Chapter 4 - The Child Dominic Thought Was Dead
Dominic's niece had been missing for nine years.
Her name was Amelia.
She had vanished after his father's funeral.
Everyone assumed she had been kidnapped.
Dominic had spent years searching for her.
The photograph changed everything.
The child was alive.
And someone had found her.
"Where?" Khloe asked.
Dante gave them an address.
An abandoned church in the southern suburbs.
They arrived before dawn.
The church was empty.
Except for a small table.
A chair.
And Amelia's red backpack.
Dominic picked it up.
His hands shook.
Khloe had never seen him like this.
"She was here."
A voice came from behind them.
"She still is."
A young man stepped from the shadows.
He wore a gray coat.
His face was bruised.
Jason Caldwell.
Dominic raised his weapon.
"Where is Amelia?"
Jason shook his head.
"I don't have her."
"Then why are you here?"
"Because I want out."
"Out of what?"
"The network."
Khloe stared.
"You worked for Vincent?"
Jason nodded.
"Under C-17."
"Who is C-17?"
Jason looked at Dominic.
"Your father."
Dominic's face hardened.
"No."
Jason handed him a photograph.
Roberto Castile.
Vincent Moretti.
Khloe's father.
And a fourth man.
Dominic looked carefully.
"Who is that?"
Jason whispered:
"Your uncle Adrian."
Dominic froze.
Adrian Castile had disappeared twenty years earlier.
He had supposedly died overseas.
Jason continued.
"Adrian built the illegal network."
"Then my father?"
"Your father inherited it."
"What about Vincent?"
"Vincent wanted out."
"Marcus?"
"Marcus knew too much."
Khloe's chest tightened.
"He was killed."
Jason nodded.
"By Adrian."
"Then why did everyone blame Roberto?"
"Because Roberto took the blame."
Dominic stared.
"Why?"
"To protect your mother."
Khloe looked at him.
"Your mother?"
Dominic nodded.
"My mother knew."
Jason continued.
"She discovered the network. She tried to expose Adrian."
"What happened?"
"He threatened Dominic."
Khloe felt a chill.
"Your father protected his own son."
"Yes."
Dominic looked away.
"All these years, I believed my father was the monster."
"He wasn't innocent."
Jason's voice was quiet.
"But he wasn't the mastermind."
Khloe's phone rang.
Unknown number.
A child's voice.
"Hello?"
Khloe's blood ran cold.
"Amelia?"
"Khloe?"
"Where are you?"
"I don't know."
Dominic grabbed the phone.
"Amelia, it's Uncle Dominic."
A pause.
Then the little girl cried.
"Don't let him find me."
"Who?"
"The man who says he's my father."
The call ended.
Dominic looked at Jason.
"Who does she think is her father?"
Jason's face went pale.
"Adrian."
That couldn't be possible.
Adrian was supposed to be dead.
Then they heard footsteps.
Men entered the church.
Dante fired first.
Chaos erupted.
Khloe ran toward Dominic.
A man grabbed her.
She screamed.
Dominic turned.
His face transformed.
He crossed the room in seconds.
The man dropped.
Dante shouted:
"Vehicle!"
They escaped.
In the car, Khloe was shaking.
Dominic looked at her.
"Are you hurt?"
"No."
He gently touched her wrist.
"You're bleeding."
She looked down.
A small cut.
"It's nothing."
"Don't say that."
The anger in his voice wasn't directed at her.
It was fear.
Khloe looked at him.
"You were scared."
"Yes."
"Because of me."
"Yes."
She didn't know what to say.
Dominic withdrew his hand.
"Get some sleep."
She shook her head.
"I can't."
"Why?"
"Because you keep pretending you're made of stone."
He looked at her.
"And?"
"And you're not."
Silence.
He looked out the window.
"My sister died when I was nineteen."
Khloe waited.
"Amelia's mother."
"I didn't know."
"Nobody does."
He paused.
"She was killed because of my father."
"Your mother?"
"Yes."
"That's why you protect everyone."
"I couldn't protect her."
Khloe reached across the seat.
She placed her hand over his.
He looked down.
Neither moved.
Then his phone rang.
Dante.
"We found Adrian."
Dominic went still.
"Where?"
"Chicago."
"Alive?"
"Yes."
"Where?"
Dante hesitated.
"The Palmer House Hilton."
Khloe's stomach dropped.
Her first morning.
Room 412.
Dominic looked at her.
The same place where everything started.
He whispered:
"He wanted me there."
They returned to the hotel.
The suite was empty.
But the bed had been made.
On the pillow sat a note.
WELCOME BACK, DOMINIC.
Underneath:
YOU NEVER KNEW WHO SLEPT NEXT TO YOU.
Khloe felt a chill.
"What does that mean?"
May you like
Dominic looked at the pillow.
"It means the wrong room wasn't an accident."
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