Chapter 46
Chapter 46: The Shadow of the Falcon
"Where is the Architect, Leo?" Enzo barked, his weapon steady, his finger taking up the slack on the trigger. "Give me the name, or I leave you in this chair."
Leo chuckled, a dry, wheezing sound that turned into a cough. He reached into his jacket pocket, and Enzo’s knuckles tightened on his grip, but the old man didn't pull a gun. He pulled a small, silver pocket watch engraved with the stylized falcon crest.
"You're looking at him, nephew," Leo said, snapping the watch open. "The Architect isn't an individual; it’s an office. I built the covenant with Preston Whitcomb forty years ago to ensure that the DeLuca family would never be dependent on the vulgar politics of the Chicago streets. We built a network that spans three oceans. And your brother Nathan was supposed to inherit it."
Harper stepped forward, her white trench coat stained with mud from the garden. "Nathan signed that contract in 2007. Why did he try to destroy my father in 2024?"
Leo’s smile faded, replaced by a look of profound, cold sorrow. "Because Nathan fell in love with the contract, child. He spent five years watching you through that telephoto lens. He watched Preston break you, day after day, year after year, until he couldn't take the role of the collector anymore. He didn't go to Chicago to claim you for the covenant. He went to kill Preston and take you for himself."
May you like
The old man looked at Enzo, his eyes reflecting the amber flame of the fire. "Your brother didn't die in a territory dispute, Enzo. He was executed by the covenant because he went rogue. He tried to break the treaty to save the princess. And do you know who gave the order for his execution?"
Leo pointed a trembling, spotted finger at the leather-bound book in Harper’s hand. "Ask your wife, Enzo. Ask her who called the New York families to report Nathan's location the night he was cornered in that alley."
