Chapter 10 - ROMAN SURRENDERS
Roman walked down the aisle with his hands visible.
Malcolm held the gun against me.
Trevor lay bleeding near the stage.
“Drop your weapon,” Malcolm said.
Roman placed his gun on the floor.
“Kick it away.”
He did.
I stared at him.
Roman’s face gave away nothing.
Malcolm laughed.
“The Ghost.”
He shook his head.
“All that reputation.”
Roman stopped ten feet away.
“You wanted me.”
“I wanted what should have been mine.”
“Vale Holdings?”
“Everything.”
Malcolm’s voice sharpened.
“I built your father’s empire.”
“You helped him poison it.”
“I made him powerful.”
“And now half your friends are in prison.”
Malcolm’s jaw tightened.
“You always thought you were better than Victor.”
“No.”
Roman looked at me.
“I decided I wanted to be better than him.”
Something in Malcolm snapped.
“You married her.”
Roman looked back.
“Yes.”
“Elias Monroe’s daughter.”
“Yes.”
“Do you understand the insult?”
Roman’s expression went cold.
“To you?”
“Yes!”
Malcolm laughed.
“You married the daughter of the man who nearly destroyed your family.”
Roman spoke softly.
“No.”
He stepped closer.
“I married the woman my family nearly destroyed.”
My eyes burned.
Malcolm pressed the gun harder against me.
“Stop moving.”
Roman stopped.
Behind Malcolm, Trevor shifted.
Barely.
I saw it.
Malcolm didn’t.
Roman did.
His eyes flicked once.
Trevor reached for the fallen curtain rope.
Pulled.
A massive velvet drape dropped from the ceiling.
Malcolm turned.
I drove my elbow into his stomach.
The gun fired.
Roman lunged.
The bullet tore through a theater seat.
Roman slammed Malcolm into the floor.
The gun skidded away.
Trevor kicked it toward me.
I grabbed it.
Malcolm punched Roman.
Roman hit back once.
Hard.
Malcolm collapsed.
Sirens erupted outside.
Marcus and security stormed in.
I dropped the gun.
Roman crossed the distance between us and pulled me into his arms.
“You okay?”
“Yes.”
“You sure?”
“Yes.”
Then Trevor groaned.
I pulled away.
He was pale.
Blood soaked his shirt.
I dropped beside him.
“Trevor.”
He laughed weakly.
“Never thought you’d look worried about me again.”
“Don’t talk.”
He coughed.
“Malcolm lied.”
“What?”
“Your father…”
His eyes fluttered.
“He’s not where Malcolm said.”
“Where is he?”
Trevor struggled to breathe.
“There’s a place.”
“What place?”
“Lake Briar.”
Roman crouched beside me.
Trevor grabbed Roman’s sleeve.
“Cabin seventeen.”
Then he looked at me.
“I’m sorry.”
His grip loosened.
His eyes closed.
“Trevor!”
Paramedics rushed in.
I moved back.
Roman put an arm around me.
Malcolm, handcuffed and furious, was dragged past us.
He looked at me.
Then smiled.
“You think this ends with me?”
Roman turned.
May you like
Malcolm laughed.
“Ask Elias why he never came home.”
