Adrian Voss stared at the woman who had just removed the blonde wig.
“Vera,” he breathed.
She met his eyes without flinching.
“Yes, brother.”
Adrian shook his head.
“You were dead.”
Vera looked at Mia.
“I was hiding.”
Mia patted Adrian’s face.
“Dada no mad.”
Adrian held her tighter.
“Explain everything.”
Vera pointed at the screen.
“Julian forced me to come here.”
Silas Kane shifted behind them.
Adrian turned his gun toward him.
“You planted the tracker.”
Silas lifted both hands.
“He paid me.”
Adrian’s voice turned ice.
“You were my chief.”
Silas swallowed hard.
“He said no one would get hurt.”
Mia pointed at Silas.
“Bad bird.”
Silas froze when the toddler said that.
Vera wiped her face.
“Julian has been watching us for months.”
Adrian looked at the birth certificate on the screen.
“Then tell me the truth about Mia.”
Vera took a slow breath.
“I was adopted into your family when we were children.”
Adrian’s eyes widened.
“You were never my blood sister.”
Vera shook her head.
“No.”
Adrian looked down at Mia.
“She is mine.”
Vera nodded.
“Yes.”
Adrian’s jaw tightened.
“Why did you hide her from me?”
Vera’s eyes filled with tears.
“Julian said he would kill you both if I told you.”
On the screen Julian laughed.
“Brother, you always were slow.”
Adrian stepped closer to the television.
“You faked your death.”
Julian spread his arms.
“I needed time to build an army.”
Adrian raised the tracker.
“Then why the bomb?”
Julian’s smile thinned.
“The meeting upstairs was with men who wanted peace.”
Adrian understood.
“You wanted war.”
Julian nodded.
“And you were supposed to die in it.”
Mia suddenly twisted in Adrian’s arms.
“No!”
She pointed toward the hotel garage.
“Boom car!”
Adrian did not hesitate.
“Everyone away from the garage now!”
Guests screamed and ran as Adrian sprinted across the lobby.
Silas tried to slip away, but two loyal guards slammed him against a pillar.
Adrian reached the side exit just as the garage exploded.
The blast shattered windows and sent smoke rolling through the lobby.
Mia buried her face against Adrian’s neck.
“Dada safe.”
Adrian kissed her hair.
“Yes, baby.”
Vera ran to them.
“Julian is in the penthouse.”
Adrian looked at his guards.
“Take Silas to the basement and find out everything.”
Silas struggled against their grip.
“He has men inside the hotel!”
Adrian turned coldly.
“Then we find them first.”
Mia lifted her head.
“Bird man up.”
Adrian looked at her.
“Up where, sweetheart?”
Mia pointed at the ceiling.
“Top.”
Vera whispered.
“The penthouse.”
Adrian handed Mia gently to Vera.
“Take her to the armored car.”
Mia grabbed his jacket.
“No go, Dada!”
Adrian cupped her tiny face.
“I will come back.”
Mia’s lip trembled.
“Promish?”
Adrian touched his forehead to hers.
“I promise.”
Mia held up her pinky.
“Pinky.”
Adrian hooked his little finger around hers.
“Pinky.”
Vera carried Mia toward the back exit while Adrian took the stairwell with six guards.
On the top floor Julian waited beside a helicopter.
Adrian stepped out of the smoke with his gun raised.
“It ends here.”
Julian smiled.
“You brought a gun to a family fight.”
Adrian fired once, hitting the helicopter’s fuel line.
Julian’s smile vanished.
“You would destroy your own way out?”
Adrian walked closer.
“I am not leaving.”
Julian reached for a remote.
“Then we all burn.”
Adrian shot the remote from his hand.
Julian screamed and lunged.
They crashed through the penthouse door and rolled across the glass floor.
Julian punched Adrian hard across the jaw.
Adrian answered with a blow that sent Julian into the railing.
Julian spat blood.
“Father chose you!”
Adrian grabbed his collar.
“And you chose murder.”
Julian laughed bitterly.
“I chose power.”
Adrian pulled him close.
“You chose nothing but fear.”
Julian reached for a hidden knife.
A small voice came from the doorway.
“No!”
Mia had escaped Vera and stood in the penthouse entrance.
Julian froze at the sight of the toddler.
Mia pointed at his shoe.
“Boom shoe.”
Adrian looked down and saw the blinking device.
He threw Julian over the railing just as the shoe exploded.
Julian fell onto the balcony below, alive but broken.
Adrian rushed to Mia and scooped her up.
“You little miracle.”
Mia hugged him.
“Dada come back.”
Adrian smiled despite the chaos.
“I came back.”
Vera ran in with tears streaming down her face.
“Never do that again!”
Mia kissed Adrian’s cheek.
“Love Dada.”
Adrian looked at Vera.
“And you?”
Vera lowered her eyes.
“I should have told you sooner.”
Adrian touched her shoulder.
“We will fix this together.”
Hours later Silas confessed everything in the basement.
Julian had bribed him six months earlier with money and a promise to make him head of security.
Adrian stripped Silas of everything and handed him to the police with enough evidence to keep him silent behind bars.
Julian survived the fall and woke in a hospital bed surrounded by guards.
Adrian stood over him with Mia in his arms.
Julian looked at the child and then at his brother.
“She ruined everything.”
Mia frowned.
“Bad bird.”
Adrian did not smile.
“You will never see her again.”
Julian closed his eyes.
“Kill me.”
Adrian shook his head.
“No.”
He turned toward the door.
“You will live with what you lost.”
Days later Adrian stood in a quiet penthouse with Mia asleep on his shoulder.
Vera placed a blanket over the toddler.
“She knows things she should not know.”
Adrian stroked Mia’s hair.
“Maybe she sees what we miss.”
Vera looked at him.
“What now?”
Adrian looked out at the city.
“The empire ends with me.”
Vera’s breath caught.
“You will give it up?”
Adrian nodded.
“I will keep the innocent people safe and let the courts take the rest.”
Vera touched his arm.
“Julian’s men will not stop.”
Adrian looked at Mia.
“Then they will learn what happens when they threaten my daughter.”
Mia stirred and opened her sleepy eyes.
“Dada no go.”
Adrian kissed her forehead.
“I am not going anywhere.”
Mia smiled and closed her eyes.
“Pinky promish.”
Adrian whispered.
“Pinky promise.”
And for the first time in years, the most feared man in Manhattan felt something stronger than power.
He felt at home.