The Billionaire's Blood Debt

Panic flared in my chest. "How did they find us?"

"They followed David," Roman said, pressing a hand hard against his bleeding side. "David knew about this property. He delivered documents here once."

"They're not trying to breach the gates," Marcus observed, watching the screen. Vance was standing by the car, smoking a cigarette, completely unbothered. He didn't look like a man launching an assault. He looked like a man waiting for a surrender.

"He knows we have a fortified perimeter," Roman said. "He’s sending a message. He’s going to wait us out."

I pulled Leo close to my legs. "What do they want?"

Roman looked at me, a deep conflict in his pale eyes. "The apron."

"What?"

"Last night, in the alley." Roman's voice was strained. "Before you found me, I had stolen something from Vance's office. A ledger. A physical flash drive containing twenty years of municipal corruption, bribes to the mayor's office, everything. I slipped it into the pocket of the apron you used to stop my bleeding."

My mind raced. The apron. The thick, white canvas apron stained with blood.

"I left it in the restaurant," I breathed. "In the employee restroom. I took it off to wash my hands."

Roman closed his eyes. "David must have found it. That's why he's with Vance."

"So they have it. They have the evidence. Why are they here?"

"Because," Marcus interjected, "the drive is encrypted. And the decryption key requires two things: a biometric scan, and a physical passcode."

"I have the physical passcode," Roman said. He looked at me. "But I don't have the biometric access."

"Who does?" I asked.

Roman's gaze dropped to the silver coin resting on the glass table. "Jonathan did."

I felt the blood drain from my face. "Jonathan is dead."

"Yes," Roman said quietly. "But Vance doesn't need Jonathan. He just needs a DNA match."

His eyes shifted down to Leo.

A cold, absolute terror seized me. I picked Leo up, burying his face in my neck. "No. No, absolutely not. They are not touching my son."

"They won't," Roman said fiercely. He took a step toward me, but his leg gave out. He collapsed hard to one knee. The red stain on his shirt rapidly expanded.

"Roman!" I rushed forward, keeping Leo behind me.

"Marcus," Roman wheezed, "lock down the house. Nobody gets in."

Marcus sprinted out of the room.

I knelt beside Roman. He was pale, sweating profusely. "You're tearing yourself apart. Let me look at it."

He pushed my hands away gently. "Listen to me. If I don't make it—"

"Stop talking like that."

"In my coat pocket," he gasped. "The left side. There's an envelope."

I reached into the coat draped over the chair. I pulled out a thick manila envelope.

"Open it."

I tore the flap. Inside were trust documents. Vanguard Holdings shares. The deed to my apartment building. A college fund for Leo. All fully funded. All in my name.