Chapter 8 - THE SECOND VIVIEN
Tony moved first.
He hit the lights.
Darkness swallowed the room.
The gun fired.
Glass exploded behind me.
I grabbed Emma and dropped.
Elena crawled toward us.
Another shot.
Tony tackled the woman near the hidden doorway.
The gun slid across the floor.
Vivien kicked it away.
Lights came back.
Tony pinned the attacker down.
Her blond wig had come loose.
Underneath was short dark hair.
Vivien stared at her.
“Claire.”
The woman laughed.
“Hello, sister.”
I looked from one to the other.
“Sister?”
Vivien’s face had gone white.
“Half-sister.”
Claire spat blood from a split lip.
“Our father collects families.”
Marco.
Of course.
I took the gun.
“Why are you in my house?”
Claire smiled at me.
“Because your fiancée got sentimental.”
Vivien said, “Shut up.”
“Oh, she didn’t tell you?”
Claire looked delighted.
“Vivien was supposed to finish the job weeks ago. Instead she kept delaying.”
I looked at Vivien.
Claire continued.
“She loves you.”
Vivien closed her eyes.
Claire laughed.
“Embarrassing, right?”
I wanted to ignore it.
Couldn’t.
“Where’s Marco?”
Claire’s smile disappeared.
“Dead if Luca did what he promised.”
Elena stepped forward.
“Where is Luca?”
Claire looked at Emma.
Then at Elena.
“You really don’t know.”
“Know what?”
“He’s been inside Ravenwood for months.”
Tony pulled Claire up.
“Where?”
Claire nodded toward the hidden passage.
“The walls.”
That explained the room.
The photos.
Emma seeing him.
I felt sick.
“You all turned my house into a damn train station.”
Claire smiled.
“Your father built the tunnels for exactly this reason.”
Vivien looked at me.
“Dominic, Marco isn’t the biggest problem.”
“Everyone keeps saying that.”
“Because it’s true.”
“Then say the name.”
She hesitated.
Tony tightened his grip on Claire.
Vivien whispered, “Senator Harlan.”
I knew him.
Everyone did.
Presidential ambitions.
Clean smile.
Three terms in Washington.
A regular guest at my father’s Christmas parties.
“What about him?”
“Your father’s network belonged to Harlan.”
I stared.
“The offshore accounts?”
“Political protection money. Blackmail. Judges. Contracts. Elections.”
Claire laughed.
“Welcome to the grown-up table.”
I ignored her.
“Why does Harlan care about my wedding?”
Vivien answered.
“Because marriage gives me legal standing. Once you’re incapacitated, I control your companies.”
“And Harlan controls you.”
“My father thought so.”
“Thought?”
Vivien looked at Claire.
“My father never realized Claire was working directly for Harlan.”
Claire stopped smiling.
There.
The real fracture.
Tony shoved her into a chair.
“Where is Harlan now?”
Claire said nothing.
Emma tugged Elena’s sleeve.
“Mommy.”
“What, baby?”
“The nice old man is here.”
Every adult turned.
“What old man?”
“The one with white hair.”
My stomach dropped.
Harlan had white hair.
“Where did you see him?”
Emma pointed toward the hallway.
“He gave me candy.”
Tony ran to the security monitor.
The front gate camera showed six black SUVs.
Men in suits.
Then Senator William Harlan stepped out of the lead vehicle.
He looked directly into the camera.
And smiled.
My phone rang.
Unknown number.
I answered.
“Dominic,” Harlan said warmly. “I believe we should discuss your wedding.”
May you like
Outside, more men poured from the SUVs.
Then the estate gates opened by themselves.
