Chapter 10
The sun began to dip lower in the sky, casting long, dramatic shadows across the bright green tennis court. The vibrant colors of the afternoon were slowly transitioning into the cooler, darker hues of early evening.
Damon carried Hazel toward the VIP lounge, leaving Evelyn and Miles to the mercy of the remaining bodyguards, who were tasked with physically removing them from the premises.
"Daddy," Hazel murmured, her eyes drooping heavily as the adrenaline finally left her small body. "Can we go home now?"
"We are going home right now, sweetheart," Damon said, pushing the heavy glass door open with his shoulder.
The interior of the VIP lounge was cool and quiet, heavily soundproofed against the noise of the courts outside. Damon walked through the luxurious room, heading toward the private exit that led to his armored convoy.
As they reached the heavy mahogany exit doors, Damon’s personal cell phone began to vibrate in his jacket pocket.
He paused, shifting Hazel’s weight so he could reach into his suit. He pulled out the phone. The caller ID was restricted, a secure line that only three people in his entire syndicate had access to.
Damon swiped the screen and brought the phone to his ear.
"Speak," Damon commanded, his voice a low, terrifying rumble.
"Damon," an older, gravelly voice echoed through the speaker. It was Victor, his underboss and oldest confidant. "We have a problem."
"I already handled the Price family," Damon said slowly. "Evelyn and Miles are gone. Cancel the merger."
"This isn't about the merger, Boss," Victor said, his tone urgent and tight. "I just got a call from our mole inside the federal prosecutor's office. They weren't looking into your shipping contracts."
Damon’s eyes narrowed. "What are they looking into?"
"The Price family flipped, Damon," Victor revealed. "Evelyn’s father has been wearing a wire for six months. The merger was a setup. They were trying to get you to sign the joint logistics accounts so the Feds could seize your entire infrastructure under the RICO act."
Damon stopped dead in his tracks. His sharp, angular face hardened into stone.
"And the incident on the court today?" Damon asked quietly.
"A deliberate provocation," Victor confirmed. "They needed you to commit a violent felony on camera to justify an immediate emergency arrest warrant. The FBI is staging a raid on your estate as we speak. They are coming for you, Damon."
Damon looked down at the sleeping child in his arms. The fair, rosy skin of her cheeks was peaceful, entirely unaware that her world was about to explode.
"Victor," Damon said, his voice dropping to a whisper so cold it could freeze water.
"Yes, Boss?"
"Evacuate the estate. Burn the primary ledgers. Have the helicopter waiting at the secondary safehouse."
"Where are you going, Damon?" Victor asked.
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"I'm going to finish what I started," Damon said, his eyes lifting toward the glass doors as the distant sound of approaching sirens began to echo through the city.
He hung up the phone, tightening his grip on his daughter, and stepped out into the dying light.
