Chapter 14 - The One Thing Dominic Couldn’t Buy
Samuel Reed disappeared for thirty-six hours.
Chicago turned into a rumor machine.
News outlets reported allegations of corruption inside a federal financial-crimes task force.
Vale Holdings shares dropped.
My face remained on television.
Caleb was detained but cooperating.
Vincent refused to speak.
Reed vanished.
And Dominic slept approximately ninety minutes.
I knew because I didn’t sleep either.
At three in the morning, I found him standing on the penthouse balcony.
No jacket.
Sleeves rolled.
City lights reflected beneath him.
I brought two coffees.
“You’re terrible at resting.”
“So are you.”
“I’m a victim of circumstances.”
“I’m a victim of your coffee.”
I looked into the cup.
“You haven’t tried it.”
“I watched you put six spoons of sugar into yours.”
“That’s survival.”
He accepted the second cup.
Black.
Of course.
We stood quietly.
“Are you going to lose the company?” I asked.
“Maybe.”
“You sound surprisingly calm.”
“Companies can be rebuilt.”
“Reputation?”
“Also.”
“Money?”
“Replaceable.”
I looked at him.
“What isn’t?”
He didn’t answer.
I already knew.
People.
His brother.
Maybe his father.
His loyalty.
I said softly, “You couldn’t save Nicholas.”
His jaw tightened.
“No.”
“And you think if you had known more—”
“I would have.”
“Maybe.”
He turned.
“Maybe?”
“You told me not to accept convenient explanations.”
“That advice is becoming annoying.”
“Good.”
I faced him.
“You are not responsible for every person who lies to you.”
His eyes held mine.
“I was responsible for my brother.”
“You were his brother. Not his jailer.”
He looked away.
The wind moved through my hair.
I continued.
“Everybody in this story thought love meant control.”
His attention returned.
“Caleb controlled what I knew because he claimed he was protecting me.”
I counted on my fingers.
“Chloe lied because she thought protecting me justified it. Nicholas hid things from you. Your father hid things from Nicholas. You tried ordering me into safe rooms every twelve minutes.”
“Twelve seems unfair.”
“Fine. Fifteen.”
His mouth curved.
I stepped closer.
“Maybe protecting someone means giving them truth and letting them choose.”
Dominic looked at me for a long time.
“You make everything difficult.”
“Thank you.”
“That wasn’t a compliment.”
“I accepted it anyway.”
Then he touched my face.
Slowly.
Not possessive.
A question.
His thumb brushed my cheek.
I didn’t step away.
Neither did he.
Our first kiss was nothing like the one I had witnessed between Caleb and Chloe.
No urgency.
No performance.
No audience.
Dominic gave me every opportunity to stop.
I didn’t.
When our lips met, the world became briefly quiet.
His hand rested against my waist.
Mine touched his chest.
Then he pulled away first.
Forehead against mine.
“You ended an engagement thirty-eight hours ago.”
“I noticed.”
“I’m not interested in being the man you use to survive another man.”
The honesty hurt and healed simultaneously.
“I’m not asking you to be.”
“Good.”
“But I might still want to kiss you.”
His eyes darkened.
“That creates complications.”
“My life currently involves federal corruption, mafia rumors, and a cat who attacked your security team.”
“Yes.”
“I'm comfortable with complications.”
He laughed.
Actually laughed.
It changed his entire face.
Then Marco opened the balcony door.
“I regret arriving.”
Dominic stepped back.
I smiled.
“You should.”
Marco looked offended.
“We found Reed.”
Romance ended.
“Where?” Dominic asked.
“He booked a private charter under an alias.”
“Airport?”
“No.”
Marco handed him a tablet.
A marina.
Lake Michigan.
“He has a boat.”
Dominic frowned.
“Destination?”
“Canada, probably.”
I asked, “Can authorities intercept him?”
“They’re trying.”
Marco scrolled.
“But we found something else.”
A passenger manifest.
One additional passenger.
Name:
MARGARET BENNETT.
My mother.
Everything inside me froze.
“No.”
I grabbed my phone.
Six missed calls.
I had silenced it.
Three from Mom.
Then a voicemail.
“Honey, a federal agent came to the house. He says you’re in trouble. He’s taking me somewhere safe. Call me when you can.”
My knees weakened.
Dominic caught me.
Reed had my mother.
Marco immediately called Agent Morales.
I stared at the marina map.
Dominic said, “You stay here.”
I looked at him.
He closed his eyes briefly.
“Right.”
I almost smiled despite terror.
“Learning.”
“Slowly.”
My phone rang.
Mom.
I answered.
“Mom?”
Reed spoke.
“You seem to make people care about you very quickly, Harper.”
My blood went cold.
“Let her go.”
“I will.”
“What do you want?”
“The original authentication key.”
“We don't have it.”
“Caleb does.”
“He’s in custody.”
“Then get him out.”
“That’s impossible.”
Reed laughed.
“You have Dominic Vale.”
I looked at Dominic.
Reed continued.
“Nothing is impossible for men like him.”
Dominic held out his hand.
I gave him the phone.
“Reed.”
“Dominic.”
“If Margaret Bennett is harmed—”
“There he is.”
Reed sounded amused.
“The man underneath the expensive restraint.”
Dominic became silent.
Reed continued.
“Bring Caleb to Pier Nine.”
“Time?”
“One hour.”
The call ended.
I looked at Dominic.
“We can’t break Caleb out of federal custody.”
“No.”
“Then what do we do?”
He was already dialing Agent Morales.
“We ask.”
I stared.
“You're going to request that federal authorities let you borrow my ex-fiancé?”
Dominic looked at me.
“Politely.”
Thirty minutes later, the impossible became possible.
Not because Dominic intimidated anyone.
Because Caleb volunteered.
Authorities fitted him with tracking equipment.
Agent Morales organized surveillance.
And when Caleb arrived at the penthouse before we left, he looked at me.
“Your mother?”
I nodded.
“I’m sorry.”
“Stop apologizing.”
He flinched.
I softened slightly.
“Just help me bring her home.”
He nodded.
“I will.”
Dominic handed him a coat.
For one strange second, the two men stood facing each other.
The man I had planned to marry.
And the man I had kissed hours after ending that future.
Caleb looked at Dominic.
“If this goes wrong—”
“It won’t.”
“You can’t promise that.”
Dominic glanced toward me.
“No.”
Then he answered differently.
“But I can promise she gets every truth I have before making any decision.”
Caleb understood what the words meant.
He looked at me.
A sad smile appeared.
“He’s already better at this than I was.”
Then we left for Pier Nine.
May you like
And waiting somewhere on the lake was the last man who could still destroy all of us.
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