Chapter 3 - The Betrayal Was Sitting at Damon’s Table
The entire estate was sealed.
Every employee was brought into the main ballroom.
Every security officer was disarmed and searched.
Damon stood at the front.
Marcus beside him.
Ruby sat on Selena's lap.
She clutched her rabbit.
Marco stood among the lieutenants.
He looked irritated.
“Damon, this is absurd.”
“Is it?”
“We're being treated like criminals.”
Damon stared at him.
“You are surrounded by criminals.”
Marco's expression tightened.
“You know what I mean.”
“Yes.”
Damon held up the letter.
“Someone here betrayed my father.”
The room went silent.
Marco scoffed.
“Your father is dead.”
“Exactly.”
“Six years ago.”
“Exactly.”
Damon looked at each person.
“Someone knew Gabriel Castillo was carrying the ledger.”
No one moved.
“Someone knew about the camera breach.”
Still nothing.
“And someone knew this estate would be attacked tonight.”
A lieutenant stepped forward.
“Boss, with respect, that's impossible.”
Damon smiled coldly.
“Impossible is a word lazy men use when they don't want to think.”
Marcus began checking phone records.
One by one.
Everyone had calls.
Everyone had explanations.
Then they reached Marco.
He had received four calls from an encrypted number.
Damon looked at him.
“Who?”
“My lawyer.”
“Name?”
“Why?”
“Because you're going to answer.”
Marco smiled.
“You don't trust me?”
“No.”
The room went tense.
Marco reached for his phone.
Marcus moved first.
“Don't.”
Marco stopped.
Damon's voice remained calm.
“Take him downstairs.”
Marco's face changed.
“You're making a mistake.”
“Maybe.”
Then Ruby spoke.
“Uncle Marco.”
Everyone looked at her.
Marco softened.
“Hi, sweetheart.”
Ruby frowned.
“You had the bad ring.”
Marco froze.
Damon's eyes narrowed.
“What ring?”
Ruby pointed at his hand.
He was wearing a silver signet ring.
Same crest as the man outside.
Marco's face went white.
Damon's gun was out before anyone could breathe.
“Remove it.”
Marco slowly took off the ring.
The Delgato crest caught the light.
No one moved.
Marco whispered,
“I can explain.”
Damon's voice was ice.
“Start.”
“It isn't what you think.”
“You're wearing their family crest.”
“I took it as proof.”
“Proof of what?”
“That they're trying to recruit someone.”
“Who?”
Marco looked at Damon.
“You.”
Damon stared.
“Why would they recruit me?”
“Because your father wasn't killed by the Delgatos.”
“I know.”
Marco swallowed.
“He was killed by someone inside the Reyes family.”
Damon stepped closer.
“Who?”
Marco looked around.
Then pointed at one man.
“Elias.”
Every head turned.
Elias Ward had been Damon’s financial adviser for eight years.
He slowly stood.
“That is a lie.”
Marco shook his head.
“You were the one who sold the warehouse location.”
Elias laughed.
“Marco is desperate.”
Damon looked at Marcus.
“Search his office.”
They did.
Minutes later, Marcus returned with a box.
Inside were photographs.
Bank records.
Copies of security schedules.
And a list of payments from a company in Nevada.
The company was owned by Victor Delgato.
Damon stared.
Elias ran.
He never made it past the eastern corridor.
Security tackled him.
He screamed.
“You don't know what you're doing!”
Damon approached.
“Who paid you?”
Elias refused.
Damon placed the photograph of Gabriel in front of him.
“Who?”
Elias broke.
“Victor.”
Damon's jaw tightened.
“Why?”
“Because Gabriel found out.”
“About what?”
“Your father had arranged a meeting with the Delgatos.”
Damon stared.
“What meeting?”
“A peace agreement.”
That made no sense.
The Reyes and Delgato families had been enemies for years.
Yet Damon’s father had attempted peace.
“Why?”
“Because he knew the war was destroying everyone.”
Elias continued.
“Victor didn't want peace.”
“So he killed him.”
“Yes.”
“And blamed the Delgatos.”
“Yes.”
“What about Gabriel?”
“Gabriel helped your father.”
“So Victor tried to kill him too.”
“Yes.”
Damon felt sick.
The entire war had been built on a lie.
His father had wanted peace.
Victor had wanted control.
Gabriel had been the witness.
And Ruby had inherited the consequences.
“Where is Gabriel now?”
Elias shook his head.
“I don't know.”
“Where's Victor?”
“I don't know.”
Damon stepped closer.
“Try again.”
Elias looked terrified.
“He has people everywhere.”
“That isn't an answer.”
“He's in Chicago.”
Damon paused.
“What?”
“Victor has been operating in Chicago for six years.”
“But the Delgatos are in Arizona.”
“The family is.”
“Victor isn't.”
“Then where?”
Elias whispered,
“Lakeview.”
Damon immediately turned to Marcus.
“Find him.”
Marcus nodded.
Then Selena shouted.
“Ruby!”
The child was gone.
Damon spun around.
Her pink suitcase remained on the floor.
The ballroom door was open.
Marcus cursed.
“Someone took her.”
Damon felt the world narrow.
He ran.
Security flooded the corridors.
Every exit was locked.
Then a guard screamed from the courtyard.
“There!”
A black SUV tore through the gates.
Damon reached the window just in time to see it disappear into the snow.
His face became emotionless.
“Get the cars.”
Marcus moved.
Damon turned to Selena.
“What did Victor want from Ruby?”
Selena's eyes filled.
“I don't know.”
“You know something.”
She shook her head.
Then she whispered,
“Gabriel left her a message.”
“What message?”
“He told me if anything happened, Ruby would know where to find him.”
Damon stared.
“A three-year-old child knows where your missing husband is?”
Selena nodded.
“He taught her a song.”
“What song?”
“A counting song.”
Damon frowned.
“What does that have to do with anything?”
“It's not a song.”
May you like
“What is it?”
“An address.”
Related Stories
