Chapter 9 - THE MAN BESIDE THE THRONEMason Reed had served Adrian for eighteen years.
At least Julian believed he did.
The Black Ledger was inside a leather case handcuffed to Adrian's wrist.
A tracking device had been sewn into his collar.
Mason's tactical teams were positioned six blocks away.
And Sarah was supposed to remain inside the command van.
She lasted seven minutes.
“Sarah.”
Mason didn't look away from the screens.
“No.”
“I haven't said anything.”
“You're thinking loudly.”
She folded her arms.
“What if the camera feed goes down?”
“It won't.”
“What if Julian moves Ethan?”
“We adapt.”
“What if Adrian does something stupid?”
Mason glanced at her.
“He will.”
Sarah stared.
“That's not comforting.”
“He's going to prioritize Ethan over himself.”
“So we need someone prioritizing Adrian.”
Mason sighed.
“That's why I have forty men outside.”
Sarah looked toward the warehouse.
“No. Forty soldiers.”
“And?”
“Adrian doesn't need another soldier.”
Mason studied her.
“What does he need?”
Sarah opened the van door.
“Someone willing to tell him when he's being an idiot.”
“Sarah.”
She jumped out.
Inside the warehouse, Adrian found Ethan tied to a chair beneath industrial lights.
Julian stood twenty feet away.
Older than the photographs.
A thin scar ran along his jaw.
“Brother.”
Adrian looked only at Ethan.
“Are you hurt?”
Ethan shook his head.
“No.”
Julian smiled.
“Always straight to business.”
“Release him.”
“The ledger.”
Adrian raised the case.
“First Ethan.”
“Still issuing commands.”
Julian walked closer.
“You got Father's empire. His house. His board seat. His men.”
“I got his responsibilities.”
“You got everything.”
“You chose betrayal.”
Julian's smile vanished.
“Did I?”
Adrian's eyes narrowed.
“Father told you I sold route information.”
“You did.”
“No.”
Julian stepped closer.
“I discovered he was laundering money through hospital charities.”
Adrian said nothing.
“He'd stolen from everyone. Rivals. allies. civilians. Even our own men.”
“You expect me to believe you became honorable?”
“I wasn't honorable.”
Julian laughed bitterly.
“I was ambitious.”
“At least that's honest.”
“I wanted him gone.”
“So you sold information.”
“I collected evidence.”
“Same difference.”
“No. Someone else leaked it and framed me.”
“Who?”
Julian looked toward the shadows.
“Mother.”
Adrian froze.
Julian enjoyed the reaction.
“She knew Father would kill me if he believed I betrayed him.”
“You're lying.”
“Ask her.”
“You already used that trick.”
“Because it works when your family is built on secrets.”
Adrian clenched his jaw.
“What does any of this have to do with my wife?”
“Your wife?”
Julian laughed.
“So the waitress promotion became permanent?”
Adrian's eyes changed.
Julian noticed.
“Oh.”
His smile widened.
“You love her.”
“Don't.”
“There he is.”
Julian walked closer.
“The boy was leverage.”
“Don't call him that.”
“But she?”
He shook his head.
“She was accidental.”
Adrian moved before Julian saw it coming.
He struck him hard enough to knock him against a table.
Three armed men emerged instantly.
Guns raised.
Julian wiped blood from his mouth.
“Temper.”
Adrian stared at him.
“Hurt Sarah and there will be nowhere on this earth you can hide.”
Julian smiled.
“Excellent.”
Then every light inside the warehouse went out.
Outside, Sarah heard the explosion.
The command van shook.
Mason grabbed his radio.
“Teams hold!”
“What happened?”
“Power transformer.”
Sarah looked toward the dark warehouse.
“Camera?”
“Gone.”
“Tracker?”
Mason stared at the screen.
“Jammed.”
Sarah opened the door.
Mason caught her.
“No.”
“Ethan's inside.”
“So is Adrian.”
“Exactly.”
She twisted free and ran.
Inside, chaos.
Gunfire flashed through darkness.
Men shouted.
Sarah moved along the wall.
She heard Ethan crying.
“Daddy!”
She followed the sound.
Emergency lights flickered red.
Then she saw him.
Still tied to the chair.
Alone.
Sarah ran.
“Ethan.”
His eyes widened.
“Sarah!”
She cut the ropes with a utility blade.
“We're leaving.”
“What about Daddy?”
“We're getting him too.”
She took his hand.
They moved between storage containers.
Ahead, voices echoed.
Julian.
“Drop it.”
Sarah stopped.
Adrian stood beneath a broken light.
Gun on the floor.
Julian held a pistol aimed at him.
Adrian saw Sarah.
His expression became furious.
“What are you doing here?”
“Nice to see you too.”
“Get Ethan out.”
Julian turned.
“Well, well.”
He aimed at Sarah.
Adrian moved instantly.
Julian fired.
The bullet hit steel.
Sarah pulled Ethan behind a crate.
Adrian crashed into Julian.
They fought brutally.
Brother against brother.
Years of hatred in every strike.
Then another man stepped from the shadows.
Richard Bell.
Sarah stared.
“You escaped?”
Bell smiled.
“Your guards aren't as good as they think.”
He raised a gun toward Ethan.
Sarah pushed the boy down.
A gunshot exploded.
Bell staggered.
He looked down at blood spreading across his chest.
Julian had shot him.
Everyone froze.
Bell collapsed.
Sarah stared at Julian.
“Why?”
Julian's face was cold.
“He was going to shoot the boy.”
Adrian stopped.
“You kidnapped him.”
“I needed leverage.”
“You terrorized my son.”
“I never intended to kill him.”
“Do you think that makes you better?”
“No.”
For the first time, Julian looked tired.
“I think it makes me exactly what this family created.”
Sirens sounded outside.
Mason's teams entered.
Julian looked around.
Surrounded.
He laughed softly.
“That's disappointing.”
Adrian approached.
“It's over.”
“No.”
Julian looked at Sarah.
“Ask him about the car bomb.”
Adrian stiffened.
“What?”
Julian smiled sadly.
“It wasn't meant for Adrian.”
Silence.
Sarah looked between them.
“What are you saying?”
Julian turned toward his brother.
“The bomb that killed your wife was meant for me.”
Adrian's face emptied.
“You weren't there.”
“I was supposed to be.”
“Why?”
“Because she called me.”
The warehouse went silent.
Adrian whispered, “Why would Elena call you?”
Julian reached slowly inside his coat.
Every weapon rose.
“Easy.”
He removed an old envelope.
Adrian took it.
Inside was a letter.
Written by Elena Vale.
Sarah watched his hands begin to shake.
Adrian read one sentence.
Then another.
His face changed completely.
“What does it say?” Sarah asked.
He couldn't answer.
Julian did.
“Your wife discovered who really betrayed our family.”
Adrian lifted his eyes.
“Who?”
Julian looked toward Mason.
Mason froze.
Sarah's stomach dropped.
Julian smiled.
May you like
“Ask your most loyal friend.”
And suddenly every gun in the warehouse turned toward Mason Reed.
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