Chapter 9 - THE TRAITOR
Roman found Sophia standing beside the SUV.
He got in without speaking.
Sophia looked at him.
“What happened?”
Roman closed the door.
“My daughter may be alive.”
Sophia’s mouth parted.
He told her everything.
Not elegantly.
Not calmly.
The words came out like broken glass.
When he finished, Sophia was silent.
Then she asked, “Do you believe your mother?”
“I believe she’s terrified.”
“Of your father?”
“He’s dead.”
Sophia gave him a look.
“Are we still trusting funerals?”
Roman actually laughed once.
It was dark and humorless.
“No.”
Marcus drove.
Halfway back to Manhattan, Sophia’s phone rang.
Unknown number.
Roman answered immediately.
“Vincent.”
“Hi, brother.”
Roman’s voice sharpened.
“You knew Evelyn’s daughter lived.”
Silence.
“Answer me.”
“Yes.”
Roman’s hand shook.
“You knew for eleven years?”
“I knew she survived the hospital.”
“Where is she?”
“I don’t know anymore.”
Roman exploded.
“Don’t lie to me!”
Gabriel began crying.
Sophia took the phone.
“Daniel, enough.”
Vincent went quiet.
Sophia’s voice trembled with anger.
“You left me. You knew I was pregnant. You let strangers stalk our baby. Now you’re playing games with Roman’s child?”
“I’m trying to keep all of you alive.”
“Then act like it!”
For several seconds, only road noise came through.
Finally Vincent said, “Roman’s daughter was moved under a new identity. I arranged it. I gave Dad a false location.”
Roman stared.
“You lied to him.”
“Yes.”
“And he believed you?”
“For a while.”
“What changed?”
“A leak.”
“From who?”
Vincent hesitated.
Then said, “Someone inside Roman’s company.”
Roman’s eyes hardened.
“Name.”
“I don’t know.”
“Give me something.”
“The leak has been around since before Evelyn died.”
Marcus glanced into the rearview mirror.
Roman caught it.
So did Sophia.
Roman slowly turned.
“Marcus.”
The guard’s face changed.
“Roman—”
“Pull over.”
Marcus kept driving.
“Pull over.”
“I can explain.”
Roman reached forward.
Marcus suddenly hit the brakes.
Sophia screamed.
The SUV swerved across two lanes.
Roman grabbed the seat.
Marcus pulled a gun.
Not at Roman.
At himself.
“Don’t,” Roman said.
Marcus’s hand shook.
“I never wanted her dead.”
Roman stared.
“Evelyn?”
Marcus’s eyes filled.
“I was supposed to report where she went. That was all.”
Roman’s voice turned ice cold.
“You betrayed me.”
“I was twenty-three. Your father owned my family.”
“Who are you working for now?”
Marcus looked at Gabriel.
Then whispered:
“Your father.”
Roman froze.
“My father is dead.”
Marcus gave a broken laugh.
“No.”
May you like
Then a bullet punched through the windshield.
Marcus’s head snapped back.
