Chapter 27
Imani
T he moment Nikolai left, I collapsed. Sobbed into my hands while the walls closed in and my world fell apart. Eugene had a video of Dez killing Vincent DeLuca. Time-stamped. Dated. Crystal clear footage that showed exactly how Vincent had died and who'd killed him.
"Vincent was thorough," Eugene had said, showing me the footage on his phone. "Set up cameras in that building just in case. Streamed everything to a private server. And he gave me access before he died. Called it insurance."
I'd watched thirty seconds of it to confirm it was real before I'd had to look away.
"What do you want?" I asked, my voice shaking.
"Full custody of Immanuel." Our seven-year-old son who I'd been fighting for since the divorce. "Weekend visitation every other week."
"You can't be serious."
"I am. Unless you want this video to end up with the FBI. Want to watch your new boyfriend's brother go to prison for murder? Want to watch the entire Moretti family come crashing down because you were too selfish to protect them, including Angelina?"
"Eugene, you don’t have to do this!"
"And one more thing." He'd glanced toward the door where Nikolai had just left. "You end it with him. Completely. No contact. No relationship. You walk away and you stay away."
"Why? What does Nikolai have to do with this."
"Because I can see it." His voice had gone cold. "I can see the way you look at him. The way you let yourself be vulnerable with him. And I'll be damned if I let another man replace me in your life and my son's."
He pulled out his phone again, showed me something else. Screenshots of my text messages to Angelina and the girls in our group chat.
IMANI
Say the word and we’ll take care of him
"This," Eugene had said, "shows intent. Shows conspiracy. You were part of it, Imani. And if this video goes public, you go down with the Morettis. Lose your business. Your freedom. Everything."
He'd hacked my phone. How else could you explain that? He’d been reading every message, every conversation.
"Twenty-four hours," he'd said, standing. "Sign the custody papers and end things with Nikolai, or I release the video. Your choice."
Then he'd left. And I'd sat there, watching my entire world crumble.
I couldn't tell Nikolai. Couldn't ask for help. Because if I did, Eugene would release the video anyway—out of spite if nothing else. And Dez would go to prison. Angelina would lose everything. After all he’s done to protect us all. Vincent had deserved to die, but Dez didn’t deserve to go to jail.
That stupid text message held no credibility, but with the footage, it could mean everything. I grabbed my phone with shaking hands and texted my lawyer.
Gretchen The Dope Attorney
I need you to look over some papers that Eugene wants me to sign tomorrow. We’re transferring custody to him. I’ll have visitation.
Imani, what? Why? We've been fighting this custody for a year
I know. It just makes sense right now. We’ll talk tomorrow.
I set the phone down and stared at the ceiling, tears streaming down my face. I was giving up my son, Nikolai, and my freedom. I’d be foolish to think that this would end here. He was going to keep using this damn video to get anything that he wanted. I just needed to figure out a way around this.
The alternative was watching good people I loved pay for Vincent DeLuca's final act of revenge from beyond the grave.
My phone buzzed.
Nikolai
I know something's wrong. Let me help. Please.
I typed and deleted a response five times before finally deciding on how to respond.
Please don't contact me again.
I blocked his number before I could change my mind.
Then I called Eugene.
"I'll sign the papers," I said when he answered. "But I need proof you'll destroy the video. I need a guarantee."
"You're not in a position to negotiate." His voice was smug. "You'll sign, you'll stay away from Nikolai Moretti, and if you're very good, I might let you see Marcus on holidays, too. Maybe."
"Eugene, he's my son and has nothing to do with any of this."
"Trust me, Imani. I'm going to make sure he forgets all about you." He paused. "Papers will be delivered tomorrow. Sign them. Or everyone you care about burns."
He hung up. I sat in that hospital bed, alone and broken, and realized I'd just lost everything that mattered. I wanted to scream, but that would alert people that something was wrong. So I cried silently and hoped like hell that I figured a way out of this mess.
All because Vincent DeLuca had been smart enough to set one final trap before he died. And Dez walked straight into it taking us all with him.