Chapter 7 - THE WOMAN THEY CHOSE TO FRAME
There are bad days at work.
Then there are days when you discover a mafia boss's uncle intends to frame you for murder.
I preferred spreadsheets.
“Why me?” I demanded.
Rafe sat in the garage office while Dominic's men worked to locate his daughter.
“Because you're perfect.”
“I'm choosing not to take that as a compliment.”
“You appeared from nowhere. You sheltered Evelyn. You entered the vault. You have no connection to the family.”
Dominic understood immediately.
“A believable outsider.”
Rafe nodded.
“Victor has people inside the gala staff.”
The plan was simple.
Poison Dominic's drink.
Plant evidence in my belongings.
Then leak a story that I had manipulated Evelyn to get close to the family.
I stared at Dominic.
“So I'm not going.”
“Yes.”
“Good.”
“You're leaving Boston.”
“No.”
His eyebrows lifted.
I folded my arms.
“You don't get to relocate me.”
“They know where you live.”
“Then protect my apartment.”
“They know where you work.”
“Protect my office.”
“Claire.”
“No.”
Nobody spoke to Dominic Vescari like that.
Apparently I had developed a talent.
Evelyn entered from the adjoining room.
“She's going to the gala.”
Dominic turned.
“Absolutely not.”
“Victor already believes she's coming. Let him.”
His expression sharpened.
“You want to use her as bait?”
“I want Victor to believe his plan is working.”
I shook my head.
“I hate that this makes sense.”
Dominic stared at his mother.
Then at me.
“You stay beside me the entire night.”
“I thought I was supposed to murder you.”
“Try not to.”
Despite myself, I laughed.
For half a second, his hard expression disappeared.
Then Daniel entered holding a tablet.
“We found Rafe's daughter.”
She was being held in a warehouse owned by a shell corporation.
A corporation connected to Victor.
Dominic's men moved immediately.
Thirty-seven minutes later, the girl was safe.
Rafe broke down when he heard her voice.
I looked at Dominic differently after that.
He could have punished Rafe for betraying him.
Instead, he had saved his daughter first.
Later, as we prepared to leave, Dominic stopped beside me.
“You should hate me.”
“I barely know you.”
“You know enough.”
“Maybe.”
His eyes held mine.
Then he said something I didn't expect.
“My father wanted me out of this life.”
I waited.
“I didn't listen.”
Before I could answer, Evelyn called my name.
She was holding the old photograph from the vault.
She pointed to the scratched-out fourth man.
“I remember who that is.”
Dominic approached.
His mother looked terrified.
“That man didn't die eighteen years ago.”
She turned the photograph over.
“He's alive.”
May you like
Then she whispered his name.
And Dominic went pale.
