Chapter 4 - The Ledger of Sins
Julian’s office was not like the rest of the club. There were no velvet drapes or golden candles here. It was a cold, functional space of dark wood, leather, and walls lined with heavy steel filing cabinets. A large fireplace crackled in the corner, throwing warm orange light across a desk that was completely free of clutter, save for a single leather-bound ledger.
Maya sat on the edge of a leather chair near the fire, her hands wrapped around a cup of hot tea the office assistant had brought her. The warmth was slowly returning to her fingers, but the tension in her shoulders remained.
The door opened, and Julian walked in, removing his charcoal suit jacket and draping it over the back of his desk chair. He rolled his sleeves up to his elbows, revealing thick, muscular forearms covered in old scars.
"Derek Vance," Julian said, sitting down behind the desk.
Maya gasped, almost spilling her tea. "You... you found him already?"
"It’s my city, Maya," Julian said, his voice flat. "Or should I call you Sarah? That’s the name on your tax forms in Boston."
Maya looked down at her tea. "Sarah is dead. She died the night she realized she couldn't protect herself anymore. I’m Maya now."
"Your ex-boyfriend is the son of Arthur Vance," Julian continued, opening the ledger. "A construction mogul with deep ties to the unions in Massachusetts. Derek thinks he’s a prince because his father pays off the local police. He’s been using his family’s private security team to track your bank accounts, your social security number, and your phone records."
"How did he find me here?" she asked, her voice rising in panic. "I didn't use my real name. I paid cash for my apartment."
"You used a subway card," Julian said. "Registered to an old email address you forgot to delete. He’s stupid, but he’s wealthy enough to hire people who aren't."
Julian closed the ledger with a soft thud. He leaned back in his chair, studying her face in the firelight. "He has three men with him tonight. They’re waiting down the street in a black Lincoln. They’re waiting for the club to close."
"I... I have to leave," Maya said, standing up so fast her chair rattled. "I’ll go out the back. I’ll go to the train station—"
"They have the back alley watched, Maya," Julian said.
May you like
She stopped, her chest heaving as the walls of her sanctuary seemed to close in on her once again. "Then what am I supposed to do? I can't stay here forever."
"No," Julian agreed. He stood up, walking to the window that overlooked the rain-slicked street below. "But you can stay with me."
