Chapter 11 - THE BROTHER WHO CAME BACK WRONG
Mara closed her eyes.
“Danny.”
“I’m sorry.”
“You say that a lot.”
Dominic slowly raised his hands.
“You helped Caleb.”
Daniel’s gun stayed on Mara.
“I owed her that.”
“Then put the gun down.”
“I can’t.”
Mara turned slightly.
Daniel looked exhausted.
Blood soaked through his fresh bandage.
“Why are you doing this?”
“Kane has someone.”
“Who?”
Daniel’s face broke.
“My daughter.”
Mara stared at him.
“You have a daughter?”
“She’s five.”
The anger drained from her.
Daniel swallowed.
“Her name is Lily.”
“Where is she?”
“Kane took her two months ago.”
“Why didn’t you tell me?”
“What was I supposed to say? ‘Hey, little sister, I’m alive, traumatized, and working for the man who murdered our parents’?”
“Yes!”
Daniel laughed bitterly.
“You always were optimistic.”
Mara stepped toward him.
The gun shook.
“Don’t.”
“You won’t shoot me.”
“Anna.”
“You had eight years to become a monster.”
She moved closer.
“But you still saved Caleb.”
Daniel’s eyes filled.
“Stop.”
“You still gave him the key.”
“Stop.”
“You still called me Annie.”
Daniel lowered the gun.
That was when the storage unit exploded.
Dominic grabbed Mara.
Fire blasted through the doorway.
Daniel was thrown backward.
Men stormed in.
Kane’s soldiers.
Dominic fired.
One went down.
Mara dragged Daniel behind a metal cabinet.
“Where’s Dominic?”
“Other side!”
Gunfire echoed.
Daniel handed Mara a second pistol.
“You know how to use one?”
“No.”
“Point. Pull. Try not to shoot me.”
“Great lesson.”
A man rounded the cabinet.
Mara fired.
The shot hit his leg.
He screamed.
Mara stared at the gun.
Daniel shouted, “Celebrate later!”
They ran toward the rear exit.
Dominic appeared through the smoke.
“Move!”
Outside, Kane waited beside a black sedan.
He clapped slowly.
“Anna Vale.”
Mara stopped.
Kane smiled.
“You look like your mother.”
“Go to hell.”
“Your mother said the same thing.”
Daniel raised his gun.
“Where’s Lily?”
Kane looked at him.
“You failed.”
“Where is she?”
Kane smiled.
“Ask Dominic.”
Everyone turned.
Dominic’s face changed.
Mara noticed.
“Dominic?”
Kane laughed.
“Oh, she doesn’t know.”
“Shut up,” Dominic said.
“Know what?”
Mara stepped away from him.
“Dominic?”
Kane spoke softly.
“The Mercer organization has had Daniel’s daughter for three weeks.”
Mara’s stomach dropped.
She looked at Dominic.
“Is that true?”
He said nothing.
“Is it true?”
Dominic’s silence answered.
Daniel pointed the gun at him.
“You son of a bitch.”
Mara stared at Dominic.
“You knew?”
“I found Lily before Kane did.”
“You took her?”
“To protect her.”
“Then why didn’t you tell Daniel?”
“Because I needed to know whether he was working for Kane.”
Daniel laughed in disbelief.
“My daughter was your test?”
Dominic’s voice stayed cold.
“She was safe.”
“You used a five-year-old child!”
Mara slapped Dominic again.
This time harder.
Kane laughed.
“Now this feels like a family gathering.”
Dominic looked at Mara.
“I was going to tell you.”
“When?”
“After I knew the truth.”
“You don’t get to decide when people deserve the truth.”
Kane raised his gun.
“Touching.”
Then he shot Daniel.
Daniel fell.
May you like
Mara screamed.
And Kane aimed the next bullet at Dominic.
