Chapter 8 - The Ledger of the Dead
Victor Vance gritted his teeth, holding his injured hand against his grey suit jacket. "Mateo Castillo was getting in the way of a fifty-million-dollar distribution deal, Damon! He was a nobody! A simple dock worker!"
"He was an honest man," Damon corrected softly, his dark eyes burning. "And he was under my protection."
Damon gestured to Marcus, who stepped forward and placed a thick leather binder onto the glass table—the physical manifest journal retrieved from the estate safe.
"Every shipment you stole over the last three years has been documented," Damon revealed. "Every bribe you paid, every offshore transfer, and every message you sent to Caleb Ross. Tonight, the entire Phoenix and New York syndicate board received a digital copy of these files."
Victor’s eyes widened in utter horror. "You... you sent these to the Syndicate Board?"
"Under syndicate law," Damon stated with absolute authority, "treason against a brother boss carries a single sentence. You are stripped of your territories, your assets, and your rank."
Caleb Ross dropped to his knees on the marble floor, weeping frantically. "Damon! Please! What about me? I’ll do anything! I’ll go to prison!"
Damon looked down at Caleb with deep disgust. "You will answer for Mateo’s murder in a court of law. Marcus has already delivered the forensic evidence of the crane tampering to the federal prosecutor’s office."
Two of Marcus’s enforcers stepped forward, pulling Caleb to his feet and dragging him out toward the service elevator to await federal authorities.
Victor Vance looked up at Damon, his face pale, his empire completely shattered in a single night. "You ruined everything... for a housekeeper and a toddler?"
Damon leaned down, his handsome face inches from Victor's.
"I protected my people, Victor," Damon whispered, his voice carrying an unbroken, terrifying strength. "That is why I am the Don of this city, and you are nothing."
Marcus stepped up, securing Victor in heavy steel restraints before guiding him out into the private corridor.
Damon walked over to the floor-to-ceiling glass windows of the penthouse, looking out over the twinkling lights of the Phoenix skyline. The storm had completely cleared, leaving a bright, golden dawn breaking over the distant mountains.
He reached into his suit pocket, pulling out a small, worn photograph he had retrieved from Mateo’s old harbor file—a picture of Mateo, Selena, and little baby Ruby smiling together on a sunny beach.
Damon looked at the photograph for a long moment, feeling the heavy weight of three years of unanswered questions finally lifted from his chest.
May you like
He carefully slid the photograph into his inner suit pocket, right next to his heart, and turned back toward the elevator.
"Let's go home," Damon said softly.
