Chapter 37 - The Ghost of the PastRoman fetched a heavy utility knife from the kitchen drawer and carefully sliced through the thick industrial wax seals, prying open the wooden lid.
Inside, nestled snugly in black velvet foam, was not a bomb, not a threat letter, and not a legal subpoena.
It was a custom-made, hand-carved mahogany chess board.
The pieces were exquisite—heavy, polished ebony and ivory, crafted by an artisan who clearly understood the meticulous weight of power dynamics. But it was what rested in the center of the board that made Roman’s breath catch in his throat.
A single white queen had been knocked completely off its square, lying flat on its side. And resting right beside it was a pristine, heavy gold key.
Celeste stepped closer, her eyes scanning the board with clinical precision. She reached out, her slender fingers picking up the gold key. Attached to it was a tiny parchment card written in immaculate, flowing cursive.
Roman read over her shoulder:
“The board is empty, Roman. The game is finally yours to keep. But a true king never abandons his crown entirely. A safety net in Zurich, should you ever need to rebuild what was lost.”
It was signed with a single letter: V.
Not Victor Vance—Victor was locked away in a federal facility. This was someone else. Someone from the very old guard of the Chicago Outfit who had managed to stay completely invisible during the federal purges.
"An inheritance," Celeste murmured, turning the heavy gold key over in her palm, watching the metal catch the afternoon light. "Or a tether. They want to make sure you know you can always go back."
Roman looked down at the chessboard, then over at Maya, who was happily babbling to her toy blocks in the corner, completely shielded from the dark underworld shadows that occasionally tried to reach out and touch them.
He reached out, picked up the gold key from Celeste’s hand, walked over to the front door, opened it, and tossed the key as far as he could into the thick, overgrown brush of the ravine beside the driveway.
May you like
He closed the door firmly, locking the deadbolt with a solid, definitive click.
"I don't need a safety net in Zurich," Roman said, pulling Celeste into his arms and burying his face in her hair. "I have everything I'll ever need right here."
