Chapter 11 - THE CABIN
Daniel told Emily to stay home.
She refused.
“No.”
“Emily.”
“He stole three years from me.”
“And I’m not letting him take you too.”
“You don’t get to lock me away for my protection.”
The sentence landed hard.
Daniel lowered his voice.
“That’s not what I’m doing.”
“I know.”
Emily grabbed her coat.
“But I’m still coming.”
Aaron arranged officers around the Mercer cabin.
Daniel and Emily stayed behind a tree line while police moved closer.
Then a gunshot cracked through the woods.
Daniel ran.
Aaron cursed and followed.
They reached the cabin.
The front door stood open.
Inside, Ethan lay bleeding from his shoulder.
Alive.
Their father, Thomas Mercer, stood near the fireplace holding a handgun.
He looked older.
Thinner.
But Daniel recognized him immediately.
His father smiled.
“Hello, son.”
Daniel stopped.
Eleven years collapsed into one second.
“You let me bury you.”
Thomas shrugged.
“You gave a beautiful speech.”
Daniel felt rage rise in his throat.
Emily entered behind him.
Thomas’s smile disappeared.
“You.”
Emily stared at him.
“You should have checked the ravine.”
Thomas raised the gun.
Police shouted from outside.
“Drop the weapon!”
Thomas grabbed Ethan by the collar and dragged him upright.
Ethan cried out.
“You shoot me, he dies.”
Ethan looked at Daniel.
For the first time in Daniel’s life, his older brother looked terrified.
“Danny.”
Daniel hated that nickname.
Thomas used to call him that when they were boys.
Now Ethan did.
“Help me.”
Thomas laughed.
“Family.”
“Always pathetic when they think death is close.”
Daniel stared at his father.
“You built all of this.”
“I built the company.”
“You stole from it.”
“I created it.”
“You tried to kill Emily.”
“She became inconvenient.”
Emily flinched.
Daniel stepped forward.
Thomas moved the gun toward Ethan’s head.
“Another step.”
Daniel stopped.
Thomas smiled.
“You were always too emotional.”
“That’s why Ethan hated you.”
“Because people loved you.”
Ethan shut his eyes.
Thomas continued.
“I told him he deserved more.”
“I showed him how easy it was to take.”
Daniel looked at his brother.
“You cut Emily’s brakes.”
Ethan started crying.
“I didn’t know she would be in the car.”
“You cut the brakes.”
“Dad told me the car would be empty.”
Thomas laughed.
“Now that is a lie.”
Ethan stared at him.
“You said—”
“I said handle the problem.”
Ethan’s face crumpled.
Daniel finally understood.
His brother had spent years pretending Thomas controlled him.
But he had made choices.
Terrible choices.
Thomas pulled Ethan toward the back door.
“Move.”
Daniel raised his hands.
“Take me instead.”
Thomas laughed.
“You?”
“You need leverage.”
“I’m the CEO.”
“I control the accounts you can’t access.”
Thomas’s expression changed.
Daniel had guessed correctly.
Thomas pushed Ethan away.
“Come here.”
Emily whispered:
“Daniel, no.”
He looked at her.
Then moved forward.
Thomas grabbed him.
The gun pressed against Daniel’s ribs.
They backed outside.
Police surrounded the property.
Thomas dragged Daniel toward an SUV.
Then a tiny voice came through Daniel’s phone.
“Daddy?”
Everyone froze.
Daniel’s phone was still connected to the home security app.
Sophie had accidentally activated the intercom.
Thomas heard her.
His eyes sharpened.
“That’s Sophie?”
Daniel’s blood turned cold.
Thomas smiled.
“The little heiress.”
Then he whispered:
May you like
“Maybe I’ve been using the wrong leverage.”
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