Chapter 8 - The Ledger
Dominic drove the stolen pursuit vehicle back toward the heart of the city.
He knew there was only one place his paranoid father would have hidden the master ledger.
It was not in a bank vault or a buried safe.
It was hidden inside the very portrait that hung on the wall of Dominic's bedroom.
He parked three blocks away from his estate, sneaking back onto his own property like a ghost.
The front gates were swarming with Marcus's rogue security guards.
Dominic bypassed them completely, climbing the stone wall and slipping through the kitchen service entrance.
He moved silently through the dark corridors, a predator stalking his own territory.
He reached his bedroom and locked the heavy oak door behind him.
He walked over to the massive oil painting of his father staring down fiercely from the canvas.
He pulled a small pocket knife and sliced the canvas open down the center.
Hidden behind the painting was a flat, fireproof titanium lockbox.
He smashed the lock with the butt of his pistol and pulled out a thick, black leather book.
He flipped through the pages, seeing billions of dollars in illegal assets meticulously recorded.
This book was the key to tearing down every corrupt politician and crime family on the East Coast.
He shoved the ledger into his jacket and turned to leave the room.
The bedroom door suddenly shattered inward, and Marcus stepped through the splintered wood.
His former head of security had his gun raised, aiming directly at Dominic's chest.
"Give me the book, Dominic," Marcus commanded, his voice devoid of any emotion.
"Arthur promised me my life back if I deliver it to him."
Dominic stared at the man who had been a brother to him.
"He is going to kill you the moment you hand it over, Marcus."
Marcus sneered, his finger tightening on the trigger.
"I will take my chances."
Dominic didn't hesitate.
He threw the heavy titanium lockbox straight at Marcus's face.
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The metal smashed into Marcus's nose, sending him staggering backward with blood pouring down his face.
Dominic lunged forward, tackling him into the hallway and knocking the gun away.
