Chapter 14
Chapter Fourteen
Dominic woke on a cold, hard floor. His head was fuzzy, and his stomach was in knots.
He would’ve spent most of the night prowling the hallways, but Maureen had asked him to sleep on the floor beside her bed. He’d offered to put her up in a hotel after the police finally left, but she’d refused.
There had been a small chance he could get permission to stay somewhere else himself, despite his bail restrictions. But nobody had seemed to have the answers or any interest in seeking them out.
The officers hadn’t arrested him for the weapons they’d found, either. So maybe they’d split the difference by just letting him stay put.
He’d called an emergency repairman to secure the door the SWAT team busted in, and he and Maureen had barricaded themselves in her bedroom.
Dominic had slept with another gun under his pillow. The police hadn’t found them all.
He kicked off the blanket and got up, stretching his back. Maureen was still asleep. But she sat up as soon as he started moving the armoire he’d placed in front of her door.
“Dominic?”
“Sorry. I need to go to my room. I should get cleaned up.”
“You go ahead. I’ll do the same, and then make breakfast. We’ll do better if we keep to our routines.” She waved him away.
Dominic didn’t know exactly what this day would bring, but he was sure it wasn’t going to be pleasant.
At least he’d gotten in touch with Raymond and knew his brother was safe.
When Dominic had first seen the blood painted on that door… He shivered at the memory. He hadn’t even allowed himself to face the possibility that the blood belonged to his brother.
Thankfully, a forensics team had quickly determined the blood came from a pig, rather than a human.
Of course, he hadn’t told Raymond about the blood during their phone conversation. He hadn’t even mentioned that someone had tried to shoot him. But he’d reminded his brother to be careful and not trust anyone, not even people who claimed to be family.
Dominic had never had much control over his own life, not really. But this uncertainty was worse than anything he’d experienced before.
And then the texts with Sylvie last night—those had really driven the knife in. He’d predicted she’d probably want to stay away from him. But it hurt to know for certain. She hated him. That hadn’t changed.
He’d sounded like an asshole, pretending he could help with the computer thing. She’d seen right through him. But the real life threat had been so much worse.
If those men had wanted to get into the house to hurt Sylvie or Maureen, they could’ve done it. They’d simply chosen not to. The attack was proof they could do whatever they wanted to the people he cared about when he least expected it.
But Dominic still didn’t even know if Uncle Charles had been behind it, or what the man might want from him.
All he could do was wait to find out.
His first visitors arrived around ten in the morning: two prosecutors from the West Oaks District Attorney’s Office.
Maureen answered the bell. Dominic walked in from the living room, where he’d been nervously flipping through cable channels.
The DA, Stephen Abrams, walked into the entryway, followed by Lana Marchetti, his second in command. Lana nodded at him. They’d spoken several times, though not in person.
He’d flirted with Lana in the past, shamelessly, but he’d been putting on a show, pretending that nothing really got to him.
Better to seem like a jerk than let them guess how freaked out he’d been over the arrest and what happened after.
But Dominic had helped Lana, too, so he hoped she might be willing to hear his side of things.
But Dominic was far less encouraged to see his former attorney, Aaron Sandford, stroll in behind them.
“What are you doing here?”
Dominic had been looking at Sandford, who just a few days ago had threatened him on his Uncle Charles’s behalf. But it was the district attorney who answered.
“We have a lot to discuss,” Abrams said. “Is there someplace we could all sit down?”
Dominic led them into the living room. Maureen went to make coffee and find cookies in the pantry. But Dominic could hardly focus on being hospitable.
What the hell was Sandford doing here? He didn’t represent Dominic anymore, did he? That was what he’d said on the phone. Yet Sandford was smiling at him sympathetically, as if he actually cared that someone had tried to kill Dominic yesterday.
Lana sat on the edge of a chair, crossing her slender legs.
She wore a gray pantsuit, and her brown hair was swept into a bun.
“We’ve heard about the latest attempt on your life.
I’m glad you and your housekeeper are all right.
But next time, you might not be so lucky.
If you’re willing to testify, we could arrange with federal authorities to get you into a safe house. Is that something you’d want?”
Before Dominic could answer, Sandford spoke over him. “My client and I have already had a chance to speak. Mr. Crane tells me he won’t be intimidated by these people and has no intention of abandoning his home.”
Dominic glared at him, but Sandford’s cold gaze warned him to keep his mouth shut.
“That’s not advisable,” Lana said. “Next time—”
Sandford’s eyes didn’t leave Dominic’s. “We’re confident there won’t be a next time. Isn’t that so, Mr. Crane?”
Dominic cleared his throat. He could almost hear the threat hidden in Sandford’s words: Step out of line, and next time it’ll be Raymond we go after. “I hope not.”
Stephen Abrams accepted a mug of coffee from Maureen.
“Unfortunately, there’s the matter of the weapons found in your possession during yesterday’s incident.
They aren’t registered, and your bail conditions expressly forbid you from possessing firearms in any case.
We’re not going to file new charges at this time, but that could change. It depends.”
“On what?”
“On whether you seem interested in turning over a new leaf.” Lana tilted her head. “Dominic, do you really want to remain loyal to people who are trying to kill you? Or are you willing to do what’s right, so you can put your past behind you?”
Sandford was still glaring, but even if he wasn’t, Dominic wasn’t dumb enough to respond to Lana’s questions.
“Agree to testify against the Silverlake Syndicate,” Abrams said, “and we’ll wipe your slate clean.
I’ve already been consulting with the US Attorney on this since any case against the Syndicate would likely be brought in federal court.
She’s agreed you would have immunity on all federal charges as well. And they’re offering to protect you.”
Sandford laughed. “It’s all well and good for you and the US Attorney to make grand promises. But Dominic is the one who’ll suffer if you fail. I doubt you actually care about that.”
Lana narrowed her eyes at the man. “I assure you, we do. We take care of our witnesses.”
“My client has nothing to say about any Syndicate. He’s never been involved with any such organization. And he doesn’t know who’s been targeting him.”
“Is that true, Dominic?” Lana’s tone conveyed that she already knew the answer. So there was no point in lying to her. But he certainly couldn’t tell the truth.
He said nothing.
As the two district attorneys were leaving, Lana stopped to shake his hand. “Take care of yourself. I hope you’ll change your mind.” She’d placed a piece of paper against his palm. Dominic stuck it into his pocket.
Sandford stood beside him while the others drove away.
As soon as they were gone, Dominic turned and grabbed Sandford around the throat. “It was you, wasn’t it? You think I’m just going to sit here like a fucking lapdog and wag my tail while you shit on me?”
Sandford clawed at Dominic’s hand. “Your uncle,” he wheezed. “Not me.”
He gave the man’s neck another squeeze and dropped him. Sandford stumbled back into a porch pillar, coughing. Dominic wasn’t worried about any neighbors seeing. The houses up here in the hills were too spread out. Privacy was paramount.
“It was a message from your uncle. And when he hears about what you just did to me—”
“Like Charles gives a fuck about you. You’re replaceable.” Dominic had never killed anyone with his own hands, but right now he was tempted.
“His people are watching you on video right now. So go ahead, show them how defiant you are. They’ll send those same men who were here yesterday, only this time they won’t just scare you. They’ll finish the job.”
Dominic glanced up at the plastic eye above his door. “So it was you causing the problems with the security system? You’re the one who told me to install a Bennett alarm in the first place. Did you do something to Sylvie’s computer, too?”
Sandford was loosening the collar of his shirt.
“Believe it or not, your uncle doesn’t tell me everything he’s planning.
I take orders just like everyone else. But he made it clear to me that you’d better sit here and stay quiet.
You’ve seen how easily Charles could take you out.
His men aren’t like the amateurs who went after you before.
And just imagine what a piece of cake it would be to walk into Raymond’s dorm. ”
Dominic flexed his hand, longing to take out his anger and frustration on this man.
Sandford was backing away from him toward the street.
“And as for Sylvie Trousseau, we saw you two together in the entryway of your house. Camera in there, too, remember? Charles’s men would love to pay her a visit, I’m sure.
Too bad you’re stuck at your house and couldn’t join in. You’d probably be into that.”
Dominic took two long strides forward and slammed his fist into the lawyer’s nose. Sandford screamed. Blood spurted over his tan suit.
Shaking out his hand, Dominic went back inside and shut the door.
In his bathroom, Dominic took out the paper Lana had given him. It was a cocktail napkin Maureen had set out with the cookies.
Lana had written, If need to speak privately, no Sandford, send message through housekeeper. I will arrange.
So she could tell that all wasn’t well between Dominic and his lawyer.
He was tempted. He liked Lana and respected her. It was much more pleasant having her on his side than against him.
But for now, Dominic had no choice but to do what Sandford instructed: sit and be quiet. Not unless he wanted to risk Raymond, or even Sylvie, getting hurt. God, he hated that she’d gotten pulled into this mess.
The further she stayed away from him, the better. Good thing she already knew that.
Dominic tore the napkin into tiny pieces and flushed them down the toilet.