Chapter 7 - The Last Gamble
In the neon-drenched luxury of a high-limit VIP lounge at the Bellagio Casino in Las Vegas, Ryan Bennett thought he was safe.
He sat at a private bar, downing his fourth scotch on the rocks, a heavy leather duffel bag resting tightly between his feet. Inside that bag was three hundred thousand dollars in cash—the absolute last liquid capital he had managed to drain from Bennett Enterprises before the corporate accounts were frozen.
His phone buzzed aggressively on the marble bar. He glanced at the screen: NATALIE.
He ignored it, sliding the phone back into his pocket. He didn't care about Natalie, his mother, or his father anymore. As far as Ryan was concerned, the Bennett family was dead. He had a fake passport waiting for him at a hotel downtown, and a flight to Costa Rica scheduled for midnight.
"Rough night?" a smooth, deep voice spoke from the barstool right beside him.
Ryan stiffened. He turned his head slowly.
Sitting next to him in a pristine tailored black suit was Julian Mercer.
Ryan’s glass slipped from his fingers, shattering against the bar top, ice and scotch spilling everywhere. "You... how the hell did you find me?" Ryan panicked, reaching frantically down for his duffel bag.
Two burly men in tactical suits instantly stepped out from the shadows of the lounge, placing their heavy hands on Ryan’s shoulders, pinning him to the barstool with crushing force.
"Did you really think you could run from me, Ryan?" Julian asked casually, signaling the bartender for a glass of sparkling water. "You're an amateur. You used a company credit card to book your private jet to Vegas. You might as well have dropped a breadcrumb trail straight to your barstool."
Ryan’s face turned bright red with rage and terror. "Let me go! You have no authority here, Mercer! This isn't Connecticut!"
"I don't need authority," Julian said, taking a quiet sip of his water. "The FBI agents standing right behind you do."
Ryan froze. He slowly turned his head to look over his shoulder. Standing at the entrance of the VIP lounge were three federal agents in trench coats, holding official badges and federal arrest warrants.
"Ryan Bennett," the lead agent said loudly. "You are under arrest for interstate wire fraud, money laundering, and grand larceny. Keep your hands where we can see them."
"No! Wait!" Ryan screamed, thrashing against the guards holding him down. "It wasn't me! It was my father! It was Claire! Claire managed the books! She took the fifty thousand six years ago!"
Julian slowly stood up from his barstool, stepping closer to Ryan until he was inches from his face. The cold, unyielding power radiating from Julian made Ryan stop shouting.
"Claire was eighteen years old when you forced her to take the fall for your cowardice," Julian said, his voice dropping into a dangerous whisper. "She spent six years living in poverty while you drank fifty-year-old scotch and drove sports cars bought with her blood and sweat. Do you know what the minimum sentence for federal wire fraud and fugitive evasion is, Ryan?"
Ryan swallowed hard, tears of pure terror finally welling up in his eyes. "Julian... please... talk to Claire. Tell her I'm sorry! I'm her brother!"
"She doesn't have a brother," Julian said plainly. "Not anymore."
Julian turned on his heel and walked calmly toward the exit of the lounge, the sound of Ryan screaming and sobbing echoing behind him as the federal agents slapped heavy steel handcuffs onto his wrists.
Outside the casino, the crisp Nevada air blew against Julian's face. He pulled out his phone and dialed my number.
"Is it done?" I answered on the first ring.
"It's done," Julian replied, his tone instantly softening into warmth. "Ryan is in federal custody. The money he stole has been recovered and transferred directly to your secure trust account."
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On the other end of the line, I let out a breath I felt like I had been holding for six long years. "Thank you, Julian. For everything."
"Don't thank me yet, Claire," Julian said with a quiet smile, stepping into his waiting limousine. "Your new life is just beginning. And our real wedding is in three months."
