Chapter 5 - Blood Has a Long Memory
Anthony Romano had taught Gabriel how to shoot.
How to drive.
How to negotiate.
How to recognize a lie before the liar reached the end of the sentence.
After Gabriel’s father died, Anthony became the oldest living Romano.
Family.
Advisor.
Uncle.
Godfather to Daniel.
And apparently the man Daniel had been investigating before his death.
Gabriel watched the video again.
Daniel’s voice filled the Lake Forest study.
“If Uncle Anthony finds out I copied the accounts, he’ll know someone inside finance helped me trace them. I don’t know who yet. I kept it that way on purpose.”
Mia looked at Gabriel.
Daniel continued.
“Sterling is buying routes and contracts, but Anthony is selling them. He built Black Finch to move money without touching Romano books directly.”
Marco muttered a curse.
Gabriel remained silent.
“He’s creating losses,” Daniel said. “Artificial ones. He wants Gabe to believe Sterling is bleeding us. Then he wants a war.”
The video ended.
Mia leaned back.
“Why?”
Gabriel answered.
“Because war makes companies cheap.”
She understood.
“If your organization weakens, Anthony buys pieces through other companies.”
“Yes.”
“And Sterling?”
“Probably thinks he’s using Anthony.”
“While Anthony thinks he’s using Sterling.”
Gabriel smiled without humor.
“Men like them always think that.”
Marco pulled financial records.
Mia spent hours matching Daniel’s archive against her own findings.
By afternoon, the pattern was clear.
Anthony had siphoned money.
Manipulated contracts.
Fed Sterling selected routes.
Sabotaged negotiations.
Daniel discovered it.
Then Daniel’s car suffered a catastrophic steering failure four days later.
The maintenance company?
Black Finch subcontractor.
Mia stopped reading.
Gabriel stood by the window.
His face showed nothing.
That frightened her.
“Gabriel.”
Nothing.
She approached.
“Gabriel.”
He turned.
His eyes were empty.
“My brother asked me to listen.”
Mia waited.
“Two days before he died, Daniel came to my office.”
Gabriel’s voice cracked slightly.
“He said Anthony was hiding something.”
“What did you say?”
“I told him family paranoia was unbecoming.”
Pain passed over Mia’s face.
Gabriel laughed once.
Bitter.
“I actually said that.”
“You didn’t know.”
“I didn’t want to know.”
“That’s different.”
“Yes.”
He looked toward Leo’s room.
“And he died because of it.”
Mia touched his forearm.
The gesture was small.
Gabriel looked down at her hand.
She nearly withdrew it.
He covered it with his.
For several seconds, neither spoke.
Then Marco entered.
“We found Sterling.”
Gabriel released Mia.
“Where?”
“Industrial property outside Gary.”
“Anthony?”
“No confirmation.”
Gabriel grabbed his coat.
Mia stepped in front of him.
“No.”
He stared.
“Move.”
“You’re going angry.”
“Yes.”
“That’s exactly why you shouldn’t.”
“Mia.”
“Daniel collected evidence. He didn’t leave you a revenge map.”
Gabriel’s eyes hardened.
“You don’t understand what Anthony took.”
“I understand exactly what he took.”
“No.”
“He took your brother.”
Gabriel stopped.
Mia continued quietly.
“And if you go there furious and get killed, he takes Leo’s uncle too.”
The words landed.
Marco looked away.
Gabriel stared at her for a long time.
Then he said, “I’m still going.”
“I know.”
“But I’m not going blind.”
Mia nodded.
That was enough.
They arranged surveillance first.
Sterling was indeed inside the warehouse.
Anthony wasn’t.
Gabriel entered with Marco and four men after securing the perimeter.
Sterling sat in an office drinking whiskey.
He looked almost relieved.
“Finally.”
Gabriel stood across from him.
“You took my nephew.”
Sterling shrugged.
“I ordered the child taken.”
Gabriel’s hands curled.
“Careful.”
“But your accountant wasn’t part of the plan.”
“You expect that distinction to save you?”
“No.”
Sterling leaned back.
“I expect Anthony to kill me before you decide what to do.”
Gabriel stared.
Sterling laughed.
“You found Daniel’s files.”
“How do you know?”
“Because Peter panicked.”
“Peter’s dead.”
Sterling’s smile faded.
“Anthony.”
“Yes.”
Sterling poured another drink.
“I should have known.”
Gabriel stepped closer.
“Why Leo?”
“Leverage.”
“For what?”
“You.”
Sterling’s eyes met his.
“Anthony wanted you enraged. Reckless. He said if Leo disappeared, you’d attack every Sterling property in Illinois.”
“And start the war Daniel said he wanted.”
“Exactly.”
Gabriel understood.
The kidnapping wasn’t merely revenge.
It was ignition.
Anthony wanted Gabriel to destroy Sterling.
Then regulators, police and competitors would tear Romano businesses apart.
Anthony could acquire what remained.
Sterling finished the drink.
“I agreed because I thought I could use the boy to force you to sell the river terminals.”
Gabriel’s expression turned murderous.
Sterling raised one hand.
“I never ordered anyone to hurt him.”
“You kidnapped a six-month-old child.”
“Yes.”
“At least own what you are.”
Sterling lowered his hand.
“Fair.”
Gabriel wanted to kill him.
Every instinct demanded it.
Then he remembered Mia.
Winning leaves anything worth keeping?
He stepped away.
“You’re going to testify.”
Sterling laughed.
“Against Anthony?”
“Yes.”
“He’ll kill me.”
“Probably.”
“And you?”
Gabriel looked back.
“I haven’t decided.”
Marco’s phone vibrated.
His face changed.
“Gabriel.”
Gabriel knew immediately.
“What?”
“Mia’s security team isn’t responding.”
His blood turned cold.
He called her.
No answer.
Again.
Nothing.
Gabriel grabbed Sterling by the throat.
“What did Anthony plan?”
Sterling’s eyes widened.
“I don’t know.”
Gabriel slammed him against the wall.
“What did he plan?”
“Something about Daniel’s house!”
Gabriel released him.
Lake Forest.
Daniel’s house.
He ran.
The drive back took forty-six minutes.
Gabriel made it in thirty-one.
The front gate was open.
One guard unconscious.
Another wounded.
Gabriel entered with his weapon drawn.
“Mia!”
No answer.
Then he heard Leo crying upstairs.
He ran.
Leo was inside his crib.
Alone.
Safe.
Gabriel lifted him.
“Where is she?”
A phone rested on the bed.
It rang.
Gabriel answered.
Anthony’s voice.
Calm.
Familiar.
“Hello, Gabriel.”
Gabriel’s face became stone.
“If you hurt her—”
“Still giving threats before listening.”
“Where is Mia?”
“With me.”
Gabriel heard breathing in the background.
Then Mia’s voice.
“Gabriel, don’t—”
The line muffled.
Anthony returned.
“She’s difficult.”
Gabriel’s grip tightened.
“You want me. Take me.”
“I already had you.”
“What do you want?”
“The Daniel archive.”
“No.”
Anthony sighed.
“Then perhaps the accountant was more useful alive than I assumed.”
Gabriel closed his eyes.
Every violent instinct he possessed screamed at once.
But beneath it was something stronger.
Fear.
Not for power.
Not for the company.
For Mia.
Anthony continued.
“Midnight. Old Romano terminal eighteen.”
Gabriel knew the place.
“And Gabriel?”
“What?”
“Come alone.”
The line disconnected.
Marco stood in the doorway.
Gabriel looked at Leo.
The child gripped his finger.
For years Gabriel believed power meant making other men afraid to take something from him.
Now he understood the truth.
May you like
Power meant having something worth losing.
And Anthony had finally discovered exactly what that was.
