Chapter 10 - THE CHILD IN THE LIBRARY
Dominic wanted to kill every man between him and the estate.
Instead, he did exactly what Nathan asked.
Almost.
He entered alone through the front doors.
His gun rested beneath his coat.
Daniel, Vincent, and Marcus waited beyond the perimeter with teams positioned around the estate.
Dominic crossed the damaged great hall.
“Nathan!”
A speaker clicked.
“Library.”
Dominic walked toward it.
The library door stood open.
Harper sat on a chair beside the fireplace.
She was crying.
Nathan stood behind her.
A pistol rested against the back of the chair.
Not her head.
Not yet.
Dominic’s hands curled.
“Where’s Mia?”
“Safe.”
“Let Harper go.”
Nathan smiled.
“She’s my daughter.”
“You lost the right to call her that.”
Nathan’s smile vanished.
“You think Mia made me the villain.”
“You imprisoned her for three days.”
“She was supposed to stay twelve hours.”
Dominic stared.
Nathan shrugged.
“Claire failed to follow instructions.”
“Everyone fails except you.”
“Exactly.”
Dominic glanced at Harper.
She looked terrified, but she was watching him carefully.
He gave the smallest nod.
She understood.
“Why bring me here?”
Nathan motioned toward the bookcase.
“The bunker.”
“I don’t know how to open it.”
“Your blood does.”
Dominic frowned.
Nathan walked toward an old brass plate beside the fireplace.
Vale family crest.
A tiny needle protruded from the center.
“Your grandfather enjoyed theatrics.”
Dominic pressed his thumb against it.
The needle pierced skin.
Nothing.
Nathan aimed his gun.
“Again.”
Dominic pushed harder.
A mechanical lock clicked behind the bookcase.
Harper jumped.
The entire wall moved.
A steel elevator waited behind it.
Nathan smiled.
“After you.”
They descended.
Harper stood between them.
The elevator opened inside a concrete bunker.
Old filing cabinets lined the walls.
Dust covered everything.
Nathan began opening drawers.
“Where is it?”
“What?”
“The Cross file.”
Dominic leaned against the wall.
“You built seventeen years of your life around a file?”
Nathan slammed a drawer.
“My father was butchered.”
“So you murdered my wife?”
“I told you.”
Nathan spun.
“She wasn’t supposed to die!”
“Who was?”
“You.”
Harper whimpered.
Dominic stepped in front of her.
“Why?”
“Because your father gave the order that killed mine.”
Dominic stared.
“My father?”
“Yes.”
Nathan’s eyes were wet now.
“For years, your father smiled at me while I stood beside you.”
“He knew who you were?”
“No.”
Nathan laughed bitterly.
“That was the beauty of it.”
He finally found a locked drawer.
“Open this.”
Dominic broke the rusted latch with a metal bar.
Inside lay several files.
Nathan grabbed one marked CROSS, EDWARD.
He opened it.
His face changed.
“No.”
Dominic watched him.
Nathan flipped pages faster.
“No.”
“What?”
Nathan dropped the file.
Dominic picked it up.
The first page contained Edward Cross’s confidential informant record.
The second contained a payment authorization.
The third contained a photograph.
Edward Cross shaking hands with Dominic’s father.
Nathan whispered, “Fake.”
Dominic kept reading.
Then he reached the signed statement.
Edward Cross had not been murdered by the Vale family.
He had been killed by the Morettis after refusing to frame Dominic’s father.
Nathan stared at the document.
“My mother told me…”
“Your mother lied.”
Nathan shook his head.
“No.”
Harper whispered from behind Dominic.
“Bad people lie.”
Nathan looked at his daughter.
His face broke.
Then a gunshot thundered from the elevator.
Nathan jerked.
Blood appeared across his shoulder.
Claire stood inside the elevator holding a pistol.
And behind her was Mia.
May you like
“Nathan,” Mia said.
“Step away from our daughter.”
