Chapter 10 - CONRAD'S VERSION OF LOVE
Conrad kept the gun pointed at Daniel.
Lily sobbed behind him.
"You staged Mara's death," Daniel said.
"I solved a problem."
"You tried to kill her."
"I told Graham to scare her. He lost control."
From the hallway came a faint metallic scrape.
Ortiz was working on the locked door.
Conrad heard it.
"Your detective has thirty seconds before my men find her."
Daniel kept talking.
"Where is Mara?"
Conrad's eyes shifted.
That was enough.
"She's alive."
"For now."
Daniel's heart slammed.
Conrad stepped closer.
"You have no idea what your grandmother built into that trust. The eldest grandchild controls voting rights at twenty-one. Ryan being Noah's son changes everything."
"Why? Noah is dead."
Conrad smiled.
"That's the problem."
Daniel stared.
"Noah is alive."
Conrad's expression hardened.
"He was weak. He wanted to expose us. I gave him a choice: disappear or watch Mara and the baby disappear permanently."
Daniel felt sick.
"So you've known where he is."
"I know where everyone is."
The door behind Conrad exploded inward.
Ortiz shouted, "Drop the gun!"
Conrad fired.
Daniel threw himself over Lily.
The shot struck the bookshelf.
Ortiz fired back, hitting Conrad in the shoulder.
Chaos swallowed the room.
Officers rushed in.
Daniel cut Lily's restraints with shaking hands.
"Daddy."
"I've got you."
She clung to him.
Then a second shot sounded from the hallway.
Graham staggered through the doorway, blood spreading across his shirt.
Behind him stood Miles Voss.
Miles raised his gun toward Lily.
Ryan appeared out of nowhere and slammed into his knees.
The gun went off.
Claire screamed from the hall.
Daniel tackled Miles.
Ortiz disarmed him.
Ryan lay on the floor.
For one terrible second, nobody moved.
Then Ryan sat up.
"I'm okay."
Claire grabbed him and Lily both, crushing them against her.
Daniel stared at him.
"You were supposed to stay in the car."
Ryan looked ashamed.
"I know."
Graham collapsed beside the desk.
Daniel knelt.
His brother grabbed his sleeve.
"Listen..."
Blood touched his lips.
"Dad lied about one more thing."
Daniel leaned close.
May you like
Graham whispered an address.
Then he said, "That's where Noah is."
