Chapter 9 - THE BLACK LEDGER
They escaped by boat.
Evelyn sat in the back, covered in her father’s blood.
She didn’t cry anymore.
That scared Lorenzo.
“Say something.”
She looked at him.
“What?”
“Anything.”
“You want me to scream?”
“If you need to.”
“I don’t.”
“That’s worse.”
She stared at the river.
“My father spent eight years hiding because powerful men made him afraid.”
Lorenzo stayed quiet.
“And when I found him, I got ten minutes.”
“I’m sorry.”
“Stop saying that.”
He nodded.
“Okay.”
They reached an abandoned garage.
Evelyn looked at the metal strip Daniel had given her.
“Locker 317.”
Lorenzo understood.
“The Obsidian.”
“We go back.”
“It’ll be watched.”
“Everything is watched.”
“You just buried your father.”
“I didn’t bury him.”
That stopped him.
“I left him on a warehouse floor.”
Her voice cracked.
“I don’t even get to bury him.”
Lorenzo stepped closer.
“Then we finish this.”
They entered the Obsidian before dawn through the same service stairwell Evelyn had used during the shooting.
The restaurant was a crime scene.
Broken glass.
Bloodstains.
Yellow tape.
Evelyn stared at Table Four.
Lorenzo noticed.
“Keep moving.”
They reached the wine cellar.
Locker 317 was hidden behind a rack of Burgundy.
The brass key opened it.
Inside sat an old laptop.
Nothing else.
Evelyn inserted the metal strip.
Password prompt.
“Great.”
Lorenzo looked at her.
“Your father leave clues?”
She thought.
Then typed her mother’s name.
Wrong.
Her birthday.
Wrong.
Daniel’s favorite poker hand.
Wrong.
One attempt left.
“Don’t guess,” Lorenzo said.
“I know.”
She closed her eyes.
Her father’s final words.
Your mother used to say you never knew when to quit.
Evelyn typed:
NEVERQUIT
The screen opened.
Files filled the display.
Thousands.
Names.
Dates.
Payments.
Deaths.
Judges.
Police captains.
A senator.
Union leaders.
Moretti accounts.
Vane accounts.
Lorenzo stared.
“This could burn the city.”
“That’s the idea.”
A voice behind them said, “Unfortunately, it could also burn me.”
Dante raised his gun.
Lorenzo slowly turned.
“Dante.”
“I’m sorry, boss.”
Evelyn stared.
“You?”
Dante looked miserable.
“My brother has two kids.”
“What does that have to do with anything?”
“Salvatore has my brother.”
Lorenzo’s expression hardened.
“You should have told me.”
“And you would’ve done what?”
“Fixed it.”
Dante laughed.
“You can’t fix everything.”
Footsteps filled the cellar.
Armed men entered.
Behind them came Salvatore Moretti.
Sixty.
Silver hair.
Perfect suit.
Warm smile.
He looked like someone’s favorite uncle.
Evelyn hated him instantly.
“Lorenzo.”
“Uncle.”
Salvatore looked at the laptop.
“Daniel really was clever.”
“You killed him.”
“No.”
Salvatore smiled at Evelyn.
“I simply kept hiring people until someone did.”
Evelyn lunged.
Lorenzo stopped her.
Salvatore chuckled.
“Fire. I like her.”
“Touch her and I kill you.”
“Still pretending she matters more than your empire?”
Salvatore stepped closer.
“Give me the laptop.”
Lorenzo looked at Evelyn.
Then at his uncle.
“No.”
Salvatore sighed.
“Always emotional. Just like your mother.”
Lorenzo’s face turned deadly.
Salvatore raised his gun.
The shot echoed through the cellar.
Evelyn screamed.
Lorenzo staggered backward.
Blood spread across his chest.
May you like
And Salvatore smiled.
“Now give me the girl.”
