Chapter 7 - The Brother Who Was Supposed to Be DeadLily stopped moving.
Adrian said it first.
Lily said it second.
Teresa said nothing.
Marco looked like he wanted to disappear.
Noah sat in his high chair chewing a wooden spoon, completely unaware that four adults had just had their understanding of reality violently rearranged.
Lily pointed at the laptop.
“Ethan made a mistake.”
Marco shook his head.
“Your brother included laboratory reports.”
“Labs make mistakes.”
“Two separate labs.”
Lily’s face tightened.
Adrian remained motionless.
“When was Noah conceived?”
She turned toward him.
“That is absolutely none of your business.”
“It became relevant approximately thirty seconds ago.”
Teresa hit Adrian’s shoulder.
“Have manners.”
He looked at her.
“This is not the moment for manners.”
“It is always the moment.”
Lily pushed away from the table.
“Noah’s father was Ryan Blake.”
“Tell me about him.”
“No.”
“Lily.”
“He was a bartender.”
“Where?”
“A club in Brooklyn.”
“Name?”
“The Monarch.”
Marco looked at Adrian.
Both men knew it.
One of Daniel’s clubs.
Adrian’s expression darkened.
“How long were you together?”
“Six months.”
“Did you meet his family?”
“No.”
“Friends?”
“Some.”
“Apartment?”
“He had one.”
“Did you see identification?”
Lily stared.
“Who asks their boyfriend for identification?”
“People in my world.”
“Well, I wasn’t in your world.”
“You are now.”
The words landed harder than expected.
Adrian softened his tone.
“When did Ryan disappear?”
“When I told him I was pregnant.”
“Convenient.”
“Don’t.”
“I’m not criticizing you.”
“It sounds like it.”
“I’m criticizing him.”
Lily folded her arms.
“He told me he wasn’t ready.”
“And you never saw him again?”
“He sent money twice.”
“From what account?”
“Cash.”
Adrian and Marco exchanged another look.
“No,” Lily said.
“No what?”
“Stop communicating with your eyebrows.”
Teresa laughed.
Adrian almost did.
Then Marco enlarged Ethan’s DNA report.
The match was not direct enough to identify a father.
Only a family line.
Noah was related to the Morettis.
Adrian’s blood sample wasn’t in the database.
Neither was Daniel’s.
But an older genealogy record from a Moretti cousin had produced the connection.
“Daniel,” Lily whispered.
Adrian looked at her.
“What?”
“Ryan.”
She grabbed her phone and searched through old photographs.
She found one.
A man standing beside Lily at a street festival.
Hat low.
Beard.
Sunglasses.
Adrian took the phone.
He stared.
Then handed it to Marco.
Marco swore.
Lily’s stomach twisted.
“Who?”
Marco enlarged the image.
“Daniel.”
The room disappeared beneath her.
“No.”
Adrian’s face became deadly.
Daniel had dated Lily under another identity.
Gotten her pregnant.
Abandoned her.
Then murdered her brother.
The implications became sickening.
“Why?” Lily whispered.
Adrian understood before she did.
“Your brother.”
“What?”
“Ethan worked for Crane.”
“So?”
“Daniel may have met you because of Ethan.”
Her face crumpled.
“You’re saying our entire relationship was fake?”
“I don’t know.”
“Noah?”
Adrian immediately regretted his phrasing.
Lily picked up her child.
“Noah is not fake.”
“I didn’t mean—”
“He is not some piece of evidence.”
“I know.”
“No, you don’t.”
She carried Noah upstairs.
Adrian started after her.
Teresa blocked him.
“Sit.”
He stared.
“She’s upset.”
“Yes.”
“I should talk to her.”
“No.”
“Teresa.”
“You are terrible at feelings.”
Marco coughed to hide laughter.
Adrian glared.
Teresa pointed the spoon.
“She learned the father of her child lied about his identity, possibly used her to get near her brother, then disappeared. Let her cry without a six-foot-four criminal asking tactical questions.”
Adrian sat.
Marco smiled.
“What?”
“Nothing.”
“Say it.”
“I enjoy when your authority collapses around Italian grandmothers.”
An hour later, Lily came downstairs.
Her eyes were red.
Adrian stood.
“Can we talk?”
“No.”
“Good. I’ll talk.”
She gave him a tired look.
“Your grandmother substitute said you were bad at feelings.”
“She talks too much.”
From the kitchen, Teresa shouted, “I hear you!”
Lily almost smiled.
Adrian continued.
“I’m sorry.”
“For what?”
“For making Noah sound like evidence.”
She studied him.
“He isn’t.”
“I know.”
“Daniel may be his father.”
“Yes.”
“And you hate Daniel.”
“Yes.”
“Does that mean you hate Noah?”
Adrian looked shocked.
“No.”
“You hesitated.”
“I was shocked you asked.”
Lily held Noah closer.
Adrian stepped toward them.
“Whatever Daniel did has nothing to do with him.”
“You mean that?”
“Yes.”
Noah reached toward Adrian.
Again.
Lily hesitated.
Then handed him over.
Adrian held the baby awkwardly.
Noah immediately grabbed his collar.
Adrian looked down.
“This kid really likes expensive shirts.”
Lily smiled faintly.
“He likes you.”
Adrian’s expression softened.
“He has bad judgment.”
“Apparently it runs in his paternal family.”
Adrian laughed.
Actually laughed.
Lily stared.
Then she laughed too.
For thirty seconds, the nightmare disappeared.
After Noah fell asleep that evening, Adrian and Lily sat on the back porch.
Snow covered the vineyard.
“You loved him?” Adrian asked.
“Daniel?”
“Yes.”
“I loved Ryan.”
“That wasn’t his name.”
“I know.”
“But?”
“The person I thought existed was kind. Funny. He remembered how I liked my coffee.”
Her eyes lowered.
“So maybe I loved someone who never existed.”
Adrian understood that more than he wanted to.
“My father might have been the same.”
Lily looked at him.
“What?”
“I thought he was protecting me after Sofia died.”
“And now?”
“Now I don’t know what he was protecting.”
They sat quietly.
Then Lily asked, “Have you ever been in love?”
“No.”
“Never?”
“Romantically? No.”
“Why?”
“Love is leverage.”
“That sounds sad.”
“It’s practical.”
“Same thing sometimes.”
He looked at her.
“You always disagree with me?”
“Usually.”
“I’m noticing.”
A car engine sounded in the distance.
Adrian stood instantly.
Marco burst through the door.
“Vehicles coming up the drive.”
“How many?”
“Three.”
Teresa appeared holding a shotgun.
Everyone stared.
“What?” she said.
“This is Vermont.”
Adrian almost smiled.
Then headlights appeared through the trees.
Marco checked the security camera.
His face tightened.
“They found us.”
Lily grabbed Noah.
Adrian pulled his weapon.
“Basement. Now.”
“No.”
“Lily.”
“I’m done hiding.”
A bullet shattered the front window.
Teresa fired back.
Marco shouted.
Adrian pushed Lily toward the cellar.
“GO!”
Men entered the vineyard.
Shots echoed.
Lily reached the basement stairs.
Then Noah began crying.
A voice came from outside.
“Lily!”
She froze.
Daniel.
Her entire body went cold.
“Come outside!” he shouted.
Adrian stepped toward the window.
Daniel continued.
“I know you know the truth!”
Lily’s hands tightened around Noah.
“Stay down,” Adrian ordered.
Then Daniel shouted something neither of them expected.
“I didn’t kill Ethan!”
Adrian’s eyes narrowed.
May you like
Daniel’s next words came through the snow.
“Ethan is alive.”
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