Chapter 3 - THE MEMORY ELENA DIDN'T KNOW SHE HAD
Elena had not seen her father in four months.
When Dominic told her Frank Brooks was outside the gate, bleeding and bound, she forgot she could barely stand.
She threw off the blankets.
“Dad?”
Dominic caught her.
“You're not going outside.”
“I need to see him.”
“You nearly froze to death thirty minutes ago.”
“That's my father.”
Her voice cracked.
Dominic stared at her.
Then nodded.
“Bring him in.”
Security carried Frank into the lower medical room.
Elena rushed to him.
“Dad.”
Frank opened swollen eyes.
“Elena?”
She dropped beside him.
“What happened?”
His gaze moved to Dominic.
Fear transformed his face.
“No.”
Dominic stopped several feet away.
Frank tried to sit.
“Get her out of here.”
Elena stared.
“Dad?”
“Please.”
Dominic's voice was calm.
“Frank, someone stole my ledger and delivered you to my gate.”
Frank looked away.
Dominic continued.
“They say Elena knows something about my father's death.”
Frank's face went gray.
“She doesn't.”
“That isn't what the message said.”
“Messages lie.”
“So do people.”
Elena turned toward Dominic.
“Don't threaten him.”
He looked at her.
“I wasn't.”
“You sounded like it.”
For some reason, Marco almost smiled.
Dominic ignored him.
Frank grabbed Elena's hand.
“You need to leave Aspen.”
“Why?”
“Tonight.”
“There is no leaving tonight.”
“Then tomorrow.”
She stared.
“Dad, explain.”
He closed his eyes.
“I should have told you years ago.”
Elena's stomach tightened.
“Told me what?”
Frank looked at Dominic.
“Your father, Alexander Vale, knew me.”
Dominic's expression hardened.
“We established that.”
“No.”
Frank swallowed.
“He knew me well.”
“How?”
“I worked for him.”
Elena stared.
“You told me you sold insurance.”
“I lied.”
“Clearly.”
Frank continued.
“I wasn't a soldier. I handled financial records.”
Dominic folded his arms.
“My father had accountants.”
“I wasn't an accountant.”
“What were you?”
Frank hesitated.
“A thief.”
Silence.
Elena stared.
Frank looked ashamed.
“I moved money. Hid money. Created companies nobody could trace.”
“For my father?” Dominic asked.
“Yes.”
“Why become an informant?”
“Because I discovered Alexander's second-in-command was stealing from him.”
Dominic leaned forward.
“Who?”
Frank shook his head.
“I never proved it.”
“Then what happened the night my father died?”
Frank's hands trembled.
Elena noticed.
“Dad?”
He looked at her.
“You were there.”
The room changed.
Elena stopped breathing.
“What?”
“You were seventeen.”
“No.”
“You came looking for me.”
“No.”
“Elena—”
“I was in Chicago.”
“You were supposed to be.”
Her mind began flashing.
Snow.
A warehouse.
A man's voice.
Blood on concrete.
Elena pressed her fingers against her temples.
“I don't remember.”
Frank whispered:
“Because afterward, I made sure you wouldn't.”
Dominic's gaze sharpened.
“What did you do to her?”
“Nothing.”
“Then explain.”
Frank looked at Elena.
“You witnessed Alexander Vale being shot.”
Her stomach dropped.
“No.”
“You saw the shooter.”
“No.”
“You told me his name.”
Elena stood abruptly.
The room tilted.
Dominic caught her elbow.
“Easy.”
She pulled away.
“What name?”
Frank stared at the floor.
“I can't tell you.”
Elena laughed in disbelief.
“You just told me I witnessed a murder, and now you're protecting the murderer?”
“No.”
“Then tell me.”
Frank looked at Dominic.
“The shooter believed Elena died that night.”
Dominic went still.
“How?”
“There was a fire.”
Elena remembered smoke.
Suddenly.
Violent.
Black.
A hand dragging her through snow.
She gasped.
Dominic stepped closer.
“What do you remember?”
“A door.”
Frank's face changed.
“Elena…”
“A red door.”
She closed her eyes.
“A warehouse. You were yelling.”
More images.
Alexander Vale kneeling.
A man holding a gun.
A silver ring.
A wolf engraved into it.
Elena opened her eyes.
“The shooter had a ring.”
Dominic's face emptied.
“What ring?”
“A wolf.”
Marco swore under his breath.
Dominic looked at him.
“What?”
Marco hesitated.
Then removed a ring from his own pocket.
Silver.
Wolf crest.
“This?”
Elena stared.
“Yes.”
Dominic's voice turned dangerous.
“Where did you get that?”
Marco swallowed.
“All senior Vale captains used to wear them.”
“How many?”
“Seven.”
Dominic looked at Frank.
“Which captain killed my father?”
Frank whispered:
“I never knew.”
Elena shook her head.
“I did.”
Everyone turned.
The memory was returning.
The man had stepped into the light.
Older than Dominic.
Black hair.
A scar across his eyebrow.
She remembered him saying:
Alexander should have listened.
Elena's lips went cold.
“I know his face.”
Dominic leaned closer.
“Who?”
Before she could answer, Frank's heart monitor began screaming.
His body convulsed.
“Dad!”
The doctor rushed forward.
“Move!”
Frank's breathing stopped.
Elena screamed.
Dominic grabbed her shoulders as the doctor began resuscitation.
Marco checked Frank's IV line.
Then froze.
“Boss.”
Dominic turned.
Marco held up a small injection port.
“There was something already in his bloodstream.”
“What?”
“Poison.”
Elena stared.
Frank hadn't collapsed from his injuries.
Someone had poisoned him before delivering him.
The doctor continued CPR.
Then Frank's eyes opened briefly.
He looked at Elena.
Barely conscious.
“Listen…”
She leaned close.
“Dad.”
“Your mother…”
Elena froze.
“My mother died.”
Frank's lips trembled.
“No.”
The monitor screamed again.
Elena's heart stopped.
“What?”
Frank whispered:
“She didn't die in the accident.”
His eyes closed.
May you like
Then one final sentence escaped him.
“She married the man who killed Alexander Vale.”
