Chapter 7 - The House Where Leo Learned Why His Mother Vanished

The old Mercer house stood empty at the edge of the city.

Boarded windows.

Collapsed porch.

Leo had grown up there.

Gabriel had slept on the floor there twice as a teenager.

Anthony waited in the car.

Rosa too.

Gabriel went inside with Leo.

Norah stayed outside with security.

This time Gabriel listened.

Inside, one light burned.

Evan sat in the living room.

Not tied anymore.

He stood when Leo entered.

The brothers stared at each other.

Seven years.

No hug.

Then a woman stepped from the hallway.

Margaret Mercer.

Their mother.

Leo stopped breathing.

“You died.”

She whispered:

“I know.”

His face broke.

“What does that even mean?”

Margaret cried.

“It means your father told you I died.”

Leo turned toward the door.

Anthony was outside.

Of course.

Leo laughed bitterly.

Gabriel said nothing.

Not his moment.

Margaret continued:

“I left him.”

Leo stared.

“Why?”

“Because he was becoming violent.”

“Toward you?”

“Yes.”

Leo closed his eyes.

Another childhood rewritten.

Evan whispered:

“She contacted me in prison.”

Leo turned.

“You knew.”

“Eight months.”

Leo laughed.

“Of course you did.”

Evan flinched.

Margaret stepped closer.

“I asked him not to tell.”

Leo looked at her.

“Why?”

“Because Anthony was alive.”

“He told us you were dead.”

“And he told me you were safer without me.”

Leo shook his head.

“No.”

“I know.”

Margaret cried.

“I know now.”

Gabriel looked at Evan.

“Why were you taken from the safe house?”

Evan answered:

“I wasn’t.”

Silence.

“I left.”

Anthony had staged the kidnapping.

Gabriel’s face hardened.

“Why send the photo?”

Margaret answered:

“To make sure Anthony brought you.”

Gabriel stared.

“You used Evan as bait.”

Her face fell.

“Yes.”

Leo laughed bitterly.

“Perfect.”

Everyone looked at him.

He continued:

“Mom disappears to protect us.”

“Dad kills Paulie to protect Evan.”

“Evan escapes to expose Dad.”

“And now Mom stages a kidnapping to get Dad into one place.”

He looked at Gabriel.

“You were right.”

Gabriel frowned.

“About what?”

“I don’t know what anybody would do anymore.”

The words came back.

The same words Gabriel had said to Leo at the mansion.

This time they belonged to him.

Gabriel looked at Margaret.

“Why do you need Anthony here?”

She took out a file.

“Because I know who ordered Paulie’s death.”

Gabriel frowned.

“Anthony admitted it.”

“He carried it out.”

“Who ordered it?”

Margaret looked at Evan.

Then Leo.

Then Gabriel.

“Paulie.”

Silence.

Gabriel stared.

“That makes no sense.”

Margaret opened the file.

Life insurance.

A private payment.

A letter.

Paulie Romano’s handwriting.

Gabriel read.

IF EVAN MERCER RETURNS, ANTHONY WILL COME OUT OF HIDING.

Silence.

Another line.

IF ANTHONY COMES OUT, GABRIEL WILL FINALLY SEE HOW MANY GHOSTS HIS EMPIRE CREATED.

Gabriel’s face changed.

Margaret continued:

“Paulie knew he was sick.”

“What?”

“Pancreatic cancer.”

Gabriel stared.

“He never told me.”

“No.”

“He had months.”

“Yes.”

Leo looked at the letter.

Margaret said:

“Paulie arranged his own poisoning.”

Silence.

Nobody moved.

Gabriel whispered:

“No.”

Evan handed him another document.

Toxicology consultation.

Aconitine dose.

Lethal.

Paulie had researched it.

Gabriel looked sick.

“He killed himself at my table.”

Margaret shook her head.

“Not alone.”

Anthony helped.

Gabriel stared.

“Why?”

“To force the hidden people out.”

“Rosa.”

“Anthony.”

“Me.”

“Evan.”

Margaret nodded.

“Paulie believed Gabriel Hayes would never stop building walls until someone died inside them.”

Gabriel closed his eyes.

Leo whispered:

“That sounds like him.”

Gabriel looked at him.

Leo’s eyes were wet.

“He loved you.”

“That doesn’t make this love.”

“No.”

Margaret continued:

“Paulie wanted you to dismantle the inner circle.”

Gabriel stared.

“By traumatizing everyone.”

“Yes.”

No one defended it.

Then a car pulled outside.

Anthony had come in despite instructions.

He entered.

Saw Margaret.

Stopped.

For the first time, the old man looked afraid.

“Meg.”

She stared.

“You told our sons I was dead.”

Anthony looked at Leo.

Then Evan.

“I thought—”

Leo raised a hand.

“No.”

Anthony stopped.

Leo continued:

“Do not tell me what you thought.”

Silence.

Then Margaret placed Paulie’s letter on the table.

“Tell them.”

Anthony looked at Gabriel.

He knew.

Gabriel asked:

“Paulie asked you to poison him.”

Anthony nodded.

“Yes.”

“Why agree?”

Anthony’s eyes filled.

“Because he said it was the only way to pull every secret into the light.”

Gabriel laughed once.

“Did it work?”

Nobody answered.

May you like

[COMPLETED] “GET YOUR HANDS OFF MY DRESS! YOU’RE NOTHING BUT AN OLD SEAM...

[COMPLETED] At the Mafia Boss's Engagement Party, I Served His Hungry So...

[COMPLETED] The Mafia Boss’s Fiancée Tried to Dismiss His Father’s Loyal...

That was the worst part.

It had.