Chapter 6 - THE BROTHER WHO CAME BACK ARMED
Adrian had imagined seeing Matteo alive a thousand times in the last twelve hours.
None of those versions involved a gun.
“Everybody back.”
His security men raised weapons.
Lily screamed again.
“No!”
Adrian immediately lifted one hand.
“Lower them.”
Cruz stared.
“Boss—”
“Lower them.”
One by one, rifles went down.
Outside the gate, Matteo kept his weapon raised.
Sofia stood between them, furious.
“Put it down!”
“He could have men inside.”
“He does have men inside. It's his house.”
Even from fifty yards away, Adrian almost recognized his brother's irritation.
It hit him strangely.
Alive.
Matteo was alive enough to argue.
Adrian walked toward the gate alone.
Marco followed three paces behind.
Matteo saw him.
His weapon shifted.
“Stop.”
Adrian stopped.
Rain had started again.
For several seconds, neither brother spoke.
Six years.
Six years reduced to fifty yards and one gun.
Adrian finally said, “You look terrible.”
Sofia covered her mouth.
Marco muttered something.
And Matteo—
laughed.
One broken sound.
Then his face twisted.
“You always were an idiot.”
Adrian's chest hurt.
“You're alive.”
“Observant.”
“You let me bury you.”
Matteo's expression changed.
“You signed the order.”
“I didn't.”
“You expect me to believe that?”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“Because if I wanted you dead, I wouldn't have spent six years visiting your grave.”
Matteo's gun lowered one inch.
Sofia stepped toward him.
“Matt.”
He looked at her.
Then past Adrian.
Lily stood behind the glass front door with Teresa.
Matteo's face collapsed.
His weapon lowered completely.
“She's okay?”
Sofia nodded.
“She got here.”
Lily pressed both hands against the glass.
“Uncle Matt!”
Adrian stared at him.
Uncle.
Not father.
That landed oddly.
Then Sofia said, “Open the gate.”
Adrian entered the code himself.
Nobody moved until the iron panels separated.
Lily ran.
Teresa shouted.
Adrian almost did too.
Matteo dropped the gun before Lily reached him.
She threw herself into his arms.
He fell to his knees in the wet driveway.
For the first time, Adrian saw his brother cry.
Not discreetly.
Not like a DeLuca.
He held the child and shook.
“I missed you.”
“I missed you too.”
Sofia knelt beside them.
Adrian looked away for one second.
Privacy.
Then Matteo stood.
His gaze found Marco.
Everything hardened again.
“You.”
Marco nodded.
“Me.”
Matteo crossed the space and punched him.
Marco hit the ground.
Cruz started forward.
Adrian stopped him.
Marco got up.
“Fair.”
Matteo hit him again.
“Still fair.”
Sofia grabbed Matteo's arm.
“Enough.”
He looked at Marco.
“You burned me alive.”
“I know.”
“You left us there.”
“I know.”
“You don't get forgiven because you changed teams later.”
“I know.”
That answer stopped him.
Marco wiped blood from his lip.
“I don't expect forgiveness.”
Adrian studied both men.
Then he turned to Sofia.
“What happened?”
Her face changed.
“Victor found us.”
“When?”
“This morning.”
“Where?”
“At a safe house in Connecticut.”
“Why were you separated from Matteo?”
“We weren't.”
Adrian frowned.
“But Lily calls him Uncle Matt.”
Silence.
Lily looked between the adults.
Sofia closed her eyes.
Matteo's expression became unreadable.
Adrian felt something shift.
“What?”
Sofia said softly, “Because Matteo isn't Lily's father.”
The driveway went silent.
Adrian stared.
“Then who is?”
Sofia looked at him.
No.
Adrian felt the answer before she spoke.
“No.”
Sofia's eyes filled.
“Six and a half years ago, before Matteo and I disappeared, there was one night.”
Adrian stepped backward.
He remembered.
A winter fundraiser.
Too much bourbon.
Sofia crying after an argument with Matteo.
Adrian driving her home.
A mistake.
A terrible, never-discussed mistake.
His heart stopped.
Sofia whispered:
“Lily is yours.”
May you like
Behind the glass, the little girl in the yellow raincoat smiled at Adrian, completely unaware that the man she'd walked miles to find was not her uncle.
He was her father.
