Chapter 8 – THE END OF THE SHADOWS

The heavy steel wrench struck Marcus squarely in the temple.

He dropped like a stone, the switchblade clattering harmlessly against the roof.

Jack spun around, looking at the unconscious traitor, then at me. His chest heaved as the adrenaline finally began to fade.

He walked over and pulled me into a fierce, crushing embrace.

“You saved me again,” Jack whispered against my hair.

“We’re family,” I choked out, tears of profound relief spilling down my cheeks. “Right?”

Jack pulled back, cupping my face in his large hands. “Yes. We are.”

The rooftop doors burst open, and a dozen heavily armed police officers flooded the helipad, weapons drawn. Jack had called them on our way up.

They cuffed Marcus and dragged him away.

Hours later, the sun began to rise over Boston.

Silas had been arrested at the pier, the account numbers Jack memorized providing the final nail in the coffin of the corrupt faction of the syndicate.

The nightmare was over.

We sat in Jack’s massive office at Northbridge. Leo was asleep on the plush leather sofa, exhausted but safe.

Jack poured two glasses of water, handing me one. His knuckles were bruised, his lip cut, but he looked completely at peace.

“My father wanted the business to go legitimate,” Jack said softly, sitting beside me. “He hid you and your mother because he knew Silas would kill you to keep the syndicate tied to the criminal underworld.”

“He wanted us to be safe,” I whispered.

“He wanted you to rule,” Jack corrected. He opened his desk drawer and pulled out a heavy, notarized document.

“This is the deed to Northbridge Consumer Group,” Jack said. “It doesn’t belong to me, Emily. It belongs to you.”

I stared at the paper in shock. “Jack, I can’t run this company. I was interviewing for a marketing job!”

“You’ll learn,” Jack smiled warmly. “And I’ll be right here to teach you. We’ll run it together. Completely legitimate. The way our father intended.”

Tears filled my eyes. I looked at the man who had been a terrifying stranger just twenty-four hours ago. He was my brother. My protector.

“Deal,” I smiled, taking his hand.

Six months passed.

Northbridge transformed under our leadership. The dark ties to the syndicate were severed, the corrupt executives purged. I was no longer a struggling girl worried about rent; I was the co-CEO of a billion-dollar empire.

Leo was enrolled in the best private school in the city, safe and happy.

One evening, I walked into my office to find a small velvet box on my desk.

I opened it. Inside was my mother’s silver bracelet, perfectly repaired and polished.

But tucked beneath the velvet was a single, black rosary bead.

And a handwritten note that made my blood run cold.

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