Chapter 4 - What Dante Left Behind
Mia refused to talk about Dante for the next three hours.
That scared Claire more than questions would have.
Mia drew.
She sat in a consultation room with Kate and covered six pages with horses, rainbows and one angry-looking black dragon.
Claire checked on her between patients.
Each time Mia said she was fine.
Each time Claire believed her less.
Finally, around noon, Mia looked up.
“Did he leave because of me?”
Claire immediately sat beside her.
“No.”
“Was I bad before I was born?”
Claire’s heart broke.
“Absolutely not.”
“Then why?”
“He didn’t know about you.”
Mia considered that.
“Because you didn’t tell him?”
There it was.
The question Claire knew would eventually come.
“I couldn’t find him.”
“But now he found you.”
“He got shot and came into my emergency room.”
Mia’s eyes widened.
“That’s a weird way to find someone.”
Kate made a choking sound behind them.
Claire gave her a look.
“It is.”
Mia colored the dragon.
“Will he leave again?”
Claire hesitated.
“I don’t know.”
Wrong answer.
Mia’s mouth tightened.
Claire corrected herself.
“But if he does, that is his decision. It will never be because of you.”
Mia nodded.
Children accepted some truths faster than adults.
But they remembered everything.
Later that afternoon, Dante requested Claire.
She ignored the first message.
And the second.
On the third, the ICU nurse said, “He says it concerns your daughter’s safety.”
Claire went immediately.
Dante was sitting higher now.
He looked pale but stronger.
Nico stood beside the window.
A third man was present.
Claire recognized him instantly.
Gabriel Bell.
Six years had changed him too.
His blond hair now showed gray at the temples, but the smile was the same.
Warm.
Trustworthy.
The smile of the man who had lied to a frightened pregnant woman.
“Claire.”
She stopped in the doorway.
“You.”
Gabriel’s smile disappeared.
Dante watched them.
“You called him when I disappeared.”
“Yes.”
Gabriel looked uncomfortable.
“Claire, I—”
“You told me you didn’t know where he was.”
Gabriel looked at Dante.
That was enough.
Claire understood.
“You knew.”
“I had orders.”
“From him?”
Gabriel didn’t answer.
Dante did.
“I told Gabriel not to tell anyone where I went.”
Claire laughed bitterly.
“There we are.”
“But he knew you were looking for me,” Dante continued. “That’s different.”
Gabriel’s jaw tightened.
Claire stared at him.
“I told you I thought I was pregnant.”
Dante’s face changed.
Slowly.
Terribly.
“What?”
Gabriel closed his eyes.
Claire looked at Dante.
“The second time I called him, I said I needed to find you because I might be pregnant.”
Dante turned toward Gabriel.
Every trace of weakness disappeared from his expression.
“You knew?”
Gabriel held his hands out.
“Dante—”
“You knew she was pregnant?”
“I knew she suspected.”
“And you said nothing.”
“It wasn’t that simple.”
Dante tried to stand.
Claire immediately stepped forward.
“Don’t.”
He ignored her.
Nico moved too.
Dante ripped the monitoring lead from his chest.
“Six years.”
Gabriel backed away.
“Listen to me.”
“My daughter is six years old.”
“I know.”
The room froze.
Claire felt it first.
Not fear.
Recognition.
Something was wrong.
Dante became completely still.
“What did you say?”
Gabriel realized his mistake.
“I meant—”
“You know?”
Nico moved toward the door, blocking it.
Claire whispered, “How?”
Gabriel’s eyes shifted.
Dante saw it.
“You knew she existed.”
Gabriel said nothing.
Dante’s voice became almost quiet.
That was worse than shouting.
“How long?”
Gabriel stared at the floor.
“Since she was born.”
Claire felt sick.
“You knew about Mia?”
“I never wanted anyone hurt.”
Claire stepped toward him.
“You watched me spend six years raising her alone.”
“I was trying to protect both of you.”
“From what?”
Gabriel looked at Dante.
“From him.”
Dante’s face hardened.
Gabriel continued.
“You want the truth? Fine. Six years ago, Dante had half the West Coast looking for blood. His father had just been assassinated. Three families were fighting over territory. Bodies were appearing every week.”
Claire looked at Dante.
He didn’t deny it.
Gabriel pointed toward him.
“He wanted you alive. He told me to make sure you stayed that way. When you called and said you might be pregnant, I knew what would happen if Dante found out.”
“What?” Claire demanded.
“He would have come back.”
Dante whispered, “Yes.”
“And that would have exposed you both.”
Gabriel looked at Claire.
“So I lied.”
Claire stared in disbelief.
“You made that decision for us.”
“Yes.”
“You had people watching?”
Gabriel nodded.
“Only until the threats cooled.”
“Eight months,” Dante said.
Gabriel looked at him.
“Longer.”
Dante’s face changed.
“How long?”
“Nearly three years.”
Claire felt the room move beneath her.
“You watched Mia?”
“From a distance.”
Rage erupted.
“You watched my child?”
“To make sure nobody else did.”
Claire slapped him.
The sound cracked through the room.
Nobody moved.
Gabriel accepted it.
“You deserved that.”
“No,” Claire whispered. “You deserve much worse.”
Dante’s breathing became rough.
“You reported to me for eight months.”
Gabriel nodded.
“After that, I told you she was safe.”
“You told me Claire moved on.”
“She was trying to.”
“You told me she was seeing someone.”
Claire’s head snapped around.
“What?”
Gabriel looked away.
Dante stared at him.
“You said she was building a new family.”
“I needed you to stay away.”
“So you invented one?”
“I saw Claire with Kate’s brother.”
Claire understood.
“Evan?”
Gabriel nodded.
“Evan was carrying my groceries because I had a three-week-old infant.”
Dante looked as if he might kill him.
Claire stepped between them.
Not for Gabriel.
For Dante’s stitches.
“Sit down.”
“Move.”
“No.”
“Claire.”
“You tear your lung open and you’re no use to anyone.”
That reached him.
Barely.
He lowered himself back onto the bed.
Gabriel exhaled.
Dante said, “You hid my daughter.”
Gabriel’s eyes became wet.
“I kept her alive.”
“You don’t know that.”
“I know what was happening then.”
“So do I.”
“And would you have stayed away if you knew?”
Dante said nothing.
Gabriel nodded.
“That’s my point.”
Claire felt exhausted suddenly.
“So what changed now?”
Gabriel looked toward the door.
“Someone found an old file.”
Dante frowned.
“What file?”
“Surveillance from six years ago. Claire’s photographs. Addresses. Records.”
“Who?”
“I don’t know.”
“You always know.”
“Not this time.”
Claire’s stomach tightened.
“What was in the file?”
Gabriel hesitated.
Dante’s voice sharpened.
“Answer her.”
Gabriel looked at Claire.
“Hospital records.”
Claire went cold.
“What records?”
“Your admission when Mia was born.”
Dante’s face drained.
Gabriel continued.
“The file connected Claire Callahan to a female infant born approximately nine months after your relationship.”
Silence.
Claire whispered, “So whoever has it can figure out Mia is Dante’s daughter.”
“Yes.”
Nico cursed softly.
Dante asked, “When did the file disappear?”
“Four days ago.”
“The shooting was last night.”
Gabriel nodded.
Claire’s thoughts raced.
“My apartment.”
“The break-in confirms it,” Nico said.
Dante looked toward Claire.
“You and Mia cannot go home.”
“I know.”
It was the first time she didn’t fight him.
Dante noticed.
That frightened her too.
“Where?” Claire asked.
Nico answered.
“Dante has a house on Bainbridge Island.”
“No.”
Gabriel said, “Too obvious.”
Dante looked at him.
“You don’t get a vote anymore.”
Gabriel accepted that.
Claire walked toward the window.
Rain streaked the glass.
Somewhere down the hall, Mia was drawing horses.
Six years ago, Claire had thought Dante’s disappearance was the worst thing that could happen.
Now she understood something more terrifying.
His absence had not separated them from his world.
It had merely delayed the moment it found them.
Her phone buzzed.
Kate.
Claire answered immediately.
“What?”
Kate’s voice shook.
“Claire, I’m in the consultation room.”
“What happened?”
“Come here.”
“Is Mia okay?”
“Yes, but…”
Claire was already moving.
“What?”
Kate lowered her voice.
“Someone left something outside the door.”
Claire stopped.
“What?”
“A photograph.”
Every person in Dante’s room heard.
Dante was on his feet again before Claire could stop him.
Nico drew his weapon.
Claire whispered, “What photograph?”
Kate answered.
“Mia.”
Claire couldn’t breathe.
“When?”
May you like
Kate began crying.
“It was taken this morning.”
