Chapter 5 - The Man Inside Roman’s FamilyMarcus Vale called at 10:03 that morning.
Not Roman.
Audrey.
Her phone displayed PRIVATE NUMBER.
She almost ignored it.
Roman stopped her.
“Answer.”
“You think it’s him?”
“Yes.”
“How?”
“Because Marcus likes theater.”
Audrey answered.
“Hello?”
A pleasant male voice came through.
“Mrs. Hayes.”
Roman’s eyes hardened.
“Marcus?”
A soft laugh.
“So my cousin has been educating you.”
Audrey glanced at Roman.
“Where’s David?”
“Safe.”
“I doubt that.”
“You shouldn’t.”
“What do you want?”
“You’ve had an eventful twenty-four hours.”
Audrey hated his tone.
Warm.
Cultured.
Like they were discussing a charity dinner.
“Get to the point.”
“You have something belonging to me.”
“What?”
“The drive Chloe Mercer stole.”
Roman shook his head slightly.
Audrey understood.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“Of course you do.”
“And you have my husband.”
“Technically, yes.”
“What does that mean?”
“David’s usefulness is becoming increasingly limited.”
Audrey closed her eyes.
She didn’t love David anymore.
Maybe she hadn’t for longer than she knew.
But she didn’t want him dead.
Marcus continued.
“Bring me the drive.”
“Where?”
Roman shook his head again.
Marcus gave an address.
Audrey recognized it.
Her grandmother’s apartment building in Annapolis.
Of course.
“Come alone.”
The call ended.
Roman took the phone from her.
“You’re not going.”
“I know.”
That surprised him.
“You do?”
“I’m angry, Roman. Not stupid.”
He almost smiled.
Instead he turned to Caleb.
“Call federal contacts.”
Audrey looked at him.
“Federal?”
“Marcus used interstate shipping companies, forged investment instruments and diverted company money. I can destroy him privately or permanently.”
Audrey’s expression changed.
Roman continued.
“I’m choosing permanently.”
“You’re giving your own cousin to federal investigators.”
“He chose Sloane over family.”
“That sounds like a mafia answer.”
“It’s a business answer.”
“No. A business answer would have involved quarterly reports.”
Roman’s mouth twitched.
Despite everything, Audrey smiled.
It vanished quickly.
“What about David?”
“We get him out.”
“Why?”
Roman looked at her.
“Because you don’t want him killed.”
Audrey stared.
“You’d save him because I asked?”
“No.”
She raised an eyebrow.
Roman sighed.
“Yes.”
The Annapolis building had belonged to Audrey’s grandmother for thirty-seven years.
Three stories.
Twelve apartments.
Red brick.
White trim.
Audrey had spent childhood summers there helping repaint stair railings and pretending the rooftop was a castle.
Now Marcus Vale had turned it into a meeting place for a criminal conspiracy.
She hated him for that before ever seeing his face.
Audrey did not enter with Roman.
She remained in a surveillance vehicle two blocks away.
That had been the agreement.
She hated the agreement.
Through a hidden audio feed, she heard Roman knock.
Marcus answered.
“Cousin.”
“Marcus.”
“Where’s Mrs. Hayes?”
“Unavailable.”
Marcus laughed.
“You always did have trouble following directions.”
“Where’s David?”
“Inside.”
Audrey heard movement.
Then David’s voice.
“Roman!”
He sounded terrified.
Marcus said, “The drive.”
Roman replied, “David first.”
“Not how this works.”
“It is today.”
Audrey listened as men shifted inside the building.
She pictured Roman standing in her grandmother’s lobby.
Calm.
Controlled.
Surrounded.
Then Marcus said something that changed everything.
“Did you tell Audrey about her husband’s first payment?”
Audrey leaned forward.
Roman went silent.
Marcus laughed softly.
“Apparently not.”
Audrey pressed the headset closer.
“What payment?” she whispered.
Nobody in the van answered.
Roman’s voice came through.
“Don’t.”
Marcus ignored him.
“David didn’t start working with me because he was greedy.”
David shouted, “Shut up!”
“He started because he owed money.”
Audrey’s stomach tightened.
Marcus continued.
“A lot of money.”
“To whom?” Roman asked.
“To Victor.”
Audrey stared at the floor.
David had never gambled.
Not that she knew.
Marcus said, “Your husband made a few private investments using client funds. Lost them. Then borrowed to cover the losses. Then borrowed again.”
Audrey closed her eyes.
A familiar pattern.
Stress.
Secrecy.
More lies to hide previous lies.
Then Marcus said:
“He owed Sloane one-point-three million before Northpoint ever existed.”
David shouted something.
A blow followed.
Audrey stood.
Caleb stopped her.
“Mrs. Hayes.”
“I’m not going inside.”
“Then sit.”
She did, barely.
Roman’s voice remained calm.
“You have two choices, Marcus.”
“No. I have options.”
“Not anymore.”
There was a pause.
Then distant sirens.
Marcus cursed.
“You brought police?”
“Worse.”
Federal agents entered from two sides.
Everything became noise.
Commands.
Footsteps.
A crash.
Audrey waited.
Thirty seconds.
A minute.
Two.
Then the audio cut.
“Roman?”
Nothing.
“Roman?”
Caleb reached for the door.
Before he opened it, an explosion shook the street.
Audrey screamed.
Smoke rose above the rooftops.
She was out of the van before anyone stopped her.
She ran.
Caleb caught up near the corner.
“Stay behind me!”
Audrey ignored him.
The blast had shattered windows on the first floor.
Federal agents moved people back.
Fire alarms screamed.
Audrey searched frantically.
Then she saw Roman.
Walking through the smoke.
Blood ran from a cut above his eyebrow.
His coat was torn.
But he was standing.
Audrey stopped.
The relief was so violent it made her angry.
She crossed the distance and slapped him.
Everyone froze.
Roman stared at her.
Audrey’s hand hurt.
“You disappeared.”
His eyebrows rose.
“There was an explosion.”
“I noticed.”
“You slapped me.”
“I noticed that too.”
Something almost like laughter appeared in his eyes.
Then Audrey grabbed his coat and pulled him toward her.
Roman went still.
She hugged him.
Only for two seconds.
Maybe three.
Then she stepped back.
Neither spoke.
Caleb looked away.
Audrey cleared her throat.
“Where’s David?”
Roman’s expression changed.
“Alive.”
“And Marcus?”
“Gone.”
Audrey’s stomach dropped.
“He escaped?”
Roman nodded toward the harbor.
“Through the basement.”
“Then this isn’t over.”
“No.”
May you like
Roman looked toward the smoke.
“It just became worse.”
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