Chapter 5 - The Mother Who Came Back
Maeve ran.
Dante caught her wrist.
"Wait."
"That's my mother."
"It could be a trap."
Maeve ripped free.
"Then it's my trap."
She reached the foyer.
A woman stood between two armed guards.
Older.
Thinner.
Gray threaded through her auburn hair.
But Maeve knew her.
Kathleen O'Connell.
Her mother.
Alive.
For eleven years Maeve had imagined what she'd say if given one more minute with her.
I love you.
I miss you.
I need you.
Instead she slapped her.
The sound cracked through the foyer.
Kathleen didn't move.
Maeve's hand trembled.
"I buried you."
"I know."
"I was seventeen."
"I know."
"I had nobody."
Kathleen's eyes filled.
"I know."
Maeve slapped her again.
This time Kathleen caught her hand and pressed it against her cheek.
"I'm sorry."
Maeve broke.
She collapsed into her mother's arms.
Dante turned away.
Luca lowered his gaze.
Nico quietly ordered the guards out.
For several minutes, Maeve was seventeen again.
Then reality returned.
Kathleen explained.
Hale had discovered she was collecting evidence.
Salvatore Falcone offered protection, but Kathleen didn't trust him.
She arranged her own disappearance with Elena's help.
The car accident was staged.
"Why leave me?"
"Hale knew you existed."
"So you protected me by making me an orphan?"
"I protected you by making him believe there was nothing left to use against me."
Maeve pulled away.
"You could have contacted me."
"Every year I almost did."
"But you didn't."
"No."
Kathleen didn't defend herself.
That made Maeve's anger harder.
Dante entered.
"Who betrayed you?"
Kathleen looked at him.
"Your uncle."
Dante went still.
"Marco?"
Kathleen nodded.
Marco Falcone had raised the brothers after Salvatore's death.
He'd taught Dante the business.
He'd been the only person Dante trusted completely.
Kathleen claimed Marco had secretly worked with Hale for decades.
Worse, Salvatore discovered the betrayal and tried to stop them.
The warehouse fire that supposedly killed Salvatore had been arranged by Marco.
"Where is Marco now?" Maeve asked.
Dante's face drained.
"He arrived in New York yesterday."
Kathleen stepped toward him.
"Then he's here for the ledger."
"We have the cookbook."
"That's not the ledger."
Everyone looked at her.
Kathleen touched Maeve's locket.
"This is."
She pressed the scratched F.
A hidden compartment opened.
Inside was a tiny storage chip.
Maeve stared.
"You carried the evidence the whole time?"
Kathleen nodded.
"It was the only place nobody would look."
Dante took a step backward.
He seemed wounded rather than angry.
"Why didn't you trust us?"
"I trusted three boys."
Kathleen's gaze hardened.
"I didn't know what men you would become."
Silence.
Then the lights went out.
Gunfire erupted outside.
Dante grabbed Maeve and pulled her behind a marble pillar.
Luca shouted orders.
Nico rushed toward Kathleen.
Emergency lights flickered red.
The manor alarms screamed.
A voice came over the security system.
Older.
Calm.
Familiar to the brothers.
"Hello, nephews."
Dante looked toward the speakers.
May you like
Marco Falcone had entered the house.
And he wasn't alone.
