Chapter 7 - The Secret Khloe Had Been Hiding
Khloe woke seventeen hours after surgery.
The first thing she saw was Damian.
He sat beside the window wearing yesterday’s shirt.
His jacket was gone.
His sleeves were rolled to his elbows.
He appeared to be asleep, except Khloe knew Damian Russo never truly slept in chairs.
“Your posture is terrible.”
His eyes opened instantly.
Khloe’s mouth hurt when she smiled.
Damian stood.
“You’re awake.”
“Outstanding observation.”
He pressed the call button.
A nurse entered.
After checking Khloe’s blood pressure and asking questions, she left again.
Damian remained silent.
Khloe looked at him.
“You’re angry.”
“Yes.”
“At me?”
“Yes.”
“That’s inconvenient.”
“You almost died.”
“Technically, lots of people almost die every day.”
“Khloe.”
She stopped.
There was something in his voice she had never heard.
Fear that had not yet left.
“I’m okay.”
“No.”
“I will be.”
“That isn’t the same thing.”
She looked away.
Rain had stopped.
Morning light touched the buildings.
Damian placed the photograph of Walter, Walsh and Nicolas on the blanket.
Khloe stared at it.
Her expression told him she had seen it before.
“You knew,” Damian said.
Khloe closed her eyes.
“For three weeks.”
“Why didn’t you tell me?”
“Because I didn’t know which part was true.”
“Nicolas?”
“I saw him meet Walsh twice.”
“And you said nothing.”
“I was investigating.”
“Alone.”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“Because I didn’t know who I could trust.”
“You could trust me.”
Khloe looked at him.
“Could I?”
The question cut deeper than an accusation.
She continued.
“Three years ago, I came to you because of my father’s gambling debt.”
“I remember.”
“That wasn’t the whole reason.”
Damian became still.
“My father wanted me near you.”
“What?”
“He told me the Russos destroyed our family. He said if I worked for you long enough, eventually I’d find proof.”
Damian stared.
“You came here to spy on me?”
“At first.”
“How long?”
“Months.”
“And then?”
“I discovered most of what he told me didn’t make sense.”
She looked at the photograph.
“My father described Vincent Russo like a monster. But every record I found suggested your father secretly paid families after the dock fire. He created trusts under false names. He moved witnesses out of New York.”
Damian remembered Khloe’s words before losing consciousness.
Your father didn’t steal from Walsh.
He saved people.
“What happened at the fire?”
Khloe swallowed.
“Thomas Hayes was my grandfather.”
Damian leaned back.
“He kept the books for Walsh and your father when they were business partners. But they weren’t only moving legitimate cargo.”
“What cargo?”
“Stolen goods. Untaxed shipments. Things I’m guessing nobody wants documented.”
Damian did not argue.
“But Patrick Walsh wanted to expand,” Khloe continued. “He started using workers to move things they didn’t understand. One night several workers discovered what was happening.”
“The fire.”
“Walsh ordered the warehouse burned to destroy evidence.”
Damian’s expression hardened.
“Four died.”
“More would have. Your father got people out before the fire spread.”
“How?”
“My grandfather warned him.”
“And the ledger?”
“Thomas kept records proving Walsh ordered it.”
“Why didn’t Vincent expose him?”
“Because the ledger also implicated Vincent, Thomas and several Russo companies.”
Damian understood.
Destroying Walsh would destroy all of them.
“So my father stole it.”
“No. My grandfather gave it to him.”
Khloe looked at Damian.
“Vincent hid the witnesses and split the evidence. One ledger remained with Thomas. One set of copies went to Vincent. Walsh spent twenty-three years trying to find both.”
“And Walter?”
“My father grew up believing Thomas betrayed the Hayes family by helping Vincent.”
“Why?”
“Because after my grandfather disappeared, the Hayes family lost everything.”
“Disappeared?”
Khloe nodded.
“I always thought he died.”
“You don’t anymore.”
“No.”
She looked toward the door.
“Daniel Pierce gave me documents suggesting Thomas Hayes lived for another fifteen years.”
“Where?”
“I don’t know.”
“And your father?”
“He learned about it recently.”
“So Walter joined Walsh.”
“I think Walsh promised him the truth.”
Damian looked at the photograph.
“And Nicolas?”
Khloe’s eyes hardened.
“That’s what scares me.”
“Why?”
“Because Nicolas isn’t working for Walsh.”
Damian frowned.
“I followed him.”
“You followed Nicolas?”
“Twice.”
“Are you insane?”
“Probably.”
“Khloe.”
“He met Walsh, yes. But afterward he met someone else.”
“Who?”
She hesitated.
“A woman.”
“Name?”
“I don’t know.”
“What did she look like?”
“Late fifties. Maybe sixty. Dark hair. Walked with a cane.”
Damian stopped.
No.
Khloe noticed.
“You know her.”
Damian stood.
“My aunt.”
“Nicolas’s mother?”
“Yes.”
“Elena Russo?”
“Yes.”
Everyone believed Elena Russo had retired to Italy five years ago.
She had not attended Vincent’s funeral, claiming illness.
Damian had spoken to her only twice since.
Khloe watched him.
“What?”
“My father and Elena hated each other.”
“Why?”
“Nobody told me.”
“Maybe it was about Walsh.”
Damian started toward the door.
Khloe reached for him.
Pain crossed her face.
He returned immediately.
“Don’t move.”
“I need to tell you something else.”
“What?”
“When they had me in the first basement, I heard Daniel arguing with someone on the phone.”
“Who?”
“I couldn’t hear the other person.”
“What did Daniel say?”
Khloe remembered.
“He said, ‘Elena promised the girl wouldn’t be hurt.’”
Damian’s face changed completely.
May you like
Khloe whispered:
“Your aunt knew they had me.”
