“For believing her,” he said. “For letting her make me think you were the one who walked away.”

“We can talk about that when Lucia is safe,” I said, my voice shaking slightly.

“She will be safe,” Dominic said. “I will tear down everything my family built before I let them touch her.”

We pulled up to the rear entrance of the federal courthouse on Foley Square.

The building was a massive stone fortress, its pillars lit by sharp yellow spotlights.

Dominic parked in a restricted zone and killed the engine.

He grabbed the wrapped ledger from the back seat.

“Stay close to me,” he said.

We walked through the security checkpoint, the metal detectors buzzing in the empty lobby.

A guard in a blue uniform recognized Dominic and nodded, picking up a desk phone.

A few minutes later, a tall man in a grey suit came down the marble stairs.

His tie was loosened, and he looked like he had been working for twelve hours straight.

“Dominic,” the man said, his voice echoing in the lobby. “I didn’t believe it when the desk called.”