Chapter 9 - THE NIGHT ADRIAN CHOSE HER OVER HIS EMPIRE
Adrian moved before the second shot.
He knocked Nora behind the SUV.
The bullet shattered the rear window.
Marcus's men opened fire toward the roof.
Daniel disappeared.
Evelyn pressed one hand against her bleeding shoulder.
“I'm fine.”
“You were shot,” Nora said.
“It's a shoulder.”
“That's still generally considered bad.”
Adrian lifted Evelyn into the vehicle.
“Hospital.”
“No.”
“Yes.”
“Victor.”
“We'll get him.”
Evelyn grabbed Adrian's jacket.
“Richard will kill my father.”
Adrian looked at Marcus.
“Send the location.”
Marcus nodded.
The convoy split.
One SUV took Evelyn toward a private hospital.
Adrian, Nora, Marcus, and six guards drove toward Victor Sloane's waterfront estate.
Nora sat beside Adrian.
“You chose her.”
He looked at her.
“What?”
“You went back for Evelyn's briefcase.”
“I went back for both of you.”
“No. Before that.”
She shook her head.
“You married someone you believed came from the family that killed your father because you wanted peace.”
Adrian looked away.
“You make that sound noble.”
“Wasn't it?”
“No. I was tired.”
“Those aren't mutually exclusive.”
He looked at her.
The city lights passed across his face.
“Nora.”
“What?”
“When this ends, I want you away from me.”
The words hurt more than they should have.
She kept her expression neutral.
“Fine.”
“That's not what I meant.”
“Sounded pretty clear.”
“My life is dangerous.”
“I noticed.”
“You have Caleb.”
“Yes.”
“You should go somewhere safe.”
“And you?”
He laughed quietly.
“Safe was never really an option.”
Nora turned toward him.
“Maybe you never tried.”
Before he could answer, Marcus said, “We're here.”
Victor Sloane's estate was dark.
Too dark.
The gates stood open.
Adrian drew a handgun.
Nora looked at it.
“I thought we were calling police.”
“We are.”
“Then why—”
“Because police take time.”
They entered.
The foyer was empty.
A trail of blood crossed the marble.
“Victor!” Adrian called.
No answer.
They followed the blood into the library.
Victor Sloane sat in a chair.
Alive.
Barely.
A bullet wound darkened his abdomen.
Adrian crouched.
“Where's Richard?”
Victor opened his eyes.
“Adrian.”
“Where?”
“Vault.”
“Why?”
Victor coughed.
“Documents.”
Nora knelt.
“Pressure.”
She grabbed a folded cloth and pressed it against the wound.
Victor winced.
“You must be the maid.”
Nora stared.
“Apparently I'm famous.”
He almost smiled.
“Claire's daughter.”
“You knew my mother?”
“Yes.”
“Did you know Richard killed my father?”
Victor closed his eyes.
“Too late.”
“You knew?”
“I suspected.”
“That's not an answer.”
“I couldn't prove it.”
Nora's anger rose.
“Everyone keeps saying that as if it makes twenty-two years disappear.”
Victor looked at her.
“No. It doesn't.”
A crash sounded downstairs.
Adrian stood.
“Stay here.”
Nora almost argued.
Then she saw Victor's blood.
“Go.”
Adrian and Marcus disappeared.
Nora kept pressure on the wound.
Victor whispered, “Your mother was brave.”
“She was terrified.”
“Bravery usually is.”
A gunshot echoed.
Then another.
Nora looked toward the door.
Victor grabbed her wrist.
“Don't.”
“Adrian—”
“Will handle himself.”
“You don't know that.”
She stood.
Victor laughed weakly.
“You're going anyway.”
“Yes.”
“Claire would have liked him.”
Nora stopped.
“What?”
“Adrian.”
Victor's eyes closed.
“She spent years hoping Michael's son would become the man Michael wanted him to be.”
Nora ran.
Downstairs, the vault door stood open.
She entered a concrete corridor.
Voices came from ahead.
Richard.
“You could have had everything.”
Adrian replied, “I already did.”
Nora moved closer.
Richard laughed.
“You had an empire.”
“No.”
“What, then?”
“My father's name.”
A pause.
“And you spent twenty-two years making me ashamed of it.”
Nora reached the vault.
Richard stood behind Adrian with a gun pressed against his neck.
Daniel stood nearby.
Marcus lay on the floor, bleeding from the leg.
Nobody saw Nora.
Richard said, “Drop your weapon.”
Adrian did.
“Kick it away.”
He obeyed.
Daniel smiled.
“You were always too sentimental.”
Richard nodded toward the flash drive in Adrian's pocket.
“The archive.”
Adrian removed it.
“Release Marcus.”
Richard laughed.
“You're negotiating?”
“Yes.”
“With what?”
Adrian looked at him.
“The only copy.”
Richard's smile vanished.
Nora knew it was a lie.
They had duplicated the files.
But Richard didn't.
“Give it to me.”
“Marcus first.”
Daniel moved toward the drive.
Nora saw the opportunity.
A brass fire extinguisher hung beside the door.
She lifted it.
Daniel turned.
Too late.
Nora swung.
The extinguisher struck his wrist.
The gun fired into the ceiling.
Adrian lunged.
Everything happened at once.
Marcus dragged Daniel down.
Richard fired.
Adrian staggered.
Nora screamed.
Adrian hit the floor.
Richard ran.
Nora dropped beside Adrian.
Blood spread across his shirt.
“No.”
His eyes opened.
“Vest.”
She stared.
He pulled open his jacket.
The bullet had struck the armor.
Nora almost slapped him.
“You could have told me.”
“Busy.”
Marcus shouted.
“Richard!”
They looked up.
Richard stood at the vault entrance.
He had Nora in his sights.
Adrian saw it.
He moved between them.
Richard smiled.
“There it is.”
“What?”
“Your father's weakness.”
His finger tightened on the trigger.
May you like
“Someone you love.”
The gun fired.
