Chapter 3 - The Betrayal Inside the Family
Khloe had expected a safe house.
She hadn't expected a Manhattan penthouse overlooking Central Park.
She stood inside the elevator staring at Hunter.
"This is your place?"
"One of them."
"I hate you."
"Why?"
"You offered a homeless woman two thousand dollars while you own this."
"I offered fifty thousand."
"Not helping."
The elevator opened.
Six armed-looking men stood inside the foyer.
Every one of them froze when Hunter entered.
"Boss."
Hunter walked past them.
"Meeting room."
Khloe followed.
"You said twenty-four hours."
"It hasn't been twenty-four hours."
"Feels longer."
Inside the study, Marco placed photographs on a table.
"The brakes were cut at Russo Automotive."
Hunter examined them.
"Who had access?"
"Seven people."
"And my route?"
"Three."
Marco placed three photographs down.
Matteo Russo.
Dominic Vale.
Salvatore Russo.
Hunter stared at the last photograph.
Khloe noticed.
"Who's that?"
"My uncle."
Marco said quietly, "He practically raised Hunter."
Khloe looked at Hunter.
"So you think your own family tried to kill you?"
"I don't think."
Hunter pointed toward Salvatore's photograph.
"I know."
Marco frowned.
"How?"
Hunter tapped the photograph.
"The shooter knew I would take Riverside."
"So?"
"I changed routes ten minutes before leaving."
"Who knew?"
"Salvatore."
Silence.
Khloe stepped closer.
"That's not enough."
Both men looked at her.
Hunter raised an eyebrow.
"What?"
"You can't accuse somebody of attempted murder because they knew your route."
Marco almost smiled.
Hunter didn't.
"What would you suggest?"
"Evidence."
"This isn't nursing school."
"No. In nursing school, people actually had standards."
Marco coughed to hide a laugh.
Hunter stared at Khloe.
Then surprisingly nodded.
"Fine."
At six, Salvatore arrived.
He was nearly sixty, silver-haired and elegantly dressed.
He embraced Hunter.
"My God."
Hunter remained still.
"I thought I'd lost you."
"Someone tried."
Salvatore looked at Khloe.
"And she is?"
"Khloe Miller."
"The girl who saved me."
Salvatore's face changed for less than a second.
But Khloe saw it.
Recognition.
She stepped closer to Hunter.
Salvatore smiled.
"Remarkable."
Khloe said nothing.
Hunter noticed her reaction.
Later, after Salvatore left the room, Hunter asked, "What?"
"He knows me."
"Impossible."
"No."
She shook her head.
"When you introduced me, he recognized my name."
Hunter frowned.
"You're sure?"
"I spent months working emergency intake. You learn to watch people's faces."
Marco entered.
"We checked Salvatore's phone."
"And?"
"Nothing."
Khloe looked at him.
"What about his car?"
Marco stopped.
"What?"
"If he didn't want incriminating messages on his phone, he'd use something else."
Hunter's eyes narrowed.
"Search the vehicles."
Twenty minutes later, Marco returned carrying a burner phone.
"Found under the passenger seat."
Hunter unlocked it.
One message appeared.
RUSSO GOES INTO THE WATER TONIGHT.
Another:
IF HE SURVIVES, FIND THE GIRL.
Khloe went pale.
Hunter's entire demeanor changed.
"Marco."
"Boss?"
"Lock the building."
Every elevator stopped.
Every door sealed.
Hunter turned toward Khloe.
"You aren't leaving."
"You promised."
"Promise changed."
"You don't get to decide that."
"Someone knows you saved me."
"I'm not your prisoner."
"No."
Hunter stepped closer.
"You're under my protection."
Khloe looked furious.
"I survived perfectly well before you."
Hunter's voice softened.
"I know."
He looked toward the burner phone.
"But now they're coming because of me."
For the first time, Khloe saw something beneath his coldness.
Guilt.
"I'll fix this," he said.
"How?"
Hunter looked toward the closed door behind which his uncle waited.
May you like
"By ending the war before it starts."
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