Chapter 6
Chapter Six
Maureen knocked on the door and poked her head in. “Dominic? Your security system was acting strange again last night.”
Groaning, he sat up from the couch, bumping his ankle monitor against the coffee table. “What’s it been doing?”
“Turning on and off, like it was before. I pushed that button and spoke to someone at Bennett Security again. But they still insist they don’t see any problem.”
“Was it Sylvie?” He felt a twinge of something, though he couldn’t say if it was anticipation or annoyance.
“Not her. Some technician. Should I try again and ask for her?”
He pushed off the couch. “I’ll handle it later.” He’d have to go straight to the top and call Max Bennett. The man owed him, after all, and this glitchy security system of Bennett’s wasn’t nearly enough to make them square.
But Dominic didn’t feel like doing that right now. He was already busy avoiding his lawyer, who’d called three times that morning.
Then his phone rang yet again. Damn it, didn’t Sandford have anything better to do?
“Just answer it already,” Maureen said. “I’m sick of hearing that thing ring.” She left the room, shaking her head.
Fine, he thought. I should get it over with.
“This is Crane.”
“Dominic, Aaron Sandford.”
As if he didn’t know. But did he detect a new hint of backbone in his lawyer’s voice? “What do you need?”
“What I need is to talk. Are you available? Can I come by?”
“What do you think? Of course, I’m fucking available. I can’t leave my house.”
“There’s no need to take that tone with me.”
“I’ll take whatever tone I feel like. Just tell me what the hell this is about.”
“Hold on. I’ll call you back.”
Sandford hung up. Dominic stared down at his phone, wondering what was going on. The lawyer called right back, but this time using a secure app with video conferencing.
“Since you insist on discussing this now, instead of in person, then I’ll accommodate you.”
Sandford was in his office in downtown Los Angeles. Dominic could see the next skyscraper through the man’s window.
He sat back down on his couch. “Then out with it. Obviously, something’s changed?”
“That’s right. The Syndicate has a new leader.”
Dominic worked hard to keep his face expressionless, though inside his guts were roiling. “And who is that?”
“Your uncle. Charles Traynor.”
Fuck. “Have you spoken to Warren?”
“I have not. But I don’t work for Warren, I work for the organization.”
Unbelievable. The lawyer was jumping ship on them? So much for loyalty. “What about the other captains? Have they recognized Charles?”
“They have. Otherwise, you and I wouldn’t be having this conversation. The factions have almost fully united behind your uncle. I’m calling to extend his offer of friendship and forgiveness. I’d suggest you fall in line.”
He paused a moment, processing what Sandford had said. “Is that a threat?”
“Of course not. You know how much family means to your uncle. He wants to bring the Crane and Traynor family back together again.”
Dominic snorted a laugh. “I’m sure he does. What is he offering in exchange for my stepping aside and not challenging his authority?”
“Like you have any chance of that in your position?”
“Humor me.”
“All right, then. He’s offering your life.”
Cold sweat broke out under his arms. “How generous.”
“And the lives of your brothers.”
Dominic shot up to standing, his fist tight around the phone. “He’d better not lay a fucking hand on Raymond.”
“Or you’ll what? Accept the district attorney’s deal? Rat out your family?”
An icy shiver threaded through him. So this was Sandford’s real play. But how much came from the lawyer and how much from Charles?
“I have no intention of turning on my family,” Dominic said carefully.
“Glad to hear it. I’ll pass on the good news to your uncle. So, he has your allegiance?”
“I’m no betrayer. But even you must admit, this is pretty sudden. Let me think about what I’d like my role to be in the business going forward. Can you at least give me a few days?”
“I’m sure your uncle won’t have a problem with that. Take a little time. But just know, your bank accounts are being emptied as we speak. It’s the Syndicate’s money after all, not yours.”
So this was coming from Charles. Sandford wasn’t smart enough or brave enough. A small carrot, and several large sticks. Dominic wouldn’t have expected anything less from his uncle.
“I’ll be in touch,” Sandford said.
“I’m sure you will.”
Dominic had a choice. Fold quietly back into the family business, with no authority whatsoever, or burn every connection between himself and the only life he’d ever known.
If Dominic even thought about turning on the Syndicate, then his uncle would go after Raymond and Warren.
He assumed Sandford was passing on a similar threat to Warren in prison.
His older brother was already segregated from the general population because of past assassination attempts. But would that truly protect him?
There was next to nothing any of them could do.
The minute Sandford was gone, Dominic called Max Bennett.
“Crane. Haven’t heard from you in a while. I thought maybe your old Syndicate buddies had finally gotten to you.”
Max’s idea of a joke. Obviously, the entire town would’ve heard if that happened. But every day, the possibility was getting more likely, especially after the news about Uncle Charles.
“I’m still here. But your fancy custom security system is useless. Keeps switching itself on and off.”
On the line, Dominic heard the squeak of Max’s chair. “That’s weird. Nobody’s complained about anything like that before.”
“Well, it’s happening now. How am I supposed to know my house is secure if I don’t even know the alarm is working?”
“You called our techs?”
“Yeah. Can’t you send someone competent to look at it?”
“Jeez, and people call me demanding. You’re not even paying me.”
The subject of money irked Dominic even more. “Do I have to remind you what—”
“Yeah, yeah, what I owe you. I was only kidding. I’ll send Sylvie out again to look at the system.”
Dominic felt his jaw tighten. “Not Sylvie. Someone else.”
“You’re not a fan of my Sylvie? But she’s my—”
“Your best. Yeah, I’ve got it. But she’s the one who screwed up the install.”
“I highly doubt that. Whatever the problem is, Sylvie will sort it out.”
He thought of Sylvie’s soft mouth. Then her sharp voice repeated the accusation in his head: murderer.
“Maybe I just want to save her some embarrassment. She’s into me, and I turned her down.”
Max didn’t hide his laughter, though he didn’t specify which part he found so funny. “Right. I’ll tell her to swing by.” He seemed like he was about to end the call.
“Wait, there’s more.” Dominic paced across the room, passing by his mom’s grand piano. “I was wondering about hiring a bodyguard for someone. My younger brother.”
“Oh?” Max’s tone was all seriousness. “What’s going on?”
Dominic considered how much he should reveal. Max was not actually his friend. The man disliked him and hadn’t made any secret of the fact.
Yet Max Bennett was one of the few people in the world willing to help him right now, even begrudgingly. Dominic had a feeling he and Max might have a few things in common, if they could ever get past the roles they’d been assigned.
“You’ll probably hear about this from your law enforcement contacts soon enough. The Syndicate has a new leader. Charles Traynor. My uncle.”
“And I’m guessing from your tone this is bad?”
“That depends on your perspective. But this might be one of the few times you and I will agree on something.”
“What does that have to do with your brother?”
“I’d rather not spell it out. I don’t even know who might be listening to this phone call or who might repeat what I say. But my kid brother, Raymond, he’s in college right now. He has nothing to do with any of this. And I’d like it to stay that way.”
“I can send you over some details on our personal protection services. Things can get a little complicated if your brother doesn’t actually want protection, though. Believe me, I’ve been through that sort of thing before.”
“I’m not sure yet.” Dominic figured he needed to have a serious conversation with Raymond. But he also didn’t want to freak his brother out. “But there’s another issue. My finances are tight at the moment. Very tight.”
“I’m sure we can work something out. Just look over the info I send you and have a chat with your brother. Then let me know what you have in mind.”
“Thank you, Bennett.” Dominic didn’t speak with utter sincerity to someone like Max very often. But this, he truly meant.
“Don’t mention it.”
The rest of the day, Dominic kept listening for the door, wondering when Sylvie might arrive. But she didn’t show.
By the time night rolled around, he was so wired he couldn’t even lie down, much less fall asleep.
Dominic just kept staring at the security panels, sometimes the one by the front door, sometimes the one upstairs.
Watching the status shift from off to on and back again.
Wondering if Sandford would keep his word and give him time.
Or if Uncle Charles was plotting, even now, to finally take him out.