Chapter 3 - The Peace Treaty Burns
Patrick Doyle demanded privacy.
Roman refused.
"Anything you say can be said in front of Elena."
Patrick stared at him.
"You're changing the rules."
"No. I'm enforcing them."
Victor slammed his palm onto the table.
"This is ridiculous."
Elena flinched.
Roman saw it.
Victor saw Roman see it.
That was when Victor finally became afraid.
Roman didn't shout.
"Sit down."
Victor remained standing.
Roman repeated:
"Sit."
Patrick grabbed his son's sleeve.
Victor sat.
Patrick faced Elena.
"What do you want?"
Elena blinked.
"What?"
"Money?"
Roman's chair scraped backward.
Elena raised a hand.
"No."
She looked at Patrick.
"I want him to admit what he did."
Patrick almost smiled.
"That's all?"
"And I want my job back long enough to resign myself."
Victor laughed.
Elena continued.
"I want every woman working at the Regency to know they can report him without being fired."
Patrick's smile disappeared.
"You're asking me to destroy my son's reputation."
"No."
Elena looked directly at Victor.
"He did that himself."
Roman said nothing.
For the first time that morning, he looked almost impressed.
Patrick stood.
"This meeting is over."
Roman remained seated.
"Then so is the agreement."
Sal looked toward him.
Patrick froze.
"Think carefully."
"I have."
"Two years without bloodshed."
"Your son attacked a civilian and then sent men after her."
"You can't prove that."
Roman placed a phone on the table.
An audio recording began playing.
Victor's voice.
"Find her before sunrise."
Another man asked:
"What if Valenti has her?"
Victor answered:
"Then bring her back anyway."
Roman stopped the recording.
Patrick slowly looked at Victor.
"You sent men into Valenti territory?"
Victor's face went pale.
"Father—"
"You idiot."
Roman stood.
"Get out."
Patrick looked at him.
"Roman."
"Take your son and leave."
"This doesn't need to become a war."
"It already became one when he ordered men into my territory."
Elena stepped forward.
"No."
Everyone looked at her.
Roman frowned.
"Elena."
"You told me people aren't territory."
"They aren't."
"Then don't start killing people and pretend you're doing it for me."
Patrick watched with interest.
Roman's jaw tightened.
"This isn't your responsibility."
"But my name will be attached to it."
"Not publicly."
"I don't care about publicly."
She moved closer.
"If you protect me by becoming another man who decides what happens to me without asking, what exactly did you save me from?"
Silence.
Even Patrick Doyle looked surprised.
Roman stared at her.
Then something unexpected happened.
He listened.
"What do you suggest?" he asked.
Victor scoffed.
"You're asking her?"
Roman turned his head.
Victor immediately stopped talking.
Elena said, "Expose him."
Patrick's face hardened.
"Careful."
"The Regency has employees. Cameras. Records. Complaints."
She looked at Victor.
"I wasn't the first."
Victor's eyes gave him away.
Roman noticed.
"So there are others."
Patrick stood.
"We're leaving."
Roman nodded.
"Go."
Victor followed his father toward the door.
Before leaving, he turned toward Elena.
"This isn't finished."
Roman took one step forward.
Elena beat him to it.
"You're right."
Victor stared at her.
"I'm done being afraid of you."
The Doyles left.
Sal exhaled.
"Boss, Patrick will retaliate."
Roman looked toward the window.
"I know."
Elena folded her arms.
"So what now?"
Roman turned toward her.
May you like
"Now we find the other women."
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