Chapter 5 – THE TICKET BOUGHT FOR A DEAD MAN

The fire roared behind them, throwing wild, dancing shadows across Vincent’s face.

The older man stared into Dominic’s eyes.

He saw no fear. Only the absolute authority of a true boss.

Vincent’s hand began to shake violently. The gun wavered against Dominic’s chest.

“I did it for the family,” Vincent wept, his voice cracking.

“You did it for yourself,” Dominic corrected softly.

Vincent’s shoulders collapsed. He released his grip on the pistol.

Dominic snatched the gun smoothly, stepping back and aiming it at Vincent’s legs.

“The ring,” Dominic demanded.

With trembling fingers, Vincent pulled the heavy gold family heirloom ring off his left hand. He tossed it into the snow at Dominic’s feet.

It was the ultimate surrender. He was no longer part of the Moretti family.

Claire exhaled a shaky breath, falling to her knees in the snow, wrapping her arms around Bruno’s neck.

Sirens wailed in the distance. The fire department was coming.

Dominic didn’t look away from Vincent.

“My mother,” Dominic said. “Did you kill her?”

Vincent looked at the burning mansion.

“Yes. When I realized she had tricked me into drowning Emily, I confronted her. She laughed at me. She said it was the only way to secure your throne.”

Vincent wiped a tear from his soot-stained cheek.

“I put her heart medication in the fireplace and watched her die.”

“And Samuel Bennett?” Dominic asked, his voice tightening. “Why did you let him take the fall for the greenhouse?”

Vincent finally looked at Claire.

“Because Samuel didn’t just find Emily in the greenhouse. He saw me carry her to the lake.”

Claire stopped breathing. “My father saw you?”

“He was conscious when I dragged her out,” Vincent admitted. “He fought me. But I had a gun. I told him if he ever spoke a word to the police, I would kill his wife and his sixteen-year-old daughter.”

Claire covered her mouth, stifling a sob.

Her father hadn’t been a coward. He hadn’t been negligent. He had taken a murder conviction to keep her alive.

Dominic’s jaw clenched.

“Where is he, Vincent?” Claire cried. “Where is my father now?”

Vincent hesitated.

Dominic cocked the pistol. “Answer her.”

“He’s at the train station,” Vincent whispered.

Claire frowned. “What?”

Vincent reached into his coat pocket and pulled out a single, crumpled paper. He dropped it in the snow.

It was a train ticket.

One way. Chicago to Montreal. Departing at 3:00 AM.

“I bought it for him yesterday,” Vincent said, looking at Dominic. “When I saw Bruno walk up to Claire in the dining room, I knew the past was coming back. I went to Samuel’s apartment this morning. I gave him the ticket and ten thousand dollars in cash.”

Vincent swallowed hard.

“I told him if he wasn’t on that train tonight, his daughter would have a fatal accident at work.”

Dominic stared at the ticket in the snow.

It was 1:15 AM.

Samuel Bennett was sitting at Union Station right now, believing he had to leave his daughter forever to save her life.

“You’re a coward, Vincent,” Dominic said.

He didn’t shoot him. He didn’t have to.

Four of Dominic’s loyal enforcers emerged from the tree line, having bypassed the burning house.

“Take him to the warehouse,” Dominic ordered, not even looking at the men. “Do not let him sleep.”

“Yes, boss.”

As they dragged a weeping Vincent away, Dominic turned to Claire.

He holstered the gun.

“Come on,” Dominic said, offering her his hand. “We have a train to catch.”

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