CHAP 9 — THE KNIFE INSIDE THE FAMILY
The Costa captains gathered in an old private club in Manhattan.
Vincent entered alone.
At least that was what Carmine believed.
Mave remained three floors below inside a communications room Leo had quietly accessed through the building’s maintenance network.
Gabriel monitored exits.
Donovan waited in a parked vehicle two blocks away.
Trust was still a limited commodity.
Carmine stood at the head of the table.
He was sixty-seven.
Silver hair.
Elegant suit.
Vincent saw his father in the shape of his face.
That made the hatred worse.
“Nephew.”
“Uncle.”
Carmine smiled.
“You’ve built something impressive.”
“You came to compliment me?”
“I came to inherit.”
Several captains looked down.
Vincent understood.
Carmine had already bought some of them.
Others were frightened.
“Costa isn’t yours.”
“It was mine before you learned to tie your shoes.”
“You stole from my father.”
“Your father stole the organization from me.”
“You killed his wife.”
The room froze.
Carmine’s smile disappeared.
“Careful.”
“You killed Marcus Vale.”
“Marcus chose the wrong side.”
“And Elena?”
Carmine poured wine.
“Alive.”
Vincent’s jaw tightened.
“Where?”
“Not until Mave gives me what belongs to this family.”
Vincent laughed softly.
“That’s your mistake.”
“What?”
“You think she’s mine to give orders to.”
Carmine looked amused.
“Every powerful man eventually believes the woman beside him is different.”
Vincent’s eyes became cold.
“She is.”
Carmine raised his glass.
“Then she’ll be your weakness.”
Downstairs, Mave heard every word.
She should have been offended.
Instead, she opened the financial control panel.
Carmine’s men had been using Costa accounts to finance their return.
Mave froze thirty-seven shell-company transfers.
Upstairs, phones began vibrating.
One captain looked at his screen.
Then another.
Carmine’s smile faded.
Vincent looked around.
“What happened?”
Carmine knew.
“Mave.”
Vincent allowed himself the smallest smile.
“Good secretary.”
Downstairs, Leo grinned.
“That was cold.”
Mave kept typing.
“Thank you.”
Then one screen went black.
Another.
Leo frowned.
“What’s happening?”
A door opened behind them.
Donovan entered.
Mave turned.
“You were supposed to be outside.”
Donovan looked at Leo.
“I’m sorry.”
Leo reached for his weapon.
Too late.
Two men entered behind Donovan.
Mave’s stomach dropped.
“You brought them here.”
Donovan’s face was tortured.
“My daughter.”
Mave understood immediately.
Carmine still had her.
“You betrayed us again.”
“I never stopped.”
Leo was forced to his knees.
Mave stood completely still.
Donovan looked at her.
“Give me the ledger.”
“No.”
“Mave.”
“No.”
His voice broke.
“He’ll kill her.”
Mave’s eyes hardened.
“And if I give you the ledger, how many daughters does he get to threaten next?”
Donovan looked away.
One of Carmine’s men stepped forward.
Mave lifted her tablet.
“I delete the entire decoded ledger if anyone touches me.”
The man stopped.
Mave looked at Donovan.
“You need me conscious.”
“Yes.”
“You need the code.”
“Yes.”
“Then tell Carmine I’m coming.”
Donovan stared.
“What?”
“I’ll give him what he wants.”
Leo looked at her.
“Mave—”
She cut him off with one glance.
Donovan nodded slowly.
He did not notice Mave press one tiny icon on the side of her tablet.
SEND.
Every decoded page of Marcus Vale’s ledger was transmitted to three law firms, two investigative journalists, and a federal prosecutor Elena Vale had secretly identified years earlier.
Mave handed Donovan the tablet.
“You should have learned something from working around accountants.”
“What?”
May you like
She smiled without warmth.
“We always keep backups.”
