Chapter 9 - The Last War of the Romano Family
Adrian Sanz was thirty-seven years old.
Educated at Oxford.
MBA from Wharton.
No criminal record.
No known arrests.
No visible connection to his father's empire.
On paper, Adrian was a venture capitalist.
He owned technology companies.
Real estate.
Private equity.
A charitable foundation supporting children affected by violence.
Clara stared at his photograph on the penthouse screen.
"That's almost funny."
Dominic stood beside her.
"What?"
"The charity."
"Men like him enjoy irony."
"Men like us?"
Dominic looked at her.
Clara did not look away.
The distinction mattered.
She was no longer pretending she stood outside the world.
But she was also unwilling to become numb to it.
"Yes," she said.
"Men like us."
Dominic accepted that.
Three days had passed since Victor Sanz died.
Adrian had disappeared.
But his money had not.
Money always left footprints.
Clara followed them.
Singapore.
Zurich.
Cayman.
Delaware.
Then New York.
"He owns a controlling interest in Halcyon Capital."
Dominic frowned.
"That's legitimate."
"Mostly."
Clara enlarged a transaction.
"Halcyon bought debt from six Romano companies over the last two years."
Dominic became still.
"How much?"
"One hundred twelve million."
"Why didn't we know?"
"Because the debt wasn't ours when they bought it."
Clara explained.
Banks had issued commercial loans to legitimate Romano businesses.
Halcyon quietly purchased portions of those loans on secondary markets.
Individually meaningless.
Collectively dangerous.
"If Adrian triggers covenant reviews," Clara said, "he can freeze operating credit."
"How bad?"
"Bad."
"How long?"
"Forty-eight hours before payroll problems."
Dominic looked toward the city.
Thousands of legitimate employees depended on those companies.
Drivers.
Construction workers.
Office staff.
Families who knew nothing about syndicates or old wars.
Adrian was not attacking Dominic with bullets.
He was attacking the economic structure beneath him.
Clara almost admired it.
Almost.
"What does he want?" Dominic asked.
"Same thing everyone wants."
"Control."
"No."
Clara looked at the screen.
"He wants you humiliated."
Dominic turned.
"Explain."
"If he wanted control, he'd negotiate."
"If he wanted money, he'd threaten."
"But he's triggering debt while hiding."
She pointed toward the timeline.
"He's destroying value."
"That means this isn't business."
"It's revenge."
Dominic understood.
Adrian had inherited Victor's grievance.
Not his patience.
Clara's phone rang.
Unknown number.
She and Dominic exchanged a look.
She answered.
"Clara Bennett."
"You're exactly as irritating as my father described."
Adrian.
His voice was younger than she expected.
"Your father didn't know me very long."
"He knew enough."
"What do you want?"
"Dominic."
Clara looked at him.
Dominic heard.
Adrian continued.
"Not dead."
"Not immediately."
"I want him to watch the Romano name collapse."
Dominic took the phone.
"Then stop talking and try."
Adrian laughed.
"You really are Antonio's son."
Dominic's expression changed.
"Where are you?"
"Close."
The call ended.
Clara stared at the phone.
"Close."
Dominic looked around the penthouse.
"What?"
"Why say that?"
"To frighten us."
"No."
Clara's eyes moved toward the windows.
Then the security cameras.
"Adrian doesn't waste words."
She opened the network panel.
Dominic watched.
"What are you doing?"
"Checking access logs."
The penthouse security network had been rebuilt after Richard's team entered.
New passwords.
New hardware.
New personnel.
Clara scanned.
Nothing.
Then she checked building management.
Elevators.
HVAC.
Fire control.
Her face changed.
"Dominic."
"What?"
"Someone accessed the building fire system eleven minutes ago."
His weapon appeared instantly.
"Leo."
No response.
Dominic tried again.
Static.
Clara stood.
"Jammer."
The lights went out.
Emergency lighting activated.
A recorded alarm began.
FIRE DETECTED.
EVACUATE.
Dominic grabbed Clara.
"No elevators."
"I know."
Smoke began entering through the ventilation system.
Clara smelled it.
Then frowned.
"That's not smoke."
Dominic looked at her.
"Chemical?"
"Maybe."
They covered their mouths.
Dominic opened the private stairwell.
Two bodies lay outside.
Security.
Alive.
Unconscious.
"Gas," Clara whispered.
They moved upward instead of down.
"Roof?"
Dominic nodded.
"Helicopter access."
They climbed.
Clara's ribs had mostly healed, but stairs still pulled painfully.
Dominic slowed.
"I'm fine."
"You say that constantly."
"Because you ask constantly."
A door slammed below.
Someone entered the stairwell.
Dominic pushed Clara behind him.
Footsteps.
Fast.
He raised the gun.
A figure appeared.
Leo.
He lowered his weapon.
"Adrian's people entered through building maintenance."
"How many?"
"At least eight."
"Residents?"
"Evacuating."
Leo looked upward.
"Roof team is secure."
They reached the roof.
Wind struck them.
A helicopter waited.
Dominic stopped.
Clara saw why.
The pilot was dead.
A man stood beside the helicopter.
Adrian Sanz.
Alone.
He held no visible weapon.
He smiled.
"Dominic."
Leo raised his pistol.
Adrian lifted one hand.
"If you shoot me, the building explodes."
Clara looked toward the roof structures.
"You're bluffing."
Adrian looked at her.
"Am I?"
Clara studied him.
No remote.
No detonator.
No urgency.
"Yes."
Dominic glanced toward her.
Adrian's smile weakened.
Clara stepped forward.
"You wanted us on the roof."
"Why?"
Adrian said nothing.
She looked toward surrounding buildings.
Then understood.
"Camera."
Adrian's expression changed.
Clara scanned rooftops.
One building had a blinking red light.
"He's recording."
Dominic looked at Adrian.
"For what?"
Clara answered.
"He wants footage of you killing him."
Adrian smiled again.
"Very good."
The plan became obvious.
Dominic Romano kills respected investor and philanthropist Adrian Sanz on a rooftop.
Video leaks.
Federal pressure becomes unavoidable.
Legitimate companies collapse.
The Romano name ends publicly even if Dominic survives privately.
Dominic lowered his gun.
Adrian's smile vanished.
"No?"
Dominic handed the weapon to Leo.
"No."
Adrian's face tightened.
"You murdered my father."
"No."
Dominic looked at him.
"Your father was killed by the war he started twenty-two years ago."
"He killed mine."
"And you killed yours."
Adrian flinched.
There.
Clara saw it.
Guilt.
Victor's death had not been strategic.
It had been personal.
Adrian had killed his own father because Victor was willing to negotiate.
"Your father wanted out," Clara said.
Adrian looked at her.
"He knew he was dying."
"He wanted peace."
"Shut up."
"He gave us your network."
"Shut up."
"He chose ending the war over giving it to you."
Adrian pulled a pistol.
Leo raised his.
Dominic remained still.
Clara spoke.
"If you shoot Dominic, Leo shoots you."
Adrian's hand shook.
"If you shoot me, Dominic still survives."
"Either way, you lose."
Adrian looked at the camera.
The performance had collapsed.
He had wanted Dominic violent.
Instead, he was the man holding the gun.
Sirens rose below.
Federal vehicles.
Police.
Fire department.
Clara had triggered an emergency signal from the building network before leaving the penthouse.
Adrian heard them.
His face changed.
Dominic stepped forward.
"Put it down."
Adrian's eyes filled with rage.
"You don't get to walk away."
Dominic stopped.
"I'm not walking away."
He looked at Clara.
"I'm walking forward."
Adrian fired.
Leo fired simultaneously.
Clara screamed.
Dominic staggered.
The bullet struck his side.
Adrian fell.
His weapon skidded across the roof.
Leo kicked it away.
Clara reached Dominic before he hit the ground.
"Dominic!"
"I'm fine."
Blood immediately covered his shirt.
Clara almost laughed from panic.
"You say that constantly."
He looked at her.
"Learned it from you."
She pressed both hands against the wound.
"Leo!"
"Ambulance coming."
Dominic's face had gone pale.
Clara leaned close.
"Stay with me."
"I am."
"Don't close your eyes."
"Bossy."
"Dominic."
He smiled weakly.
"There she is."
Tears blurred her vision.
"I swear to God, if you die after everything we've survived, I'll kill you."
"Logistically difficult."
"Shut up."
His hand found hers.
The same way it had in the hospital days earlier.
Only now their positions were reversed.
Sirens grew louder.
Adrian groaned several feet away.
Alive.
Leo had hit his shoulder.
Clara looked at him.
Then at the camera still recording.
Everything was there.
Adrian's confession through implication.
His gun.
His attack.
Dominic refusing to shoot.
For once, the truth had evidence.
Dominic followed her gaze.
"Keep the recording."
"Oh, I'm keeping everything."
His eyes closed.
"Dominic!"
"Still here."
"Open your eyes."
He did.
Clara bent down and kissed his forehead.
"Good."
She pressed harder against the wound.
May you like
"Because we haven't finished."
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