Chapter 14 - THE DEAL THEIR FATHERS MADE
Thomas told us everything the following morning.
Twenty-seven years earlier, he had been part of a federal task force investigating my father.
His mission was simple.
Build a case.
Freeze the assets.
Destroy the organization.
Then he discovered something unexpected.
My father was already trying to move the family away from drugs, weapons, and violent rackets.
Men inside his own organization resisted.
Victor most of all.
Thomas made a deal with him.
“Your father gave me evidence against his own people,” Thomas said.
“In exchange for what?” I asked.
“Time.”
“To do what?”
“To build legitimate companies strong enough that you and Daniel wouldn’t inherit only crime.”
I sat quietly.
My entire life, I had believed I was the first Blackwood who wanted out.
I wasn’t.
My father had started the escape before I was old enough to understand it.
Thomas continued.
“Victor discovered our arrangement. He built the weapons network secretly and used Ryan’s father to hide the money.”
Daniel looked at me.
“So Dad knew?”
“Some of it.”
“Why didn’t he stop Victor?”
“He was dying. By the time he understood how far it had spread, he was running out of time.”
Thomas handed me a sealed letter.
My father’s handwriting covered the front.
FOR EVAN, WHEN HE IS READY TO BECOME BETTER THAN ME.
I opened it.
The letter contained no passwords.
No money.
No criminal secrets.
Only an apology.
My father admitted the fear that had controlled his life.
He wrote that power was easy to inherit and difficult to refuse.
Then came the final instruction.
If I ever had the chance to choose between preserving the Blackwood empire and becoming a man my future family could be proud of, I should burn the empire.
I read the letter twice.
Then I called my lawyers.
Within forty-eight hours, every remaining illegal Blackwood operation was dismantled.
Accounts were surrendered.
Properties tied to criminal revenue were handed over.
Employees not involved in crimes were transferred into legitimate businesses.
Blackwood Security.
Blackwood Logistics.
Blackwood Property Group.
The old organization died quietly.
Jenna found me alone in my office after midnight.
“Any regrets?”
“Yes.”
She looked concerned.
“I should have done it sooner.”
She smiled.
Then I opened my desk drawer.
Inside was a small velvet box.
Jenna noticed immediately.
Her eyes widened.
“Evan.”
“Relax.”
“Why is there a ring in your desk?”
“I was waiting.”
“For what?”
“To know whether you still liked me without the criminal empire.”
She walked toward me.
“Evan Blackwood, I liked you when I thought you might have people buried in the mountains.”
“That is strangely comforting.”
I took out the ring.
But before I could kneel, she stopped me.
“One question.”
“Anything.”
“Was our first kiss really the first time you wanted to kiss me?”
I smiled.
“No.”
“How long?”
“Seven hundred and twelve days.”
May you like
Her mouth fell open.
I had been counting.
