Chapter 4 - The Brother in the Shadows
Marco Moretti had been missing from my life for almost as long as Evan had been part of it.
I knew him as a name.
A ghost.
Evan's older brother.
Dead, according to everyone.
But apparently not.
Marcus explained what little he knew.
“Marco disappeared after their father died.”
“Why?”
“He wanted the company.”
“Then why pretend to be dead?”
“To build another network.”
I looked at Noah.
“And my mother?”
“Apparently she was helping him.”
“No.”
Marcus hesitated.
“Claire, there are documents.”
I opened them.
My mother had transferred property to a holding company.
That company had paid Marco.
Then there were medical records.
She hadn't died naturally.
She had been placed into protective custody after becoming a witness.
Someone had altered the paperwork.
Someone had convinced me she was dead.
Evan.
My husband.
Again.
I didn't know whether to scream or cry.
“I need answers.”
Marcus nodded.
“Then we find them.”
Noah sat at the kitchen table coloring.
He looked remarkably calm for a child whose entire reality had exploded overnight.
I joined him.
“What are you drawing?”
“Us.”
I looked at the paper.
Three figures.
A little boy.
A woman.
A man.
“Who's him?”
“Dad.”
My heart twisted.
“You love him?”
Noah nodded.
“He always came when I was scared.”
I smiled sadly.
“He did?”
“He told me you were the brave one.”
I looked at the boy.
“Did he tell you why he couldn't bring me?”
“He said he was waiting until it was safe.”
I touched his hair.
“I wish he had told me.”
Noah looked at me.
“Are you mad at Dad?”
“Yes.”
“Are you going to leave him?”
I didn't know how to answer.
“I don't know.”
Noah thought for a second.
“He gets sad when you leave.”
That childlike sentence nearly destroyed me.
That night, Evan returned.
He arrived alone.
No guards.
No weapons visible.
He looked exhausted.
I stood across the room.
Noah ran to him.
“Dad!”
Evan knelt and held him.
Then he looked at me.
For ten seconds, neither spoke.
Finally he said, “I'm sorry.”
I laughed softly.
“That's the first thing you should have said ten days ago.”
“I know.”
“You lied about Atlanta.”
“Yes.”
“You lied about Paige.”
“Yes.”
“You lied about my son.”
“Yes.”
“You let me think I had lost a baby.”
His eyes filled.
“I know.”
I stepped closer.
“You let me think my mother was dead.”
He closed his eyes.
“I know.”
“Do you have any idea what that did to me?”
“No.”
He opened his eyes.
“But I know I don't get to ask you to forgive me.”
He looked at Noah.
“I just wanted him alive.”
“You should have trusted me.”
“I was afraid.”
“Of what?”
“That if I told you, they'd use you to get to him.”
“And instead?”
He looked at me.
“I destroyed the person he loved most.”
I stared at him.
“That was me.”
“Yes.”
He swallowed.
“I chose wrong.”
For the first time, I believed him.
Not because his words were beautiful.
Because they were ugly.
And honest.
Before I could respond, the safe house windows shattered.
Men entered.
Evan pushed Noah behind him.
The firefight was brief.
One attacker escaped.
Evan caught him outside.
I watched from the doorway.
Evan grabbed his collar.
“Who sent you?”
The man laughed.
“Marco.”
Evan tightened his grip.
“What does he want?”
The man spit blood.
“Your wife.”
I froze.
Not Noah.
Not money.
Me.
Why?
Evan turned to me.
His face changed.
“Now you understand.”
“No.”
I stepped closer.
“Now I understand he wants something from me.”
Evan nodded.
“The Mercer Trust.”
I frowned.
“My family trust?”
“Yes.”
“My family doesn't have one.”
“Your mother created one.”
I looked at Marcus.
“Why?”
Evan answered.
“Because your grandfather left behind something Marco has spent twenty years trying to find.”
“What?”
“The original Moretti ledger.”
My blood ran cold.
The ledger contained the names of every person involved in the family's illegal operations.
Including politicians.
Judges.
Police officials.
Business leaders.
Whoever controlled it could destroy half the East Coast underworld.
“My mother has it?”
“She did.”
“And now?”
Evan looked toward the road.
“Marco has her.”
I stared at him.
“Then we find her.”
Evan stepped closer.
“Together?”
I looked at him.
“Don't confuse cooperation with forgiveness.”
“I won't.”
I nodded.
“Then yes.”
For the first time in ten days, we stood on the same side of a problem.
May you like
But neither of us knew that Marco had already anticipated that.
And he had prepared a trap designed specifically for us.
