CHAP 4 — GABRIEL VALE
Gabriel called Mave directly.
Her phone displayed UNKNOWN.
Vincent told her not to answer.
She did anyway.
“Hello?”
“Mave.”
His voice was rough.
Older.
Familiar in a way she could not explain.
“Gabriel Vale?”
A pause.
“So he finally told you.”
“Enough to make me angry. Not enough to make me informed.”
The man gave a quiet laugh.
“You sound like your mother.”
Mave gripped the phone.
“You knew her?”
“I loved her.”
Vincent watched her.
Mave turned away.
“Where are you?”
“Somewhere Vincent cannot surround with men in expensive suits.”
“You approached me at the Plaza.”
“I needed Vincent to recognize me.”
“You frightened me.”
“I needed him frightened more.”
“Why?”
“Because a comfortable Costa is a dangerous thing.”
Vincent’s jaw tightened.
Gabriel continued.
“You found the thirty thousand?”
Mave froze.
“How do you know about that?”
“Because I put it there.”
Vincent stepped closer.
Mave put the call on speaker.
Gabriel laughed softly.
“Hello, Vincent.”
“Gabriel.”
“You’ve grown into Alessandro’s face.”
“Where are you?”
“Still impatient.”
“You used Costa accounts.”
“I used Carmine’s access inside Costa accounts.”
Vincent’s eyes narrowed.
“Donovan.”
“Yes.”
Mave interrupted.
“Why thirty thousand?”
“To see whether you would notice.”
“You risked my life for an accounting test?”
“No. I confirmed you were still Marcus Vale’s daughter.”
Mave felt anger.
“You don’t know me.”
“I know you found three buried transfers in under two hours.”
“So?”
“Your father found one buried transfer seventeen years ago.”
Silence.
“That’s how all of this began.”
Gabriel gave them an address.
An abandoned church in Brooklyn.
Vincent immediately refused.
Mave went anyway.
Vincent came with her.
The church smelled of dust and old candle wax.
Gabriel waited near the altar.
Without a tuxedo, he looked more dangerous.
Leather jacket.
Scar across his eyebrow.
Gray eyes.
He stared at Mave.
His expression broke.
“Mavie.”
Nobody had called her that since her mother died.
Mave’s breath caught.
Gabriel reached into his coat.
Vincent moved instantly.
“Slow.”
Gabriel rolled his eyes.
“You still think everything is a gun.”
He removed a photograph.
Mave took it.
Her mother held a newborn.
Gabriel stood beside her.
Marcus Vale stood behind them.
Vincent’s father was there too.
Smiling.
Mave whispered:
“Why is Alessandro in my baby picture?”
“Because your families weren’t always enemies.”
Gabriel sat.
Then he told them.
Marcus Vale had built the financial system behind Costa Maritime.
Alessandro handled operations.
Carmine handled the syndicate.
For years, the arrangement worked.
Until Marcus discovered Carmine was stealing.
Not thousands.
Millions.
Carmine had built a private network inside the Costa organization.
Judges.
Customs officials.
Dock supervisors.
Political intermediaries.
Marcus documented everything.
“He wanted out,” Gabriel said.
“Alessandro agreed.”
Vincent frowned.
“My father never said that.”
“He was protecting you.”
“From what?”
“From the fact that your mother was involved.”
Vincent went still.
“My mother died when I was twelve.”
“Yes.”
“What are you saying?”
Gabriel looked at Mave.
“Marcus didn’t discover Carmine’s network alone.”
He looked back at Vincent.
“Your mother did.”
Vincent’s face drained.
“She died in a boating accident.”
Gabriel shook his head.
“No.”
Mave felt Vincent’s entire presence change.
For the first time, she reached for him.
Her fingers touched his arm.
The same arm he had told her to take.
This time he did not order her.
He simply let her stay.
Gabriel continued.
“Carmine killed anyone who could expose him.”
Vincent’s voice turned cold.
“My mother?”
“Yes.”
“Marcus?”
“Yes.”
Mave stopped breathing.
Gabriel looked at her.
“Your father died trying to get the ledger out.”
“Where?”
“Pier Seventeen.”
“You were there?”
Gabriel nodded.
“The fire was meant to destroy us both.”
“But you survived.”
“Yes.”
“And Marcus?”
Gabriel looked down.
“No.”
Mave felt tears burning.
“Why didn’t you come for me?”
“Because Carmine believed I was dead.”
“That isn’t an answer.”
Gabriel looked directly at her.
“If I had come near you, he would have known you mattered.”
Mave’s voice cracked.
“I already mattered. I was his daughter.”
Gabriel flinched.
She continued.
“You all keep saying you lied to protect me.”
She looked at Vincent.
“Every man in this story decided ignorance was some kind of gift.”
Nobody answered.
Gabriel finally said:
“You’re right.”
That surprised her.
Then he reached into his coat again.
This time he removed a brass key.
“Your father left something for you.”
Mave took it.
“What?”
“The reason Carmine came back.”
May you like
Gabriel looked toward Vincent.
“And the reason Vincent may lose everything.”
