Chapter 5 - The Betrayal Within
“Julian Vance,” Hollis repeated, testing the name on her tongue. “Who is Julian Vance?”
“My chief underboss,” Sully said, standing up slowly, his towering frame radiating a cold, lethal fury. “The man who helped me build this empire. The man I trusted as a brother.”
Wynn looked up, horrified. “Uncle Julian? But... he bought me my first pony. He brought me flowers when I had the flu.”
“He is a snake,” Sully said, his voice dropping into a low, terrifying growl. “Vance has been skimming from the shipping union accounts for over a year. I started auditing the books last month. He knew I was getting close to uncovering his theft. He needed a distraction. He needed me paralyzed, grieving, and looking in the wrong direction.”
Hollis’s sharp analytical mind immediately connected the dots. She walked over to the table, picking up the crumpled note.
“So he planted these documents in your safe,” Hollis said. “He leaked the combination—or tricked Wynn into thinking she overheard it—knowing that the moment she found out she wasn't your biological sister, she would feel like an impostor, panic, and run away into the night.”
“And once she ran,” Sully finished, his jaw clenched so tight the muscles in his cheek twitched, “Vance planned to have her abducted, make it look like a rival syndicate hit, and use my grief to trigger a full-scale turf war that would destroy my organization while he looted what was left of the accounts and fled the country.”
The horror of the plot hung heavy in the air.
Wynn stared at her hands, trembling violently. “He used me. All those years of smiling at me... he was just waiting for a way to use me against you.”
“You didn't know,” Sully said, dropping to one knee again and wrapping his arms firmly around her, pulling her against his chest despite her initial resistance. Within seconds, Wynn broke down, burying her face in his shoulder and sobbing with all the grief and terror she had bottled up for days.
Hollis watched them quietly, a deep empathy stirring in her chest. She knew what it was like to discover that the world was built on quicksand.
Suddenly, a sharp ring broke the silence.
Sully pulled his encrypted phone from his pocket, keeping one arm around Wynn. He glanced at the screen, and his expression darkened instantly.
“Marco,” Sully answered, pressing speakerphone.
“Boss,” Marco’s voice barked through the small device, urgent and breathless. “We hit Vance’s primary warehouse on the south docks. The books are there, but the safe is empty. Vance has cleared out the accounts. And boss... he’s got a hit squad moving toward your inner circle. He knows Miss Wynn is at Mrs. Brennan’s apartment.”
Sully’s eyes snapped to the door. “How did he find this address so fast?”
“We think one of the guards we trusted was leaking our movements,” Marco said. “Boss, you need to move. Now. They’re bringing heavy heat.”
Sully ended the call. He looked at Hollis, then down at Wynn, who was trying to wipe her tears and stand up.
“We can’t stay here,” Sully said, his voice decisive. “If Vance’s men know about this building, they’ll be here in five minutes.”
“My daughter,” Hollis said, panic spiking in her voice for the first time. She looked toward the small corner cot where Posy was playing quietly with her crayons. “Posy!”
“She’s coming with us,” Sully said without missing a beat. He stood up, towering over the room. “Marco has an armored transport waiting two blocks away. Mrs. Brennan, you saved my sister’s life. Do you think I’m going to leave you and your child behind for Vance’s butchers?”
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Hollis didn't hesitate. She grabbed her heavy coat, scooped Posy into her arms along with the star blanket, and looked at Sully.
“Let’s move,” she said.
