Chapter 3 - The Woman Hidden Inside His Father's Secret
The safe house was an old stone lodge hidden deep in the mountains.
Norah expected guards.
There were twelve.
She expected surveillance.
There were cameras everywhere.
She expected Dominic to disappear into meetings.
Instead, he remained.
Salvatore occupied the largest room.
Norah monitored his blood pressure.
Dominic reviewed the files.
Hours passed.
Finally Norah asked:
"Who was my mother?"
Dominic looked up.
"A woman who saved my life."
Norah frowned.
"What?"
"When I was sixteen, someone tried to kill me."
He paused.
"Your mother found me first."
"What happened?"
"She hid me."
"Where?"
"In a church basement."
Norah stared.
"She never told me."
"She probably wanted you far away from this."
"Then why bring me here?"
Dominic's gaze hardened.
"Maybe she didn't."
Norah understood.
"You think someone else chose me."
"Yes."
"Who?"
"That's what we're finding out."
Salvatore suddenly made a loud sound.
Norah turned.
His fingers pointed at a painting.
A landscape.
Nothing unusual.
Then he pointed again.
Norah moved closer.
Behind the painting was a safe.
Dominic opened it.
Inside was a letter.
The envelope was addressed to:
Norah Gallagher.
Her hands trembled.
She opened it.
My daughter,
If you've found this, I failed to keep the past buried.
Do not trust the men who tell you the Morettis are monsters.
Some are.
Some aren't.
Your life was protected because your father was killed for refusing to betray them.
Norah stopped.
Her mother had never said the word father.
The letter continued.
His name was Daniel Gallagher.
He worked for Salvatore.
He discovered a betrayal inside the family.
He died before you were born.
Salvatore promised to protect you.
He kept that promise.
Norah's eyes filled with tears.
She looked at Salvatore.
He was staring at her.
"You knew him."
He nodded.
"You loved him."
Salvatore nodded again.
Dominic looked stunned.
"My father knew Daniel?"
Norah continued reading.
Daniel trusted only three people.
Me.
Salvatore.
And a man named Luca Ferretti.
At the bottom of the letter:
If someone ever brings you to Salvatore, listen to him.
He cannot speak the way he once did.
But he remembers everything.
Norah folded the letter.
"Why didn't anyone tell me?"
Salvatore looked down.
Dominic answered.
"Because whoever killed your father believed you died too."
Norah stared.
"Did my mother live here?"
"No."
"Then where?"
"She lived under another name."
"And you knew?"
Dominic shook his head.
"No."
A pause.
"Only my father did."
The revelation altered the way Norah looked at Salvatore.
He was still intimidating.
Still difficult.
Still capable of terrifying everyone around him.
But he had been protecting a promise for more than twenty years.
Norah returned to his room.
He watched her approach.
She sat beside him.
"You kept me safe."
His eye softened.
"Why?"
He tried to speak.
Nothing came.
Norah took his hand.
"You don't have to explain everything tonight."
His fingers closed around hers.
That was the first time he accepted physical contact willingly.
Dominic watched from the doorway.
He said nothing.
Later, Norah found him alone in the kitchen.
"You should sleep."
"So should you."
"I can't."
"Neither can I."
She leaned against the counter.
"My mother trusted your father."
"Yes."
"Do you trust him?"
Dominic thought.
"Not completely."
"Why?"
"Because he taught me that love makes people weak."
Norah looked at him.
"And did he believe that?"
"No."
She frowned.
"Then why teach you?"
"Because my father didn't want me to become like him."
Norah stared.
The contradiction was painful.
"He failed."
Dominic nodded.
"Maybe."
Then a phone vibrated.
Dominic answered.
His expression changed.
"Where?"
He listened.
"Lock it down."
He ended the call.
"What?"
"Someone found the safe house."
Norah's stomach dropped.
They heard engines outside.
Dominic moved immediately.
"Stay with my father."
"What are you going to do?"
"Stop them."
Gunfire broke the silence.
Salvatore grabbed Norah's hand.
She looked down.
He was trying to say something.
"Scappa."
Run.
But Norah shook her head.
"No."
She squeezed his hand.
"I'm not leaving you."
Dominic burst into the room.
"Move."
They escaped through another passage.
The attackers chased them.
One bullet struck the wall beside Norah's head.
Dominic pulled her close.
"You all right?"
"Yes."
"You're lying."
"So are you."
He stared at her.
Then, unexpectedly, he laughed once.
A short, surprised sound.
It was the first time she'd heard him laugh.
Norah looked at him.
"You do know how to smile."
"Don't tell anyone."
She smiled.
"Your secret is safe."
They reached a second vehicle.
Salvatore was secured inside.
Dominic drove.
Norah sat beside him.
For several miles, neither spoke.
Then Dominic asked:
"Why did you stay?"
She looked at him.
"Because your father told me to run."
"That isn't an answer."
"It is."
"No."
His voice softened.
"Why didn't you leave?"
Norah stared out at the mountains.
"Because someone once stayed for me."
She looked at him.
"My mother."
Dominic nodded.
"I understand."
The rain began again.
And somewhere behind them, the attackers watched their taillights disappear.
A man lowered binoculars.
Then made a phone call.
"She's alive."
A pause.
"The girl is with Dominic."
Another pause.
"No."
He smiled.
May you like
"Don't kill her yet."
"She may be the only thing that can make Dominic open the vault."
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