Chapter 14 - The Man Who Came Back
Olivia ran into the alley before Adrian could stop her.
The man turned. His face was older, thinner, and marked by a white scar near his temple, but the eyes matched the only photograph she had of Daniel Parker.
“Dad?”
He looked at her as if the word had struck him.
Jake stepped between them. “Don’t.”
“Move.”
Daniel’s mouth opened. No sound came out.
Adrian reached Olivia and took her arm, not pulling, simply making sure she knew he was there. “We need to leave.”
“That’s my father.”
“It may be.”
Daniel looked at Adrian. “Thomas’s boy.”
“Who are you?” Adrian asked.
“The man who failed both your families.”
Jake seized Daniel’s shoulder. “We’re done here.”
Olivia jerked free. “You knew he was alive.”
Jake’s expression twisted. “I knew my father had a secret.”
“Your father?”
“The man who raised me.”
Daniel said, “Graham took me after the accident. He needed my access to the Harbor accounts. When I refused, he threatened Claire and Olivia.”
“You let us believe you were dead,” Olivia said.
“I was trying to get evidence.”
“For twenty-five years?”
Daniel looked away.
Jake’s voice was low. “He came back six months ago. Graham found him. I was told to watch Olivia.”
Olivia felt the world rearrange itself. “You dated me because of Graham?”
Jake flinched. “It didn’t start that way.”
“When did it change?”
“I don’t know.”
“You cheated on me with Megan.”
“Megan was working with Graham.”
“That doesn’t make you innocent.”
“I never said it did.”
Daniel stepped forward. “Olivia, I have the original ledger.”
Adrian’s attention snapped to him. “Where?”
“Not with me.”
“Why should we believe you?”
“Because Graham thinks the copy in the safe is the only one.”
Olivia stared at her father. “Why did you come to the house?”
“To retrieve the evidence before he did.”
“You knew I would be there.”
“I hoped you would come.”
“You could have called me.”
“I was afraid.”
The honesty was too late, but it was still honesty.
A car turned into the alley. Marcus shoved them behind a parked truck as headlights swept over the brick walls. When the car passed, Daniel was gone.
He had left behind a folded paper.
Adrian opened it. “Pier 44. Midnight.”
“It’s a trap,” Olivia said.
“Almost certainly.”
“We’re going.”
“No.”
She turned on him. “You don’t get to decide.”
“If Daniel has the ledger, Graham will be there.”
“Then we bring the police.”
“Graham owns half the police department.”
“You said we needed proof outside his control.”
Adrian’s face hardened. “And you think walking into a warehouse alone will give us that?”
“I think you are afraid of losing control.”
The accusation struck home.
He looked away. “Yes.”
Olivia had expected an argument. Instead, Adrian said, “I’m afraid that if I love someone, my enemies will use her to destroy me.”
The word love hung between them, too large and sudden to touch.
“You don’t love me,” she said.
“I know.”
“Then don’t use that word.”
“I wasn’t trying to use it.”
Before she could answer, her phone lit up with a video message from Megan.
May you like
Megan stood in a dark room, trembling.
“Olivia,” she whispered, “I’m sorry. Graham knows where Claire is. If you want your mother alive, come to Pier 44 alone.”
