Chapter 4 - The Secret Richie Dempsey Took to His GraveNora spent the next six hours trying to save Dom Marchetti’s life.
They could not risk a public hospital.
Victor brought in a trusted surgeon.
Nora assisted.
Not because Victor ordered her.
Because she needed something she understood.
Blood pressure.
Sutures.
Medication.
Human anatomy made sense.
Families did not.
At 8:42 p.m., the surgeon finally removed his gloves.
“He’ll live.”
Nora closed her eyes.
Victor stood across the room.
Their gazes met.
He nodded once.
Thank you.
No words necessary.
Adrian waited downstairs.
Victor had posted four guards around him.
Nora found that almost funny.
“You really think your brother survived fourteen years just to come here and kill you?”
Victor poured whiskey.
“I don’t know my brother.”
“You knew him once.”
“I knew a seventeen-year-old boy.”
“So talk to the man.”
Victor looked at her.
“You’re very comfortable telling dangerous men what to do.”
“I’m developing a hobby.”
His mouth almost curved.
Then Nora became serious.
“What Gabriel said about my mother…”
“We’ll investigate.”
“No.”
Victor frowned.
“No?”
“I will investigate.”
“Nora.”
“This is my life.”
“And Gabriel wants you emotional.”
“I am emotional.”
“That makes you vulnerable.”
She stepped closer.
“Emotion doesn’t make me stupid.”
Victor stared at her.
Nora lowered her voice.
“You’re allowed to be angry about Adrian. I’m allowed to be afraid about this.”
Something softened.
Victor reached toward her.
He stopped before touching her.
Nora noticed.
“Why did you stop?”
His eyes met hers.
“Because you’ve had enough people make decisions about your body and your life.”
That answer struck deeper than she expected.
Nora closed the distance herself.
She placed his hand against her cheek.
Victor exhaled.
For several seconds they simply stood there.
Then Nora kissed him.
Not like the balcony.
Not adrenaline.
Not blood.
This kiss was slower.
A choice.
When they separated, Victor rested his forehead against hers.
“You’re dangerous,” he murmured.
“You run a criminal empire.”
“I wasn’t talking about guns.”
Neither slept.
At midnight, Adrian finally told his story.
He sat across from Victor in the penthouse library.
Nora remained between them.
Not physically.
Emotionally.
Two brothers who had spent fourteen years believing different lies.
“Salvatore ordered our parents killed,” Adrian said.
Victor stared at him.
“Why?”
“Our father wanted out.”
Victor frowned.
“Dad ran the family.”
“He wanted to dismantle it.”
“That makes no sense.”
“He met federal prosecutors.”
Victor stood.
“You’re lying.”
Adrian did not move.
“Richie had the evidence.”
Victor looked toward Nora.
She opened the ledger.
Several pages documented meetings between Michael Falcone and federal officials.
Victor read them.
His father had been preparing to cooperate.
The fire occurred four days before the agreement was supposed to be signed.
Victor sat down slowly.
“Uncle Salvatore…”
“Needed the empire,” Adrian said.
“And us?”
“Dead heirs create fewer problems.”
“Why did I survive?”
“Because you weren’t home.”
Victor remembered.
He had been at a basketball game.
Adrian had been staying with a friend.
Their parents died alone.
Victor whispered, “He raised us afterward.”
“He raised you.”
“What does that mean?”
Adrian looked away.
“After Richie saved me, Gabriel hid me.”
“Why didn’t you contact me?”
“I tried.”
“When?”
“Three months later.”
Victor stared.
“I called the house.”
“And?”
“Salvatore answered.”
Adrian’s voice hardened.
“He told me if I came back, you died.”
Victor went silent.
Nora watched fourteen years of anger reorganize itself inside him.
“And you believed him?”
“He had already killed our parents.”
Victor looked away.
Adrian continued.
“Richie promised to expose everything. Then Miller killed him.”
Nora swallowed.
“What happened after my father died?”
“Gabriel changed.”
“How?”
“He stopped wanting justice.”
Adrian leaned forward.
“He wanted the Falcone empire.”
Victor laughed coldly.
“There it is.”
“I’m not defending him.”
“You spent fourteen years with him.”
“I spent fourteen years owing him my life.”
“Same thing.”
“No.”
The brothers stared at each other.
Nora interrupted.
“What does Gabriel want now?”
“The same thing Salvatore wanted. Control.”
“And the ledger?”
“It proves ownership structures, offshore accounts, political payments. Enough information to destroy half the organization.”
Victor looked at Nora.
“And enough to take it over.”
Adrian nodded.
Then he looked at her.
“But Richie hid something else.”
“What?”
“A recording.”
Nora frowned.
“Of what?”
“I don’t know.”
“Then how do you know it exists?”
“Richie told me.”
Adrian leaned back.
“He said if everything failed, the recording would protect his daughter.”
Nora felt cold.
“Me.”
“Yes.”
“From whom?”
Adrian hesitated.
“Your biological father.”
Silence.
Victor stood immediately.
“Enough.”
Nora raised a hand.
“No.”
Victor looked at her.
She turned to Adrian.
“Say it.”
Adrian watched her carefully.
“Richie Dempsey wasn’t your biological father.”
Nora felt nothing.
That frightened her.
Sometimes shock was not pain.
Sometimes it was absence.
“Who was?”
Adrian swallowed.
“Gabriel DeLuca.”
Victor crossed the room so quickly Adrian barely had time to stand.
Victor slammed him against the wall.
“You knew?”
“I found out later.”
“You came into my house knowing this?”
“Victor!”
Nora grabbed his arm.
Victor released Adrian.
Nora stepped backward.
Gabriel DeLuca.
The man stalking her.
The man threatening Victor.
Her father.
“No.”
Adrian said quietly, “Richie and Kathleen adopted you privately after your mother disappeared.”
“Who was she?”
“I don’t know.”
“You expect me to believe that?”
“I swear.”
Nora laughed.
It sounded broken.
Victor moved toward her.
She backed away.
“Don’t.”
He stopped.
Nora walked toward the window.
Chicago glittered below.
Twenty-four hours ago, she had believed she finally understood her father’s death.
Now she did not even understand her birth.
Her phone rang.
Unknown number.
Victor said, “Nora.”
She answered.
Gabriel’s voice came through.
“Hello, sweetheart.”
Nora’s blood turned to ice.
“Don’t call me that.”
“You sound like your mother.”
“Who was she?”
Gabriel laughed softly.
“Straight to the question. Definitely my daughter.”
“Richie Dempsey was my father.”
“Richie stole you.”
“He raised me.”
“Because he believed he was saving you.”
“From you?”
A pause.
“Yes.”
Nora closed her eyes.
At least Gabriel did not lie about that.
“What do you want?”
“To meet.”
“No.”
“I have answers.”
“I don’t want anything from you.”
“You want to know why your mother died.”
Nora’s fingers tightened around the phone.
“You said she disappeared.”
“She did.”
“Is she alive?”
Silence.
“Gabriel.”
“I’ll tell you in person.”
Victor stepped closer.
Nora looked at him.
He shook his head.
Do not agree.
Nora understood.
“I choose the place.”
Gabriel laughed.
“You really are my daughter.”
“No.”
Her voice became steel.
“I’m Richie Dempsey’s daughter.”
She ended the call.
Victor stared at her.
“You’re not meeting him.”
Nora put down the phone.
“Yes, I am.”
“Nora—”
“And you’re coming with me.”
Victor stopped.
She looked toward Adrian.
“So is he.”
Adrian raised an eyebrow.
“Why?”
“Because Gabriel spent fourteen years dividing this family.”
May you like
Nora picked up Richie’s ledger.
“I think it’s time we stop letting him.”
Related Stories
