Chapter 6 - THE BROTHER WHO REMEMBERED
Marco Ferrara had been awake for eleven minutes when we reached the hospital.
Nico was already running.
I had never seen him lose control of his movements before.
He pushed through the private security doors, ignored a nurse calling his name, and stopped outside room 608.
Through the glass, I saw Marco lying against white pillows.
He looked younger than in the photograph.
Fragile.
A dark bruise still marked his temple.
Nico entered slowly.
“Marco?”
His brother turned his head.
For a moment, neither spoke.
Then Marco smiled weakly.
“You look terrible.”
Nico laughed.
It was a broken sound.
He crossed the room and wrapped his arms carefully around his brother.
I stayed by the doorway.
For the first time, I saw Nico Ferrara as something other than a mafia boss.
He was simply an older brother who had almost lost the person he loved most.
Marco's eyes moved toward me.
“Who's she?”
Nico hesitated.
“My wife.”
Marco blinked.
“You got married?”
“Long story.”
“Apparently.”
I almost smiled.
Then Marco's expression changed.
“Did you find him?”
Nico pulled a chair beside the bed.
“Find who?”
“The man who arranged the crash.”
Nico leaned forward.
“Tell me what you remember.”
Marco swallowed.
“Someone called me that night. Said they had proof about Dad.”
“Who?”
“A woman.”
“Name?”
“She wouldn't give one.”
Nico exchanged a glance with me.
Marco continued.
“She said Dad didn't die naturally. She wanted to meet near the East River.”
“What happened?”
“I drove there. Someone I knew got into the passenger seat.”
Nico went still.
“Who?”
Marco closed his eyes.
His breathing quickened.
The monitor beside him began beeping faster.
“Easy,” Nico said. “Take your time.”
Marco shook his head.
“I remember a smell.”
“What smell?”
“Cigars. That awful expensive brand.”
Nico's expression darkened.
“Who smokes those?”
Marco opened his eyes.
“Uncle Victor.”
The room went silent.
Victor Ferrara.
Salvatore's younger brother.
Nico's uncle.
The man who had helped raise both boys after their father's death.
The man currently overseeing the Ferrara family's financial operations.
Nico stood.
“No.”
Marco gripped his wrist.
“Nico, listen.”
“Victor would never—”
“He was in my car.”
Nico stared at him.
Marco's voice trembled.
“He told me I was asking questions that could destroy the family.”
“What did you say?”
“I told him I wasn't afraid.”
A tear slid down Marco's cheek.
“Then he pulled a gun.”
Nico's face turned white.
“He shot you?”
“No. I grabbed his arm. The gun went off into the dashboard.”
Marco's breathing grew uneven.
“I swerved. We hit the barrier. I remember Victor opening the door before the car went over.”
Nico gripped the back of the chair.
“And he left you there?”
Marco nodded.
“He watched.”
The monitor began sounding an alarm.
A nurse hurried in.
“Everyone out. Now.”
Nico resisted until Marco whispered, “Go.”
We stepped into the corridor.
Nico stood against the wall, staring at nothing.
I approached carefully.
“Nico.”
He didn't answer.
“I'm sorry.”
His jaw tightened.
“I trusted him.”
“I know.”
“He held Marco when he was born.”
I had no words for that kind of betrayal.
Gabriel appeared at the end of the corridor.
“Boss, Victor's office says he's unavailable.”
Nico looked up.
“Find him.”
“Already trying.”
“And freeze every account he controls.”
Gabriel nodded.
Then he hesitated.
“There's something else.”
Nico's expression sharpened.
“What?”
“Your uncle authorized a transfer yesterday. Twelve million dollars.”
“To whom?”
Gabriel glanced at me.
“Edmund Ashford.”
My stomach dropped.
Nico stared at him.
“Why?”
“We don't know yet.”
I thought of my father's desperate return on our wedding night.
The threats.
The key.
The Benefactor.
Then a terrible possibility occurred to me.
“Maybe my father didn't come back because he realized I knew too much.”
Nico turned.
“What?”
“Maybe someone ordered him to retrieve me.”
Gabriel's phone buzzed.
He read the message.
Then looked at Nico.
“Security at the mansion just reported a visitor.”
“Who?”
“Victor.”
Nico's expression became deadly still.
“He's at my house?”
Gabriel nodded.
“And he's asking to see your wife.”
My heart began pounding.
“Why?”
Gabriel swallowed.
“He told the guards he has information about Nora's mother.”
Nico reached for his phone.
“Don't let him leave.”
But before he could make the call, my own phone rang.
Unknown number.
I answered without thinking.
A woman's voice whispered, “Nora?”
May you like
I stopped breathing.
“Nora, it's Mom.”
