Chapter 6 - THE MERCER BLOODLINEFor thirty-two years, I had believed I knew who my mother was.
Her name had been Katherine Voss.
She liked lavender soap.
She hated thunderstorms.
She made pancakes on Sundays.
She died when I was sixteen.
Except now Vincent Caruso was telling me Katherine hadn’t given birth to me.
Dominic’s aunt had.
“Isabella disappeared before I was born,” Dominic said.
“She didn’t disappear,” Vincent replied. “Antonio made her disappear.”
Dominic grabbed his jacket.
“My father?”
“To protect her.”
“From whom?”
“The Meridian Circle.”
I stared through the windshield.
“Start from the beginning.”
Vincent looked exhausted.
“Isabella Mercer fell in love with Elias Voss.”
“My father.”
“Yes.”
“Why hide me?”
“Because Isabella discovered what the Circle was doing.”
Dominic laughed once without humor.
“Apparently everyone knew about the conspiracy except me.”
“Your father wanted it that way.”
Vincent continued.
“Isabella intended to expose them. Before she could, somebody tried to kill her. Elias took her away. A year later, you were born.”
“And Katherine?”
“Elias’s sister.”
The pieces rearranged themselves painfully.
The woman I called Mom had actually been my aunt.
“She raised me.”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“Isabella was still being hunted.”
I looked at Dominic.
“Where did she go?”
Vincent looked away.
“She died when Elena was four.”
“How?”
Vincent hesitated.
Dominic snapped, “Enough secrets.”
“Murder.”
The word landed like stone.
“By the Circle?”
“Yes.”
“Were you there?”
Vincent nodded.
“I was nineteen. Antonio had sent me to bring Isabella back to Blackthorne. I arrived too late.”
My eyes burned.
“You saw her?”
“Yes.”
“Did she say anything?”
Vincent looked at me.
“She asked Antonio to protect you.”
I turned away.
Dominic was silent.
Then he reached across the seat.
His hand covered mine.
Neither of us said anything.
We were cousins.
Distant enough that neither of us had known.
Close enough that the revelation changed the shape of the world between us.
And whatever unnamed feeling had been growing there needed to disappear.
Maybe that was for the best.
There were too many bodies already.
The Yonkers property was an abandoned textile factory beside the river.
Dominic refused to storm it blindly.
For forty-three minutes, his people watched from neighboring buildings.
Two armed men at the front.
Three behind.
Others unknown.
Caleb might be inside.
So might my father.
Dominic studied the floor plan.
“We enter here.”
I shook my head.
“They expect that.”
“You’re staying in the vehicle.”
“No.”
“You’re injured.”
“I’m also the person they want.”
“That’s exactly why you stay.”
Vincent interrupted.
“She’s right.”
Dominic looked ready to shoot him.
Vincent raised his hands.
“They want Elena alive until they have the archive. That gives her leverage.”
“I’m not using her as bait.”
“You won’t have to.”
I took out my phone.
“I’ll call them.”
Five minutes later, Hale answered.
“Did you find it?”
“Yes.”
A pause.
“Good girl.”
I wanted to reach through the phone.
“I want Caleb.”
“Bring the drive.”
“I want proof.”
A video call opened.
Caleb appeared.
His face was dirty.
But alive.
“Caleb.”
“Mara!”
His eyes filled.
“Are you okay?”
“I’m okay.”
“You got shot.”
“I’ve had better days.”
He almost smiled.
Then someone grabbed the phone away.
Hale appeared.
Behind him was my father.
Older.
Bruised.
Alive.
Seeing him through video had been one thing.
Seeing him in real time broke something inside me.
“Dad.”
His face changed.
“My girl.”
For eight years I had mourned him.
I wanted to scream.
I wanted to forgive him.
I wanted explanations.
Instead I said, “We’re ending this.”
Hale smiled.
“Finally, something we agree on.”
“Release Caleb.”
“Drive first.”
“No.”
His eyes hardened.
“You’re not negotiating anymore.”
“Yes, I am.”
I held the black drive in front of the camera.
Then a hammer.
Hale’s smile disappeared.
“You break that and the boy dies.”
“Then the archive dies too.”
“Don’t.”
“Send Caleb outside.”
“No.”
I placed the drive on concrete.
Raised the hammer.
“Three.”
“Elena.”
“Two.”
“Wait.”
“One.”
“Fine!”
Hale disappeared from screen.
Dominic looked at me from across the command vehicle.
Neither of us breathed.
Minutes later, a side door of the factory opened.
Caleb appeared.
Alone.
Dominic ran.
I had never seen a man move that fast.
Caleb sprinted toward him.
“Daddy!”
Dominic dropped to his knees.
His son hit him so hard they nearly fell backward.
Dominic buried his face against Caleb’s hair.
For several seconds, billionaire, crime heir, feared businessman—none of it existed.
He was simply a father who had his child again.
I turned away because the sight hurt in a way I couldn’t explain.
Then Hale called.
“You have the boy.”
“My father.”
“Come inside.”
Dominic stood with Caleb in his arms.
“No.”
I looked at him.
“Dominic.”
“No.”
“My father is in there.”
“And I’m not losing you after getting my son back.”
“He’s my father.”
“I know.”
“You would go in for Caleb.”
“That’s different.”
“How?”
He had no answer.
I took the drive.
Vincent approached.
“I’m coming.”
My father’s warning echoed.
Don’t bring Vincent.
I shook my head.
“No.”
Vincent looked hurt.
But he nodded.
Dominic handed Caleb to Sofia, who had arrived in another armored vehicle.
Then he checked his weapon.
“I’m going.”
“You don’t owe me this.”
His gaze held mine.
“You took three bullets for my son.”
“That doesn’t mean—”
“You became family before either of us knew you actually were.”
My throat tightened.
We entered together.
Inside, the factory was quiet.
Too quiet.
A single overhead light burned in the center.
My father sat beneath it.
Hands tied.
No Hale.
No guards.
“Dad!”
I ran toward him.
“Stop!”
My father screamed.
I froze.
He looked toward the floor.
A wire.
Dominic saw it.
“Explosive?”
My father nodded.
“Pressure trigger.”
Dominic swore.
I looked around.
“Where is Hale?”
My father’s expression changed.
“He left.”
“With what?”
“He never wanted the drive.”
A cold feeling spread through me.
“Then what did he want?”
My father stared at Dominic.
“The Mercer succession.”
Dominic frowned.
“What?”
“You refused your father’s criminal empire.”
“Yes.”
“The Circle needed someone else to inherit it.”
Dominic slowly understood.
“My uncle.”
My father nodded.
“Victor Mercer.”
Dominic’s father had a younger brother.
Victor.
A charming philanthropist who lived primarily in Monaco and claimed he wanted nothing to do with family business.
I had met him once.
At the gala.
He had kissed Caleb’s forehead.
And hugged Dominic.
My father continued.
“Victor controls the Circle.”
Dominic went still.
“The attack. Caleb.”
“All designed to force you away from Blackthorne.”
“Why?”
My father looked terrified.
“Because tonight, the captains are meeting.”
Dominic’s phone vibrated.
A message from Sofia.
Something is wrong. Men are arriving at Blackthorne. Vincent told me to lock Caleb inside.
Dominic looked at me.
My father whispered:
“Victor isn’t trying to steal the archive.”
“He’s taking the family.”
Another message arrived.
A photograph.
Vincent on his knees.
A gun against his head.
Victor standing behind him.
Below it:
COME HOME, NEPHEW.
May you like
And beneath that:
BRING ELENA. SHE’S THE LAST VOTE I NEED.
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