Chapter 6 - The Truth About Their Fathers
Luca Romano survived.
The bullet had passed through his side without hitting a major organ.
According to Luca, this meant everyone had dramatically overreacted.
According to Emily, this meant he was an idiot.
"You were shot."
"I'm aware."
"You tried leaving the hospital twelve hours later."
"I had things to do."
"You had stitches."
"I can have both."
Emily stood beside his hospital bed with her arms crossed.
Maya sat in the corner eating chips.
"I'd listen to her," Maya said.
Luca looked toward her.
"Whose side are you on?"
"Emily's. Always. But your house has better food."
Emily sighed.
A knock interrupted them.
Detective Brennan entered carrying a folder.
"We found your father's attorney."
Emily straightened.
"And?"
"He kept copies of everything."
Luca's expression changed.
Brennan handed Emily the folder.
"Your father documented the entire scheme."
Emily looked down at the pages.
Transfer records.
Contracts.
Names.
Dates.
Eleven years of questions suddenly had answers.
Brennan continued.
"Thomas Parker discovered Hale was stealing public funds. Anthony Romano helped him gather evidence."
Luca looked at her.
"My father helped?"
Brennan nodded.
"They were working together."
Emily stared at Luca.
Brennan placed another document on the bed.
"Your fathers were planning to meet federal investigators the morning after Parker died."
Emily could barely speak.
"The accident."
"Wasn't an accident."
Silence.
Maya covered her mouth.
Emily stared at the documents.
She had spent eleven years believing her father had died because someone ran a red light.
Now she knew the truth.
Luca asked, "My father?"
Brennan's expression changed.
"He continued investigating afterward."
"And his heart attack?"
"We're reopening the case."
Luca looked toward the window.
Emily saw his hand close around the edge of the blanket.
She knew enough about him now to understand what that meant.
Anger.
Grief.
Control.
She walked over.
"My father trusted yours."
Luca looked at her.
"It appears so."
"So maybe they weren't as different as everyone thought."
He gave a humorless smile.
"My father would enjoy hearing someone say that."
Brennan continued.
"With Marcus cooperating and the documents authenticated, Hale's going to have a very difficult time getting out of this."
"How difficult?" Emily asked.
"Potentially the rest of his life."
Maya smiled.
"I like her."
Brennan ignored that.
"There's more."
Emily looked up.
"Please tell me it's good."
"Hale's shell companies still hold recovered assets. Once the civil process is complete, families harmed by the scheme may be eligible for restitution."
Emily stared.
"Families?"
"Your father's estate included."
Emily immediately shook her head.
"I don't care about the money."
Luca said quietly, "You should."
She turned.
"My father died."
"And the money won't change that."
"Exactly."
"But it might change what comes next."
She looked at him.
He continued.
"Your father spent his last months trying to recover money stolen from people like you."
Emily said nothing.
"Use it for Maya. Your future. Whatever Thomas Parker would have wanted."
Maya spoke from the corner.
"He would have wanted Emily to finish school."
Luca looked at Emily.
"School?"
Emily shot Maya a warning look.
Maya ignored it.
"She was studying hospitality management. She quit when Dad died because bills started piling up."
Emily shook her head.
"Not relevant."
Luca raised an eyebrow.
"It sounds relevant."
"You don't get to solve everything with money."
"I haven't offered you any."
"You're thinking about it."
"I was."
"No."
"Fine."
She blinked.
"Fine?"
Luca shrugged.
"I've discovered arguing with you is inefficient."
Maya burst out laughing.
Emily tried not to.
Failed.
Later that afternoon, Maya left with Daniel to get coffee.
Emily remained beside Luca's bed.
For several minutes, neither spoke.
Then Luca said, "You asked me something at the warehouse."
Emily knew exactly what he meant.
"Why you helped me."
He nodded.
"You don't owe me an explanation."
"I know."
"Then why are you giving one?"
"Because you dislike unanswered questions."
"True."
Luca looked at her.
"When you came into Meridian, everybody in that room saw a frightened waitress who had walked somewhere she didn't belong."
Emily's expression hardened slightly.
"But you?"
"I saw someone terrified who still had enough control to tell me exactly what was happening."
He paused.
"You were afraid, but you weren't helpless."
Emily looked away.
"I felt helpless."
"There's a difference between feeling helpless and being helpless."
She looked back at him.
"And that's why you helped me?"
"No."
"Then why?"
Luca's voice softened.
"Because you asked."
Emily blinked.
He continued.
"People spend years around men like me trying to manipulate them. Threaten them. Impress them. Lie to them."
His eyes stayed on hers.
"You walked up and said, 'Please. That man is following me.'"
Emily smiled faintly.
"Very persuasive."
"It was."
"And now?"
"Now?"
"Why are you still helping?"
Luca looked at her for a long moment.
"That's the dangerous question."
Emily stepped closer.
"Try me."
He smiled.
"I think you already know."
This time she did.
May you like
And this time, neither of them looked away.
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