Page 97 of Brutal Promise

Tears well in my eyes. I gulp a breath as I throw my arms around his neck and close my eyes. My dad is alive! I put my cheek on his.

He is tall and robust. A man of stature and power. His hair is parted on the left, and areas of gray are peeking through his dark, thick hair. His arms wrap around me.

“Mariana Moretti,” is the name whispered from his lips. “I thought she was killed. Where is she?”

I pull back from our hug. My eyes are misty, and the rest of the pictures will be ruined if I cry.

“Mariana? The daughter of Santino Moretti?” I ask.

“Yes.” My heart breaks for a man still in love with my mother after all these years.

She must have changed her name to Maria. I’m trying to put together the pieces. She was killed in a car accident in New York City when I was very young.”

His face falls. The shock and disbelief on his face is indescribable. “How can that be? She was so full of life. Maria died shortly after her father found out about us. I thought it was too coincidental not to be orchestrated. What happened?”

“I don’t know. She told me my father was dead. I had no idea.”

“How old are you?”

“Twenty-three,” I reply as I pull my arms from his neck. I smooth my dress but never take my eyes off his. In my life, people disappear in a blink. “You’re my father.”

“You are my daughter.” His voice is rings of pride and disbelief. “I never knew.”

“What happened?” I want to know the details. How can this be?

“Walk with me,” he says as we leave the event to go outside. He glances over his shoulder as if he’s looking for someone. Is he worried? Why are we talking out here? He’s a don. Why would he care who sees us?

The sun is brighter than I’ve ever seen it as my father slips his hand through my arm. The cloud over my life has been lifted. We pass the large water fountain and stop to talk, standing on the pavers.

“What happened?” I ask, anxious for details.

“She was so young, we were in love, but our families hated each other. She would sneak out of work at a coffee shop. When her father found out….” He closes his eyes briefly as if he’s in pain. “I can only imagine. He’s a bitter and mean man. I couldn’t help her. His men would have killed me. My father sent me to Russia, afraid there would be a hit on me. I heard she was killed in a car accident.”

“It must have been faked the first time.”

He grabs my hand. It’s as if he lost my mother a second time. “She was alive after the funeral her father held.” His voice trails off. “That son-of-a-bitch. I’ll kill him.” His face contorts into anger. He grabs my hand, and his eyes soften. “I’m so sorry. I never knew. I wish I had. But Santino needs to pay for what he did to me. He took something from me that can’t be replaced.”

“We have to make up for lost time,” I say. “Is starting a war worth it? I can’t lose you again.”

“We’ve been gone too long. Others will notice,” he says, glancing nervously at the building. Who is he looking for?

“Someone is after me. In your organization and as well as the Irish,” I blurt out.

“I heard rumors. I didn’t know. I’m having people in my organization watched. You are the princess to unite the Italians and the Russians. The Irish won’t like that, so if they get to you first…”

“They will form the alliance between you or the Italians to the detriment of the other.” I finish his sentence. Judging by his anger, I’d say my bet is he will side with the Irish and take out the Italians as retribution.

“But why is someone in your organization looking for me?” I give him a quizzical glance, but we’re interrupted by Ivan, who wants us to take pictures.

Ivan yells for us to gather by the fountain for a group shot. I search for Dmitry and see him walking toward me. I smile. I can’t wait to tell him the news.

“It never stops, does it?” my father says.

“There are never enough pictures on an occasion like this.” I smile as I glance at my father again.

I can’t get enough of him. He’s a stranger, but inside, it’s as if I’ve known him forever. He takes my hand, giving it an affectionate squeeze. I pick up the corner of my dress to make it easier to walk over the uneven pavers, and when we are about to reach the waterfall, I hear a loud boom, and I’m thrown through the air. My ears are ringing.

My body hits the hard pavers. I cough. Someone is lying on top of me. I cough again. My body hurts. I’m covered in rocks and bricks. I hear voices and sirens. Darkness takes over, but I want to stay awake. I fight, coming through as someone pulls me to them.

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