My father killed yours.”
“Yes.”
“And Adrian wants revenge.”
“Not only revenge.”
Lauren looked toward Vincent.
“He believes Black Crown cannot be destroyed while any biological Corvino successor is alive.”
The room went silent.
Dominic whispered, “So he wants all three brothers dead.”
Lauren nodded.
“Vincent.”
“Dominic.”
“And Matteo.”
Vincent thought about the succession rule.
The last survivor gains control.
“But killing two gives the third full access.”
“Yes.”
Lauren said.
“So Adrian has to kill all three almost simultaneously.”
Tessa suddenly stiffened.
“Matteo.”
Vincent turned.
“What?”
“If Adrian attacked here…”
She looked at the clock.
“…and knows Matteo was underground…”
Vincent grabbed his phone.
Matteo did not answer.
Once.
Twice.
Three times.
Then a message appeared.
Not from Matteo.
From Adrian.
A photograph.
Matteo tied to a chair.
Blood at his mouth.
Alive.
Beneath it:
ONE HEIR DOWN.
TWO TO GO.
And another line.
May you like
BRING LAUREN TO WHERE YOUR FATHER DIED.
---
