Chapter 7 - The Voice on the TapeBullets tore through the chapel walls.
Dominic dragged Norah behind the altar.
Frank fired back.
Elena pulled Rosa into the stone alcove.
The attack lasted less than thirty seconds.
Then silence returned.
Too fast.
Too clean.
Dominic checked the doorway.
Nobody.
Only blood.
One of the attackers had been hit.
“Frank?”
“I'm fine.”
“You're bleeding.”
“So are half the men in this city.”
Norah almost laughed despite herself.
Then Rosa touched her arm.
“There was another tape.”
“What tape?”
“The one Victor never found.”
Rosa reached into her coat.
Her hands shook.
She produced a tiny cassette.
“Your grandfather recorded it.”
Dominic took it.
“What's on it?”
“The night your father ordered the massacre.”
Norah stared.
“Didn't Frank say Victor ordered it?”
Rosa nodded.
“Yes.”
“Then what's on the tape?”
Rosa looked toward Salvatore.
“The truth about who gave the final order.”
Dominic's face tightened.
They returned to Salvatore's study.
The mansion had been secured again.
Every guard was being questioned.
Victor was nowhere to be found.
Dominic placed the cassette into the recorder.
Static.
Then Salvatore's younger voice.
Cold.
Commanding.
“Burn the west wing.”
Norah froze.
Dominic looked at his father.
The recording continued.
“No witnesses.”
Norah felt sick.
Rosa's voice appeared next.
“Salvatore, stop!”
“You lied to me.”
“I was trying to protect them.”
“You betrayed this family.”
“I was protecting our son.”
A gunshot.
Then chaos.
Dominic stared at the recorder.
His father's voice returned.
“Find Dominic.”
Norah covered her mouth.
Salvatore began shaking violently.
Dominic stood.
“You ordered them to find me.”
Salvatore couldn't speak.
The tape continued.
Rosa screamed.
“She's your granddaughter!”
A pause.
Salvatore's voice became quieter.
“Take her.”
“Where?”
“Anywhere.”
“Alive?”
“Yes.”
Rosa began crying.
Then came the final words.
“If Victor gets her, he owns me forever.”
The tape ended.
Nobody moved.
Norah finally spoke.
“You did order the attack.”
Salvatore nodded.
Dominic looked shattered.
“But you didn't know I was there.”
Salvatore shook his head.
“Victor told you I had betrayed you.”
“Yes.”
“And you believed him.”
Salvatore lowered his eyes.
Dominic walked away.
Norah followed.
“You're angry.”
“I should have been.”
“You were.”
“No.”
He stopped.
“I was loyal.”
“To your father.”
“To the family.”
Norah stared at him.
“That isn't the same thing.”
He looked at her.
“You sound like Rosa.”
A small silence.
Then Norah asked:
“Who's helping Victor now?”
Dominic didn't answer.
Rosa did.
“Your uncle.”
Norah blinked.
“You have an uncle?”
Dominic turned.
“My brother.”
“But you said you only had one son.”
Salvatore's eyes widened.
Rosa looked toward the door.
“Because Dominic wasn't supposed to know.”
Dominic's voice dropped.
“Who?”
Rosa whispered:
“Matteo.”
A man entered the study.
Black suit.
Silver hair.
A face Norah had never seen.
Dominic reached for his gun.
The man smiled.
“Hello, brother.”
Dominic stared.
“You died twenty-six years ago.”
Matteo looked at Norah.
“No.”
May you like
He smiled.
“I was waiting.”
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