Chapter 4 - The Pier Seventeen Trap
At 11:58 p.m., rain covered Pier Seventeen in silver.
Dominic stepped from a black sedan.
Grace remained hidden in the back seat.
He had argued for twenty minutes.
She had refused to stay behind.
Eventually Dominic compromised.
“You remain in the car.”
Grace had answered, “Of course.”
Neither believed her.
Richard Ashford waited beneath the loading canopy with six men.
Caleb sat in a chair behind them.
His hands were restrained.
Grace’s chest tightened.
Dominic walked forward alone.
Richard smiled.
“You came.”
“Release him.”
“Wedding first.”
Dominic stopped twenty feet away.
“No.”
Richard sighed.
“Your pride is becoming expensive.”
“You made a mistake.”
“Which one?”
“You assumed I came to negotiate.”
Richard’s smile faded.
Police lights suddenly appeared across the riverfront.
Then more.
Federal vehicles.
Unmarked cars.
Richard turned.
“What did you do?”
Dominic answered calmly.
“I told the truth.”
Richard stared at him.
“The financial crimes unit has your loan records.”
Richard’s face changed.
Dominic continued.
“Forty-three employees. Illegal interest. Threats. Coercion.”
“You think paperwork scares me?”
“No.”
Dominic glanced toward the approaching vehicles.
“But subpoenas might.”
Richard shouted to his men.
“Move the boy!”
Grace saw one man grab Caleb.
She immediately opened the car door.
Dominic turned.
“Grace!”
Too late.
She ran across the wet concrete.
“Caleb!”
Her brother looked up.
“Grace?”
One of Richard’s men hesitated.
That was enough.
Caleb slammed his shoulder backward into him and broke free.
Grace reached him.
They ran toward Dominic.
Richard stepped forward.
“This is not over.”
Dominic placed himself between Grace and Richard.
“It is for you.”
Evelyn suddenly emerged from behind a warehouse column.
Grace stopped.
Dominic stared at her.
Evelyn looked exhausted.
Nothing like the polished woman from the penthouse.
“Dad.”
Richard turned.
“What are you doing?”
Evelyn held a phone in her hand.
“I recorded everything.”
Richard’s face went pale.
“What?”
“The loans. The threats. Tonight.”
Dominic watched her carefully.
Richard walked toward his daughter.
“You stupid girl.”
Evelyn backed away.
“No.”
“You ruined this family.”
Evelyn laughed bitterly.
“You ruined it years ago.”
Richard stopped.
Evelyn looked at Dominic.
“I knew about the loans.”
Grace’s expression hardened.
Evelyn continued.
“I knew about Grace’s eviction too.”
Dominic said nothing.
“I’m not pretending I’m innocent.”
Grace stared at her.
Evelyn swallowed.
“But my father told me the marriage was the only thing keeping our family protected.”
Dominic’s eyes remained cold.
“So you destroyed someone else’s life.”
Evelyn nodded slowly.
“Yes.”
Grace looked surprised.
Evelyn faced her.
“I did.”
No excuse.
No denial.
For the first time.
“I’m sorry.”
Grace didn’t answer.
Evelyn handed her phone to an approaching federal agent.
“My father’s accounts are on there.”
Richard lunged toward her.
Dominic stepped between them immediately.
“Don’t.”
Richard froze.
Dominic didn’t raise his voice.
He didn’t need to.
Agents surrounded them.
Richard looked at his daughter.
“You chose him over your own family.”
Evelyn shook her head.
“No.”
She looked at Grace.
“I chose not becoming you.”
Richard Ashford was taken away twenty minutes later.
Caleb hugged Grace so tightly she could barely breathe.
“You came.”
“Of course I came.”
“You always come.”
Grace’s eyes filled.
Dominic stood several feet away.
Watching.
Caleb noticed.
He lowered his voice.
“That him?”
Grace glanced back.
“Yes.”
“He doesn’t look as scary as you said.”
Dominic called from behind them.
“I heard that.”
Caleb froze.
Grace burst out laughing.
May you like
This time, Dominic let her.
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