Chapter 11 - MARCO’S CHOICE
The basement door opened.
Frank Delaney walked down the stairs.
He was sixty-three now.
Gray hair.
Expensive coat.
The comfortable face of a man who shook hands with voters every morning.
Six armed men followed him.
Delaney looked around.
“Well.”
He smiled.
“The whole family.”
Domenico stared at Marco.
“You led them here.”
Marco couldn’t meet his eyes.
“My son disappeared yesterday.”
“You never told me.”
“They sent me pictures.”
Delaney sighed.
“Family makes everyone stupid.”
Michael aimed his gun.
Delaney’s men raised theirs.
“Put it down, Michael.”
“Where’s my father?”
Delaney smiled.
“You really are Daniel’s son.”
Giuseppe stepped forward.
“Frank.”
“Giuseppe.”
“Still pretending to be dead?”
“Still pretending to be respectable?”
Delaney’s smile vanished.
Domenico held the ledger.
“You killed Isabella.”
Delaney looked at him.
“I never touched your wife.”
“You cut her brake line.”
“No.”
Domenico’s anger flashed.
“Everybody keeps saying no.”
Delaney nodded at Marco.
“Ask your brother who worked on her car.”
All eyes shifted.
Marco shook his head.
“No.”
Delaney smiled.
“You replaced a hose that afternoon.”
“That was a radiator hose.”
“Was it?”
Marco’s face changed.
Domenico saw it.
Memory.
Horror.
Marco whispered, “You gave me the part.”
Delaney shrugged.
Marco staggered backward.
“You told me her car was leaking.”
“It was.”
“You set me up.”
“I needed your fingerprints somewhere useful.”
Marco looked sick.
Domenico understood.
“You made Marco think he might have caused the crash.”
“Guilt makes people quiet.”
Marco launched himself at Delaney.
A guard hit him with the butt of a gun.
Marco collapsed.
Camilla screamed.
Domenico moved.
Three guns pointed at him.
“Easy,” Delaney said.
Marco coughed blood onto the floor.
“You son of a bitch.”
Delaney crouched.
“You laundered millions for us and then got sentimental. That was your mistake.”
He stood.
“Ledger.”
Domenico tightened his grip.
“Where is Daniel Mercer?”
“Alive.”
“And Marco’s son?”
“Alive.”
“For now?”
Delaney smiled.
“Now you understand negotiation.”
Domenico looked at the cassette.
“What’s on this?”
For the first time, Delaney’s confidence cracked.
Tiny.
But visible.
Giuseppe saw it too.
“Play it,” Giuseppe said.
Delaney raised his weapon.
“Don’t.”
Domenico smiled.
“There it is.”
He walked toward an old cassette player sitting on a renovation table.
Delaney shouted.
“DOMENICO!”
Domenico pressed PLAY.
Static.
Then Isabella’s voice filled the basement.
Domenico’s knees almost gave out.
“If anything happens to me tonight, Frank Delaney is responsible.”
Delaney fired.
The cassette player exploded.
Camilla screamed.
Chaos erupted.
Michael fired at the ceiling lights.
Darkness.
Domenico grabbed Camilla and pulled her behind a concrete column.
Shots thundered.
Someone shouted.
A body fell.
Marco crawled toward Delaney.
Giuseppe yelled.
“Back exit!”
Domenico pulled Camilla through the dark.
Michael followed.
Behind them, Marco grabbed Delaney’s ankle.
Delaney kicked him in the face.
Then a gunshot cracked.
Marco’s body jerked.
“UNCLE MARCO!”
Camilla tried to turn back.
Domenico held her.
“No!”
Marco looked toward his brother from the floor.
Blood spread across his shirt.
“GO!”
Domenico stared at him.
Marco smiled weakly.
May you like
“For once… listen to me.”
Then Delaney raised his gun again.
