Chapter 9 - Someone Came to Honey & Rye
By the time we reached the bakery, whoever had entered was gone.
Nothing had been stolen.
That was worse.
The front lock was intact.
The office drawers untouched.
Cash register full.
Pastries still sitting beneath glass.
The only damage was to the window table.
Elena’s table.
Someone had ripped the wooden panel off.
The hidden compartment was exposed.
A message had been written across the wall behind it in black marker.
STOP LOOKING.
Roman stood so still I thought he might shatter.
Lily stared from the doorway.
I moved in front of her.
“Don’t.”
“I already saw.”
Roman turned toward his security chief.
“How?”
“We don’t know.”
“That is not an answer.”
“Camera feed was interrupted for four minutes.”
Roman’s voice became dangerously calm.
“Who knew we were at dinner?”
“Half the family.”
“Who knew about the compartment?”
Only four of us.
Roman.
Lily.
Sophia.
Me.
Or so we thought.
I studied the message.
“This isn’t just intimidation.”
Roman looked at me.
“What?”
“They were searching.”
“For Elena’s envelope.”
“But we already took it.”
“Yes.”
“Then whoever came didn’t know that.”
He understood.
“Vincent wasn’t sure what we found.”
“Exactly.”
Daniel arrived with investigators.
This time Roman didn’t argue.
Fingerprints were collected.
Footage copied.
Locks replaced.
I stood behind the counter feeling strangely numb.
Honey & Rye had always been mine.
Safe.
Warm.
Ordinary.
Now danger had crossed the threshold.
Roman approached.
“You’ll stay at my house.”
“No.”
“Clare.”
“We discussed this.”
“This is different.”
“No, this is exactly the same. You’re scared, so you start issuing orders.”
“Someone broke into your business.”
“And I will take reasonable precautions.”
“My house is reasonable.”
“Your house contains Vincent.”
“He will never enter again.”
“That helps.”
“Then pack.”
I stared.
Roman caught himself.
His jaw tightened.
“Would you consider staying?”
I smiled slightly.
“Better.”
He hated learning manners.
“I’ll stay with my friend Rachel.”
“No.”
I raised one eyebrow.
He exhaled.
“Would you consider not staying somewhere with zero security?”
“I will consider it.”
Lily walked over.
“Please stay with us.”
Traitor.
I looked at her.
She widened her eyes.
Roman almost smiled.
“That’s manipulative.”
“She learned from you.”
Lily shrugged.
I stayed.
Not because Roman ordered me.
Because Lily asked.
The guest room at the Duca house was larger than my apartment.
At midnight, unable to sleep, I went downstairs.
Roman sat alone in the kitchen.
No suit jacket.
Sleeves rolled.
Glass of water in front of him.
Not whiskey.
I liked that.
“You look disappointed,” he said.
“I expected dramatic alcohol.”
“I don’t drink when Lily is home.”
“Ever?”
“No.”
Another small piece of the man.
I sat opposite.
“You blame yourself.”
“Yes.”
“Efficient conversation.”
“You said I don’t communicate.”
“Maybe not quite this efficiently.”
He looked tired.
“I brought you into this.”
“I walked in.”
“I investigated you, manipulated Sophia’s misunderstanding and offered you money.”
“When you say it like that, you sound terrible.”
“I am not a good man, Clare.”
The words were simple.
No self-pity.
“I’ve done things you would hate.”
I believed him.
“I don’t need details.”
“You should.”
“Why?”
His eyes met mine.
“Because you’re beginning to think I’m better than I am.”
That was the most honest thing Roman had ever said.
I leaned back.
“Maybe you’re beginning to think you’re worse than you are.”
His gaze hardened.
“You don’t know.”
“No. I don’t.”
I didn’t excuse him.
That mattered.
“But I know how you are with Lily.”
“That doesn’t erase anything.”
“I didn’t say it did.”
Silence.
“You want absolution from me,” I said.
“No.”
“Good, because I can’t give it.”
“I know.”
“But you could choose what happens next.”
His eyes shifted.
“With Vincent?”
“With everything.”
Roman stared at the table.
“My father believed fear was inheritance.”
“That sounds cheerful.”
“He said if people feared your name, your children would be safe.”
“Was he right?”
“No.”
The answer came immediately.
“Elena spent her life trying to escape our name. Lily is being punished for it anyway.”
“So end it.”
“You say that as if I can walk away tomorrow.”
“No. I say it as if eventually you have to decide whether protecting Lily means preserving your power or giving some of it up.”
He looked at me for a long time.
Then footsteps came.
Lily entered.
She was holding a photograph.
“What are you doing awake?” Roman asked.
“Same thing you are.”
She placed the photograph on the table.
It was Elena standing with Lily outside Honey & Rye.
Behind them was the bakery sign.
“What?”
Lily pointed.
“Mom wrote on pictures.”
She turned it over.
There was no writing.
Roman frowned.
“Nothing.”
Lily shook her head.
“She wrote under frames.”
“What frames?”
“Photo frames.”
Roman stood.
“Where did this come from?”
“My room.”
We went upstairs.
Lily removed the backing from the wooden frame.
Behind the photograph was a tiny brass key taped to the cardboard.
Roman stared.
Lily whispered, “I think Mom knew Vincent would search the box.”
Attached to the key was a paper label.
May you like
Two handwritten words:
Union Station.
