Chapter 8 - Grant Takes Something BackGrant disappeared before sunrise.
He listened without interrupting.
When she finished, his face showed no surprise.
That scared her.
“You knew?”
“I suspected a leak.”
“How long?”
“Four months.”
“And you said nothing?”
“To whom?”
“To me.”
“You had enough to survive already.”
Claire slammed her palm against the desk.
“Stop deciding what I can handle.”
Adrian’s eyes flashed.
“I was trying to protect you.”
“That is exactly what Grant always said.”
Silence fell.
The words hurt him.
Claire saw it.
She did not take them back.
Adrian looked away.
“You’re right.”
The quick admission disarmed her.
He continued.
“Protection without choice becomes control.”
Claire swallowed.
“Yes.”
“I won’t do that again.”
She nodded.
“Good.”
Adrian opened a file.
“Dominic Price worked for my cousin Vincent before Grant hired him.”
“Vincent Vale.”
“Yes.”
“What does Vincent want?”
“My company.”
Claire gave him a look.
“Apparently every man in Chicago wants somebody else’s company.”
Adrian almost smiled.
“Vincent believes my father cheated his father out of control.”
“Did he?”
“No.”
“Would you tell me if he did?”
Adrian considered.
“Yes.”
Claire believed him.
That surprised her.
“Where is Vincent now?”
“On the board of Vale Holdings.”
Claire stared.
“You let a man who hates you sit on your board?”
“He owns nineteen percent.”
“Can he remove you?”
“Not alone.”
“With Grant?”
“Possibly.”
The pattern emerged.
Grant wanted Chicago North Freight.
Vincent wanted Vale Holdings.
Both wanted Adrian weakened.
And Claire connected every piece.
“Grant married me to hurt you and gain my trust assets.”
“Yes.”
“Vincent helped him?”
“We don’t know.”
“But Dominic works for both.”
“Yes.”
Claire paced.
“So Grant thinks he’s the mastermind.”
“Grant always thinks he’s the smartest man in any room.”
“What does Vincent think?”
“That everyone is expendable.”
That answer came too quickly.
Personal history lived behind it.
Claire stopped.
“What did he do to you?”
Adrian looked toward the window.
“My younger brother, Luca, died twelve years ago.”
Claire waited.
“Car accident?”
“That was the official finding.”
“And you think Vincent caused it.”
“I know he did.”
“How?”
“Luca discovered Vincent laundering money through a port contractor. He planned to expose him.”
Claire’s chest tightened.
“What happened?”
“His brakes failed.”
Claire said nothing.
Adrian continued.
“My family expected me to retaliate.”
“Did you?”
“No.”
“Why?”
“Because killing Vincent would have proved that nothing in our family had changed.”
Claire studied him.
“So you waited.”
“Yes.”
“For evidence.”
“Yes.”
“That must have made him furious.”
“It did.”
Suddenly an alarm sounded.
Not loud.
A low electronic tone.
Adrian instantly reached for Claire.
The lights went out.
Darkness swallowed the room.
Security doors slammed somewhere downstairs.
Adrian pulled Claire behind the desk.
“Stay down.”
“What’s happening?”
“Power breach.”
Gunshots erupted outside.
Claire froze.
Not movie gunshots.
Real ones.
Sharp.
Ugly.
Close.
Adrian drew a pistol from beneath the desk.
Claire stared.
“You keep a gun under there?”
“I keep one under almost everything.”
Another burst of shots.
Glass shattered.
Adrian touched his earpiece.
No response.
“Communications are down.”
“Who knows I’m here?”
“Too many people.”
Footsteps thundered outside.
Adrian raised the weapon.
The door burst open.
A guard stumbled inside.
Blood soaked his shoulder.
“Mr. Vale, south corridor breached.”
“Who?”
“Price.”
Claire’s blood chilled.
Dominic.
Adrian looked at her.
“Safe room.”
“No.”
“Claire.”
“I’m not leaving you.”
“This is not a debate.”
“It is now.”
His stare could have frozen steel.
Claire matched it.
The injured guard interrupted.
“Sir, we have maybe sixty seconds.”
Adrian cursed under his breath.
He grabbed Claire’s hand.
They moved through a concealed door behind the bookshelves.
A narrow corridor led downward.
Halfway down the stairs, another explosion shook the building.
Dust fell from the ceiling.
Claire stumbled.
Adrian caught her.
“I’ve got you.”
They reached an underground garage.
Two SUVs waited.
A driver opened one.
Adrian stopped.
Something was wrong.
Claire saw it too.
The driver was unfamiliar.
Adrian’s hand moved toward his weapon.
The man reached inside his jacket.
Claire screamed.
“Adrian!”
Gunfire exploded.
Adrian shoved Claire behind a concrete pillar.
The driver collapsed.
Security fired from the opposite side.
Claire crouched, hands over her ears.
Then silence.
Adrian stepped out.
A red line appeared across his shoulder.
Claire stared.
“You’re hit.”
“Grazed.”
“Adrian.”
“I’m fine.”
“You’re bleeding.”
A familiar voice echoed through the garage.
“You always were difficult to kill.”
Adrian froze.
Vincent Vale stepped from behind a parked sedan.
He looked nothing like a gangster.
Tailored gray suit.
Silver tie.
Perfect hair.
A smile suited for charity dinners.
Two armed men stood beside him.
Claire suddenly understood how dangerous polished men could be.
Grant had taught her.
Vincent looked at Claire.
“So this is the famous queen.”
Adrian stepped in front of her.
“Walk away, Vincent.”
Vincent smiled.
“You’ve been saying that for fifteen years.”
“Last chance.”
“No.”
Vincent raised his pistol.
“Actually, Adrian, I think it’s yours.”
Then another voice came through the garage.
“Drop it.”
Everyone turned.
Detective Torres stood behind a line of tactical officers flooding the entrance.
Vincent’s smile vanished.
Weapons hit the ground.
Claire stared.
Adrian looked just as surprised.
Torres approached.
“Anonymous tip said we might find an attempted homicide here.”
Claire looked at Adrian.
He shook his head.
Not him.
Torres handcuffed Vincent.
As officers dragged him away, Vincent looked at Claire.
“You think Grant is finished?”
Claire said nothing.
Vincent laughed.
“He’s only dangerous when he’s cornered.”
Claire’s stomach tightened.
May you like
Vincent leaned closer as Torres pulled him away.
“And right now, your husband has nothing left to lose.”
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