Chapter 3: Blood Family
Griffin Vale waited in Dominic’s private office like he owned it.
He sat behind the desk, one ankle resting over his knee, a glass of bourbon in his hand. He was older than Dominic by twelve years, silver at the temples, charming in the way snakes were beautiful before they struck.
Celeste stood beside him now, changed into a black dress.
No silk robe.
No wounded wife performance.
Only war.
Two armed men forced Mara and Dominic into the room.
Dominic’s lip was split. Mara’s wrist was bruised from the struggle. But the flash drive was no longer in her apron.
That was the only reason Mara was still calm.
Griffin smiled.
“Little brother,” he said. “You always did choose damaged things.”
Dominic said nothing.
Griffin looked at Mara. “And you must be Raymond’s girl.”
Mara’s face did not move.
Griffin seemed pleased.
“He had that same look before he died. Like silence could save him.”
Dominic took one step forward.
A guard raised his gun.
Griffin laughed softly.
“Careful. You’re already embarrassing yourself tonight.”
Mara looked at Griffin. “Why did you kill him?”
Griffin sighed, as though bored by the question.
“Because your father developed a conscience at a very inconvenient time.”
Mara’s stomach turned.
“He found the routes,” Griffin continued. “The weapons shipments. The girls hidden inside cargo manifests. The judges paid to look away. He thought if he gave the files to Dominic, my baby brother would clean the family name.”
Dominic’s eyes flickered.
Mara caught it.
He had not known everything.
Celeste smiled. “But Raymond never reached him.”
Mara whispered, “You intercepted him.”
“I improved the situation,” Griffin said.
Then he leaned forward.
“And now you’re going to give me that drive.”
Mara looked him dead in the eyes.
“No.”
Celeste stepped close and slapped Mara hard across the face.
Dominic lunged.
The guards grabbed him.
Mara slowly turned her face back, blood at the corner of her mouth.
Then she smiled.
Celeste’s smile faded.
Mara whispered, “You should have checked the tray.”
Downstairs, in the ballroom below the penthouse, every crime boss, judge, police captain, contractor, and politician at Celeste’s party suddenly heard Griffin Vale’s confession through the speaker system.
May you like
The silver tray Mara had lowered onto the kitchen counter had not been empty.
It had been recording everything.
