Derrick put the phone to his chest. His eyes dropped toward the table after a quick glance at Mavis told him she was far from happy.
"I'm sorry, my love, I really need to take this," he said, as his fingers tapped nervously on the back of his phone case.
"Of course. Go on then," Mavis said, crossing her arms and turning to look outside, refusing to acknowledge Derrick.
"Babe, don't be like that. I wouldn't take it if it wasn't important," he said. But Mavis didn't care. There were always excuses when it came to Derrick and his work.
Derrick rose from his seat and watched Mavis until the table came out of his viewpoint. She was angry; he could tell. He didn't blame her. He told her this night was about them, that there wouldn't be any distractions, but yet here he was on his way out to handle a distraction he promised wouldn't affect their night.
"Go on then," Derrick said, as he walked up and down the front of L'Avis. "What did my old friend say now?"
"First, I noticed that he sent back all the money we sent him to be cleaned," Jenny said, hoping her boss wouldn't lose it with her.
"What?!" Derrick pulled his tie from around his neck then slammed it on the floor. "Now tell me, Jenny, because the next part is extremely important. What exactly did Robert say?"
Jenny cleared her throat then began reading: "He said, 'I've blackened my soul for long enough. What you and your boss are doing isn't morally right, and helping you guys destroy people's lives is wrong. Men, women, kids, families—it doesn't matter to you guys as long as you get money and that's not right. I have kids of my own, and knowing I'm helping criminals in our city, I can't sleep at night knowing I'm part of that. So I've sent all the money back, and I'm out. I appreciate all the help—that's something I'll never forget. But I can't have this on my conscience anymore.'"
Derrick's eyes began to twitch as his jaw clenched. He knew Robert wanted out, but he just needed to hear it out loud.
"Boss, you there? Boss… boss?" Jenny repeated nervously.
Yet no answer ever came back. Derrick hung up the phone then began to squeeze it in his hand. "Arghhh!" he screamed from the top of his lungs, forgetting where he was.
Then, as he looked down at the phone in the palm of his hand, he saw his reflection looking back up at him and for the first time in a long time, he saw himself clearly: the devil of New York City. He wasn't just moving weight anymore or just doing what he needed to do to survive; he was the villain now.
But it was too late for him to turn back now. He'd gone too far down the rabbit hole. This life—the lies, the blood, the power—was all a part of his makeup now. There was no escape.
Derrick let out a deep sigh and just looked up to the night sky. It was beautiful, with stars out in full effect. On a different day, that backdrop may have been enough to calm Derrick over the edge, but tonight he chose violence. He looked down at his phone, pressed the call button, then put the phone to his ear.
As the phone connected, the man on the other side of the phone answered, only saying one word: "Boss."
"Round up the men and pick me up," Derrick said through gritted teeth, his anger simmering just beneath the surface.
"Yes, boss," the man on the other end replied.
"And make sure you're all armed."
"What's going on, boss? You in trouble?"
"No," Derrick said coldly, eyes narrowed. "But the person I'm about to press just jumped off his shiny yacht and straight into an ocean full of sharks. Let's see how well he navigates treacherous waters when he's the prey."
Derrick ended the call, then slipped his phone into his trouser pocket and took one final breath before stepping back into the restaurant. The host, hearing Derrick scream from the top of his lungs, perked up when he saw Derrick heading his way.
"You okay?" the host asked. "I heard a scream."
But Derrick walked straight past him like he wasn't there and carried on toward his table.
Mavis was still seated at the table, absently swirling the last of her wine. Her eyes flickered toward the candle's dying flame, as if it might offer a glimpse of the future or a reason to stay.
"Sorry, honey. Work calls," Derrick said, as he finally arrived back at the table.
"Do you really have to?" Her voice cracked slightly. "I finally get you all to myself, and yet again, work gets in the way. Eventually, Derrick, you're going to have to start putting us first."
Derrick hesitated. For a split second, something in him almost softened. Almost. But not tonight. Not after what Robert had just done.
He hated seeing her like this. But this was the life he chose. There was no off-switch, no pause button. And even if he wanted a break, he couldn't; he'd buried himself too deep in this life to have a break.
"I do," he said gently. "A foreign partner's threatening to stop doing business with us. I could lose a lot of money."
"I thought so," Mavis said, wiping the running mascara from under her eyes. "That's gonna be two diamond earrings."
She tried to smirk to hide the pain, to play it off like she always did. Like jewelry could patch the cracks. But deep down, she knew: no amount of diamonds could ever fill the distance between them.
"Of course, honey," Derrick said, kissing her forehead before turning and walking out.
Outside, he stood on the sidewalk under the cold New York night. Derrick's eyes told the story: there was nothing on his mind other than vengeance as he stood there like a soldier awaiting war.
Five minutes passed. Then, like shadows materializing from the fog, three unmarked black SUVs turned the corner and pulled up to the curb. The engine of the lead vehicle idled low and the passenger side door opened.
"Boss," the man inside nodded.
"We're going to Robert's," Derrick said, as he stepped into the car and shut the door behind him.
Robert stood in the living room, adjusting his tie while calling out, "You guys ready?"
"Nearly!" Gabriel shouted back from upstairs.
"I'll be down in a minute!" Daniel added.
Upstairs, Gabriel held his phone to his ear.
"Jai, I've gotta go."
"You still haven't answered my question, Gabe," Jai-Lee said. "When are we sneaking into your dad's lab?"
Gabriel sighed. "Tonight would've been perfect, but he's dragging us to some celebration dinner with his science buddies. We definitely have to be there. You don't know what he's like when he gets disappointed."
For weeks now, Gabriel and Jai-Lee had been trying to find the perfect time to break into the lab. He'd already copied the keys, memorized his father's habits, and followed him closely enough to learn the entry required both a key and a password. He was close. So close.
On the other end of the call, Jai-Lee groaned. "I got dressed up in my stealthiest black clothes for nothing?"
"Not for nothing," he said. "I'm sure you'll find someone else to sneak up on."
"Oh, you've got jokes," she said flatly. "Well, enjoy your fancy dinner. And when you grow a spine, give me a call. Bye."
She hung up. Gabriel shook his head and chuckled to himself before tossing his phone on the bed and continuing to get ready.
As the boys came downstairs, Robert stood waiting in the living room. Bright lights flashed against the blinds, garnering Robert's attention. What is that? he thought to himself as he split the blinds and took a look for himself. Parked up one behind the other were the SUVs.
Robert's hand snapped back to his side, releasing the blinds. He knew exactly who it was and he was pinned in, with nowhere to go. His heart slammed against his ribs as every instinct in his body told him to get up and run through the back, but his family was here and he didn't know how far a lunatic like Derrick would take it.
Robert quickly moved into the hallway and began to frantically call the boys again. "Gabriel, Daniel—now, let's get a move on!" he said, forcing cheer into his voice. "At this rate, they'll be on dessert before we even sit down."
"Sorry, Dad," the boys chorused.
But Robert didn't see the way Daniel's fists clenched at his sides. The quiet resentment was bubbling up. He hadn't forgotten the broken birthday promise. The empty apologies. The long nights waiting. Or the hypocrisy. But now they were going to celebrate him, his day; to Daniel, it felt wrong.
In the cars, Derrick's men waited patiently.
"What's the play, boss?" asked one of Derrick's men.
"I'm going to bring him out here," Derrick said, eyes forward. "Then we're going for a drive. If you catch my drift."
"I get you, boss."
The boys made their way down the stairs and everyone in the house was finally ready and stood by the front door, ready to leave. Robert reached and opened the door, and there was his worst nightmare—Derrick, fist raised mid-knock.
"Oh wow, perfect timing, if I do say so myself," Derrick said, lowering his hand slowly.
"Derrick?" Robert said, heart in his mouth, forcing a smile. "Didn't know you were coming by tonight. How's Mavis?"
"She's fine. I'm sorry to steal him away, Nic," Derrick said, glancing toward Nicole. "But it's a work emergency."
Nicole frowned. "I'm sure it can wait, surely?"
"It can't, Nic. I wouldn't be here if it could. I need Robert to come to my office to sign off on some papers. It can't wait."
"Why didn't you just bring them over? And I didn't know you were working with Robert," she said with a curious look.
Daniel, standing just a few feet away, felt something twist in his chest as he stared Derrick in the eyes.
There's a lot you don't know about Dad, Mom, Daniel thought. But she will see you eventually, Dad. Every deal that gets done in the dark is revealed in the light. Malakie told me everything—all the under-the-table deals, the late-night meetings, the envelopes passed behind closed doors. I see him now. I truly see him. And it's not the man you think you're married to.
His gaze darted to his father, who stood there smiling, calm, composed—like he wasn't hiding a thousand secrets beneath that suit.
But I see through it all.
"Come on, Nic. Who isn't working with Robert these days?" Derrick smirked. "Your husband's a hot commodity. I would have brought them over, but as you can see by the tux, I was out on the other side of the city. It was faster to just pick up Robert to sign it, then I head on home and he heads back here."
"Makes sense," Nicole said with a laugh, though her eyes lingered on the SUVs.
Robert gave a tight nod, refusing to look Derrick in the eye.
"I promise I won't have him out long; he'll be back in no time," Derrick said, with a smug, humorous smile plastered across his face.
"Please make sure… we have a celebration to attend," Nicole said.
"Oh," Derrick said, eyebrows raised. "That's news that didn't travel to me."
"Oh, I'm surprised." Nicole turned and looked at Robert. "Why wouldn't you invite Derrick? He's your oldest friend and, unbeknownst to me, he's your business partner too."
Robert began to scratch his head. All eyes were on him and he began to heat up.
"It wasn't on purpose… everything happened so fast and I didn't invite everyone. I just invited those that played their part in the lab."
Derrick stepped forward and wrapped his arm around Robert's shoulders and ushered him out, as Nicole watched on from the front door until the men got into the SUV. Once the doors shut, Derrick's tone shifted.
Robert cleared his throat. "Derrick, listen—"
But before he could finish, Derrick's finger landed on his lips. "Shhh, Robert. You'll have your chance, in due course. You've already had a lot to say."
Derrick looked up at the inside rearview mirror; his driver's eyes met his stare and he simply said: "Drive."