Chapter 4
Dominic laughed.
Too loudly.
“You’re going to let a maid rewrite the worst night of your life?”
Angelo watched him.
Dominic spread his hands.
“Go ahead.”
“Believe her.”
“Believe the kid.”
“Believe the walls.”
His smile sharpened.
“Anything except the fact that you drove into an ambush because you thought being feared made you invincible.”
That one landed.
Angelo’s breathing changed.
Dominic saw it.
He pressed harder.
“You ignored three warnings that week.”
“You changed your route.”
“You took half the usual guard because you wanted to look untouchable.”
Helena nodded.
“Finally.”
Her voice was almost pleased.
“Someone says it.”
Angelo looked toward her.
“You want the truth about the ambush?”
She stepped closer.
“You helped build it.”
Noah shifted behind Emma.
The adults forgot him for a second.
He did not forget them.
Angelo looked toward Rocco.
“You were in the rear car.”
Rocco’s face tightened.
“Yes.”
“Did I change the route?”
“Yes.”
“Did I cut the escort?”
“Yes.”
Dominic smiled.
“Thank you.”
Power tilted.
Angelo did not deny it.
That frustrated Dominic.
Instead Angelo asked:
“Who knew the new route?”
Rocco looked around.
“Six people.”
“Name them.”
Rocco did.
Angelo.
Rocco.
Two guards who died in the ambush.
Dominic.
Helena.
Silence.
Dominic’s smile remained.
“Congratulations.”
“We’re related.”
Angelo looked at him.
“No.”
“You're nervous.”
Dominic’s eyes narrowed.
“I’m bored.”
Emma looked toward the fireplace.
Something had caught her attention.
A dark-red cord hanging behind the stone lion.
Noah saw it too.
He pointed.
“Pretty string.”
Rocco pulled it free.
A narrow braided cord tied around a brass token.
Helena’s face changed.
Not much.
Enough.
Angelo held out his hand.
The token bore a carved black falcon.
Everyone in the room knew it.
The Marzano faction.
The men blamed for Angelo’s ambush.
Dominic smiled.
“There.”
“Your enemy.”
Angelo turned the token over.
A small notch had been cut into the underside.
Three diagonal lines.
Rocco inhaled.
“What?”
Angelo asked.
Rocco’s voice dropped.
“That's a truce mark.”
Dominic stopped smiling.
The Marzanos used it when entering protected Carbone territory under safe passage.
Angelo looked around the chamber.
“This came from a man allowed inside.”
Nobody spoke.
Helena folded her arms.
“Could be old.”
Noah shook his head.
Everyone looked at him.
The boy pointed toward Dominic.
“Mr. Dominic had it.”
Emma closed her eyes.
Dominic laughed again.
“Of course I did.”
He looked at Angelo.
“I collect enemy tokens.”
Noah frowned.
“No.”
Dominic’s face tightened.
Noah continued.
“You gave it to gray-face man.”
Silence.
“What gray-face man?” Angelo asked.
Noah rubbed his own cheek.
“Big scar.”
Rocco went still.
“Silas Marzano.”
Dominic’s eyes snapped toward him.
Angelo saw it.
May you like
Silas had led the ambush.
And according to Noah, Dominic had met him inside Angelo’s private recovery wing.
