Chapter 9 - Aunt Vivienne
Vivienne Moretti had spent twenty-three years pretending to be harmless.
That was longer than Matteo had been alive twice over.
Long enough for an entire generation of men to stop asking what she knew.
She attended baptisms.
Sent Christmas cards.
Donated to churches.
Called Salvatore every birthday.
And according to Gabriel, she had spent those same years helping Victor destroy the Moretti family from inside.
They found her at a lakeside house in Connecticut.
Not because she made a mistake.
Because she wanted to be found.
The front door stood open.
No guards.
No cameras.
Vivienne sat beside the fireplace wearing a cream sweater.
Eighty-one years old.
Small.
Elegant.
Unarmed.
Victor was nowhere visible.
Salvatore entered with Gabriel and Carmine.
Matteo had been forbidden to come.
He had responded by climbing into the rear cargo area of Carmine’s SUV.
They discovered him twenty miles from the estate.
Salvatore had been furious.
Matteo had been unmoved.
Now he sat in the car outside with two guards.
Vivienne smiled when she saw the brothers together.
“My boys.”
Gabriel’s face hardened.
“Don’t.”
“You survived beautifully.”
“You tried to kill me.”
“I tried to teach you caution.”
“With explosives?”
“The lesson lasted.”
Salvatore sat across from her.
“Where is Victor?”
“Recovering.”
“Where?”
“Somewhere you won’t reach him yet.”
“Why help him?”
Vivienne lifted her tea.
“Because your father deserved to lose everything.”
“Why?”
Her smile disappeared.
“Because Antonio Moretti took my sister’s life.”
Salvatore frowned.
“Your sister?”
“Lucia.”
The Vescari woman.
Victor’s mother.
Salvatore finally understood.
Vivienne had not merely known Lucia.
She had loved her.
Not as a friend.
As family.
Lucia had been her half-sister, born from Vivienne’s mother’s second marriage.
The Moretti family hid the connection because Lucia later married into the Vescari clan.
Antonio Moretti began an affair with her.
Victor was born from it.
“Antonio promised Lucia he would acknowledge the boy,” Vivienne said.
“He didn’t.”
“No.”
“He took Victor?”
“He took everything.”
Vivienne’s hands trembled slightly.
“He convinced Lucia that enemies would use the child against them. He moved the boy. Changed his identity. Then told Lucia Victor had died of fever.”
Gabriel swore quietly.
“She believed her son was dead?”
“For six years.”
“What happened when she found out?”
“She confronted Antonio.”
Vivienne stared into the fire.
“She died three days later.”
“How?” Salvatore asked.
“Car accident.”
“You think Father killed her.”
“I know he did.”
“Proof?”
“Your Black Ledger.”
That explained everything.
Victor wanted the ledger not only for power.
He wanted proof his father murdered his mother.
“Why start a war between families?” Salvatore asked.
Vivienne looked at him.
“Because I wanted Antonio to watch his empire rot.”
“He was already dead when Bellini happened.”
“Revenge is rarely efficient.”
Gabriel laughed bitterly.
“At least you admit it.”
Vivienne turned to him.
“You think I wanted you dead?”
“Yes.”
“I saved you.”
Gabriel went still.
“What?”
“The bomb seventeen years ago was Victor’s.”
Salvatore looked between them.
Vivienne continued.
“I learned about it too late. I had one loyal man pull Gabriel from the rear hallway.”
Gabriel frowned.
“You?”
“Yes.”
“You told Mother to fake my death.”
“I told Antonio.”
“And then?”
“I needed you gone because Victor was becoming impossible to control.”
Salvatore leaned forward.
“So Victor turned against you.”
“Years ago.”
“Then why was he driving you yesterday?”
Vivienne smiled sadly.
“Because old women are useful bait.”
A sound came from outside.
Gunfire.
Salvatore was moving before thought.
Carmine drew his weapon.
Gabriel ran toward the window.
The SUV holding Matteo had been rammed by a delivery truck.
Two guards were down.
Men in masks rushed the vehicle.
“MATTEO!”
Salvatore ran.
One attacker opened the rear door.
Matteo kicked him in the face.
The man stumbled.
Matteo ran toward the trees.
Another attacker grabbed his coat.
Salvatore fired.
The man dropped.
Matteo disappeared behind a stone wall.
Victor stepped from the truck.
Shoulder bandaged.
Gun in hand.
“Bring me the boy!”
Gabriel fired from the porch.
Victor ducked.
Carmine’s men returned fire.
Vivienne stood in the doorway.
“Victor!”
He looked at her.
For one second the rage vanished from his face.
“Aunt.”
“Stop this.”
“You chose them.”
“I chose to end it.”
“You don’t get to end it.”
Victor fired.
The bullet struck Vivienne in the chest.
Everything stopped.
Victor himself looked shocked.
As if his finger had acted before the part of him that still loved her.
Vivienne fell.
Gabriel dragged her inside.
Salvatore rushed the trees.
“Matteo!”
No answer.
Then he heard breathing behind the stone wall.
Matteo crouched there.
Alive.
Salvatore pulled him close.
This time neither pretended the embrace was accidental.
“You okay?”
Matteo nodded against his chest.
“Vivienne?”
Salvatore looked toward the house.
Blood covered the cream sweater.
Dominic, who had followed in the second vehicle, was working over her.
Vivienne opened her eyes once.
She found Salvatore.
“The ledger.”
“Where?”
“Church.”
“What church?”
“Where Lucia married the wrong man.”
Her breath hitched.
“St. Michael’s.”
Salvatore knew it.
Brooklyn.
Vivienne grabbed his wrist.
“Don’t let Victor read the last page.”
“What’s on it?”
Her eyes shifted to Matteo.
“The truth about Elena’s child.”
Then Vivienne Moretti died.
May you like
Matteo stared at Salvatore.
“My truth?”
