Chapter 8 - THE TRUTH ABOUT LORENZO
Evelyn turned toward Lorenzo.
He looked just as confused as she felt.
Daniel backed away.
“Get away from him.”
“Dad—”
“Now.”
Lorenzo lowered his weapon.
“Daniel.”
“You stay the hell away from my daughter.”
Evelyn stepped between them.
“Somebody start explaining.”
Daniel laughed bitterly.
“You want an explanation?”
“Yes.”
“His family buried me.”
“Which member?”
“All of them.”
Lorenzo’s voice hardened.
“That’s not an answer.”
Daniel looked at him.
“Your father ordered my death.”
“I know.”
“Your uncle arranged it.”
“I suspected.”
“And you delivered the message.”
Lorenzo froze.
Evelyn turned.
“What?”
Daniel pointed at Lorenzo.
“He was nineteen. Came to the club with an envelope. Inside was a photo of you and your mother.”
Lorenzo stared.
“I didn’t know what it meant.”
“It meant I had forty-eight hours to return the ledger or they’d kill my family.”
Evelyn looked sick.
“You carried that threat?”
Lorenzo’s voice was low.
“Yes.”
“You never asked what was inside?”
“No.”
She laughed once.
It was painful.
“Of course not.”
“Evelyn.”
“You were part of it.”
“I was nineteen.”
“So was I supposed to feel better?”
“No.”
Daniel stepped closer.
“He’s a Moretti. They always have an excuse.”
Lorenzo looked at Daniel.
“You disappeared before the deadline.”
“I made a deal.”
“With Celeste?”
“With her mother.”
That surprised them both.
Daniel explained.
Black Spade had become too powerful.
The Vane family feared Antonio and Salvatore Moretti.
Daniel offered evidence.
In exchange, the Vanes hid him.
“For eight years?” Evelyn demanded.
Daniel couldn’t meet her eyes.
“At first, I thought it would be months.”
“You let me think you were dead.”
“I thought you were safer.”
“You left me alone.”
“I watched you.”
“What?”
“From a distance.”
Evelyn recoiled.
“You watched me struggle?”
“Evie—”
“I worked double shifts. I got evicted twice. I sold Mom’s necklace.”
Daniel’s eyes filled.
“I couldn’t come back.”
“You chose not to.”
That landed harder than a slap.
Daniel looked older suddenly.
“I was scared.”
“Yeah.”
Evelyn wiped her eyes.
“So was I.”
Silence.
Then Lorenzo asked, “Where is the ledger?”
Daniel looked at the brass key.
“Locker 317.”
“At the casino?”
“No.”
Daniel smiled sadly.
“You all misunderstood.”
He picked up one of the poker chips.
“The numbers aren’t locations.”
“What are they?”
“Pages.”
He cracked the chip against the floor.
Inside was a tiny metal strip.
“A cipher.”
Lorenzo stared.
Daniel continued.
“The ledger is digital. Every cop, judge, politician, business, murder payment, payoff. Thirty years.”
Evelyn whispered, “Where?”
Daniel looked toward the river.
“Under the Obsidian.”
Lorenzo frowned.
“The restaurant?”
“Before it was a restaurant, that property belonged to Vane Shipping.”
Daniel looked at Evelyn.
“I hid everything beneath the building where nobody would think to look.”
A red laser appeared on Daniel’s chest.
Evelyn screamed.
“DOWN!”
The warehouse windows shattered.
Gunfire ripped through the room.
Lorenzo pushed Evelyn behind machinery.
Daniel fell.
“DAD!”
Evelyn crawled toward him.
Blood darkened his side.
“No.”
Daniel pressed the metal strip into her hand.
“Listen to me.”
“I’m getting you out.”
“No time.”
“Don’t say that.”
“Locker 317 is under the wine cellar.”
“Dad.”
“Your mother used to say you never knew when to quit.”
He smiled weakly.
“She was right.”
Another burst of gunfire.
Lorenzo returned fire.
Daniel squeezed Evelyn’s hand.
“Don’t become us.”
His eyes moved toward Lorenzo.
“Either of you.”
Then his hand went still.
Evelyn stared.
“Dad?”
Nothing.
“Dad.”
Lorenzo grabbed her.
“We have to move.”
She slapped him.
Hard.
Then hit him again.
“This is your world!”
“I know.”
“My father is dead because of your world!”
“I know.”
She broke against his chest anyway.
For one second, he held her.
Then Dante shouted.
“We have incoming!”
Lorenzo pulled Evelyn up.
They ran toward the river door.
Behind them, a voice boomed through the warehouse speakers.
Salvatore Moretti.
“Lorenzo!”
Lorenzo stopped.
His uncle laughed.
“You’ve always had terrible taste in women.”
May you like
Then came the final blow.
“Ask your little waitress who really ordered her father killed.”
