Page 109 of Hard Wired

Raymond nodded. “I had to come into the Syndicate fully, and I couldn’t act like the timing was just a coincidence. They would’ve been suspicious. So I said that Nic had betrayed the Syndicate, and I wanted to stop him. And of course, by then Victor had already said something to Charles about Sylvie’s hacking attempt, so I had corroboration to back me up.”

“And that made Charles trust you, too.”

“Yeah. I packed my stuff, left my dorm, and headed straight for my uncle’s house in Bel Air. My entire purpose was to buy you time to get to the safe house. I thought once you and Dominic and his housekeeper were safe, I would focus on finding the evidence I needed to testify against the Syndicate. But I couldn’t just abandon all that work and go into hiding until I had something to show for it.”

“Why didn’t you warn Dominic about what you were planning?” She wasn’t upset at Raymond, but it might’ve saved a lot of the mess they’d gotten into.

“If I told him, that would’ve guaranteed he’d come after me.”

Dominic was still staring at the wall, arms crossed. But she was sure he was listening.

“And your deal with Victor?” Sylvie prompted.

“That was my backup plan. I had to make sure Charles had his hands full with a bunch of pissed-off Russians, and that the Russians were too distracted by my uncle’s supposed deception to pay attention to you and Nic anymore.”

Jeez, the kid had definitely been panicking, because his “plan” sounded more like a bunch of desperate moves without a clear strategy in mind. But he’d done the best he could.

“I hadn’t expected you and Nic to end up at my uncle’s house. When that happened, it made Charles call his Russian friends for help getting rid of you. But Charles had no idea Victor would read that request as an overt attempt to lure them closer. Victor rolled up with an army of guys, ready for war.”

Dominic finally turned around. “So you decided to poke that giant fucking hornet’s nest and tell everyone you were the source who ratted out Charles? How did that make any kind of sense?”

“I was making it up as I went along. And it worked. We got out of there alive.”

“Barely. Your leg is bandaged up. You could’ve died if that bullet hit a few inches to the side. And Sylvie had to kill Aaron Sandford!”

“We all did what we had to.” Sylvie didn’t like the idea of taking anyone’s life, but she wasn’t mourning that asshole.

“But neither of you should’ve had to do any of it.”

Raymond stared at his brother a moment, then sighed. “The FBI found important documents during their raid of Charles’s house. It’s going to make a difference. And at some point, I’ll testify to what I know about the Syndicate. I’m not even sure how many Syndicate members are still alive. I know things about the Russian guys, too. I’ve spoken to people who work for the US Attorney, and they’re applying for witness protection for me.”

Dominic stepped forward, shock on his face. “WITSEC? Like…permanently?”

“Yes, Nic. The new identity stuff. Everything.”

“But you have school. I don’t understand.”

Raymond sighed again, as if he were the older brother explaining the real world to the younger one. “This was always the plan for me since I started working with the FBI. I knew this was coming.”

“You can’t give up your life.”

“I already have. I haven’t had a girlfriend since this started. I barely talk to my friends. They wouldn’t have been safe.”

“Jesus, Ray. Do you know how fucked up that is? My baby brother had to sacrifice himself to save me?” Dominic’s eyes were shining with tears.

“Because you saved me. And I would do it all again.”

“It would’ve been better if you’d just let them kill me.”

Sylvie’s heart twisted. “Nic.”

He sank back into his chair, head in his hands. “I don’t mean I want to die. Of course I don’t. But it’s not right that anyone else has to pay for the things I’ve done.”

“You didn’t ask to be born into this family any more than I did. I want this fresh start. Maybe you should think about it, too. As long as our last name is Crane, we’ll never truly be safe from our family’s past.”

Sylvie couldn’t believe how much Raymond had taken upon himself. Dominic just shook his head, not so much disagreeing as despairing at the truth of what his brother had said.

Raymond got up slowly and headed for the door. “I’m going to find some coffee or…something. I need a minute. I’ll be right back.”

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