Chapter 4 - The Meeting at Midnight
The meeting happened at Luca’s private restaurant after closing.
Chloe insisted on attending.
Luca opposed it.
“No.”
“You said they’re my files.”
“They are.”
“Then I’m coming.”
“No.”
“You can’t say I control my evidence and then lock me upstairs while men negotiate over it.”
Luca stared at her.
Marco looked between them.
Finally Luca muttered, “I preferred you in the footwell.”
“I preferred you before I knew your name.”
Marco turned away, smiling.
At midnight, Vincent D’Angelo arrived.
He was older than Luca, impeccably dressed and visibly irritated.
His eyes moved to Chloe.
“So this is Mercer’s girl.”
Chloe answered before Luca could.
“I’m nobody’s girl.”
Vincent smiled faintly.
“I see why Mercer is having trouble.”
Luca pulled out a chair.
“Sit.”
Vincent sat.
“I want the records.”
“No,” Chloe said.
Vincent looked amused.
“I wasn’t speaking to you.”
Luca leaned back.
“You are now.”
Vincent’s smile disappeared.
“You’re risking our arrangement for a woman you met twelve hours ago?”
“No. Tommy risked it when he used my companies without permission.”
Chloe turned sharply.
“Your companies?”
Luca nodded.
“One transfer passed through a shipping subsidiary with my family name.”
“That means—”
“It means your evidence affects me too.”
Vincent placed both hands on the table.
“Give me the files. Mercer disappears from the equation.”
Chloe’s stomach tightened.
“No.”
Vincent ignored her.
“Luca.”
“She said no.”
Vincent’s eyes hardened.
“You’ve become sentimental.”
“No. Practical.”
Luca slid a folder across the table.
Inside were copies of three transactions.
Vincent examined them.
His face changed.
“These aren’t mine.”
“That’s the problem,” Luca said.
Chloe leaned forward.
“What?”
Luca pointed at the records.
“Tommy has been using D’Angelo companies and Moretti companies to hide money neither family authorized.”
Vincent slowly closed the folder.
“He’s been stealing from both sides.”
“And hoping we blamed each other.”
Chloe suddenly understood.
“Starting a war.”
Luca nodded.
Vincent stood.
“Where is Mercer?”
Marco entered.
“We just found him.”
“Where?”
Marco looked at Chloe.
“Her old apartment.”
Chloe stood.
“He went back?”
“He thinks the evidence is still there.”
“It isn’t.”
Everyone looked at her.
Luca’s eyes narrowed.
“Where is it?”
Chloe swallowed.
“Mia has it.”
Luca stared at her.
“You gave your sister the evidence?”
“She doesn’t know.”
“Explain.”
“I mailed a storage key to her months ago. The files are in a locker registered under a fake business name.”
Vincent laughed once.
“Mercer has been tearing Brooklyn apart looking for a flash drive that’s sitting in storage.”
“Two drives,” Chloe corrected.
Luca almost smiled.
“Of course.”
Vincent moved toward the door.
“Let’s finish this.”
Chloe stepped in front of him.
“How?”
Vincent stopped.
She looked at Luca.
“I mean it.”
Luca understood the question.
“No disappearing people.”
Vincent scoffed.
“You’re taking orders now?”
“No.”
Luca looked at Chloe.
“I’m making a decision.”
He took out his phone.
“We get the records. We give copies to our attorneys. Chloe turns her originals over to law enforcement.”
Vincent stared at him.
“You’re serious.”
“Completely.”
“And Mercer?”
Luca’s gaze turned cold.
“Mercer gets something he never gave Chloe.”
“What?”
“A choice.”
Chloe folded her arms.
“And if he chooses badly?”
Luca looked at her.
“Then the law gets him too.”
For once, Chloe believed that might actually be enough.
Then Marco’s phone rang.
He answered.
His face immediately changed.
“Mia never made it home from the police station.”
May you like
Chloe’s coffee cup slipped from her hand.
It shattered against the floor.
