Chapter 2 - THE MAN WHO CAME FOR THE LEDGER
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Sophie woke at 1:36 a.m.
Her eyes opened slowly.
She looked at me.
Then at Rosie.
Then immediately tried to sit up.
“Where's my daughter?”
“Safe.”
“Where?”
“With me.”
Her expression changed.
“You found the key.”
I looked at the silver key on the table.
“Yes.”
She closed her eyes.
“Then there's no more time.”
I pulled a chair beside her.
“Start talking.”
Her hands trembled.
“You won't believe me.”
“Try me.”
She swallowed.
“Derek Voss isn't hunting me because I stole money.”
“I know.”
“He wants a ledger.”
“What ledger?”
“The Black Ledger.”
I had heard of it.
Every organized family in Boston had.
A mythical record rumored to contain the names of politicians, judges, police officials, financiers and syndicate leaders who had accepted illegal payments over three decades.
No one had ever proven it existed.
I looked at Sophie.
“You have it.”
She nodded.
“How?”
“My father.”
“Who was your father?”
She looked at me.
“Your father's accountant.”
That stopped me.
“My father had an accountant.”
“Samuel Hale.”
The name came back immediately.
Samuel Hale had worked for my father for fifteen years.
Then disappeared after my father's death.
I had been told he stole millions and fled.
Sophie whispered:
“He didn't steal anything.”
“Then why did he disappear?”
“Because he discovered the ledger.”
“And?”
“He tried to protect it.”
I stared.
“From Derek?”
“No.”
“From my family.”
My jaw tightened.
“Which member?”
She closed her eyes.
“Your father.”
I stood.
“You're accusing my father?”
“Yes.”
“You think he was dirty?”
“I know he was.”
I wanted to reject it.
Instead, I remembered my father's locked office.
His private meetings.
His unexplained trips.
The people who disappeared after crossing him.
Sophie continued.
“Your father didn't create the Black Ledger.”
“Who did?”
“The original DeLuca patriarch.”
“My grandfather?”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“To protect the family.”
I frowned.
“How?”
“The ledger was designed as leverage. If anyone tried to destroy the family, the names would be released.”
I understood.
Blackmail.
The oldest kind of power.
“So Derek wants the ledger.”
“Yes.”
“And my father had it.”
“Yes.”
“Where?”
Sophie looked toward the key.
“Vault 17.”
My pulse quickened.
“That key.”
She nodded.
“Samuel hid it.”
“Why did he give it to you?”
“He trusted me.”
“Where is Samuel now?”
Sophie looked away.
“Dead.”
“When?”
“Three years ago.”
“Who killed him?”
She whispered:
“Your brother.”
My stomach dropped.
“Luca?”
Sophie nodded.
“He thought Samuel had told me where the ledger was.”
I stared.
“And you knew?”
“I didn't.”
“Then what happened?”
“Samuel left instructions for me.”
“To do what?”
“To hide the ledger until the right person came.”
“You?”
She shook her head.
“No.”
“Then who?”
“You.”
I frowned.
“Why me?”
“Because your father believed you would eventually become the head of the family.”
“And if I found the ledger?”
“You would either destroy the family…”
She looked at me.
“…or save it.”
The room fell silent.
Then a loud crash came from downstairs.
The security system screamed.
Marcus's voice came over the intercom.
“Boss! We have a breach!”
I grabbed my weapon.
“Who?”
“Two men at the north entrance.”
“Identify them.”
A burst of static.
Then:
“Derek Voss.”
I looked at Sophie.
She closed her eyes.
“He found me.”
I moved toward the door.
Rosie grabbed my hand.
“Don't go.”
I looked down.
“Why?”
“Mommy says Derek always comes with someone.”
“Who?”
She whispered:
“Uncle Luca.”
My heart stopped.
I turned toward Marcus.
“Find my brother.”
There was no answer.
I ran to the security room.
The main cameras showed Derek's men entering the estate.
But Luca's face appeared on the east corridor camera.
He wasn't outside.
He was already inside.
He stood twenty feet from Sophie.
Holding a gun.
I stared at the screen.
“Luca…”
He looked directly into the camera.
May you like
Then smiled.
And shut off the feed.
