Chapter 6 - The Man Standing Closest
Lucas arrived at Andrew’s penthouse forty minutes later.
He found Andrew by the windows.
Cindy sat nearby.
“Boss?”
Andrew turned.
“Sit.”
Lucas looked at Cindy.
Then Andrew.
“What happened?”
Cindy placed the cracked company phone on the table.
“The access request from the night David attacked me.”
Lucas said nothing.
“We traced the internal routing.”
Still nothing.
Andrew watched his oldest lieutenant.
“Tell me she’s wrong.”
Lucas slowly exhaled.
“I can’t.”
Andrew’s face went empty.
Cindy whispered, “Lucas?”
He sat.
“Nathan wasn’t supposed to hurt you.”
Andrew moved.
Cindy stepped between them.
“Andrew.”
Lucas gave a bitter smile.
“She still saves people.”
“Why?” Cindy demanded.
Lucas looked at Andrew.
“Because this empire was dying.”
Andrew stared.
“You betrayed me to save me?”
“You were becoming legitimate.”
“That was the plan.”
“Your enemies didn’t agree.”
Lucas leaned forward.
“Nathan wanted the criminal operations. I let him believe I would help.”
Cindy frowned.
“Then why David?”
Lucas looked ashamed.
“Nathan chose him. I knew he planned to scare you and steal the credentials.”
“You knew he was going to my apartment?”
“Yes.”
Andrew’s voice became almost inaudible.
“You let it happen.”
“I had men nearby.”
Cindy stared.
“Nobody came.”
Lucas looked down.
“Nathan changed the timing.”
Andrew crossed the room.
This time Cindy did not stop him.
He stood inches from Lucas.
“For fifteen years, you stood beside me.”
“I know.”
“You knew what she meant to me.”
“I knew exactly what she meant.”
Lucas looked up.
“That was why Nathan chose her.”
Andrew’s hands tightened.
Lucas continued.
“And why I should have stopped him.”
Silence.
Finally Andrew stepped back.
“What do you want?” Lucas asked.
Andrew looked toward Cindy.
She shook her head.
“This one is yours.”
He understood.
Some decisions belonged to Cindy.
Some belonged to him.
Andrew faced Lucas.
“You leave Carter Logistics tonight.”
Lucas nodded.
“You surrender every account, weapon, property, and credential connected to me.”
Another nod.
“And you testify against Nathan.”
Lucas hesitated.
Then said, “Yes.”
Andrew’s voice broke slightly.
“And I never see you again.”
Lucas looked at the man who had been closer than a brother.
“Understood.”
He stood.
At the elevator, Lucas turned toward Cindy.
“I’m sorry.”
Cindy said nothing.
Lucas disappeared behind the doors.
Andrew remained facing the window.
Cindy approached.
This time she touched his arm first.
He looked at her hand.
“You can tell me you warned me.”
“I didn’t.”
“You warned me about control.”
“I warned you about confusing it with protection.”
Andrew looked across Manhattan.
“I trusted Lucas.”
“And he betrayed you.”
“I trusted Nathan.”
“He betrayed you too.”
Andrew gave a humorless laugh.
“Excellent argument for trusting people.”
Cindy stepped closer.
“No. It’s an argument for understanding trust doesn’t come with guarantees.”
Andrew looked at her.
“Then why do it?”
“Because the alternative is living alone inside a fortress.”
May you like
For once, Andrew Carter had no answer.
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