Chapter 13 - THE BALLROOM COUNTDOWN
Seven minutes remained.
The tracker moved upward.
Forty-first floor.
Then forty-second.
Dante pressed a hand against his bleeding shoulder.
Talia tried to stop him.
“You’re staying here.”
“Absolutely not.”
“You were shot.”
“I’ve had worse dates.”
She stared at him.
“Was that a joke?”
“I’m losing blood.”
They reached the ballroom.
Hundreds of guests were still inside.
Vincent had triggered a fire alarm, but Cross’s people were blocking exits.
Talia climbed onto the stage.
She grabbed the microphone.
“There is a bomb in this building. Get out now.”
Panic exploded.
Cross’s guards moved toward her.
Dante’s men intercepted them.
Vincent opened the emergency exits.
Guests poured toward the stairwells.
The tracker started moving again.
Toward the roof.
Talia followed.
Lucian stood beside a helicopter with the ledger beneath one arm.
Noah was beside him.
Alive.
Lucian smiled.
“You really are Elena’s daughter.”
Talia raised her weapon.
“Let him go.”
“And lose my insurance?”
Dante emerged behind her.
Lucian laughed.
“The famous Marchelli heir. Bleeding for a waitress.”
Dante’s voice was quiet.
“She was never just a waitress.”
Lucian glanced at his watch.
“One minute.”
Talia’s heart slammed.
“You planted the bomb.”
“I planted several.”
Noah suddenly dropped.
Talia fired.
Lucian’s weapon flew from his hand.
Dante tackled him before he could reach the helicopter.
Thirty seconds.
Vincent’s voice screamed through the radio.
“I found the detonator circuit!”
“Can you stop it?”
“Trying!”
Twenty.
Lucian laughed beneath Dante.
“You’re all dead.”
Ten.
Talia covered Noah with her body.
Five.
Four.
Three.
Nothing happened.
The building remained standing.
Vincent’s voice came through the radio.
“Circuit disconnected.”
Talia closed her eyes.
Dante hauled Lucian upright as federal agents stormed the roof.
For the first time, Cross looked afraid.
Then he smiled.
“You think this ends with me?”
Dante said nothing.
Lucian leaned closer.
“You should ask why the evidence in that ledger carries Dante Marchelli’s signature.”
Talia stared.
Cross revealed his final weapon.
May you like
Every illegal shipment, every payoff, every murder connected to Cross Meridian had been digitally forged to look as though Dante had authorized it.
By sunrise, Dante Marchelli would be the most wanted man in New York.
