Chapter 13 - THE SECOND PLAN
Marcus was gone.
The chair where Dante had left him was empty.
The rear service door stood open.
“Lock the estate down,” Raffaele ordered.
Dante grabbed his radio.
Celeste stood.
“He wouldn’t.”
Raffaele turned on her.
“Wouldn’t what?”
She looked terrified.
“Marcus said if the truth ever came out, he had one way to survive.”
“What way?”
“He has files.”
“On me?”
“On everybody.”
Raffaele’s phone rang.
Unknown number.
He answered.
Marcus.
“Put me on speaker.”
Raffaele did.
Marcus’s voice filled the room.
“You all look emotional.”
Dante scanned the house.
“You’re still watching cameras,” he said.
Marcus laughed.
“Smart.”
Raffaele looked toward the ceiling.
The estate security system.
Marcus had helped install upgrades three years ago.
“Where are you?”
“Somewhere you won’t shoot me.”
“I’m not interested in shooting you.”
“Sure.”
Raffaele looked at Celeste.
Marcus continued.
“I uploaded everything.”
“What everything?”
“Company records. Isabella’s accounts. Bribes. Judges. Contractors. Politicians.”
Raffaele’s face hardened.
“Most of that happened before I ran the company.”
“Doesn’t matter. Your name is on the building.”
“What do you want?”
“A car.”
Dante shook his head.
“Bad idea.”
Marcus said, “And five million dollars.”
Raffaele almost laughed.
“You planned to flee with my sister, and now you’re blackmailing me?”
“Plans change.”
Celeste shouted, “Marcus!”
He went silent.
“You were going to leave without me?”
Marcus laughed.
“You really still think this was about love?”
Celeste looked like she had been slapped.
Marcus continued.
“You were useful, Celeste.”
Her face collapsed.
“You said—”
“I said what I needed to say.”
Raffaele watched his sister absorb it.
Twenty years of believing Marcus loved her.
Gone in six seconds.
Marcus spoke again.
“You have thirty minutes.”
Raffaele said, “Or what?”
“I send the files to every federal prosecutor and newspaper in the state.”
“Send them.”
Silence.
Marcus clearly hadn’t expected that.
Raffaele repeated.
“Send everything.”
Celeste stared at him.
Dante did too.
Marcus said, “You’re bluffing.”
“No.”
“You’ll lose your company.”
“Maybe.”
“Your reputation.”
“Maybe.”
“You could go to prison for things Isabella did.”
“Then I’ll deal with it.”
Raffaele looked at Lucy.
“But I’m done protecting lies.”
Marcus breathed heavily.
Then he said something that made Raffaele’s stomach drop.
“Fine.”
A click sounded over the phone.
Then a child screamed upstairs.
“Lucy!”
Raffaele ran.
Dante followed.
They reached Lucy’s room.
Empty.
Window open.
A rope hanging outside.
Raffaele ran to the ledge.
Below, Marcus was crossing the garden with Lucy in his arms.
She was kicking and screaming.
Celeste reached the doorway behind them.
“Oh God.”
Raffaele turned.
For the first time all night, fear replaced anger.
Marcus hadn’t escaped.
May you like
He had gone upstairs.
And now he had Raffaele’s daughter.
