Chapter 6 - THE DEAD UNCLE
The shooting stopped as suddenly as it had begun.
That terrified Julian.
Men who ran out of ammunition made noise.
Men who deliberately stopped firing had another plan.
“Move.”
Derek lifted Elena.
Julian grabbed Maya’s hand.
They ran through the kitchen.
Smoke began pouring through the rear corridor.
Maya coughed.
“They’re burning it.”
“Yes.”
Julian kicked open a service door.
Cold night air hit them.
Two armored SUVs waited in the alley.
Derek placed Elena inside the first.
Maya started to follow.
Julian stopped her.
“You go with Derek.”
“What about you?”
“I’m staying.”
“No.”
“Maya.”
“Absolutely not.”
He looked at the burning restaurant.
“We need someone alive.”
“You are not chasing whoever is out there.”
“That is exactly what I am doing.”
“You just found out your dead uncle may be alive.”
“Yes.”
“Which means you are angry.”
“Yes.”
“And people with guns are waiting outside.”
“Yes.”
“And you think this is a good time to make decisions?”
Julian stared at her.
Derek leaned out of the SUV.
“She has a point.”
Julian’s eyes cut toward him.
Derek disappeared back inside.
Maya stepped closer.
“If Gabriel is alive, twenty minutes isn’t going to matter after twenty-three years.”
Julian’s jaw tightened.
“You’re asking me to walk away.”
“I’m asking you not to walk into a trap.”
Smoke rolled into the alley.
Julian finally entered the SUV.
Maya followed.
They drove directly to a private medical facility Julian controlled.
Elena went into surgery.
Thomas Rourke arrived forty minutes later.
Julian nearly broke his jaw before Thomas finished entering the room.
Derek and two guards pulled Julian back.
Thomas wiped blood from his mouth.
“I suppose I deserved that.”
“You took her.”
“I saved her.”
“You could have called me.”
“I didn’t know which of your phones were compromised.”
Julian’s rage filled the room.
Thomas looked at Maya.
“You found the recording?”
“Not yet.”
“Good.”
Julian stopped struggling.
“Why good?”
“Because you need context before you watch it.”
“No.”
Julian held out his hand.
“Drive.”
Thomas hesitated.
Then gave it to him.
Julian inserted it into an isolated laptop.
Maya stood beside him.
Derek closed the blinds.
Thomas poured himself water.
The video began.
Maya recognized the interview room immediately.
Nineteen-year-old paint.
Cheap desk.
Metal chair.
There she was.
Twenty-one years old.
Nervous.
Wearing the only blouse she owned that did not have a stain.
Across from her sat the agency director.
“Why domestic work?”
Video-Maya smiled.
“Because I’m good at keeping things organized.”
The director laughed.
“Some of our clients are difficult.”
“I worked food service for six years.”
Maya on the couch muttered.
“That should have qualified me for hostage negotiation.”
Nobody laughed.
The recording continued.
Behind the mirrored glass, another camera angle showed two men.
One was the director.
The other was older.
Tall.
Silver hair.
A familiar shape to his face.
Julian leaned closer.
Maya looked at him.
“You recognize him.”
Julian barely spoke.
“Yes.”
“Gabriel?”
“Yes.”
Thomas nodded.
The man on the recording spoke.
“Send her to Julian.”
The agency director frowned.
“She has no high-end household experience.”
“She doesn’t need any.”
“She may not pass Croft’s security screening.”
“She will.”
“How?”
Gabriel smiled.
“Because I designed it.”
Julian’s face drained of color.
Maya felt sick.
The agency director glanced through the glass.
“Why her?”
Gabriel picked up Maya’s file.
“Rosa Torres.”
Maya froze.
The interview continued silently in the background.
Gabriel opened a medical document.
“Her mother needs surgery.”
The director nodded.
“So?”
“So desperation is reliable.”
Maya clenched her fists.
Julian noticed.
Gabriel continued.
“Arrange the loan advertisement.”
Maya whispered.
“Oh God.”
“Make sure she sees it.”
Julian’s hand tightened on the table.
The director asked another question.
“What happens after Croft hires her?”
Gabriel smiled.
“Nothing.”
“Nothing?”
“We wait.”
“For what?”
“For Julian to care.”
Julian stopped breathing.
The director looked skeptical.
“You’re basing this on a maid?”
“No.”
Gabriel watched Maya through the mirrored glass.
“I’m basing it on Julian.”
The director frowned.
Gabriel’s smile disappeared.
“My nephew spent fifteen years turning himself into a machine because he believes machines cannot lose anyone.”
Julian looked away.
Gabriel continued.
“So we give him someone impossible not to care about.”
Maya felt tears burn behind her eyes.
The director asked quietly.
“And then?”
Gabriel closed Maya’s folder.
“Then we teach him that machines break too.”
The video ended.
No one moved.
Thomas spoke first.
“I found the file two weeks ago.”
Julian turned on him.
“And you didn’t tell me.”
“I needed confirmation.”
“You needed confirmation that my dead uncle was alive?”
“I needed confirmation that the footage was real.”
“You should have come to me.”
“I tried.”
“When?”
“The night of the charity auction.”
Julian remembered.
“You left before speaking to me.”
“Because someone followed me.”
Thomas looked around the room.
“Someone inside your organization.”
Derek’s face hardened.
“Who?”
“I don’t know.”
Julian laughed bitterly.
“I am becoming very tired of that answer.”
Maya stood and walked away.
Julian noticed immediately.
“Maya.”
She held up one hand.
“Don’t.”
He stopped.
Maya entered the hallway.
She made it to the stairwell before the tears came.
Julian followed but remained several feet away.
“I need a minute.”
“I know.”
“No, you don’t.”
He said nothing.
Maya turned.
“He chose me because my mother was sick.”
“Yes.”
“He put that advertisement in front of me.”
“Yes.”
“He knew I would take the loan.”
“Yes.”
“He knew I’d take the job.”
Julian swallowed.
“Yes.”
“He planned my entire life.”
“No.”
She glared.
“He manipulated circumstances.”
“That is planning my life.”
“He did not plan who you became.”
Maya’s eyes filled.
“You don’t know that.”
“I do.”
“How?”
“Because you are impossible to control.”
She gave a broken laugh.
Julian stepped closer.
“He created the debt.”
Another step.
“He opened a door.”
Another.
“He did not make you walk into my office and call me arrogant.”
“You were arrogant.”
“I remain arrogant.”
“Yes.”
“He did not make you stay with your mother after surgery.”
Maya’s mouth trembled.
“He did not make you work two jobs.”
Another step.
“He did not make you refuse my money.”
Julian’s eyes locked with hers.
“And Gabriel Croft sure as hell did not make me fall in love with you.”
Silence.
Absolute silence.
Maya stared at him.
Julian seemed to realize what he had said only after it was too late.
His expression changed.
Maya whispered.
“What?”
Julian’s jaw tightened.
The most feared man in Chicago suddenly looked as though he wanted to be anywhere else.
“I said—”
“I heard what you said.”
“Maya.”
“You love me?”
He looked at the floor.
She stared at him.
“Julian Croft.”
He looked back up.
“You demanded answers from me for two days.”
“This is different.”
“How?”
“Because I wasn’t planning to say that in a hospital stairwell.”
Despite everything, a laugh escaped her.
Julian rubbed one hand over his face.
Maya stared.
“You love me.”
He finally stopped hiding.
“Yes.”
The word was quiet.
Simple.
Devastating.
Maya’s chest tightened.
“How long?”
“I don’t know.”
“That is a lie.”
Julian sighed.
“Christmas.”
Her eyes widened.
“Which Christmas?”
He said nothing.
Maya stared.
“Julian.”
“Last Christmas.”
“That was eight months ago.”
“Yes.”
“And you said nothing.”
“You worked for me.”
“I still do.”
“Exactly.”
“And you decided that meant you couldn’t tell me.”
“I decided it would be unfair.”
Maya swallowed.
“You were afraid I’d think I had to respond.”
“Yes.”
For the first time since this began, Julian looked vulnerable.
Maya stepped closer.
“So you waited.”
“Yes.”
“And got angry when I came home late.”
“I was afraid.”
“You accused me of running.”
“Yes.”
“You investigated my bank account.”
“That one was admittedly questionable.”
She almost smiled.
“Very.”
Julian looked at her.
“I never wanted your debt to force you toward me.”
Maya’s expression softened.
“That is why I couldn’t pay it without telling you.”
She understood.
Suddenly, she understood all of it.
Julian had money enough to erase her problem in seconds.
But somewhere beneath all his control, he had known that rescuing her without consent could become another form of ownership.
Maya whispered.
“I don’t know what I feel.”
Julian nodded.
“I know.”
“I care about you.”
He said nothing.
“Probably more than I should.”
His eyes lifted.
“But everything feels contaminated now.”
“By Gabriel.”
“By all of it.”
Julian’s face hardened with pain.
“I understand.”
Maya stepped closer anyway.
“I’m not rejecting you.”
His breathing stopped.
“I’m telling you I can’t answer tonight.”
Julian nodded once.
“That is fair.”
Before she could say anything else, Derek opened the stairwell door.
His face was pale.
“Julian.”
Julian turned.
“Elena woke up.”
“That’s good.”
“No.”
Derek swallowed.
“She remembered why Gabriel chose Maya.”
Maya felt cold.
Julian stared at him.
Derek continued.
“It wasn’t only because of Rosa’s surgery.”
Maya’s heart began pounding.
“Then why?”
Derek looked directly at her.
“Because Gabriel already knew your father.”
Maya went completely still.
“My father died when I was three.”
Derek said nothing.
Maya stared.
“What?”
Derek’s voice lowered.
May you like
“No, Maya.”
“He didn’t.”
