Chapter 16 - Two Girls Left

Dominic called the townhouse.

No answer.

He called Rosa.

Voicemail.

He called the head of security.

Nothing.

"Drive," he told Vincent.

The trip back to Manhattan became a blur of red lights, rain, and unanswered calls.

Sofia sat in the rear seat beside Hannah, wrapped in Dominic's coat.

Grace slept against her chest.

Sofia kept touching the child's hair as if afraid she would disappear.

"Lily and Emma?" she asked.

"Safe when we left," Hannah said.

Dominic stared straight ahead.

"They will still be safe."

Hannah heard the promise in his voice.

She also heard the fear.

When they reached the townhouse, the front door was open.

Rosa was alive.

So were the guards.

They had been drugged.

Lily and Emma were gone.

On the nursery floor sat one black envelope.

Dominic opened it.

Inside was a single photograph of Sebastian bound to a chair.

Hannah frowned. "He was taken too?"

Vincent read the note.

THE OLD MAN PAYS FOR THE OLD DEBT.

THE TWINS PAY FOR THE NEW ONE.

BRING SOFIA AND THE LEDGER.

MIDNIGHT. PIER 19.

NO POLICE.

Sofia went pale.

"It's Pike."

Dominic looked at her. "You know him?"

"He worked for Sebastian, but Marlow controlled him. Marlow said Pike had copies of everything. He wanted to sell the records if Sebastian ever stopped paying."

Hannah shook her head. "Marlow is dead. Why continue?"

Sofia's voice was weak but clear.

"Because Pike doesn't want money anymore. He wants revenge. Sebastian had his brother killed after a blackmail attempt."

Dominic looked at Vincent.

"Can you confirm?"

Vincent was already searching.

"A man named Thomas Pike died in a warehouse fire eight years ago. Ruled accidental."

Dominic shut his eyes.

"My father's warehouse."

Sofia looked at him.

"That's what I was going to the prosecutor about. Not you. Your father and Sebastian."

Dominic stared at her.

"The statement said you couldn't trust me with the girls."

"Because I didn't know what you would choose when you learned the truth."

The words landed hard.

Sofia reached for his hand but stopped before touching it.

"I was afraid you would choose the family name."

Dominic looked around the damaged nursery.

"I almost did. For years."

Hannah picked up Emma's blanket.

"You can confess later. Right now we get them back."

Vincent checked the clock.

11:07 p.m.

Then his phone buzzed.

A live video opened.

Lily and Emma were crying inside a shipping container.

Behind them, water glimmered through a crack in the doors.

A timer appeared on screen.

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00:52:59.

The container was sinking.