Chapter 6 - ADRIAN’S OFFER
Adrian disappeared before the arrest warrant was signed.
That told me everything.
The evidence had not yet been public.
Only a handful of investigators knew.
Yet by dawn, my brother’s Manhattan apartment was empty.
His office safe had been cleared.
Private jet gone.
He had help.
The Moretti organization fractured immediately.
Half the men called me.
The other half waited.
Some were loyal to me.
Some to money.
Some to whoever they believed would still be alive next month.
For the first time, I did not care.
I entered treatment again Monday.
Real treatment.
For my real cancer.
The oncologist explained the odds.
Good.
Not guaranteed.
Good.
I sat there thinking about how strange it was that one word could mean everything.
Lily waited outside with Teresa.
She had brought a deck of cards.
When I came out, she asked:
“Still dying?”
“Eventually.”
She glared.
“From cancer?”
“Doctor says probably not.”
“Good.”
Then she handed me half a sandwich.
“You need food.”
I took it.
My brother called that night.
Unknown number.
I answered.
“Dominic.”
His voice.
Calm.
Familiar.
I had heard it at birthdays.
Funerals.
Hospitals.
The night Mateo was born.
The night Isabella died.
“Adrian.”
“You found Erin’s locker.”
Not a question.
“You scared?”
“No.”
Lie.
“I’m disappointed.”
I laughed.
“That’s worse.”
“Where’s the girl?”
My body went cold.
“You say her name once and I’ll find you before the government does.”
Silence.
Then Adrian sighed.
“She was supposed to disappear with her mother.”
There it was.
I closed my eyes.
“You knew Erin was alive.”
“For a while.”
“You hunted a child.”
“I protected the family.”
“From what?”
“Alan had evidence.”
“So you killed him?”
“I didn’t drive his car.”
“You arranged it.”
“He made choices.”
My hand shook.
“You killed Isabella and Mateo.”
A long pause.
“They were not supposed to be in that car without you.”
The room disappeared.
For three years I had asked why I stayed behind.
Now I knew.
The shipment call was meant to delay me only briefly.
Maybe Adrian expected me to join them later.
Maybe his timing failed.
“You wanted all of us dead.”
“I wanted control.”
His honesty was almost worse.
“Why?”
“You stopped being Moretti.”
I stared at the wall.
“You wanted legal businesses. Compliance. Audits. You were selling off what our father built.”
“Our father built fear.”
“He built power.”
“And you killed a six-year-old for it.”
Silence.
Then Adrian’s voice hardened.
“Mateo was an heir.”
I stopped breathing.
Not nephew.
Not child.
Heir.
Lily entered the doorway.
She saw my face.
Stayed silent.
Adrian continued.
“You were going to leave everything to him. Once Isabella convinced you to go legitimate, the organization was finished.”
“So you murdered them.”
“I corrected a succession problem.”
Something inside me became still.
Not rage.
Clarity.
I understood then that no explanation Adrian could give would ever make him human to me again.
“What do you want?”
“A deal.”
“Of course.”
“You withdraw cooperation.”
“No.”
“You give me control of Moretti Holdings.”
“No.”
“I disappear.”
“No.”
He laughed softly.
“Still think courts protect people like you?”
“I think evidence helps.”
“You won’t live long enough to see trial.”
“Wrong again.”
Silence.
“You really believe the new doctors?”
“Yes.”
“You could still die.”
“Yes.”
His breathing changed.
Then:
“So could she.”
I stood.
Lily watched.
“Adrian.”
My voice became quiet.
“You just made the biggest mistake of your life.”
He disconnected.
Within minutes, security doubled.
I hated it.
Lily hated it more.
“I’m not prisoner.”
“No.”
“Then why guards?”
“Because Adrian threatened you.”
Her face went pale.
She understood death too well.
“Can he get me?”
“I’m going to make it very difficult.”
“Not answer.”
She was right.
I crouched.
“Yes.”
Her eyes filled.
“He can try.”
She looked away.
“I hate maybe.”
“So do I.”
“What do we do?”
“Be careful.”
“And?”
“Tell the truth.”
She frowned.
“That’s all?”
“No.”
I looked toward Marco.
“Set a trap.”
Adrian wanted control.
Moretti Holdings.
He believed I was still weak enough to negotiate.
So we let him believe I was.
Mara drafted a transfer agreement.
False enough to stop him from gaining anything.
Real enough to look credible.
We sent word through a channel Adrian still monitored.
Dominic is deteriorating.
Dominic wants settlement.
Lily hated the plan.
“You pretend sick?”
“I am sick.”
“Pretend worse.”
“Yes.”
“Bad plan.”
“Probably.”
“Adults.”
I smiled.
The meeting location came forty-eight hours later.
An old restaurant in Brooklyn our father had owned.
Closed for renovation.
Adrian demanded Marco stay away.
I agreed.
Of course Marco would be there.
So would federal agents.
I wore a wire.
That phrase would once have been enough to get a Moretti killed.
Now it might save Lily.
Before I left, she stood in the entrance hall.
“Come back.”
“I plan to.”
“Not plan.”
I looked at her.
“Promise?”
She stared.
I thought of all the promises I had lost.
Pancakes.
Vacation.
Home by eight.
I had learned not to promise what I could not control.
So I said:
“I promise I will do everything I can to come back.”
She nodded slowly.
“Okay.”
Then she hugged me.
“Dad.”
The word came softly.
Accidental.
Maybe intentional.
I froze.
She froze too.
Neither moved.
Then Lily pulled back.
“I can call you that?”
I could not speak for a second.
“Yes.”
She nodded.
“Good.”
Then she pushed me toward the door.
“Go arrest your stupid brother.”
May you like
Marco heard.
He laughed for twenty minutes.
