Chapter 13 - THE BROTHER WHO NEVER DIED
Martin smiled.
It was the same smile I had seen in the old photograph.
Cold.
Confident.
Unchanged.
My father raised his weapon.
Martin laughed.
“Still playing hero, Daniel?”
Dad's face became hard.
“You should have stayed dead.”
Martin looked at me.
“Your father always did enjoy pretending to be righteous.”
I stepped forward.
“You killed my mother.”
Martin's smile disappeared.
“Your mother was difficult.”
Noah moved closer to me.
Martin noticed.
“And who is this?”
“No one you need to worry about,” Noah said.
Martin laughed.
“Everyone becomes someone when they stand between me and what I want.”
I felt my baby move.
I placed my hand over my stomach.
Martin's eyes dropped.
Then he smiled.
“Ah.”
I immediately stepped back.
“What?”
“That's what this was always about.”
I stared at him.
“What?”
“Your child.”
My blood turned cold.
Martin looked at Ethan.
“You were supposed to handle this.”
Ethan stepped between us.
“Don't come near her.”
Martin laughed.
“You finally found a conscience?”
Ethan's jaw tightened.
“I said stay away from her.”
Martin looked at me.
“Your husband was always weak.”
I stared at Ethan.
“Is that why you married me?”
Ethan didn't answer.
Martin did.
“He married you because your mother controlled the foundation.”
I closed my eyes.
The truth still hurt.
Even though I already knew.
Martin continued:
“But Ethan was never smart enough to control it.”
“That's why you used him.”
“Yes.”
I looked at Ethan.
“You worked with him.”
Ethan's face was filled with shame.
“For years.”
“Why?”
“Because I thought I could stop him.”
Martin laughed.
“You thought you could take the money and then walk away?”
Ethan looked at him.
“I was trying to get Amelia out.”
“By destroying her?”
Ethan said nothing.
I felt sick.
Every lie.
Every manipulation.
Every moment he had told me I was unstable.
He had been trying to play both sides.
And he had failed.
Martin took a step toward me.
“Your mother kept the foundation from us.”
“You killed her.”
“No.”
“You shot her.”
“Yes.”
“But she survived.”
“Unfortunately.”
My father moved.
Martin raised his weapon.
“Don't.”
The entire world froze.
Martin looked at me.
“Your mother should have died that night.”
“Why didn't she?”
“Because Ethan interfered.”
I looked at my husband.
Martin smiled.
“He helped her escape.”
“Then why did you say he was weak?”
“Because he was.”
Ethan looked at me.
“I thought I could fix it.”
I shook my head.
“You couldn't even fix yourself.”
His face broke.
Martin raised his weapon again.
“Enough.”
Suddenly, Noah moved.
He struck Martin's arm.
The weapon fell.
My father tackled him.
The bridge erupted into chaos.
Martin fought like a man who had spent twenty years running from the law.
But he was older now.
My father and Noah forced him to the ground.
Police sirens approached.
Martin looked at me.
“This isn't over.”
I stared at him.
“Yes.”
“It is.”
He smiled.
“You think you won?”
I looked at Ethan.
“No.”
Then I looked at Martin.
“I think you lost.”
Martin was arrested.
Ethan was taken in for questioning.
I stood alone beside the river.
My mother was alive.
My husband had betrayed me.
His brother had tried to destroy my family.
And somehow, I was still standing.
Noah came to stand beside me.
“You okay?”
I shook my head.
“No.”
He nodded.
“That's fair.”
I looked at him.
“Why are you still here?”
He smiled.
“Because you keep ending up near dangerous people.”
I laughed.
It was the first real laugh I had had in months.
Then my stomach tightened.
I gasped.
Noah's expression changed.
“What?”
I placed a hand over my belly.
“Something's happening.”
My father turned.
“What?”
I looked at all of them.
May you like
Then I whispered:
“I think the baby is coming.”
