Chapter 15 - The Man Who Took the Bullet
Victor stared at the photograph until his vision blurred.
“No.”
Dana said nothing.
Eli looked at him carefully.
“You said grown-ups confuse power with permission.”
Victor closed his eyes.
“Yes.”
“Maybe they confuse loyalty with love too.”
The words landed harder than Victor expected.
They drove to Gloucester without sirens.
Victor spent the ride remembering sixteen years of Marcus standing behind him at meetings, hospital rooms, funerals, birthdays.
Then he remembered something else.
Marcus had chosen Simon after Victor got sick.
He had called him “the best.”
At the estate, Grant waited in the ballroom with Rosie.
Marcus stood near the fireplace.
Victor rolled in alone.
“You got shot for Elena’s notebook,” Victor said.
Marcus looked tired.
“I got shot because the man Grant hired panicked.”
“So you were part of it.”
“At first.”
Victor’s face went hard.
“There is no ‘at first’ with poisoning me.”
Marcus swallowed.
“I helped Grant move money. I helped him hide ownership. I told myself it was business. Then Simon started drugging you harder. Then Elena died.”
“And you stayed.”
“I was trying to keep you alive.”
Victor laughed once, bitterly.
“You expect credit?”
“No.”
Grant shifted Rosie in his arms.
“Enough therapy. The card.”
Victor held up the microSD card between two fingers.
Grant smiled.
Marcus looked at the baby.
Then at Victor.
His hand moved slowly toward his jacket.
Grant noticed.
“Don’t.”
Marcus pulled a gun anyway.
He pointed it at Grant.
“Put the baby down.”
Grant fired first.
Marcus fell.
Rosie screamed.
Victor shouted and drove his chair forward.
Grant backed toward the balcony doors.
“Stay back!”
Victor stopped.
Marcus coughed from the floor.
“Victor.”
Blood spread beneath him.
“Grant’s not the one who killed Elena.”
Victor looked down.
May you like
Marcus forced out the next words.
“I did.”
