Chapter 1 – THE MAN AT THE END OF THE TABLE

Gabriel’s eyes locked onto the man sitting at the far end of the long mahogany table.

Marcus Vance.

For three years, Marcus had been Gabriel’s most trusted advisor. He was the man who had personally handled the investigation into Daniel’s death. The man who had stood beside Gabriel at the funeral, placing a hand on his shoulder and promising to find the widow.

Now, Marcus slowly placed his wine glass down. His hand was remarkably steady.

“Gabriel,” Marcus said, his voice smooth. “The child is confused. I’ve never been to Chicago in my life.”

Gabriel didn’t look away from him. “Lily, are you sure?”

Lily gripped my apron. “He gave Mommy a silver watch. He said if she didn’t sell it and move away, he would make us disappear.”

The dining room erupted into frantic whispers.

Gabriel’s face drained of color. He looked at me, his eyes begging for it to be a lie.

“Rachel?” Gabriel’s voice cracked.

I reached into my apron pocket. I always carried it. I pulled out the heavy silver pocket watch and placed it on the table.

Gabriel stared at the watch. It had belonged to his father. He had given it to Daniel on the day he swore him in as his right-hand man.

“You took this from Daniel’s body,” Gabriel whispered, stepping toward Marcus. “You took it, and you used it to threaten his wife.”

Marcus stood up, pushing his chair back. “Gabriel, you have to understand. Daniel wasn’t who you thought he was. He was stealing from the family. I covered it up to protect you.”

It was a brilliant lie. But I saw the panic in Vanessa’s eyes.

“That’s not true!” I stepped forward, my voice trembling but loud. “Daniel didn’t steal anything. He found out who was stealing!”

Gabriel stopped. “What?”

“Daniel left me a letter,” I said, my chest heaving. “He said if anything happened to him, I needed to find a woman named Elena. But Marcus found me first.”

Marcus lunged. He didn’t go for Gabriel. He went for Vanessa.

He grabbed her arm, pulling a small, silver handgun from his jacket and pressing it to her side. The security guards drew their weapons, but Gabriel held up a hand, stopping them.

“Let her go, Marcus,” Gabriel said, his voice deadly quiet.

“She’s in on it, Gabe,” Marcus sneered, backing toward the patio doors. “Vanessa hired Rachel to keep her close. To make sure the widow never talked. We’ve both been playing you.”

Vanessa sobbed, shaking her head. “I had to! He said he would kill me!”

Marcus kicked the patio doors open. “Don’t follow me. Or your beautiful fiancée dies tonight.”

He dragged Vanessa into the dark garden.

Gabriel turned to his men. “Lock down the perimeter. No one leaves.”

Then he looked down at the silver watch on the table. He picked it up, his thumb running over the smooth metal.

He pressed the latch. The watch popped open.

Gabriel frowned. He pulled a tiny, folded piece of paper from behind the clock face.

He unfolded it, his eyes scanning the words. When he looked up at me, the betrayal in his eyes was absolute.

“Rachel,” Gabriel whispered. “Why does this note say Daniel was planning to kill me?”

Share