Chapter 10 - Family Business
“No one is handing over my sister,” Elias said.
Owen rubbed his face. “Then Chloe dies.”
Giata rolled forward. “Stop talking about us like we're packages. We decide together.”
For ten minutes they argued, until Giata took the phone from Owen's hand and called Detective Nora Price, the only organized-crime investigator Elias had never managed to buy.
Elias looked as if she'd slapped him. “You called the cops?”
“I called someone whose job is supposed to protect children.”
Price arrived with two plainclothes officers, no sirens, and an expression that said she expected a trap. She looked at Elias with open dislike.
“I've wanted you in a room like this for fifteen years,” she said.
“Enjoy the furniture,” Elias replied. “Find the girl.”
Price studied the picture and the threatening messages. “I can work with this. But I get all of it. No selective truths.”
Giata answered before Elias could. “Deal.”
Meanwhile Dominic invited Elias to lunch at a private club overlooking the lake. Elias went unarmed, knowing his cousin would enjoy that more than any threat.
Dominic poured sparkling water. “You look tired.”
“Where's Chloe?”
“Safe. For now.”
“Call your men off my house.”
Dominic set a black folder on the table. Inside were shipping contracts, protection payments, and signatures. Elias recognized his own on several pages.
“You've been using my foundation to move dirty money,” Elias said.
“Your foundation?” Dominic laughed. “You approved the warehouses. You approved the guards. You only looked away when the charity paperwork bored you.”
“I never approved murder.”
“No. You just built a machine that makes it easy.”
Elias's phone vibrated. A message from Marisol had arrived: NICO ISN'T ANSWERING. SOMETHING'S WRONG.
Dominic watched him read it.
“You care about that maid,” he said. “That's new.”
“Don't touch her.”
Dominic placed a second phone on the table. The screen showed Nico tied to a metal chair, grease still on his mechanic's uniform.
May you like
A voice off-camera said, “Tell your sister to stop looking.”
Then the camera turned, revealing that the man holding Nico was wearing Elias's security badge.
