THE ENFORCER'S FINAL OATH

Farrow's Ambition

The sun was fully risen over Port Veil when Cyrus left Alvira's apartment.

He'd spent the night going over the plan with her, mapping out the contacts she had, the people who might be willing to help. It was a fragile network, built on secrets and shared enemies. One wrong move could shatter it.

But it was all they had.

Carina was waiting for him in the alley behind the Midnight Club, her face pale with exhaustion. She hadn't slept either. Neither of them had.

"Where are we going?" she asked as he approached.

"Delacroix compound. I need to speak with Dominic."

Her eyes went wide. "Are you insane? He'll kill you."

"He won't. Not yet. He doesn't know if I have the evidence, and he can't risk killing me until he knows for sure." Cyrus's voice was flat, controlled. "Besides, I need to see his face. I need to look him in the eye and know for certain that he did this."

"And if he did?"

"Then I'll make him pay."

Carina studied his face for a long moment. Then she nodded slowly, her jaw set with determination. "I'm coming with you."

"No. It's too dangerous."

"I don't care. You're not facing him alone."

Cyrus opened his mouth to argue, but the look in her eyes stopped him. She wasn't going to back down. She was as stubborn as he was.

"Fine," he said. "But stay close. And if anything goes wrong, you run. You don't look back. You just run."

"Deal."

They walked through the Harbor District in silence, the morning sun warm on their faces. The streets were filling with people—vendors, tourists, the usual chaos of the city. It felt almost normal, almost peaceful.

But Cyrus knew better. Beneath the surface, the city was a battlefield. And he was right in the middle of it.

---

The Delacroix compound was a fortress of stone and iron, its walls high, its gates guarded. The guards recognized Cyrus immediately, their faces betraying a flicker of surprise. They'd heard what happened at the Roost. They'd heard he was a wanted man.

But they didn't stop him. They'd been trained to follow orders, and his orders came from Dominic.

Cyrus walked through the gates, Carina close behind him. The compound was buzzing with activity—soldiers training in the courtyard, staff rushing between buildings, the machinery of a criminal empire in motion.

Dominic's office was in the main building, a grand structure of brick and iron that dominated the compound. Cyrus walked through its doors without knocking, his footsteps echoing in the marble foyer.

Farrow Malloy was waiting for him.

"Delacroix," Farrow said, his voice dripping with false warmth. "I heard you were dead."

"Sorry to disappoint."

Farrow smiled, but it didn't reach his eyes. He was a tall man, handsome in a cruel way, his dark hair slicked back, his suit expensive and immaculate. He'd always resented Cyrus's position, always believed he deserved it more.

"You look terrible," Farrow said. "Did you sleep in that suit?"

"I slept in a safehouse while men were trying to kill me. The suit wasn't my priority."

"Men trying to kill you." Farrow's smile widened. "You seem to have a lot of enemies these days."

"No more than usual."

"Dominic wants to see you." Farrow gestured toward the door at the end of the hall. "He's been waiting. We heard about the attack."

"Did you hear who sent the men?"

Farrow's smile flickered. "I heard it was Voisin's people."

"Then you know what's happening."

"I know that you've been digging where you shouldn't." Farrow's voice dropped, low and cold. "I know that you've been asking questions about things that don't concern you. And I know that you've put this entire family at risk."

"I've put the family at risk? I'm trying to save it."

"By exposing our dealings with the Voisin network? By bringing down everything we've built?"

Cyrus studied Farrow's face. The chess board was shifting again, new pieces entering the game. Farrow knew about the network. He was part of it.

Just like Dominic.

"The family is built on lies," Cyrus said. "And those lies are going to destroy everyone who believes in them."

Farrow laughed, a cold, hollow sound. "You're a fool, Delacroix. You've always been a fool. You think you're better than the rest of us. You think you have some moral high ground. But you're just as dirty as everyone else."

"I never said I wasn't."

"Then why are you doing this? Why are you risking everything to find the truth?"

Cyrus met his gaze, his eyes cold and hard. "Because I loved her. And I deserve to know why she died."

Farrow's smile vanished. For a moment, there was something in his eyes—something that looked almost like fear.

"Be careful," Farrow said. "Some truths are better left buried."

"I'll decide that for myself."

Cyrus walked past him, Carina following close behind. He didn't look back. He didn't need to. He'd seen what he needed to see.

Farrow was afraid. And fear made men sloppy.

---

Dominic's office was as grand as always, the walls lined with paintings, the floors covered with expensive rugs. He was sitting behind his desk, a cup of coffee in his hand, his face pale and tired.

Cyrus felt the anger rising at the sight of him. The man who'd raised him. The man who'd loved him. The man who'd killed his wife.

He forced himself to stay calm. The chess board was set. He couldn't afford to make a move in anger.

"Cyrus." Dominic set down his coffee and stood up. "I heard what happened at the Roost. Are you okay?"

"I'm fine."

"And the girl?" Dominic's eyes flickered to Carina. "Carina Moretti. I didn't expect to see you here."

"I came with Cyrus," Carina said, her voice steady. "He needed my help."

"Help with what?"

"The evidence," Cyrus said. "The evidence I found. The evidence Jasper Crowley gave me."

Dominic's face tightened. For a moment, the mask slipped, revealing something raw and vulnerable beneath.

"Jasper Crowley," Dominic said slowly. "I should have known he was involved."

"He gave me everything. Names, dates, financial records. Everything I need to expose the Voisin network."

Dominic was silent for a long moment. Then he sat down heavily in his chair, his face suddenly old and tired.

"I knew this day would come," he said. "I knew someone would find out eventually. I just hoped it wouldn't be you."

"Then it's true? You're part of the network?"

"Cyrus, you have to understand—"

"Understand what?" Cyrus's voice rose, the anger breaking through. "Understand that you killed my wife? Understand that you've been lying to me for five years?"

"I didn't kill Elara." Dominic's voice was quiet, desperate. "I tried to save her. I tried to warn her. But she was already too deep into the investigation. Voisin ordered the hit. I had no choice."

"No choice?" Cyrus laughed, a hollow sound. "You had every choice. You could have protected her. You could have told me the truth. Instead, you let her die."

"Cyrus, please—"

"I don't want your apologies. I want the truth. The whole truth."

Dominic was silent for a long moment. When he spoke, his voice was barely a whisper.

"I met Lucien Voisin thirty years ago. He offered me power, wealth, everything I'd ever dreamed of. All I had to do was help him control the city. I was young, ambitious, and I said yes without thinking about the consequences.

"The network grew faster than anyone expected. We had the police, the government, the courts. We had everyone. And when Elara started investigating, she was a threat to everything we'd built.

"I tried to warn her. I tried to get her to back off. But she was stubborn, just like you. She wouldn't listen. And when Voisin ordered the hit, I couldn't stop him."

"You could have tried."

"I did try. I begged him to spare her. I offered to give up everything I had." Dominic's eyes were glistening with tears. "But it wasn't enough. He killed her anyway. And he made me watch."

Cyrus felt the anger drain out of him, replaced by something cold and empty. The truth was worse than he'd imagined. Dominic wasn't just a murderer. He was a coward.

"Did you love her?" Cyrus asked.

"More than anything."

"Then why didn't you save her?"

Dominic looked away. "Because I was afraid. I was afraid of losing everything I'd built. I was afraid of dying. And I was afraid of what would happen to you if I stood up to Voisin."

"I can take care of myself."

"I know you can." Dominic met his gaze. "That's the only thing that's kept me going all these years. Knowing that I did what I had to do to keep you alive."

"Even though you killed the woman I loved?"

Dominic flinched. "I did what I had to do."

Cyrus stared at him. The man he'd looked up to for twenty years was a stranger. A coward. A man who'd sacrificed his own son's happiness to save his own skin.

"Was it worth it?" Cyrus asked. "Was it worth losing everything?"

Dominic didn't answer.

---

Cyrus turned and walked toward the door. Carina followed, her face pale, her hands shaking.

"Cyrus," Dominic called out. "Where are you going?"

"To find the truth. To expose the network. And to make sure that what happened to Elara never happens to anyone else."

"You can't do this alone."

"I'm not alone." Cyrus glanced at Carina, then back at Dominic. "I have people who believe in me. People who are willing to fight for what's right."

Dominic stood up, his face desperate. "Cyrus, please. If you expose the network, they'll kill you. They'll kill everyone you love."

"I don't care."

"Then think about the girl. Think about Carina. If you do this, she'll be a target too."

Cyrus felt the words hit him like a physical blow. Carina. She was already in danger just by being with him.

He looked at her, and she met his gaze without flinching.

"I'm not afraid," she said softly. "I knew the risks when I chose to help you."

"I don't want you to die."

"Then don't let me." She reached out and took his hand. "We'll do this together. No matter what happens."

Cyrus squeezed her hand and turned back to Dominic.

"Stay out of my way," he said. "I'm done playing by your rules."

He walked out the door and didn't look back.