Chapter 4 - The Enemy Inside His House
The elevator indicator climbed.
Thirty-eight.
Thirty-nine.
Forty.
Dominic moved instantly.
“Chloe, behind me.”
Leo drew his weapon.
Emergency lighting flooded the penthouse in dim red.
“Security isn’t answering,” Leo said.
Dominic looked toward the elevator.
Forty-one.
Forty-two.
The doors opened.
Dominic prepared for an attack.
Instead, a terrified building engineer stumbled out.
“Mr. Russo!”
Leo lowered his weapon slightly.
“What happened?”
“Someone accessed the electrical control system. We lost security feeds for ninety seconds.”
Dominic’s expression darkened.
Ninety seconds was enough.
“Lock down the building.”
The engineer nodded.
Chloe suddenly looked toward the kitchen.
“The key.”
Everyone turned.
The brass key was gone.
Dominic’s eyes moved to Leo.
Leo shook his head.
“Don’t.”
“You were standing closest.”
“I didn’t take it.”
Dominic said nothing.
Leo stepped forward.
“Eleven years, Dom.”
“I know.”
“I took a bullet for you in Cicero.”
“I remember.”
“And now your dead brother calls after three years and you question me?”
“I question everyone.”
Leo looked genuinely hurt.
Chloe watched them.
Then she noticed something.
“The housekeeper.”
Dominic turned.
“What?”
“When we arrived last night, someone had already prepared the guest room.”
“Yes.”
“How?”
Silence.
Dominic called security.
His housekeeper, Mrs. Alvarez, had received a message at 2:32 a.m. instructing her to prepare the room.
The message appeared to come from Dominic.
He had sent no such message.
Someone knew Chloe was coming before they arrived.
Someone had access to Dominic’s internal communications.
Leo exhaled.
“We have a leak.”
Dominic looked at him.
“Yes.”
“But it isn’t me.”
“We’ll find out.”
The meeting with Adrian was scheduled for midnight.
Dominic wanted Chloe nowhere near it.
Chloe disagreed.
“He has my brother.”
“He says your brother is safe.”
“And you believe him?”
Dominic paused.
“No.”
“Then I’m coming.”
“No.”
“Dominic—”
“No.”
She stepped closer.
“You don’t get to decide everything for me.”
“I do when someone is trying to use you to get to me.”
“What if they’re using you to get to David?”
That silenced him.
Chloe continued.
“I spent three years wondering whether my brother was dead. You spent three years wondering the same thing about Adrian. Don’t tell me to sit safely upstairs while you get answers.”
Dominic studied her.
“You’re different outside the office.”
“So are you.”
“How?”
“You listen.”
A faint smile touched his mouth.
“Occasionally.”
They went together.
The address Adrian had provided led to an abandoned church near the river.
Dominic entered first.
Chloe followed.
“Adrian?”
Silence.
Then a figure emerged from the shadows.
Chloe gasped.
Adrian Russo looked older.
Thinner.
A scar crossed his left eyebrow.
But it was him.
Dominic stood completely still.
Three years.
Three years of funerals without bodies.
Three years of anger.
Then Adrian smiled.
“Still wearing black, I see.”
Dominic crossed the room.
For a second Chloe thought he might hit him.
Instead Dominic pulled his brother into a fierce embrace.
Adrian’s smile disappeared.
He closed his eyes.
“I’m sorry, Dom.”
Dominic released him.
“You’re an idiot.”
“I know.”
“I thought you were dead.”
“I know.”
Dominic shoved him once in the shoulder.
Adrian laughed.
“There he is.”
Chloe stepped forward.
“David.”
Adrian’s expression changed.
“He’s alive.”
“You keep saying that.”
“He’s nearby.”
“Take me to him.”
“I will.”
“Now.”
Adrian looked at Dominic.
“She got bossier.”
“You have no idea.”
Chloe almost smiled.
Then Adrian became serious.
“Vincent has spent years selling Russo information to competitors. Routes. Properties. Financial structures. Names.”
“Why?”
“Because he thinks the organization should have been his.”
Dominic shook his head.
“He practically raised us.”
“Exactly. He believes Dad stole his future and handed it to you.”
“Why disappear?”
“David found the accounts. I confronted Vincent before I had enough evidence.”
Adrian looked ashamed.
“He threatened you.”
Dominic’s expression darkened.
“So you ran.”
“I made myself disappear. David helped.”
“And Chloe?”
“She wasn’t supposed to be involved.”
Chloe folded her arms.
“That plan worked beautifully.”
Adrian smiled sadly.
“I’m sorry.”
A door opened behind the altar.
Chloe stopped breathing.
A man stepped through.
Older.
Bearded.
Thin.
“Chlo?”
Her knees nearly gave way.
“David?”
Her brother smiled.
She ran.
David caught her in his arms.
Three years of fear collapsed in seconds.
Chloe cried against his chest.
“You idiot.”
“I know.”
“I hate you.”
“I know.”
“I thought you were dead.”
“I know.”
Dominic watched quietly.
Adrian moved beside him.
“She’s stronger than she looks.”
“I know.”
Adrian glanced at his brother.
“You care about her.”
Dominic’s expression closed.
“She works for me.”
Adrian laughed.
“Sure.”
Dominic looked at him.
“What?”
“You drove personally through a storm because your assistant texted that she was scared.”
“She needed help.”
“Dom.”
“What?”
“You’ve had employees need help before.”
Dominic said nothing.
Adrian’s smile faded.
“Be careful.”
“With Chloe?”
“With what she makes you willing to risk.”
Before Dominic could answer, David called them over.
“There’s something you need to see.”
He opened a laptop.
A series of files appeared.
“These are Vincent’s records.”
Dominic scanned them.
Then he saw a document bearing his own digital signature.
“That’s forged.”
“We know.”
“What is it?”
“A transfer authorization.”
“For what?”
David hesitated.
“For Russo Holdings.”
Dominic stared.
“Explain.”
“Vincent isn’t just stealing.”
David looked directly at him.
“He’s preparing to make it look like you stole millions from your own company.”
Chloe’s face paled.
“When?”
David checked the file.
“Tomorrow morning.”
Dominic’s phone vibrated.
He looked down.
A message from the chairman of Russo Holdings.
Emergency board meeting. 8:00 a.m.
Then another message arrived.
This one contained a photograph.
Chloe leaving the Neon Moth.
A second photograph showed Dominic carrying her suitcase into his building.
A third showed them entering Union Station together.
May you like
Below the photographs was a message from Vincent.
Bring me the drive, or by sunrise your assistant becomes the woman who destroyed Dominic Russo.
