Chapter 6 - The Father Who Came Back
Finding Daniel Reed took forty-eight hours.
He wasn't dead.
He wasn't hiding from Noah.
He was hiding from men he owed money to.
Daniel had inherited none of Roman's power.
Only the consequences of a life spent feeling abandoned.
Roman found him in a motel outside Baltimore.
He wanted to go alone.
I convinced him not to.
Not because I believed Roman needed protection.
Because Daniel did.
When Daniel entered the hospital two days later, Noah stared at him from the bed.
“Dad?”
Daniel broke.
He crossed the room and hugged his son carefully around the monitors.
“I’m sorry.”
Noah cried.
Roman stood near the door.
Daniel eventually noticed him.
Recognition came immediately.
Fear followed.
“Roman DeLuca.”
Roman stepped forward.
Daniel backed away.
“I'm not here about your debts.”
“Then why are you here?”
Roman removed the old bracelet from around his neck.
Daniel stared at it.
His expression changed.
“My mother had one like that.”
“Your birth mother.”
Daniel froze.
Roman's voice became unsteady.
“Lucia DeLuca.”
Daniel stared at him.
“No.”
“She was my sister.”
Roman placed the bracelet in Daniel's hand.
“She loved you.”
Daniel's knees nearly gave way.
“All my life I thought she gave me away.”
“She didn't.”
Roman's voice cracked.
“She died trying to keep you alive.”
Daniel cried silently.
Roman continued.
“And I promised her I'd protect you.”
“You didn't.”
Those words hit harder than any bullet could have.
Roman nodded.
“I know.”
Daniel looked at him.
Roman didn't make excuses.
“I failed.”
Then Noah spoke from the bed.
“So stop failing.”
Both men turned.
Noah wiped his nose.
“You're adults. Fix it.”
May you like
For the first time since I met him, Roman DeLuca laughed without restraint.
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