Chapter 8 - THE FATHER WHO HAD LIED FOR TWENTY YEARS
Jenna called her father.
He answered on the second ring.
“Sweetheart?”
“Dad, where are you?”
“At home. Why?”
“Stay there.”
“What happened?”
“Just stay there.”
We arrived twelve minutes later.
Thomas Hart was waiting in the kitchen.
Linda was gone.
Matt was still with his fiancée.
Jenna placed the photograph on the table.
Her father sat down without being asked.
That told us enough.
“You know them,” Jenna said.
Thomas looked twenty years older.
“Yes.”
“Who are they?”
“You already know some.”
“Who are you?”
His eyes filled with shame.
“I worked financial intelligence.”
“For the government?”
“Originally.”
I stood across from him.
“And later?”
“For your father.”
Jenna looked at me.
I hadn’t known.
Thomas continued.
“Blackwood’s organization was being used to move weapons through legitimate freight companies. Evan’s father suspected it and quietly hired me to trace the money.”
“Victor?” I asked.
Thomas looked down.
“He was involved.”
Jenna inhaled sharply.
“And Ryan’s father?”
“The architect.”
“Then Ryan knew?”
“Eventually.”
Jenna’s voice broke.
“You let me get engaged to his son?”
“I didn’t know Ryan knew.”
“You lied to me my entire life.”
“I was trying to protect you.”
She stood.
“No. You were protecting your secrets.”
Thomas flinched.
I understood her anger too well.
Then he looked at me.
“Daniel found the network before we could shut it down. Victor learned he had evidence.”
My hands curled into fists.
“Victor ordered the crash.”
Thomas nodded.
“But Daniel survived.”
“Yes.”
“You knew.”
“I found him before Victor’s people did.”
The room went silent.
“You hid my brother for six years?”
“He had brain damage. He couldn’t remember you. And Victor controlled people inside your organization.”
I stepped toward him.
Jenna moved between us.
Not to protect her father.
To protect me from what I might do.
Thomas opened a cabinet and removed a metal box.
“I kept proof.”
Inside were financial ledgers and photographs.
Then a phone began ringing.
Not mine.
Not Jenna’s.
Thomas looked terrified.
The sound came from the metal box.
He removed an old burner phone.
One message filled the screen.
YOU SHOULD HAVE BURNED THE EVIDENCE, TOM.
A second message arrived.
LOOK OUTSIDE.
We turned.
Across the street, Linda Hart was being forced into a black SUV.
Jenna screamed, “Mom!”
Thomas grabbed my arm.
“Victor found us.”
But as the SUV pulled away, the rear window lowered.
Ryan Mercer was sitting beside Linda.
May you like
He looked directly at Jenna.
Then raised one finger to his lips.
