Chapter 5 - THE MAN IN THE PHOTOGRAPHThe church was empty.
Too empty.
Damian knew immediately.
"This is wrong."
Sienna looked at him.
"You said my mother was here."
"She was."
"Then where is she?"
A voice came from behind the altar.
"Right here."
Sienna's mother stepped forward.
Alive.
Terrified.
"Mom!"
Sienna ran toward her.
Diane caught her.
"Oh, sweetheart."
Sienna hugged her.
"Are you hurt?"
"No."
"What happened?"
Diane looked at Damian.
"Not here."
They moved into the basement.
Diane finally told them everything.
Robert Hayes had never died.
He had been placed in protective custody after exposing the corruption.
But the people protecting him were corrupt themselves.
They demanded silence.
Robert refused.
So they threatened his family.
Diane agreed to pretend he was dead.
"But he kept watching you," she whispered.
Sienna cried.
"He watched me?"
"Every year."
"Why didn't he come back?"
"Because every time he tried, someone got close to you."
Sienna wiped her face.
"Where is he now?"
Diane looked toward Damian.
"He went after your father."
Damian went still.
"What?"
"Robert discovered your father was trying to expose the same people."
"Why didn't they work together?"
"They did."
Diane handed Damian a photograph.
His father.
Robert.
And another man.
Damian stared.
The third man was unmistakable.
His uncle, Victor Russo.
Dead for fifteen years.
Or supposedly dead.
"My uncle."
Diane nodded.
"Victor was the real architect."
Damian's expression became cold.
"He's alive."
"He is."
"Where?"
"I don't know."
Diane looked at Sienna.
"But he knows about you."
"Why?"
"Because Robert found something."
"What?"
Diane swallowed.
"An account."
"What account?"
"Money stolen from the federal government and hidden through legitimate companies."
Damian understood.
"Your brother."
Sienna froze.
"Leo?"
"Leo's startup wasn't a failure," Diane said.
"What?"
"He was hired to move money digitally."
Sienna stared.
"He didn't know."
"He knew something."
"Where is he?"
"Boston."
Damian immediately reached for his phone.
Then a bullet shattered the basement window.
Everyone dropped.
Gunfire erupted.
Damian shielded Sienna.
Silas returned fire.
Diane screamed.
"Down!"
The attackers disappeared within minutes.
When silence returned, Damian looked around.
Diane was unharmed.
But Silas had been shot in the shoulder.
"I'm fine," he growled.
Damian ignored him.
"Get the cars."
Sienna looked at Damian.
"This is because of me."
"No."
"People are getting hurt because I'm here."
He stepped closer.
"Listen to me."
His voice was low.
"You are not a burden."
She looked at him.
"You don't know that."
"I do."
"How?"
"Because I've spent my entire life surrounded by people who wanted something from me."
He touched her cheek gently.
"You've never asked me for anything."
Her eyes filled with tears.
"Except sanctuary."
"And you have it."
For one brief moment, neither moved.
Then Sienna whispered:
"What if I can't leave?"
Damian looked at her.
"You won't have to."
They reached Boston before dawn.
Leo was hiding in a cheap motel.
When Sienna saw him, she slapped him.
Then hugged him.
"You idiot."
Leo cried.
"I'm sorry."
"You left me."
"I thought I was protecting you."
"You almost got me killed."
"I know."
Damian entered.
Leo immediately went silent.
"You know who I am."
"Yes."
"Then tell me everything."
Leo looked at Sienna.
"I wasn't building an app."
"What were you doing?"
"Tracking financial transfers."
"For whom?"
"Your father."
Sienna's heart stopped.
Leo opened his laptop.
"I found a network."
He showed them thousands of transactions.
One name appeared repeatedly.
RUSSO FOUNDATION.
Damian's face darkened.
"My foundation?"
"Someone has been moving money through it."
Sienna looked at him.
"You?"
"No."
Damian stared at the screen.
Then saw the authorization signature.
His own.
But he had never signed those documents.
Someone had forged his identity.
Someone inside his organization.
The same person who had access to his accounts.
The same person who knew about Sienna.
Damian whispered:
"Silas."
Sienna froze.
"Your right-hand man?"
Damian's expression was unreadable.
"I don't believe it."
Leo looked at the screen.
"Then you're going to have a problem."
"Why?"
Leo pointed at the latest transaction.
It had been approved fifteen minutes earlier.
May you like
From Damian's penthouse.
While they were in Boston.
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