Chapter 7: The Truth She Could Not Speak
Dante stared at the locket.
“My father’s accident?”
“It wasn’t an accident,” Serena said.
Vincent moved first.
He knocked the locket from her hand and ground it beneath his shoe.
“No!” Serena dropped to her knees.
Carlo grabbed a brass letter opener and struck at the memory card, but Patricia threw herself between them.
“Get away from her!”
Carlo shoved Patricia into the desk.
Arthur caught her before she fell.
Dante seized Carlo’s wrist and forced the letter opener from his hand.
“You took my father from me?”
Carlo struggled against him.
“Vincent gave the order.”
“Coward!” Vincent shouted.
“You carried it out.”
Serena found the memory card beneath the edge of the rug.
Her fingers closed around it.
Vincent reached inside his coat.
Dante pushed Serena behind the desk.
“Down.”
Vincent pulled out a second p*stol and aimed it at the computer speaker.
“One more transmission and Arthur pays first.”
Arthur stood in front of Patricia.
“You have threatened an old lawyer three times tonight.
It has not improved your position.”
“Give me the card.”
Serena rose slowly.
“You made me marry Dante so you could reach him.”
“I built your future.”
“You stole three years of it.”
“I protected this family.”
Patricia stepped out from behind Arthur.
“No.
You terrified it.”
Vincent pointed the p*stol toward her.
“You knew what I was.”
“I knew enough to leave.
I stayed because I was afraid.”
Serena’s chin trembled.
“You let me face him alone.”
“Yes.” Patricia’s voice cracked.
“I failed you every day I remained silent.”
Serena covered her mouth.
Patricia crossed the room despite the p*stol between them.
“You were my child.
I should have protected you before you ever needed to protect Dante.”
Serena collapsed against her mother.
“I needed you,” she sobbed.
“I know.” Patricia held her tightly.
“And I am here now, even if it costs me everything.”
Vincent’s hand shook.
“Pathetic.”
Dante moved half a step closer.
“Your own wife and daughter chose the truth over you.”
“They chose weakness.”
“No,” Serena said, lifting her head.
“I chose my husband.”
She tossed the memory card toward Arthur.
Vincent fired.
The sound cracked through the study, and the card flew beneath the bookcase.
Arthur dropped behind the desk as glass shattered above him.
Dante drove Vincent’s arm upward.
Carlo tackled Dante from the side, and all three men crashed against the desk.
Patricia dragged Serena toward the hidden passage.
“Go!”
“I won’t leave Dante.”
“You are not leaving him.
You are getting the evidence out.”
Serena crawled beneath the bookcase and recovered the card.
The steel shutters began to rise as Lena restored the system.
Carlo tore free and ran through the opening.
“Vincent!” he shouted.
“The freight elevator!”
Vincent slammed Dante into the wall, then followed Carlo.
He caught Serena at the passage entrance and wrapped an arm around her.
“Dante, stay where you are.”
Serena fought his grip.
“Let me go!”
Vincent pressed the p*stol against her side.
“Walk.”
Dante’s hands rose.
“Take me instead.”
“You were always the target.
She is merely how I make you obey.”
Vincent forced Serena into the freight elevator.
Carlo pressed the garage button.
Dante lunged, but the doors closed between them.
Serena’s palm struck the metal from inside.
“Dante!”
He hit the call button.
Nothing happened.
Lena’s voice came through his earpiece.
“They cut the elevator controls.”
“Track Serena’s phone.”
“It’s still in the sunroom.”
Patricia gripped Dante’s sleeve.
“Her locket.”
“What about it?”
“I gave it to her,” Patricia said.
“Vincent never knew there was a tracking chip inside.”
Lena went silent for two seconds.
May you like
Then her voice returned.
“They’re moving toward the South Docks.”
