Chapter 17 - THE FIVE FAMILIES By morning, three things had happened.
Marcus Kane was in federal custody.
Victor Blackwood had survived surgery.
And Adrian Vale had become one of the richest wanted men in America.
Technically, he was no longer wanted.
Sarah’s release had exposed enough fabricated evidence that warrants were suspended.
But freedom didn’t feel like freedom.
Adrian stared at the Phoenix files.
Five organizations.
New York.
Chicago.
Miami.
New Orleans.
Los Angeles.
Each had an agreement with Gabriel.
Each agreement contained the same clause:
UPON SUCCESSION, ALL DEBTS TRANSFER TO THE HEIR.
Elias leaned over the table.
“My father spent decades paying these people.”
“With money?”
“Sometimes.”
“What else?”
Elias looked away.
Adrian understood.
“People.”
“Yes.”
Claire sat beside Noah.
“We refuse the inheritance.”
Sarah shook her head.
“Phoenix doesn’t allow refusal during the first seventy-two hours.”
“That’s insane.”
“It was designed to prevent hostile takeover.”
Adrian laughed.
“It’s doing a fantastic job.”
Michael studied the agreements.
“There may be another way.”
“What?”
“Meet them.”
Claire immediately said:
“No.”
Adrian looked at Michael.
“Why?”
“Because the agreements were personal.”
“Meaning?”
“They were loyal to Gabriel before Victor.”
“Gabriel is alive.”
“Yes.”
“So Gabriel can end them.”
Michael shook his head.
“Not after succession begins.”
Adrian looked at the countdown.
Eleven hours.
“Then I meet them.”
Claire stood.
“No.”
“Claire.”
“You just got Noah back.”
“And I intend to keep him.”
“Then don’t walk into a room with five criminal organizations.”
Adrian looked at her.
“If I don’t, they come looking for us.”
That ended the argument.
The meeting was arranged at an abandoned theater in Manhattan.
Neutral territory.
Adrian entered alone.
At least that was the agreement.
Five people waited onstage.
Not caricatures.
Not thugs.
Businesspeople.
A woman in her seventies sat in the center.
Lucia Moretti.
She studied Adrian.
“You look like Samuel.”
Adrian stopped.
“You knew him.”
“I loved him.”
That surprised everyone.
Lucia smiled sadly.
“Not romantically. Samuel was impossible.”
Adrian almost smiled.
“He sounds familiar.”
“He hated this world.”
“So do I.”
“Good.”
The other leaders watched.
Lucia continued.
“Victor told us you were weak.”
Adrian sat.
“Victor says a lot.”
“He said you would refuse the inheritance.”
“I will.”
A man named David Serrano laughed.
“You cannot.”
“I know.”
“So what do you propose?”
Adrian placed the ledger on the table.
Every person went still.
“This ends.”
Lucia looked at it.
“What ends?”
“Blackwood obligations.”
Serrano smiled.
“You don’t have authority.”
“In four hours I do.”
“And you think you can simply erase debts?”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“Because half these debts were created through murder and extortion.”
Serrano leaned forward.
“That is not how our world works.”
Adrian looked at him.
“Then your world changes today.”
Silence.
Lucia smiled.
“Samuel would have liked you.”
Serrano did not.
He stood.
“You insult us.”
“No.”
Adrian remained seated.
“I’m offering freedom.”
“From what?”
“Victor.”
That landed.
Adrian continued.
“You’ve spent thirty years paying him, threatening him, negotiating with him.”
He looked around.
“And for what?”
No one answered.
“An empire built on fear.”
Lucia studied him.
“What do you want?”
“Nothing.”
“That makes you dangerous.”
“So everyone keeps telling me.”
Lucia laughed.
Then she placed a document on the table.
“I release my claim.”
Serrano stared.
“What?”
Lucia signed.
“Gabriel saved my father’s life in 1978.”
She looked at Adrian.
“Debt paid.”
Another leader signed.
Then another.
Serrano remained.
“No.”
Adrian looked at him.
Serrano smiled.
“Miami does not forgive debt.”
“Then what do you want?”
“Your son.”
Adrian went completely still.
The room changed.
Lucia whispered:
“David.”
Serrano continued.
“Not permanently.”
Adrian’s voice dropped.
“Explain very carefully.”
“The Mercer archive contains evidence against my family.”
“So?”
“Your son can seal it.”
“No.”
“Then our agreement remains.”
Adrian stood.
“Then it remains.”
Serrano smiled.
“You’d inherit a war for one child?”
Adrian stared at him.
“For my child?”
He stepped closer.
“I’d inherit hell.”
Serrano’s smile faded.
“And I’d burn every door behind me.”
Lucia looked at Serrano.
“You heard him.”
Serrano left without signing.
Three hours later, Phoenix activated.
Adrian’s phone began receiving notifications.
Corporate control.
Trust documents.
Properties.
Accounts.
Then one final message.
SUCCESSION COMPLETE.
Adrian stared.
He had become Adrian Vale Blackwood in the eyes of the trust.
He hated the name immediately.
Noah called.
“Dad?”
Adrian smiled.
“Hey.”
“Are you rich now?”
Adrian looked around the ruined theater.
“Apparently.”
“How rich?”
“Too rich.”
Noah thought.
“Can we get pizza?”
Adrian laughed.
“Yes.”
“With extra cheese?”
“We’ll discuss the budget.”
Noah laughed.
Then his voice changed.
“Dad?”
“Yes?”
“Someone’s outside.”
Adrian stood.
“Where’s Mom?”
“Shower.”
“Vanessa?”
“Kitchen.”
“Go to her.”
“But—”
“Now.”
Noah ran.
Adrian called Reed.
No answer.
Then Claire’s phone.
No answer.
Vanessa.
No answer.
Adrian’s blood went cold.
On Noah’s open phone line, he heard glass break.
Then a man shouted.
Adrian ran from the theater.
“Noah!”
The phone dropped.
A struggle.
Then silence.
Adrian reached his car.
“Noah!”
A voice answered.
David Serrano.
“You inherited the debt.”
Adrian gripped the steering wheel.
“What did you do?”
Serrano laughed.
“I collected.”
Then a gunshot sounded through the phone.
May you like
Adrian stopped breathing.
The line went dead.
