Chapter 5 - The House by Lake Superior
The private property stood among dense pines overlooking the cold waters of Lake Superior.
It was an old hunting lodge, isolated from the nearest town by several miles of forest road.
Sebastian's team approached quietly.
The windows were dark, but a vehicle stood outside the garage.
Marco checked the registration.
“It belongs to Vincent's company.”
Sebastian drew a slow breath.
“Stay alert.”
They entered through a side door.
The lodge smelled of wood smoke and medicine. A wheelchair stood beside a fireplace. On a table lay several prescription bottles and a half-finished cup of tea.
Then Sebastian heard a voice from the room upstairs.
“Rachel?”
He hurried up the staircase.
Antonio Moretti sat beside a window, wrapped in a dark blanket. His face was thinner, his hair nearly white, and a long scar crossed his temple.
But his eyes were unmistakable.
“Dad.”
Antonio stared at his son.
For a moment, neither spoke.
Then Sebastian crossed the room and dropped to his knees beside the chair.
“You're alive.”
Antonio placed a trembling hand on his son's shoulder.
“I am.”
Sebastian's eyes burned.
“I buried you.”
“I know.”
“I stood beside that coffin and begged you to forgive me.”
Antonio closed his eyes.
“I am sorry.”
Sebastian rose abruptly.
“Sorry? You let me believe you were dead. You let me mourn you while the people responsible walked through my house.”
“I believed you were safer if you didn't know.”
“You were wrong.”
Antonio nodded.
“Yes.”
The admission took some of the anger out of Sebastian, though it did not erase it.
“Tell me what happened.”
Antonio described the night of the explosion.
He had discovered that Vincent and Michael were stealing money from the family and using the proceeds to finance an independent criminal operation. They planned to remove Antonio from power and seize control of his legitimate businesses.
Antonio had arranged to meet a source who claimed to have evidence.
But before he reached the meeting, his car exploded.
The blast threw him from the vehicle. His driver, Luis Ortega, pulled him from the wreckage and drove him to a private clinic.
Luis survived, though he was badly injured.
Antonio had suffered a head injury and several broken bones. While he was unconscious, Vincent's men spread the story that he had died.
When Antonio recovered enough to understand what had happened, he realized that Vincent controlled the family residence, the funeral arrangements, and much of the security network.
He contacted Vanessa because she was the only person outside the inner circle he believed might help him.
“She helped me escape,” Antonio said. “But she made mistakes. She thought she could negotiate with Vincent.”
Sebastian's expression hardened.
“Why didn't you contact me?”
“Because Michael had access to your security detail. I feared that any message would expose my location.”
Antonio reached toward a drawer and removed a small envelope.
“There's one person who can confirm everything. Luis is alive. He's hiding in a clinic near Duluth.”
Sebastian took the envelope.
Inside was a photograph of Luis, along with a handwritten note.
He saw who planted the explosives.
Sebastian looked at his father.
“Who was it?”
Antonio's expression became grim.
“I believe it was Michael. But I need Luis to confirm what he saw.”
A sound came from downstairs.
Footsteps.
Marco's voice echoed through the hall.
“Boss! We've got company!”
Sebastian hurried to the landing.
Three men had entered the lodge.
At their head stood Michael Moretti.
He smiled when he saw Sebastian.
“Cousin. You've made this much harder than it needed to be.”
Sebastian stepped in front of his father.
“You're not leaving this house.”
Michael laughed.
“You still think this is about family loyalty. It was always about power.”
He glanced past Sebastian toward Antonio.
“Uncle, you should have stayed dead.”
Antonio gripped the arms of his chair.
Michael raised a hand.
May you like
His men moved forward.
And the lodge erupted into chaos.
