Chapter 10 - THE FIRST ATTEMPT ON MY LIFE
The van had failed inspection before I drove it.
I had been lucky.
Someone else had taken it to a mechanic.
The brake line was cut.
Not worn.
Cut.
My supervisor, Brian, never told me.
Vincent showed me the report.
“You knew?”
“I learned yesterday.”
“Why didn’t you tell me?”
“Because every truth around you seems to arrive with another threat attached.”
“That is not your decision.”
He looked at me for a long moment.
“You’re right.”
No excuse.
No argument.
That surprised me more than anything.
“I’m sorry.”
I believed him.
I was still angry.
Both could exist.
Brian became our next question.
He had suspended me.
He had access to cleaning schedules.
He knew when I used the van.
Luke found payments.
Three transfers totaling $18,000.
From a shell company connected to Dominic.
I felt sick.
Brian had been my supervisor for four years.
He gave me extra shifts when Grandma’s prescriptions got expensive.
He brought donuts on holidays.
He also sold my schedule.
We confronted him in a lawyer’s office with federal investigators present.
Brian broke in fifteen minutes.
“I didn’t know they were going to hurt her.”
I stared at him.
“What did you think eighteen thousand dollars was for?”
He cried.
Really cried.
“I thought they wanted access cards.”
“For what?”
“To Hayes Tower.”
“Why me?”
“Because you worked nights near Vincent’s offices.”
The elevator sabotage had required my badge access.
Brian cloned it.
He didn’t cut the van brakes.
Someone else did.
“But I know who asked about her car,” he said.
“Who?”
“Luke.”
The room froze.
I turned.
Luke stood by the door.
His face revealed nothing.
Vincent looked at him.
“What?”
Brian pointed.
“Him.”
Luke didn’t deny it.
My stomach dropped.
Vincent’s voice became terrifyingly quiet.
“Explain.”
Luke removed his gun.
Placed it on the table.
Then stepped back.
“I asked about the van.”
“Why?”
“To stop Claire from driving it.”
I stared.
“You knew it was sabotaged?”
“Yes.”
“When?”
“Before Vincent did.”
Vincent looked betrayed.
Luke continued.
“I’ve been feeding Dominic limited information for years.”
Everything in the room changed.
Vincent moved toward him.
I stepped between them.
“Wait.”
Luke looked at me.
“I wasn’t working for Dominic.”
“Then who?”
“For your father.”
My breath caught.
“My father is dead.”
Luke shook his head.
“Michael recruited me before he died.”
Vincent stared.
Luke’s voice broke slightly.
“He asked me to watch Dominic.”
“For ten years?”
“Yes.”
“Why never tell me?”
“Because Michael didn’t trust what you would become.”
That hit Vincent harder than any punch.
Luke looked at him.
“He thought Arthur’s death might turn you into Dominic.”
Silence.
Then Luke pulled an envelope from inside his coat.
“Michael left one final instruction.”
He handed it to me.
On the front:
FOR CLAIRE, IF VINCENT CHOOSES MERCY OVER REVENGE.
I looked at Vincent.
May you like
Luke whispered:
“Your father was waiting to see what kind of man his nephew became.”
