Chapter 14 - One Bad Decision Too Many
Everything happened at once.
Dad shouted my name.
Victor lunged sideways.
Lorraine raised the gun with both hands, but she was shaking so badly the barrel moved in circles.
"Stay away from her!" Lorraine screamed.
Victor froze.
I could hear the detective in my hidden earpiece telling me to get down.
I didn't.
"Lorraine," I said. "Put it down."
She looked at me with tears in her eyes.
"I was trying to save my son."
"You blackmailed me."
"I know."
"You forged signatures."
"I know."
"You kidnapped my father."
"I didn't know Victor would take him tonight."
Dad shouted, "That's not the defense you think it is."
Victor slowly raised his hands.
"Lorraine, think carefully."
She laughed. "Thinking carefully is how I got here."
The gun shifted toward him.
"You used Thomas's debt to own us for twenty years. You used Harbor Ridge to bury Marcus. You told me if I didn't get Danielle's assets, you'd send my son to prison."
Victor's voice hardened. "And you agreed."
"Yes."
That word echoed through the unfinished room.
No excuses.
No denial.
Just yes.
Then Marcus entered through the side door.
"Mom."
Lorraine's face collapsed.
"No. You weren't supposed to be here."
Marcus took one slow step forward.
"Put the gun down."
"I did this for you."
"You did this to me."
She started crying.
"Your father left me with debt, enemies, employees, banks—"
"So you decided everyone else could pay for it? Danielle? Her father? Serena? Me?"
Her hands trembled harder.
Victor moved.
Just an inch.
Lorraine noticed.
The gun swung.
Marcus lunged.
A shot cracked through the room.
Glass exploded.
I hit the floor.
Police stormed in from both doors.
Victor dropped behind the desk.
Lorraine screamed.
Marcus was on the ground.
For one terrible second, I saw blood on his white wedding shirt and forgot every lie he had ever told me.
"Marcus!"
I crawled toward him.
He rolled onto his side.
The bullet had cut across his upper arm and gone through the window behind him.
He was conscious.
Alive.
Police took the gun from Lorraine.
Victor was handcuffed beside the desk.
My father was pulled to safety.
Marcus looked at me, face white with pain.
"You came back."
I stared at him.
"Don't confuse humanity with forgiveness."
Then paramedics rushed in.
As they lifted him, Victor started laughing.
The detective turned on him.
"What's funny?"
May you like
Victor nodded toward the leather case.
"You still don't know who authorized the first transfer."
