Chapter 12 - MARA WAS ALWAYS PART OF THE PLAN
Mara felt physically sick.
Bryce had met her eight years earlier.
They married after six months.
He had seemed charming.
Protective.
Hungry for a better life.
Now she saw another possibility.
Victor had been using ordinary people to build leverage around Cross Freight.
Bryce had targeted Mara because her late father had worked as an auditor for a shipping subcontractor.
Mara had inherited boxes of his files after his death.
Files she never opened.
Damon stared.
“Where are they?”
“Storage unit.”
They drove there immediately.
The lock had been cut.
Half the boxes were gone.
One remained.
Inside was Mara’s father’s notebook.
He had discovered falsified cargo records tied to Victor.
And one note appeared repeatedly.
L.C.
Lucas Cross.
Damon turned on his brother.
“You said you were helping Elise.”
“I was.”
“Then explain this.”
Lucas looked at the notebook.
His face drained.
“That isn’t me.”
“Your initials.”
“L.C. wasn’t a person.”
Mara frowned.
Lucas pointed to an old shipping code.
“Louisiana Consolidated.”
A shell company.
Owned by Victor.
Mara exhaled.
Damon lowered his fist.
Then they heard tires outside.
Bryce.
He had followed them.
Mara walked toward him.
Bryce looked desperate now.
Not polished.
Not smug.
“Give me the notebook.”
Mara laughed.
“So that’s what you wanted.”
“Mara.”
“You married me because Victor paid you?”
“It wasn’t like that.”
“What was it like?”
“I was supposed to find your father’s files.”
“And Lily?”
Bryce looked away.
That answer destroyed whatever remained.
“She wasn’t part of the plan.”
Mara’s eyes filled.
“She was your daughter.”
“I know.”
“No.”
Mara stepped closer.
“You know her birthday.”
“You know her school.”
“You know the name on the paperwork.”
“That doesn’t make you her father.”
Bryce’s face twisted.
“You think Cross is better?”
“No.”
Mara glanced at Damon.
“He knows he’s dangerous.”
Bryce reached for her.
Damon moved.
Then Bryce pulled a gun.
Everything stopped.
“Notebook.”
Mara held it tighter.
Bryce raised the weapon.
Damon stepped in front of her.
Bryce laughed nervously.
“You’d take a bullet for the nanny?”
Damon said, “Yes.”
Mara looked at him.
Bryce’s hand shook.
Then sirens sounded.
Ruth had called police.
May you like
Bryce panicked.
He fired.
