Chapter 5 - The Woman in the Red Dress Knew Clary’s SecretThe next evening, Declan hosted a dinner he could not cancel.
Six politicians.
Three union leaders.
Two shipping executives.
And Sebastian Rourke’s younger sister.
Evelyn Rourke arrived wearing red.
Clary watched from the second-floor landing.
She had been told to remain in the secured wing.
She had ignored the instruction.
Evelyn was everything Clary was not.
Elegant.
Polished.
Beautiful in the expensive, deliberate way Clary associated with people who never checked their bank balance before buying groceries.
She kissed Declan’s cheek.
Clary felt something unpleasant twist inside her.
Jealousy.
The realization annoyed her.
Declan was not hers.
She did not want him to be hers.
Probably.
Evelyn whispered something into Declan’s ear.
He did not smile.
Clary was relieved.
That annoyed her more.
“Careful.”
Arthur’s voice came from behind her.
Clary jumped.
“Do all of you appear silently?”
“Training.”
“I’m not spying.”
“Of course not.”
Arthur stood beside her.
“Evelyn Rourke.”
“I guessed.”
“She and Declan were engaged once.”
Clary’s stomach dropped.
She hated that Arthur noticed.
“When?”
“Eight years ago.”
“What happened?”
“Sebastian happened.”
Arthur looked downstairs.
“Evelyn loved Declan. Sebastian wanted an alliance. Declan discovered the engagement was being used to arrange access to Knox shipping routes.”
“So he ended it.”
“Yes.”
Clary remembered Declan at his birthday.
I’m looking for someone who isn’t a transaction.
Now she understood.
“Did he love her?”
Arthur glanced at Clary.
“That is a question you should ask him.”
“I don’t care.”
“Obviously.”
She glared.
Arthur smiled.
Then his phone vibrated.
The smile vanished.
He read the message twice.
“What?”
Clary asked.
Arthur looked at her.
“Stay here.”
“Why?”
“Clary.”
Something in his voice frightened her.
“What happened?”
Arthur was already moving.
Clary followed.
Downstairs, Declan had just taken his seat when Arthur whispered into his ear.
Declan stood immediately.
Evelyn watched him.
“What is it?”
“Business.”
Declan walked into the library.
Arthur followed.
So did Clary.
Declan saw her.
“No.”
“What happened?”
“Go upstairs.”
“Stop ordering me around.”
“Clary.”
Arthur closed the door.
“We found the shooter.”
Clary froze.
Declan turned.
“Alive?”
“For now.”
“Where?”
“Pier Nine.”
Evelyn’s voice came from the doorway.
“Michael Vale?”
Everyone turned.
She stood there calmly.
Declan’s eyes narrowed.
“How do you know?”
Evelyn entered.
“Because my brother sent him.”
Clary felt cold.
Declan moved toward Evelyn.
“Why are you telling me?”
“Because Sebastian has lost control.”
“Of what?”
“His fear.”
Evelyn looked at Clary.
“And because this woman is not the target.”
Clary swallowed.
“Then who is?”
“You.”
Evelyn pointed at Declan.
“Michael was instructed to miss.”
Arthur cursed.
Declan understood.
“The shooting was theater.”
“Yes.”
“To bring Clary here.”
“Yes.”
Clary looked between them.
“Why?”
Evelyn’s gaze settled upon her.
“Because Sebastian knows who your father is.”
The room went silent.
Clary laughed nervously.
“My father is nobody.”
Evelyn shook her head.
“No.”
Clary’s heart began pounding.
“My father left when I was twelve.”
“Your father disappeared when you were twelve.”
“What’s the difference?”
“The difference is that Daniel Davies wasn’t his real name.”
Declan looked at Arthur.
Arthur shook his head.
They had honored Declan’s instruction not to investigate Clary.
Evelyn continued.
“His name was Daniel Mercer.”
Clary stared.
The name meant nothing.
Declan, however, went pale.
Clary saw it.
“Who?”
Declan answered quietly.
“My father’s accountant.”
Clary looked at him.
“What?”
“Daniel Mercer kept the Knox books for eleven years.”
Evelyn nodded.
“And then he stole a ledger.”
Declan remembered the story.
He had been seventeen.
His father had nearly started a war over it.
The ledger contained names.
Judges.
Police commanders.
Politicians.
Bank accounts.
Bodies.
Daniel Mercer vanished before Declan’s father could find him.
Clary backed away.
“No.”
Evelyn looked almost sympathetic.
“Your father didn’t abandon you.”
“Stop.”
“He ran.”
“Stop.”
“He changed his name and hid his family.”
“I said stop!”
Declan stepped between them.
“Enough.”
Clary’s breathing became shallow.
“My mother said he left.”
Declan turned toward her.
“She may have been protecting you.”
“No.”
“Clary—”
“No.”
She pushed past him.
Declan caught her wrist.
She flinched.
He released her instantly.
“Sorry.”
Clary stared at him.
“You knew?”
“No.”
“Your family hunted my father?”
“My father did.”
“And you?”
“I was seventeen.”
“That isn’t an answer.”
“I didn’t know where Mercer was.”
“If you had?”
Declan did not answer quickly enough.
Clary’s face broke.
“That’s what I thought.”
She left.
Declan turned on Evelyn.
“Why now?”
“Because Sebastian believes Mercer gave the ledger to his daughter.”
“Clary was twelve.”
“He doesn’t care.”
“Where is Mercer?”
“Nobody knows.”
Declan looked toward the doorway.
“Then Sebastian believes Clary knows.”
“Yes.”
Arthur cursed again.
Declan grabbed his jacket.
“Where are you going?”
“To find her.”
Clary made it to the estate garden before Declan caught up.
Rain had begun.
She did not care.
“Clary.”
“Leave me alone.”
“I can’t.”
She spun.
“Of course you can. You’re very good at leaving people alone until they become useful.”
“That isn’t fair.”
“My father worked for your family.”
“Yes.”
“Your father wanted him dead.”
“Yes.”
“And now another crime family thinks I have some magical ledger.”
“Yes.”
She laughed bitterly.
“My entire life is apparently a debt inherited from men.”
Declan had no response.
Carbone.
Tommy.
Daniel Mercer.
Knox.
Rourke.
Men making decisions.
Clary paying.
She wiped rain from her face.
“I hate this world.”
“So do I.”
“No, you don’t.”
Declan looked at her.
“You own it.”
The words hit.
Clary walked away.
This time Declan did not follow.
Because she was right.
May you like
He could not protect her from his world while remaining its king.
For the first time in his life, Declan Knox began wondering whether power was worth keeping.
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