Chapter 7 – THE LEDGER’S WEIGHT
The police precinct was chaotic, filled with the buzzing of fluorescent lights and ringing phones.
We sat in the captain’s office.
Richard Hale was in custody, charged with kidnapping, extortion, and attempted murder. Serena was in the adjacent holding cell, screaming at a public defender.
The heavy, leather-bound ledger sat on the captain’s desk.
“This is the most comprehensive record of municipal corruption I’ve ever seen,” the police captain said, looking at Marco with a mixture of respect and disbelief. “Half the city council is implicated in these pages.”
“My father and William Carter kept it to protect themselves,” Marco said quietly, holding an ice pack to his bruised ribs. “Now, we’re giving it to you. Clean up the city.”
The captain nodded. “We will.”
The door opened, and Dominic walked in. He looked exhausted, stripped of his usual arrogance.
He didn’t look at Marco. He looked at Maria.
“Mom,” Dominic choked out. “I’m so sorry. I was terrified. Richard said he would destroy us.”
Maria stood up. She walked over to her youngest son.
For a moment, I thought she might slap him.
Instead, she placed both hands on his cheeks.
“You were a coward, Dominic,” Maria said firmly. “You betrayed your family out of fear. But tonight, you called the police. You led me to the docks. You tried to fix it.”
Dominic broke down, sobbing into his mother’s shoulder.
“You are out of the company,” Marco said from the chair. His voice was strict, but the hatred was gone. “But you are not out of this family. You have a lot to earn back.”
Dominic nodded vigorously. “I will. I promise.”
I sat in the corner, holding my father’s hand. He was dozing in a plastic chair, exhausted by the night’s events.
I couldn’t stop thinking about what had happened on the docks. I owned the Brooklyn property. My father had secured my future, protecting me even as his own mind slipped away.
Marco walked over to me, wincing slightly as he moved.
He knelt in front of my chair, taking my free hand in his.
“Lily,” Marco said, his dark eyes searching mine. “Tomorrow, the lawyers are going to try and untangle all of this. But I need you to know something right now.”
My breath caught. “What?”
“You aren’t a kitchen assistant anymore,” Marco said gently. “You’re my partner. In the business. In everything, if you’ll let me.”
My heart soared. I looked at the man who had fought for my father, who had treated his mother with such fierce devotion.
“I’d like that,” I whispered.
Marco smiled, leaning in to press a soft, lingering kiss against my forehead.
“Let’s go home,” he said.
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