Chapter 5 - The Threat That Moved From Khloe to Her Family

Khloe stopped breathing.

Victor’s security man saw the phone and immediately called someone.

“My sister.”

Khloe’s voice barely worked.

“She has two kids.”

“Address?”

She gave it.

The man relayed it.

Khloe called her sister, Maya.

No answer.

Again.

Nothing.

The elevator doors opened.

Khloe nearly collided with Victor.

He had come inside after all.

“I told you to stay outside.”

“Yes.”

“Maya isn’t answering.”

“I know.”

“How?”

“My team is calling too.”

Khloe shoved the phone toward him.

He looked at the photograph.

“When was this taken?”

“No timestamp.”

Victor enlarged it.

Afternoon light.

A delivery package near the door.

He called someone.

“Check courier records.”

Khloe stared.

“What does that do?”

“It dates the image.”

Twenty seconds later, the answer came.

Package delivered yesterday at 3:12 p.m.

Khloe exhaled.

The photograph was not live.

Victor said, “That does not make it harmless.”

“No.”

Martin remained inside his office under building security supervision.

Victor’s people did not touch him.

Khloe noticed.

“You could make him disappear, couldn’t you?”

Victor looked at her.

“Is that what you want?”

“No.”

“Then why ask?”

“Because everyone keeps acting like you solve problems that way.”

“Everyone is often lazy.”

That answer stayed with her.

They reached Maya’s house twelve minutes later.

Maya opened the door furious.

“Why are strange men parked on my street?”

Khloe almost cried.

Instead she hugged her.

Maya stiffened, then hugged back.

“What happened?”

“Liam.”

That single name changed her sister’s face.

Maya took the children upstairs.

Khloe listened to their footsteps disappear and realized the threat had done what Liam always tried to do: make her responsible for his choices. A year earlier she would have apologized to Maya for causing trouble. This time she forced herself not to.

Liam had chosen the threat.

Whoever worked with him had chosen the photograph.

Khloe had chosen only to stop pretending.

She explained everything.

The stalking.

The photograph.

The shipment.

Martin.

The threat.

Maya sat down.

“You need police.”

“I know.”

This time Khloe meant it.

Victor remained near the doorway.

Maya eyed him.

“And he is?”

“Complicated.”

Victor said, “Victor Russo.”

Maya went pale.

Khloe sighed.

“Yes. That Victor Russo.”

“You brought a mob boss into my living room?”

Victor looked around.

“I was invited by circumstance.”

Maya stared.

“That is the most mob-boss sentence I’ve ever heard.”

Khloe almost laughed again.

Fear kept finding strange exits.

Detectives arrived.

Khloe gave them everything.

The wrist photos.

Messages.

Crypto transfers.

Shipment files.

The threat against Maya.

For once, she did not minimize.

The lead detective, Erin Walsh, listened without interruption.

When Khloe finished, Walsh said, “We can seek a protective order immediately. The stalking and threats are documented.”

Khloe nodded.

“What about Martin?”

“Different investigation, but connected.”

Victor handed over copies of his company’s shipment records.

Walsh looked at him.

“I’ll need sources for anything financial.”

“You’ll get lawful records.”

The detective raised an eyebrow.

“Good answer.”

“I have lawyers.”

“Of course you do.”

By evening, police located Liam’s apartment.

Empty.

His employer claimed he had called in sick.

Martin denied wrongdoing.

Then Parker Logistics reported a server breach.

Someone had deleted six months of shipment correspondence.

Too late.

Khloe’s company retained backups.

Martin had forgotten.

Or never known.

Khloe sat at Maya’s kitchen table while police copied files.

Her niece drew beside her.

A house.

A sun.

Three stick figures.

Normal things.

Khloe felt sick that Liam had dragged them near this.

Victor stood outside on the porch taking a call.

Maya sat beside Khloe.

“You like him.”

Khloe stared.

“What?”

“The scary one.”

“I barely know him.”

“That was not my statement.”

“He is a client.”

“He came to your office because your ex sent threats.”

“He is protecting his business.”

Maya looked through the window.

Victor ended the call and spoke quietly to one of his men.

“Maybe.”

Khloe shook her head.

“Do not romanticize this.”

“I’m not.”

“His life is dangerous.”

“So is Liam’s, apparently, and he doesn’t even own a decent suit.”

Khloe laughed despite herself.

Then Victor came inside.

His expression erased it.

“What happened?” she asked.

“One of my containers was opened at the port.”

“By customs?”

“No.”

“What was taken?”

“Nothing.”

Khloe frowned.

“Then why open it?”

“To put something inside.”

Her stomach tightened.

“What?”

Victor placed a photograph on the table.

Inside the container, taped beneath a pallet, police had found a burner phone.

On it was one saved video.

Khloe pressed play.

Liam appeared on screen.

He looked excited.

Not frightened.

Behind him was the same dark sedan.

He said, “Victor Russo thinks this is about a shipment.”

Then he smiled directly at the camera.

“It isn’t.”

The video ended.

Khloe looked at Victor.

For the first time, he seemed uncertain.

“What is it about?” she asked.

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Victor’s gaze stayed on the blank screen.

“I think it’s about me.”