Chapter 6 - A Debt Natalie Never Knew Existed
The certificate wasn't Natalie's.
It belonged to a boy named Samuel.
Born twenty-nine years earlier.
Father: Antonio Moretti.
Mother: Elena Caruso.
Natalie stared at her mother.
Luca stared too.
Elena sat down.
Before Natalie was born, Elena had loved Luca's uncle Antonio.
Their son Samuel died three days after birth.
Or so Elena had been told.
Sofia Moretti later discovered the baby had been taken.
Antonio's father considered Elena unsuitable.
The infant was secretly placed with another family.
Elena never knew.
"Samuel might be alive?" Natalie whispered.
Elena nodded through tears.
David had helped Sofia search.
That was how he became involved with the Morettis.
That was also how he discovered Gabriel's theft.
The cassette contained Sofia's voice.
She named one person who knew where Samuel had been sent.
Anthony Bellini.
Luca immediately called Marco.
No answer.
Again.
Nothing.
They drove to Anthony's villa.
The gates were open.
Inside, furniture had been overturned.
Blood marked the floor.
Anthony was gone.
Marco arrived ten minutes later, frantic.
For the first time Natalie saw him lose control.
"My father wouldn't run."
Luca showed him the certificate.
Marco read it.
His face emptied.
"What?"
Natalie noticed.
"You know that name."
Marco denied it.
Luca grabbed his arm.
"Marco."
Marco finally spoke.
Samuel was Gabriel's lieutenant.
A man Luca's organization knew as Sam Vale.
Natalie's half-brother.
And the man suspected of ordering yesterday's shooting.
Elena nearly collapsed.
Natalie felt the room tilt.
Her brother was alive.
And he might be trying to kill her.
That evening, Luca took Natalie to a secure villa.
She stood on the balcony.
He joined her.
"I don't know what I'm supposed to feel," she said.
"You don't have to."
"My father may be dead. My mother lied. I have a brother who might be a murderer."
"Anything else?"
She looked at him.
"I'm falling for a mafia boss."
Luca stopped breathing.
Natalie smiled sadly.
"That one might be the stupidest."
He stepped closer.
"Definitely."
Then he kissed her.
It wasn't gentle for long.
Weeks of fear and tension collapsed between them.
When they separated, Luca rested his forehead against hers.
"I don't want you inside my world."
"Too late."
"I know."
A phone rang inside.
Marco answered.
His face changed.
"Luca."
They entered.
Marco placed the phone on speaker.
A man's voice came through.
"Hello, little sister."
Natalie froze.
Samuel.
"I have Anthony."
"Why?" she asked.
"Because he knows what happened to David."
Natalie's hands shook.
"Is my father alive?"
A pause.
Then Samuel laughed.
"Come to Bellini Harbor tomorrow."
"Samuel—"
"And bring Luca."
The call ended.
Marco stared at the phone.
Then another message arrived.
A photograph.
Anthony Bellini tied to a chair.
Behind him stood Gabriel.
May you like
And beside Gabriel was a man Natalie had spent twenty years believing was gone.
Her father.
