Chapter 8 - The Price of Loyalty
Nicholas ordered Claire onto a private plane.
She refused.
He ordered again.
She laughed.
He threatened to physically put her on it.
Claire picked up a cast-iron skillet.
That ended the conversation.
“You cannot keep me here against my will,” Nicholas said.
Claire stared.
“You just tried to send me away against mine.”
“To keep you alive.”
“Do you think Alessandra can’t find Boston? New York? Montana?”
“I can protect you there.”
“You can protect me here.”
His jaw tightened.
“That isn’t enough.”
Claire put down the skillet.
Something in his face stopped her.
He wasn’t angry.
He was terrified.
“Nicholas.”
He turned away.
“I found you in that pantry and for ten seconds I thought I was carrying a dead woman.”
Claire said nothing.
His voice dropped.
“I already walk into my mother’s room every morning wondering whether she’ll be breathing.”
He looked at Claire.
“I’m not doing that with you too.”
Her heart hurt.
“This isn’t your fault.”
“It becomes my fault if you stay.”
“No.”
“Yes.”
“You don’t get to decide what risks I accept.”
“I am trying to save you.”
“And I’m trying to save your mother.”
His control cracked.
“Why?”
Claire froze.
Nicholas stepped closer.
“Why do you care this much?”
She looked toward the kitchen.
“Because someone starved her without taking away food.”
Nicholas said nothing.
“That’s crueler than people understand.”
Claire’s eyes burned.
“They taught her that every bite could hurt her. They made something she loved terrifying. Your mother used to feed everyone, didn’t she?”
“Yes.”
“Then they took the safest thing in her life and poisoned it.”
Her voice broke.
“I hate people who do that.”
Nicholas stared.
Then kissed her.
No warning.
No strategy.
One hand moved to her cheek.
Claire froze for half a second.
Then kissed him back.
It lasted perhaps five seconds.
Maybe ten.
Long enough to complicate everything.
Nicholas stepped away first.
Claire touched her lips.
“That was inappropriate.”
“Yes.”
“You’re my employer.”
“I know.”
“Possibly a criminal.”
“Possibly?”
She laughed despite herself.
Then an explosion shook the house.
Windows rattled.
Nicholas pulled Claire down.
Marco shouted over the radio.
“East gate! Vehicle bomb!”
Smoke rose outside.
Security rushed toward the entrance.
Exactly as the attackers intended.
Claire realized it half a second before Nicholas.
“Distraction.”
He grabbed her hand.
Too late.
The kitchen doors burst open.
Two men wearing maintenance uniforms entered.
One fired.
Nicholas shoved Claire behind the island.
Bullets shattered glass.
Claire crawled.
Nicholas returned fire.
One attacker fell.
The other grabbed Claire by the hair.
She screamed.
Nicholas turned.
The man pressed a gun to her neck.
“Drop it.”
Nicholas’s weapon lowered.
Claire looked at him.
“Don’t.”
The attacker struck her.
Nicholas’s face became murderous.
“Touch her again and—”
“You’ll do nothing.”
Claire was dragged toward the service entrance.
A van waited outside.
Nicholas followed until another gunman emerged.
“Back.”
Claire saw the calculation in Nicholas’s eyes.
He could shoot.
Maybe hit the man.
Maybe hit her.
He lowered the gun.
They shoved Claire into the van.
The last thing she saw was Nicholas running toward them as the doors closed.
Claire woke in an abandoned restaurant.
Her wrists were tied to a chair.
Someone had thoughtfully placed her inside a kitchen.
She almost appreciated the irony.
Alessandra entered ten minutes later.
Cream suit.
Pearl earrings.
Perfect hair.
Claire sighed.
“I expected Dr. Evil.”
Alessandra stared.
“You joke when frightened.”
“I joke constantly. It saves time.”
“You have become expensive.”
“So has butter.”
Alessandra pulled out a chair.
“You should have left.”
“Nicholas said the same thing.”
“Then for once, listen to a man.”
Claire smiled.
“So you poisoned Evelyn.”
Alessandra’s expression remained calm.
“She was meant to become incompetent.”
“That’s a yes.”
“She would have been comfortable.”
“She was terrified.”
“Temporary.”
“For four months.”
Alessandra’s jaw tightened.
“The dosage was mishandled.”
“By Damian?”
“Damian is weak.”
“And Vincent?”
“Weaker.”
“Dr. Hale?”
Alessandra smiled.
“Loyal.”
Claire understood.
“Loyal to you.”
“To the family.”
“You keep confusing those.”
The smile vanished.
Claire leaned forward.
“Why?”
“Why what?”
“Why destroy Evelyn?”
Alessandra looked toward the old dining room.
“Because my brother was sentimental.”
“Michael?”
“He left control to his wife and son while I spent thirty years cleaning their mistakes.”
“So this is about money.”
“Power.”
“Same disease, better suit.”
Alessandra stood.
“I built half the Caruso organization.”
“Nicholas doesn’t seem impressed.”
“He will be when I take it from him.”
A phone rang.
Alessandra answered.
“Yes?”
Nicholas’s voice came through speaker.
“Let her go.”
Claire’s chest tightened.
Alessandra smiled.
“Hello, nephew.”
“What do you want?”
“The waterfront voting proxy.”
“No.”
“Then Claire dies.”
Claire shouted, “Don’t give her anything!”
A guard struck the chair.
Alessandra continued.
“And your mother will be declared incompetent by Friday.”
“You won’t make it to Friday.”
“Threats are boring, Nicholas.”
“Claire.”
She looked toward the phone.
“I’m okay.”
“You’re hurt?”
“No.”
“Claire.”
“My head is attached.”
He exhaled.
Alessandra rolled her eyes.
“Touching.”
Nicholas spoke.
“Where?”
“You know the old Rossi restaurant on Archer Avenue?”
Claire memorized it.
Alessandra continued.
“One hour. Bring the signed proxy.”
The call ended.
Claire smiled.
“That was stupid.”
Alessandra looked at her.
“What?”
“You told him where we are.”
“He won’t risk you.”
“You don’t understand Nicholas.”
“And you do?”
“No.”
Claire’s smile widened.
“But I understand kitchens.”
She had spent fifteen minutes working one wrist against the broken edge of a steel prep table.
The plastic tie snapped.
Claire grabbed a metal pan.
The guard turned.
She struck him across the face.
Chaos erupted.
Claire ran.
Alessandra screamed.
A second guard chased her.
Claire shoved a rolling rack behind her.
Pans crashed.
She reached the back hall.
Locked.
The guard grabbed her shirt.
Claire kicked backward.
Then gunfire erupted outside.
Nicholas.
Claire hit the floor.
The door exploded inward.
Marco entered.
“Nicholas!”
Claire shouted.
A man grabbed her again.
Then Nicholas appeared.
He fired once.
The man dropped.
Nicholas crossed the room.
Claire threw herself into him.
His arms closed around her so hard she could barely breathe.
“You came.”
He buried his face in her hair.
“Of course I came.”
A gunshot cracked.
Nicholas jerked.
Claire felt warmth.
Blood.
“Nicholas?”
His knees buckled.
Claire caught him as best she could.
Alessandra stood near the side door holding a pistol.
She smiled.
Then disappeared into the alley.
Claire pressed both hands against Nicholas’s side.
“No.”
He looked up at her.
“Claire.”
“No.”
“Listen—”
“You are not dying in an abandoned restaurant.”
He almost smiled.
“Bossy.”
“You started it.”
Blood covered her hands.
Sirens approached.
Nicholas’s eyes closed.
Claire slapped his cheek.
“Stay awake.”
“I’m tired.”
“I don’t care.”
“Claire.”
“What?”
His eyes opened again.
“If I die—”
“You won’t.”
“If I do…”
She leaned closer.
“What?”
His mouth curved faintly.
“Burn the rabbit pajamas.”
Claire started crying.
May you like
“You’re such an idiot.”
Then Nicholas Caruso lost consciousness in her arms.
