Chapter 8 - The Federal Problem
Vincent didn't flinch.
He stared at his younger brother.
Dominic looked exhausted.
Dark circles framed his eyes, and his hands were trembling slightly.
"You sold me to the Cartel, Dom?" Vincent asked softly.
Dominic slowly closed the bedroom door behind him.
"I didn't sell you to anyone, Vince."
"Then why are you pointing a gun at me?"
Dominic lowered the weapon, but didn't put it away.
He walked over to the bed and tossed a thick, manila folder onto Vincent's lap.
"I didn't come here to kill you," Dominic whispered.
"I came here to show you what you're sleeping next to."
Vincent opened the folder.
The first page bore the seal of the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
It was a heavily redacted personnel file.
Attached to the top corner was a photograph of Lauren.
Her hair was tied back, and she wore a plain gray suit.
The name underneath the photo read: Special Agent Sarah Carter.
Vincent’s breath hitched.
"She's a Fed," Dominic said bitterly.
"She's been deep cover for three years."
Vincent's mind raced, connecting the impossible puzzle pieces.
"The fifty thousand dollars," Vincent muttered.
"It wasn't a payoff for a hit."
"It was an informant payout."
Dominic nodded.
"She flipped Paulie."
"Paulie was giving her the harbor routes."
Vincent looked up, remembering the dead man in the diner.
"Paulie is dead."
"I know," Dominic said.
"Because I killed him tonight."
Vincent's blood ran cold.
"You?"
"He was a rat, Vince!" Dominic hissed, pacing the room.
"And Lauren is building a RICO case that will put us both away for life."
"Why did you signal the shooter six months ago?" Vincent demanded.
Dominic stopped pacing.
He looked genuinely confused.
"What shooter?"
"The night I was paralyzed."
"I saw the security footage, Dom."
"You flicked a cigarette to signal the car."
Dominic shook his head wildly.
"Vince, I swear on our mother's grave."
"I wasn't signaling a hit."
"I was signaling my driver to pull up because it was raining!"
"The Cartel hitmen just happened to attack at that exact second."
Vincent stared at his brother, searching for a lie.
He found only terrified truth.
Before Vincent could speak, the bedroom door unlocked with a loud click.
Lauren stepped into the room.
She wasn't wearing a silk robe anymore.
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She was wearing a tactical Kevlar vest.
And she was pointing a Glock 19 directly at Dominic's head.
