Chapter 5 - the man who counted everything
Paul DeLuca had managed the Vance family’s legitimate finances for twenty two years.
He knew where every dollar entered.
Where every dollar left.
And which numbers Dominic preferred never to see written down.
More importantly, Paul had known Vincent Vance.
Dominic had always considered that an advantage.
Now it looked different.
“Find Paul,” Dominic ordered.
Emma started searching through the estate’s internal system.
Isabella stood beside her.
Sophia was finally persuaded to allow the doctor to take her to a private hospital under Vance protection.
Before leaving, she caught Dominic’s sleeve.
“Do not hurt Daniel until you know the truth.”
Dominic looked at her.
“You don’t even know if he is alive.”
Sophia’s expression told him she believed otherwise.
“Your father failed that boy.”
Dominic’s eyes hardened.
“That does not give him permission to destroy us.”
“No.”
Sophia squeezed his hand.
“But hatred grows easily in children who are taught they were unwanted.”
Dominic bent and kissed her forehead.
“I’ll bring you answers.”
She whispered, “Bring me both my children alive.”
Dominic glanced at Isabella.
“That depends on her.”
Isabella rolled her eyes.
“Nice to see almost two decades changed nothing.”
Sophia smiled despite the pain.
“Both of you. Alive.”
After she left, Dominic went downstairs.
Vanessa was being held in the sitting room.
Richard Hale was in the library.
Marcus remained locked in a reinforced storage room used for sensitive materials.
Dominic went to Marcus first.
Marcus sat on a chair with his wrists secured in front of him.
His jacket was gone.
His tie hung loose.
He looked tired rather than defeated.
Dominic closed the door.
“Paul DeLuca.”
Marcus looked up.
“What about him?”
“You tell me.”
Marcus smiled.
“You already know.”
“I know he is with Caroline.”
The smile faded.
That told Dominic enough.
“You knew.”
Marcus leaned back.
“I knew Paul had been moving money.”
“For Daniel?”
Marcus said nothing.
Dominic stepped closer.
“How long have you worked for my brother?”
Marcus laughed.
“So you finally found out.”
“How long?”
“Does it matter?”
“Yes.”
“Three years.”
“Isabella thinks you work for her.”
“I did.”
“Past tense.”
Marcus’s expression changed.
Dominic understood.
“Daniel got to you.”
Marcus looked at the floor.
“Daniel showed me the truth.”
“What truth?”
“That there was never going to be a place for people like me in your family.”
Dominic stared at him.
“You had more authority than half my blood relatives.”
“Authority you could remove with one sentence.”
“You wanted my chair.”
“No.”
Marcus looked up.
“I wanted something that was mine.”
“You had money.”
“Your money.”
“A house.”
“Your house.”
“Power.”
“Your name behind it.”
Dominic shook his head.
“So this is about pride.”
“This is about twenty years of standing behind you while everyone called you powerful for decisions I helped you make.”
Dominic almost pitied him.
Almost.
“You think Daniel will put you beside him?”
Marcus did not answer.
Dominic smiled faintly.
“He won’t.”
“You don’t know him.”
“No, but I know men who recruit traitors.”
Marcus’s eyes narrowed.
“They never trust them afterward.”
For the first time, uncertainty entered Marcus’s face.
Dominic leaned closer.
“Where is Caroline?”
Marcus remained silent.
Dominic stood.
“Then sit here and think about how replaceable Daniel considers you.”
He opened the door.
Marcus spoke.
“Dominic.”
Dominic stopped.
Marcus looked at him.
“Paul isn’t the accountant.”
“What?”
“He is the courier.”
“For whom?”
Marcus smiled bitterly.
“The accountant is somebody you’d never suspect.”
Dominic waited.
Marcus shook his head.
“You want the rest, get me out of this house alive.”
Dominic studied him.
“You put a gun to my head.”
“I could have pulled the trigger.”
“You expect gratitude?”
“I expect you to recognize leverage.”
Dominic walked out.
Emma met him in the corridor.
“I found Paul’s car.”
“Where?”
“Lower Manhattan. Parking garage near Fulton Street.”
“Caroline?”
“No phone registered to her.”
“Cameras?”
Emma looked impressed despite herself.
“I’m already checking.”
Isabella approached.
“I know the place.”
Dominic turned.
“What place?”
“The building beside the garage. It belonged to one of Dad’s shell companies.”
“Belonged?”
“Officially sold fifteen years ago.”
“To?”
Emma checked.
Her face changed.
“Mercer Consulting.”
Dominic stared.
Caroline’s surname.
Isabella said, “She owns the building.”
Within twenty minutes Dominic and Isabella were in an armored sedan heading toward Manhattan with four trusted security men.
Dominic chose men who had worked for Sophia rather than Marcus.
Even so, he watched them carefully.
Isabella sat opposite him.
“You really don’t trust anyone anymore.”
“I trusted you once.”
She looked out the window.
“That wasn’t fair.”
“No.”
Dominic waited.
She looked back.
“It was accurate.”
They rode in silence.
Finally Isabella said, “I watched you.”
Dominic frowned.
“From Europe.”
“For seventeen years?”
“Not constantly.”
“That makes it less disturbing.”
“I watched interviews. News stories. Charity events.”
Dominic laughed.
“You watched charity events to see how your crime boss brother was doing.”
“I wanted to know if there was still something of the boy I knew.”
“And?”
Isabella smiled sadly.
“Sometimes.”
Dominic looked out the window.
“Why come back now?”
“Because Caroline found Daniel.”
“Where?”
“She would not tell me.”
“Why?”
“Because she didn’t trust me either.”
Dominic looked at her.
“Smart woman.”
Isabella’s smile vanished.
“She said Daniel had been living under another name for years.”
“Which name?”
“She didn’t know.”
Dominic thought of all the men who had moved through his life.
Lawyers.
Drivers.
Advisers.
Friends.
Enemies.
Any one of them could be blood.
The car entered Manhattan.
Emma called.
Dominic answered.
“I found something on Vanessa’s phone,” she said.
“What?”
“She has been communicating with an encrypted account for eleven months.”
“Daniel?”
“I thought so.”
“And?”
“The account existed before Vanessa met you.”
“How long before?”
“Fourteen years.”
Dominic frowned.
“Who created it?”
“I traced the oldest recovery address.”
Emma went silent.
“Tell me.”
“It belonged to Vincent Vance.”
Dominic froze.
“My father.”
“Yes.”
Isabella heard.
Her face went pale.
Dominic whispered, “My father’s account has been messaging Vanessa?”
Emma replied, “Not exactly.”
“What exactly?”
“The account was transferred after his death.”
“To who?”
May you like
Emma took a breath.
“Caroline Mercer.”
