Chapter 14 - THE LAST MAN STANDING
Dominic drove like the road belonged to him.
Marcus tracked Natalie’s phone.
Signal lost near the east service road.
Then Emma called.
“I found Noah.”
Dominic nearly stopped breathing.
“Where?”
“In the laundry room.”
“Is he hurt?”
“No.”
“Natalie?”
“Gone.”
Dominic closed his eyes.
“Put Noah on.”
A small voice came through.
“Uncle Dom?”
“I’m here, buddy.”
“A man took Mom.”
“What man?”
“I don’t know.”
“Did you see his face?”
“No.”
“Did he say anything?”
Noah sniffed.
“He said she had something that belonged to him.”
Peter’s watch.
Dominic knew.
“Listen to me. Stay with Emma. Do not leave her.”
“Okay.”
“I’m bringing your mom home.”
Marcus found a location from a traffic camera.
An SUV belonging to Daniel Price’s private driver.
Heading toward the abandoned Mercer shipyard.
Daniel had been arrested.
But Daniel wasn’t working alone.
At the shipyard, Dominic found Natalie tied to a chair inside an old warehouse.
A man stood behind her.
Victor Hale.
Daniel’s longtime deputy.
Dominic had known him for fifteen years.
Of course.
Another man he had trusted.
Victor held a gun.
“You’re becoming predictable, Dom.”
Dominic raised his hands.
“Let her go.”
Natalie shouted, “Don’t give him anything!”
Victor pressed the gun against her shoulder.
“Quiet.”
Dominic’s voice changed.
“Touch her and we’re done talking.”
Victor smiled.
“You still don’t get it.”
“Get what?”
“This whole empire runs because men like me do ugly things while you sit at the top pretending your hands are cleaner.”
Dominic didn’t respond.
Victor pointed toward Natalie.
“The watch.”
Natalie shook her head.
“I don’t have it.”
Victor laughed.
“Peter hid access keys inside it.”
Dominic looked at his sister.
She stared back.
Then he understood.
She did have it.
“Give it to him,” Dominic said.
“No.”
“Natalie.”
“It’s evidence.”
“You are more important.”
Victor smiled.
“Finally.”
Natalie slowly removed Peter’s watch from inside her waistband.
Victor reached for it.
Dominic moved.
So did Marcus.
The lights went out.
Gunshot.
Natalie screamed.
Dominic hit the floor.
Another shot.
Then Marcus shouted, “Clear!”
Emergency lights flickered on.
Victor lay against a crate, wounded in the shoulder.
His gun was ten feet away.
Dominic rushed to Natalie.
“You hit?”
“No.”
He cut her restraints.
She grabbed him.
For several seconds, neither spoke.
Then Natalie whispered, “You came for me.”
Dominic almost laughed.
“Always.”
Federal agents stormed the warehouse.
Marcus picked up Peter’s watch.
Inside the back casing was a tiny memory card.
On it were bank transfers, emails, recordings, and photographs.
Enough to bury Daniel.
Victor.
Martin.
And several others.
But one recording mattered more than all the rest.
Peter’s voice.
“If anything happens to me, tell Natalie I’m sorry.”
Natalie broke.
Dominic held her while the recording continued.
“I should’ve told her everything.”
Then Peter said one final sentence.
“Dominic, if you hear this, don’t avenge me. Protect them.”
Dominic closed his eyes.
For most of his life, revenge had been easier than forgiveness.
Tonight, he finally understood the difference.
But when he looked toward the warehouse door, Brooke was standing outside beside federal agents.
May you like
And she was staring at Natalie.
There was still one truth left.
