Chapter 6 - The Nurse Who Walked Into a War
Everyone told Sheree not to go.
So naturally, she went.
But she did not go stupidly.
That distinction mattered to her.
Marcus had taught her chess when she was nine. He had repeatedly told her that frightened people made predictable moves because they concentrated on escaping danger instead of controlling it.
Salvatore expected Sheree to bring the flash drive.
She brought something better.
A lie.
At 11:43 p.m., she entered the abandoned Moretti textile warehouse carrying a black envelope.
Salvatore waited beneath rusted steel beams.
Gabriel sat several feet away, bound to a chair.
His face was bruised.
His eyes found hers.
Fury immediately replaced exhaustion.
“What are you doing here?”
“Nice to see you too.”
“Sheree.”
Salvatore smiled.
“So this is the nurse.”
Sheree looked at him.
“You’re shorter than I expected.”
Gabriel closed his eyes.
Even tied to a chair, he looked as though he was reconsidering every decision that had brought her into his life.
Salvatore laughed.
“I understand why my nephew likes you.”
“I’m difficult to kill.”
“So was your brother.”
The words struck exactly where intended.
Sheree did not react.
“Marcus left something for you,” Salvatore continued.
“You mean besides lifelong trust issues?”
His smile faded.
Good.
She was getting under his skin.
“Give me the drive.”
“Release Gabriel.”
“No.”
“Then no drive.”
Salvatore approached.
“You’re negotiating with a man who can have you buried beneath this building.”
Sheree shrugged.
“And you’re negotiating with a nurse carrying the only copy of evidence that could put you in prison until your teeth fall out.”
Gabriel stared at her.
He understood.
There was no only copy.
Salvatore did not.
“Where is it?”
“Safe.”
Salvatore raised his gun.
Sheree’s heart hammered.
She forced herself not to look toward the rafters.
Anthony’s men were waiting.
But they needed Salvatore to confess.
“You killed Marcus.”
Salvatore smiled.
“Yes.”
Gabriel’s expression changed.
“You killed my father.”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
Salvatore looked almost offended.
“Because Vittorio became weak.”
He paced slowly.
“He wanted legitimacy. Hotels. Shipping contracts. Charity galas. He forgot what built our name.”
“So you killed him.”
“I saved the family.”
Gabriel laughed bitterly.
“You destroyed it.”
Salvatore’s eyes hardened.
“No. You destroyed it when you began confusing mercy with strength.”
He looked at Sheree.
“Women like her make men like us weak.”
Sheree tilted her head.
“Interesting theory from a man who needed six corrupt judges and half the police department to feel powerful.”
Salvatore struck her.
Gabriel surged against the ropes.
“Touch her again and I will bury you.”
Salvatore smiled.
“There he is.”
Then a door opened behind them.
Matteo entered.
Sheree’s heart sank.
Gabriel stared at his brother.
Matteo carried a gun.
“Matteo.”
“I’m sorry.”
Salvatore smiled triumphantly.
“Blood always chooses blood.”
Matteo walked toward Gabriel.
Then turned.
He shot Salvatore’s bodyguard.
Chaos erupted.
Anthony’s men descended from the catwalks.
Sheree dropped.
Gunfire thundered through the warehouse.
Matteo cut Gabriel free.
Salvatore ran.
Gabriel chased him.
Sheree grabbed Gabriel’s discarded gun and followed despite having absolutely no idea how to use it.
Outside, snow had begun falling.
Salvatore reached a waiting car.
Gabriel tackled him.
The two men crashed onto the frozen pavement.
Salvatore pulled a knife.
Gabriel caught his wrist.
They struggled.
Then Salvatore drove the blade into Gabriel’s side.
Sheree screamed.
Gabriel collapsed.
Salvatore raised the knife again.
A gunshot echoed.
Salvatore fell.
Matteo stood behind him.
The gun shook in his hand.
For a second, nobody moved.
Then Sheree ran to Gabriel.
Blood soaked through his shirt.
Not again.
“No.”
She pressed both hands against the wound.
Gabriel’s eyes fluttered.
“You have terrible luck finding me in winter.”
“Shut up.”
“Bossy.”
“Gabriel.”
His eyes began closing.
Sheree slapped his cheek.
“Stay with me.”
His fingers found hers.
“You saved me once.”
“And I’m doing it again.”
He smiled weakly.
“That seems unfair.”
“Then stop getting stabbed.”
Sirens approached.
For the first time, Gabriel did not object.
At St. Jude’s, surgeons took him into the operating room.
Sheree sat outside for four hours wearing his blood.
At dawn, the surgeon emerged.
“He made it.”
Sheree’s entire body sagged.
Anthony sat beside her.
“You love him.”
She looked at him.
“That is an incredibly inappropriate observation at six in the morning.”
Anthony smiled.
“You do.”
Sheree looked through the glass doors.
Gabriel was alive.
For now, that was enough.
Then two federal agents entered the corridor.
They walked directly toward her.
“Sheree Carter?”
“Yes?”
One produced a badge.
“We need to speak with you about Gabriel Moretti.”
Her relief disappeared.
The agent continued.
“Because the evidence your brother collected doesn’t only implicate Salvatore.”
May you like
He opened a folder.
“It implicates Gabriel too.”
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