Chapter 14 - The Last Man Victor Owned
Dominic survived.
Barely.
The attacker was a corrections officer.
His name appeared in Victor’s archive.
One of hundreds.
Victor had built his power like a spiderweb.
Cut the spider out, and the web didn’t disappear.
People were still trapped inside it.
Some were scared.
Some were loyal.
Some simply knew prison was coming and wanted Dominic dead before he testified.
The federal agents moved Marcus and me to a hotel.
“Temporary protection,” they called it.
Nothing about it felt temporary.
Marcus hated the hotel.
“No cereal boxes.”
“We can get cereal boxes.”
“No. Mine.”
I understood.
He wanted home.
So did I.
On the fourth night, I woke to someone touching my arm.
Marcus.
“There’s a man outside.”
I sat up.
“What?”
He pointed toward the door.
“Shoes.”
I heard nothing.
Then I saw a shadow beneath the door.
Someone standing still.
Not walking past.
Waiting.
I grabbed Marcus.
The phone was across the room.
Too far.
The doorknob moved.
Locked.
Then stopped.
A soft electronic beep sounded.
Someone was overriding the hotel lock.
My blood turned cold.
I pulled Marcus into the bathroom.
Locked that door.
Looked around.
No weapon.
Hair dryer.
Towels.
Shampoo bottle.
Great.
The main hotel door opened.
Footsteps.
Slow.
Marcus whispered, “Quiet mouse?”
I held him.
“Quiet mouse.”
The bathroom handle moved.
I raised the hair dryer like an idiot.
The door opened.
A man stepped in.
Dark clothes.
Gloves.
Gun.
He saw us.
“Don’t scream.”
I threw the hair dryer.
He ducked.
I shoved Marcus into the bathtub and lunged.
The man grabbed my throat.
Slammed me against the wall.
Stars exploded in my vision.
“Mommy!”
The gun rose.
Then someone hit the attacker from behind.
Hard.
He collapsed.
A second man stood there.
Tall.
Dark jacket.
I recognized him.
Rafael.
Dominic’s man.
“Move.”
We ran.
Down the emergency stairs.
Into the parking garage.
“Where are the agents?” I asked.
“Compromised.”
“What?”
“Victor owned one of them.”
Of course he did.
Rafael drove us to a private house outside the city.
Dominic was there.
No handcuffs.
Bandage around his head.
I stopped.
“What the hell?”
“Protective cooperation agreement.”
“You’re free?”
“Temporarily.”
I slapped him.
Hard.
Rafael looked away.
Dominic touched his cheek.
“I probably deserved that.”
“You knew we were targets.”
“I knew there was a possibility.”
“A possibility?”
“Elena—”
“My son almost got shot in a hotel bathroom!”
Dominic’s face changed.
He looked at Marcus.
Then at me.
“I’m sorry.”
I wanted to stay angry.
I did.
But he looked exhausted.
Human.
Marcus ran to him.
“You came back!”
Dominic crouched and hugged him.
“I told you I’d try.”
Marcus searched his pockets.
“Truck?”
Dominic pulled out the toy truck.
Marcus smiled.
“You kept it.”
“Every day.”
My anger weakened.
Then Rafael entered.
“We have a problem.”
Dominic stood.
“What?”
“Victor made a deal.”
“With who?”
“Prosecutors.”
Dominic stared.
Rafael continued.
“He’s offering names that weren’t in the archive.”
“For what?”
“Witness protection.”
I laughed.
“You’re kidding.”
“No.”
Dominic’s jaw tightened.
“If Victor disappears into federal protection, we may never find him.”
Rafael shook his head.
“That’s not the worst part.”
He handed Dominic a document.
Victor had identified one person as the true architect behind Sofia’s death.
Dominic read the name.
His face went completely white.
I stepped closer.
“Who is it?”
He showed me.
I stared at the page.
May you like
The name belonged to the last person anyone would suspect.
Dominic Cray’s mother.
