Maya's POV
"Don't shoot him." I stepped forward, hands raised. "Brian, please. Whatever's happening, we can fix it."
"You can't fix this." Brian's voice cracked. "You have no idea how deep this goes. How many people are involved. They own everything, Maya. The police, the mayor, the judges. And they have—" He stopped, his face twisting with pain. "They have Sophie."
"Who's Sophie?" Daniel asked quietly.
"My daughter." Brian's hand shook harder. "My three-year-old daughter. Her mother—Emma's killer—has her. And if I don't bring you two to Victoria right now, they're going to—"
His voice broke completely.
Emma's killer was Sophie's mother. Brian's ex. And she had leverage over him that made him betray his own sister.
"Brian, listen to me." I kept my voice calm despite my racing heart. "If you take us to Victoria, she'll kill all of us. Including you. You're a witness. You know too much."
"I don't care about me." Tears streamed down Brian's face. "I care about Sophie. She's three years old. She's innocent. And they'll hurt her if I don't—"
James moved. Fast. Even with his hands zip-tied, he spun and kicked the gun from Brian's grip. The weapon skittered across the pavement.
Brian dove for it. Daniel tackled him.
They went down hard, grappling. Brian was bigger, but Daniel fought with the desperation of someone who'd already lost everything.
I grabbed the gun before either could reach it.
"Stop!" I aimed it at the sky and fired once.
The shot echoed across the parking lot. Both men froze.
"Everyone shut up." I kept the gun pointed safely up. "We're not doing this. We're not fighting each other while Victoria and Marcus are winning."
"They have my daughter—" Brian started.
"And they have Carmen, Zoe, and James's loyalty is questionable." I looked at James. "No offense."
"None taken," James said grimly. "For the record, I'm not the traitor. But I understand why you'd suspect me."
Daniel stood slowly, breathing hard. "Explain the phone calls Emma mentioned. The blackmail letter."
James met his eyes. "I have a gambling problem. Had. Past tense. Twenty years ago, I got in deep with some bad people. Your father helped me get clean and paid off my debts. But six months ago, those same people found me. Said I still owed them. Started threatening to hurt Emma if I didn't pay."
"Why didn't you tell me?" Daniel's voice was raw.
"Because you'd try to fix it. Like you fix everything. And these aren't people you can buy off or threaten." James looked ashamed. "I was handling it. Making payments. Keeping Emma safe. Or so I thought."
"Were these people connected to Victoria?" I asked.
"I don't know. Maybe. They wanted information about your business holdings, Daniel. Your security systems. Access codes." James's face darkened. "I gave them nothing. I'd die before betraying you."
Daniel studied him for a long moment. Then nodded. "I believe you."
"Just like that?" I asked.
"James has had thousands of opportunities to hurt me or Emma over the years. If he wanted us dead, we'd already be dead." Daniel turned to Brian. "Now you. Where's your daughter?"
"I don't know." Brian sat on the ground, defeated. "Sophie's mother—her name is Rachel Novak—disappeared with her eight months ago. Then last week, Rachel called. Said she was working for Victoria. That if I didn't help them, I'd never see Sophie again."
Rachel Novak. I pulled out my phone and searched the name.
Multiple hits. All from Los Angeles.
My stomach dropped.
"Rachel Novak was part of Marcus's trafficking operation in LA," I said slowly. "She was one of his recruiters. She'd befriend vulnerable women and then turn them over to Marcus's people."
Brian went white. "No. Rachel was—we dated for two years. She said she worked in real estate."
"She worked in trafficking." I showed him the articles. "LAPD had a warrant out for her arrest. She disappeared three months ago. Right around when I was framed and forced to resign."
The pieces were clicking together. Marcus's operation in LA. Victoria's operation in Crimson Bay. Rachel connecting them both.
And Emma had somehow stumbled into the middle of it.
"They're all working together," Daniel said. "Marcus, Victoria, Rachel. This isn't just a local corruption problem. It's a network."
"Which means we can't fight them alone." I looked at the gun in my hand. "We need help. Real help. Federal help."
"The FBI takes too long," James said.
"Then we don't call the FBI." Daniel pulled out his phone. "We call someone faster."
He dialed. Someone answered on the first ring.
"Grandmother? Thank God. Are you safe?"
I heard Carmen's voice, muffled but strong. "Safe? I'm tied to a chair in my own kitchen. But I've been in worse situations. Is Maya with you?"
"Yes."
"Good. Listen carefully. I'm using a phone Marcus doesn't know I have. I don't have much time before they check on me. Emma sent me something before she died. A backup of all her evidence. Photos, videos, documents. Everything."
Daniel's eyes widened. "Where?"
"Hidden in my house. In the place where we keep family treasures that matter more than gold. You know where."
The treasure game. The same clue Emma used.
"The memorial shelf," Daniel said. "The one with Mom and Dad's ashes."
"Behind it. There's a false panel. Emma installed it herself six months ago. She said if anything happened to her, someone would need proof." Carmen's voice wavered. "Daniel, these people killed my granddaughter. Don't let them win."
"We won't. I promise. Just stay safe until—"
"One more thing." Carmen's voice dropped to a whisper. "There's a fourth person working with Victoria. Someone you trust completely. Someone who's been feeding them information about your security, your schedule, everything. Emma figured out who it was the night she died. That's why they killed her."
"Who is it?"
"I don't know. She didn't tell me. She said she needed to be sure before accusing them. But Daniel—" Carmen's voice cracked. "Be careful who you trust. The traitor is someone close. Someone who can hurt you."
Shouting in the background. Carmen's voice rose. "I have to go. They're coming. Get that evidence. Destroy them all. For Emma. For—"
The call cut off.
Silence in the parking lot.
"We go to the estate," Daniel said. "Get the evidence. Then we bargain for the hostages."
"Victoria won't bargain," Brian said quietly. "Once you give her the evidence, she'll kill everyone. That's what Rachel told me. No witnesses. No loose ends."
He was right. We all knew it.