Chapter 8 - MARCO’S CONFESSION
“Do not.”
My voice stopped Luca before his hand reached beneath his jacket.
Marco stood near the door.
His face was unreadable.
Detective Alvarez immediately moved between them.
“Nobody touches a weapon.”
Luca looked at Marco.
“You heard him.”
“Yes.”
“Where were you?”
Marco’s jaw tightened.
“Luca.”
“Answer.”
I had never heard that tone from him.
The feared man everyone whispered about finally sounded dangerous.
Not loud.
Not wild.
Dangerous because every trace of warmth had disappeared.
Marco slowly lifted both hands away from his body.
“I was there.”
Silence.
My daughter began crying against my shoulder.
I bounced her gently.
“You were where?” I whispered.
“The crash.”
Luca stared at his oldest friend.
“The police report says you were in New York.”
“I lied.”
“Why?”
Marco looked at me.
Then at Luca.
“Because Matteo asked me to.”
Luca stepped forward.
Alvarez blocked him.
“Explain now.”
Marco inhaled.
“Matteo knew he was being followed.”
“You knew?”
“Yes.”
“And you said nothing to me?”
“He ordered me not to.”
“He was not your boss.”
“No.”
“I was.”
“Yes.”
“Then why?”
Marco’s control cracked.
“Because he said if I told you, you would kill everyone before he could find proof.”
Luca said nothing.
Nobody argued.
Marco continued.
“Matteo contacted me Thursday afternoon. He said his source was frightened and might not show. He asked me to follow him from a distance.”
My heart began racing.
“You were behind the car.”
“Yes.”
“You saw the truck?”
“Yes.”
“What happened?”
“The truck hit them twice.”
My skin went cold.
Not an accident.
Not even remotely.
“I followed.”
“Why didn’t you stop it?”
“I tried.”
His voice broke for the first time.
“I was two cars back. Traffic boxed me in.”
Luca’s face was stone.
“Then?”
“The Moretti car hit the barrier.”
“I remember.”
Marco looked at me.
“The truck stopped.”
That was new.
“Stopped?”
“Yes.”
“A man got out.”
“Who?”
“I could not see his face.”
“He came toward us?”
“He was going toward Matteo.”
My daughter shifted.
I suddenly remembered hands pulling me through glass.
“Marco.”
He closed his eyes.
“It was me.”
The room blurred.
“You pulled me out.”
“Yes.”
“You told me to run.”
“Yes.”
“Why did you leave Matteo?”
Pain crossed his face.
“I didn’t.”
He looked at Luca.
“The engine had caught. Matteo was trapped. I went back.”
“Why did you not save him?”
Luca’s question was quiet.
Cruel because it came from grief.
Marco accepted it.
“I couldn’t.”
“You could have tried.”
“I did.”
“You left my brother to burn.”
“I burned my hands trying to get him out.”
Marco pulled off his gloves.
For the first time, I saw the thick scar tissue across both palms.
Luca stared.
Six years of history existed in that silence.
“I never knew.”
“No.”
“Why?”
“Because Matteo made me promise something.”
“What?”
Marco looked at me.
“To keep Emma alive.”
I stopped breathing.
“He knew who I was?”
“Yes.”
“Why didn’t you tell Luca?”
“Matteo said there was a leak inside the family.”
Luca looked wounded now.
“He thought it was me?”
“No.”
“Then why hide her?”
“Because he didn’t know who.”
Marco looked directly at me.
“After the crash, I followed you for almost a year.”
“The photographs.”
“Some were mine.”
My stomach tightened.
“All?”
“No.”
That was worse.
“Which ones?”
“The oldest.”
“Who took the recent pictures?”
“I don’t know.”
Luca paced toward the window.
“You watched Emma for a year and never told me.”
“Yes.”
“You knew she might be our sister.”
“Yes.”
“You let me search for Matteo’s killer while you hid his final investigation from me.”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
Marco’s voice hardened.
“Because your grief made you reckless.”
Luca turned.
Marco did not flinch.
“You executed two men in six months because you believed they might have been involved.”
Detective Alvarez’s eyebrows rose.
I looked at Luca.
He did not deny it.
Marco continued.
“If I had told you there was a young woman connected to Matteo’s murder, you would have brought her into Moretti protection.”
“I would have kept her safe.”
“You would have painted a target on her.”
That stopped him.
“Matteo understood you better than anyone.”
Luca looked away.
I watched him absorb the truth.
It hurt.
Good truths often did.
“What changed?” I asked Marco.
“What?”
“You stopped watching me after a year.”
“I didn’t.”
My pulse jumped.
“Then who…”
“I hired private security.”
“You had strangers following me for six years?”
“To keep other strangers from following you.”
“That is not comforting.”
“I know.”
“Did you know about Derek?”
“Not initially.”
“When?”
“Two years ago.”
My anger exploded.
“You knew for two years?”
“We knew he was connected to Northstar.”
“And you let me stay with him?”
“We had no proof he intended to harm you.”
“He stole my identity!”
“We discovered those accounts two weeks ago.”
“Luca said he was investigating Derek for eleven months.”
“For financial crimes.”
I looked at Luca.
“You never thought to mention my boyfriend was under investigation?”
“I did not know his connection to you until eleven months ago.”
“Eleven months is a long time!”
“I know.”
My daughter startled at my voice.
I immediately lowered it.
“Sorry, baby.”
I kissed her head.
Then looked at both men.
“No more protection I do not know about.”
Neither spoke.
“I mean it.”
Marco nodded first.
“Agreed.”
Luca took longer.
Then:
“Agreed.”
Detective Alvarez’s phone rang.
She answered.
“Yes?”
She listened.
Her eyes moved toward Brittany.
“What hospital?”
Pause.
“When?”
Another pause.
“I’m coming.”
She hung up.
“What?” I asked.
“The blood in Brittany’s car has a preliminary match.”
Brittany went pale.
“To who?”
“Samuel Pierce.”
Silence.
The missing doctor.
Matteo’s source.
Alive.
At least recently.
Brittany shook her head.
“I never met him.”
Alvarez stepped closer.
“His blood is in your car.”
“I swear.”
“How?”
“I don’t know.”
“Where did you get the vehicle?”
“Derek leased it.”
Everyone looked at her.
“When?”
“Two months ago.”
Marco swore.
Luca’s attention sharpened.
“Derek had Pierce.”
Brittany covered her mouth.
Alvarez turned to Harris as he entered.
“Find Derek.”
“He is gone.”
Silence.
“What?”
“He left during the power interruption.”
I stared.
“You said he was detained.”
“Hospital security cannot legally hold someone indefinitely without arrest.”
“Police were here!”
“We did not have probable cause for arrest at that time.”
My anger became volcanic.
“So the man who planned to take my child walked out?”
Harris looked furious with himself.
“Yes.”
Luca picked up his phone.
Harris pointed at him.
“No.”
Luca ignored him.
“Find Morrison.”
“Moretti.”
Luca looked at Harris.
“My sister and her newborn are being targeted by a man your department allowed to walk out of this hospital.”
The word sister hit me strangely.
“I am not waiting for procedure.”
Harris stepped forward.
“If your people interfere—”
“They will locate him.”
“Then call us.”
“If he is lucky.”
“Luca.”
My voice stopped him.
He looked at me.
“No bodies.”
His expression was unreadable.
“Emma.”
“No.”
I held Isabella tighter.
“If I am your sister, then listen to me like one.”
Marco looked very interested in the wall.
Luca stared for several seconds.
Then exhaled.
“No bodies.”
Harris muttered, “I cannot believe that sentence needed to happen.”
I almost smiled.
Then Marco’s phone vibrated.
He checked it.
His face changed.
“What?”
“Derek’s condo security system.”
“What about it?”
“Motion detected.”
“He went home?”
“No.”
Marco looked at me.
“The system says someone entered through the service door using Emma’s code.”
My skin went cold.
“I have not used that code in months.”
“Who knows it?”
“Derek.”
“Anyone else?”
“No.”
Luca was already moving.
I reached for him.
“Wait.”
He stopped.
“What if Derek wants you to go there?”
“He probably does.”
“Then why go?”
“Because he may have Samuel Pierce.”
“And if it is a trap?”
“It is.”
I stared.
“That does not concern you?”
“Of course it does.”
“You are still going?”
“Yes.”
I looked at Marco.
“You?”
“Yes.”
“You both have terrible survival instincts.”
Marco nodded.
“Family trait.”
That word again.
Family.
Before they left, Luca approached my bed.
He hesitated.
Then leaned down and kissed Isabella gently on the forehead.
I froze.
So did he.
The gesture seemed to surprise him.
He straightened.
“I will return.”
“Do not promise things you cannot control.”
His eyes met mine.
“Then I will do everything possible to return.”
Better.
He turned.
At the door, my phone buzzed.
Unknown number.
One photograph.
Derek.
He was tied to a chair in our old condo.
Blood ran from his mouth.
Behind him stood a man whose face remained outside the frame.
A message followed.
Tell Luca to come alone.
Then another.
Or Derek dies.
I stared at it.
And felt something unexpected.
Not love.
Not fear for Derek.
Understanding.
This was never about killing Derek.
He was bait.
I looked at Luca.
“Do not go.”
He studied the photograph.
“Why?”
“Because whoever sent this knows exactly how you react when family is threatened.”
His eyes narrowed.
I looked down at Isabella.
“Matteo knew it too.”
Silence.
Then Luca understood.
“They do not want Derek.”
“No.”
May you like
I lifted my eyes.
“They want you.”
