Chapter 5 - THE GODFATHER
Salvatore Marchi arrived at the Rossi mansion at four that afternoon.
By invitation.
Mine.
Lorenzo hated the idea.
Nico hated it more.
Mara called it insane.
I didn't care.
For nearly two months, everyone else had controlled the story.
Sophia had known pieces.
Daniel had known pieces.
Salvatore knew almost everything.
Lorenzo knew too little.
And I knew nothing until the night I picked up a starving baby.
That was finished.
I wanted Salvatore where I could see him.
More importantly, I wanted him to believe we didn't know what he'd done.
When his black Bentley came through the gates, I watched from the second-floor window.
He looked exactly like the kind of man people trusted.
Late sixties.
Silver hair.
Beautiful suit.
Warm smile.
He carried a gift bag.
“For Leo,” Lorenzo said behind me.
I glanced over.
“You sound surprised.”
“Salvatore brings him something every week.”
My stomach turned.
“What kind of person kidnaps one baby and buys gifts for another?”
Lorenzo's face darkened.
“We still don't know why.”
“Yes, we do.”
“No. We know he took Eli from the hospital. We don't know where he is now.”
“He called you son.”
“Someone left a note.”
“Stop protecting him.”
Lorenzo stepped closer.
“You think I'm protecting him because I refuse to shoot first and ask questions later?”
I stared.
“That sentence is not as reassuring as you think.”
Something almost softened his expression.
Then footsteps approached.
Salvatore entered.
“Lorenzo.”
He hugged him.
Actually hugged him.
I watched Lorenzo's hands.
They remained at his sides.
Salvatore noticed me.
His expression changed for less than a second.
But I saw it.
Recognition.
“Hunter Morgan.”
My skin chilled.
“I don't remember telling you my last name.”
He smiled.
“I know everyone who works in my godson's home.”
“Apparently.”
Lorenzo gestured toward the chair.
“Sit.”
Salvatore did.
His eyes moved toward the baby monitor.
“How is Leo?”
“Better.”
“Thank God.”
His relief almost looked real.
That confused me.
Then his gaze returned to me.
“I hear you've been helping.”
“How did you hear that?”
Silence.
Tiny.
Barely noticeable.
Then he smiled again.
“Household news travels.”
“Does it?”
Lorenzo stepped in.
“Hunter has been feeding him.”
Salvatore's gaze dropped toward my chest before immediately returning to my face.
“Extraordinary.”
“Isn't it?”
I sat opposite him.
“My baby died three weeks ago.”
His smile disappeared.
“I'm sorry.”
“His name was Eli.”
Nothing.
His control was extraordinary.
If I hadn't watched the hospital footage, I would have believed him.
“I never got to say goodbye.”
“That is terrible.”
“Do you have children?”
“No.”
“Ever want them?”
He looked at Lorenzo.
“I had him.”
The answer hurt Lorenzo.
I could tell.
I almost felt guilty.
Almost.
Salvatore leaned back.
“Why did you invite me, Hunter?”
There it was.
No more pretending.
“I didn't.”
His eyes narrowed.
“Lorenzo said you wanted to meet me.”
“I wanted you here.”
“Why?”
I looked toward Lorenzo.
He closed the study doors.
Then Nico placed a laptop on the table.
Salvatore looked at it.
No fear.
Not yet.
We played the video.
The hospital corridor.
The nursery.
The man in scrubs.
Eli's bassinet.
The watch.
Then Salvatore's face.
The room became silent.
Salvatore watched himself steal my newborn son.
When the video ended, he sighed.
Not panicked.
Not shocked.
Annoyed.
“That footage was supposed to be destroyed.”
I stood so fast my chair fell backward.
“Where is my son?”
Lorenzo moved between us.
“Answer her.”
Salvatore looked at him.
“Sit down, Lorenzo.”
For the first time, Lorenzo seemed stunned.
“You don't give me orders in my house.”
“I gave you orders before you could tie your shoes.”
“Where is Eli?”
Salvatore's eyes moved to me.
“Alive.”
My knees weakened.
“Where?”
“Safe.”
“Where?”
He studied me.
“You really don't know what Daniel did, do you?”
“Daniel tried to protect us.”
Salvatore laughed.
“Daniel stole from me.”
“What?”
“Records. Access codes. Money.”
Lorenzo spoke.
“Thirty-seven million?”
“No.”
Salvatore looked offended.
“That money was mine to begin with.”
“Sophia's foundation.”
“Your wife was idealistic.”
“My wife discovered you trafficking infants.”
The room turned cold.
Salvatore stared at Lorenzo.
Then he shook his head.
“Is that what you think?”
“Explain.”
Salvatore looked at me.
“I didn't sell babies.”
“Then why did you steal mine?”
“To stop someone else from taking him.”
I froze.
“What?”
“Eli was on a list.”
“I know.”
“Daniel put him there.”
“No.”
“He did.”
“You're lying.”
“Daniel was working with men who believed children could be leverage.”
“Against whom?”
Salvatore looked at Lorenzo.
“Rossi.”
I laughed bitterly.
“My son had nothing to do with Lorenzo.”
Salvatore's expression changed.
“Didn't he?”
Lorenzo went still.
“What are you saying?”
Salvatore slowly removed a document from inside his jacket.
Nico immediately moved.
Salvatore held up one hand.
“If I intended to kill anyone, we wouldn't be having tea.”
He placed the paper on the table.
A DNA report.
My vision blurred.
“No.”
I picked it up.
The names meant nothing at first.
Then I saw:
Daniel Hayes.
Eli Morgan.
Lorenzo Rossi.
Probability of biological relationship…
My heart stopped.
Lorenzo took the sheet.
His face changed.
“What is this?”
Salvatore answered.
“Daniel Hayes wasn't simply a contractor.”
“Who was he?”
“Your father's illegitimate son.”
Silence.
Lorenzo stared at him.
“No.”
“Your half-brother.”
I couldn't breathe.
Daniel.
The man I had loved.
The father of my child.
Was a Rossi.
Which made Eli Lorenzo's nephew.
The room spun.
“Daniel knew?”
“Yes.”
“How long?” I whispered.
“Most of his life.”
I slapped Salvatore.
Hard.
Nico moved instinctively.
Lorenzo lifted a hand.
Nobody touched me.
Salvatore slowly turned his face back toward mine.
“You have spirit.”
“You stole my baby.”
“I saved him.”
“From who?”
“Daniel.”
I lunged again.
This time Lorenzo caught my arms.
“Hunter.”
“Let me go!”
“Listen.”
“I've listened enough!”
Salvatore calmly adjusted his cuff.
“Daniel wanted what Lorenzo inherited.”
Lorenzo's grip loosened.
“My father never mentioned another son.”
“Because I buried the scandal.”
“You knew.”
“I knew everything your father didn't want you to know.”
Lorenzo stared at him with hatred.
“And you never told me.”
“My loyalty was to the family.”
“Apparently not mine.”
Salvatore's expression softened.
“Everything I did was for you.”
“Then where is Eli?”
Salvatore looked at him.
“I moved the child after the bombing.”
“Where?”
“Somewhere Daniel couldn't reach.”
“Daniel disappeared before the bombing.”
“He wasn't missing.”
My heart stopped.
“What?”
Salvatore looked directly at me.
“He was hiding.”
“Where is he now?”
“I don't know.”
“You expect me to believe that?”
“No. I expect you to survive long enough to discover it.”
Lorenzo grabbed Salvatore by the jacket.
“You staged Leo's kidnapping attempt?”
“No.”
“The note.”
“Not mine.”
“Someone called me son.”
“Many people know I call you that.”
Lorenzo shoved him backward.
“Convenient.”
Salvatore didn't fight.
“If I wanted Leo, Lorenzo, I could have taken him the night he was born.”
“You took Eli.”
“To protect the Rossi bloodline.”
I felt sick.
“He's not a bloodline. He's a baby.”
Salvatore looked at me.
“For that, Hunter, I am sorry.”
“Sorry?”
“I made sure he was cared for.”
“You let me bury an empty coffin.”
His face shifted.
“I was told you were kept away from the funeral.”
“You were told?”
“Yes.”
“By who?”
For the first time, Salvatore hesitated.
Lorenzo noticed.
“Who?”
Salvatore looked toward the door.
“Your wife.”
Nobody moved.
My voice vanished.
“Sophia knew Eli was alive?”
“Yes.”
I almost collapsed.
“No.”
“She agreed that Hunter couldn't be told immediately.”
“Why would she do that?”
“Because Daniel was watching you.”
I stared.
Salvatore continued.
“Sophia intended to bring Hunter and Eli here together once Daniel was found.”
“But Sophia died.”
“Yes.”
“And then you kept my baby.”
“I was trying to determine who ordered the bombing.”
“Was it Daniel?”
“I don't know.”
Lorenzo looked almost murderous.
“You had two months.”
“And I was working without knowing who inside your house could be trusted.”
“What about you?”
Salvatore's eyes hardened.
“I walked in here knowing you had footage of me. Does that sound like a man hiding?”
It didn't.
I hated that.
Then Salvatore reached into his pocket again.
This time he removed a phone.
On the screen was a live video.
A nursery.
A woman rocked a baby.
My baby.
Eli.
Alive.
I moved toward the screen.
“Where?”
Salvatore didn't answer.
“Let me go to him.”
“No.”
I turned on Lorenzo.
“Make him tell me.”
Salvatore smiled sadly.
“Still asking a Rossi man to solve your problems.”
I stared.
Then I understood.
He wanted me angry.
Maybe because angry people stopped thinking.
I forced myself to breathe.
“Fine.”
I faced Salvatore.
“What would make you give me my son?”
“Proof Daniel is dead.”
My blood ran cold.
“And if he's alive?”
Salvatore's answer chilled everyone in the room.
“Then neither of your babies is safe.”
A phone rang.
Not Lorenzo's.
Not mine.
Salvatore's.
He looked at the screen.
His expression changed.
Pure fear.
He answered.
“Hello?”
A man's voice came through.
Familiar.
Impossible.
My heart stopped.
“Hello, Uncle Sal.”
The room froze.
I knew that voice.
I had listened to it say good morning for two years.
I had listened to it promise me forever.
Daniel.
My supposedly missing boyfriend.
The father of Eli.
Alive.
May you like
Then he said the words that destroyed whatever remained of the man I thought I knew.
“Tell Hunter I want my son back.”
