Chapter 4 - The Man Gabriel Trusted
Norah reached St. Catherine's before anyone else.
She ran through the corridor toward Leo's room.
“Leo!”
He was there.
Safe.
A nurse looked startled.
“Ms. Hayes?”
Norah rushed to the bed and took her brother's hand.
Leo blinked rapidly.
“I'm here.”
Two blinks.
“Yes. I'm okay.”
Gabriel arrived minutes later with Elias.
Norah turned on him immediately.
“No armed men in here.”
“They're downstairs.”
“This is a rehabilitation center, not one of your warehouses.”
“Which is why they're downstairs.”
“Gabriel—”
“Someone tried to get information about your brother.”
“I know.”
“And until I know why, nobody gets near him.”
Norah wanted to argue.
Then she looked at Leo.
Fear won.
“Fine.”
Gabriel arranged private security disguised as hospital staff.
He also arranged something else without telling Norah.
The following morning, St. Catherine's administrator requested a meeting.
Norah expected bad news.
Instead, the administrator smiled.
“Leo has been accepted into our extended neurological program.”
Norah stared.
“What?”
“The funding issue has been resolved.”
Her stomach tightened.
“By whom?”
“An anonymous foundation.”
Norah knew instantly.
She stormed into Gabriel's office an hour later.
“You promised.”
Gabriel looked up.
“Good morning.”
“You promised not to pay Leo's bills.”
“I didn't.”
“Don't insult me.”
“I didn't pay his bills.”
“Then who did?”
“A charitable foundation.”
“Your charitable foundation.”
“No.”
She stopped.
Gabriel slid documents across the desk.
The foundation had existed for eleven years.
It funded trauma rehabilitation for families unable to afford long-term care.
Gabriel had donated to it, but he didn't control it.
“I sent Leo's case to their board,” he said. “They approved him independently.”
“You interfered.”
“Yes.”
“At least you're admitting it.”
“I said I wouldn't pay the bills. I never said I wouldn't make a phone call.”
She wanted to remain angry.
Instead, tears appeared.
She hated them.
Gabriel pretended not to notice.
“How long?”
“Two years initially.”
Norah sat down.
Two years.
For three years, her life had been measured in invoices.
Thirty days until the next payment.
Fourteen days until therapy fees.
Seven days until medication.
Two years sounded impossible.
“I don't know what to say.”
“Say you'll stop sleeping in cars.”
A laugh escaped through her tears.
“Deal.”
Gabriel smiled.
It transformed his face.
Norah realized she had rarely seen him do it.
Then the office door opened.
Don Rossi entered without permission.
Sixty-two years old, silver-haired, immaculate navy suit.
“Gabriel.”
His eyes shifted toward Norah.
“Ms. Hayes.”
“Don Rossi.”
“I hear you've been asking questions.”
Gabriel leaned back.
“About?”
“Old business.”
“Old business is usually dead business.”
Rossi smiled.
“Exactly.”
Norah felt the warning beneath the words.
Gabriel did too.
“Norah, give us the room.”
She stood.
Rossi watched her leave.
When the door closed, his smile disappeared.
“You found Victor.”
“Yes.”
“You should have left him buried.”
“He isn't buried.”
“Metaphorically.”
Gabriel studied him.
“Did you order Bellini to silence Leo Hayes?”
“No.”
“Did you know?”
Rossi poured himself a drink without asking.
“I knew afterward.”
Gabriel's jaw tightened.
“You concealed it.”
“I protected you.”
“You protected Bellini.”
“I protected the organization.”
“A nineteen-year-old kid was crippled.”
“And if Bellini's theft had become public, dozens of men would have gone to prison.”
“So you buried the truth.”
“I contained damage.”
Gabriel rose.
Rossi watched him carefully.
“This is why your father trusted me,” Rossi said. “He understood leadership.”
“My father is dead.”
“And you're becoming sentimental over a secretary.”
Gabriel went completely still.
Rossi smiled faintly.
“There it is.”
“What?”
“The weakness.”
Gabriel walked around the desk.
“You should leave.”
“Be careful, Gabriel.”
“Is that a threat?”
“Advice.”
Rossi departed.
Norah was waiting outside.
She had heard enough.
“He knew.”
“Yes.”
“What are you going to do?”
Gabriel looked toward the elevator.
“End our partnership.”
“Just like that?”
“No.”
Nothing in Gabriel's world happened “just like that.”
Rossi controlled dock contracts, union relationships, trucking routes, and men whose loyalty had been purchased over decades.
Removing him would shake Costa Enterprises.
But Gabriel no longer cared.
That night, Norah returned to the corporate apartment.
For the first time in weeks, she took a hot shower without watching a timer.
She cooked pasta.
She sat beside the window.
And she realized she didn't know what to do with silence.
Survival had occupied every second of her life.
Now there was space.
Space was frightening.
At 11:38 p.m., someone knocked.
She froze.
“Who?”
“Gabriel.”
She opened the door.
He stood holding a paper bag.
“What's that?”
“Food.”
“I ate.”
“I didn't.”
“So?”
“My apartment is lonely.”
She stared at him.
“Did Gabriel Costa just admit he was lonely?”
“No.”
“You absolutely did.”
“I said my apartment was lonely.”
“Of course.”
She let him in.
They ate cannoli at her kitchen counter.
For one hour, there was no mafia.
No hospital.
No debt.
Gabriel told her about being expelled from boarding school at sixteen.
Norah laughed so hard she nearly choked.
He stared at her.
“What?”
“I've never heard you laugh like that.”
Her smile faded slightly.
“I haven't had much reason.”
Gabriel reached across the counter.
His fingers touched hers.
Neither moved.
The moment changed.
Norah looked into his eyes.
“Gabriel…”
His phone rang.
He ignored it.
It rang again.
Elias.
Gabriel answered.
“Talk.”
His face hardened.
“When?”
Norah knew immediately.
Something was wrong.
Gabriel stood.
“Lock the door behind me.”
“What happened?”
“Rossi moved.”
“What does that mean?”
Gabriel hesitated.
“Three of my dock managers disappeared tonight.”
Norah's stomach tightened.
“And?”
“And someone broke into my records department.”
“What did they take?”
“We don't know.”
Gabriel headed toward the door.
Then Norah's phone vibrated.
Unknown number.
A photograph appeared.
Leo.
Sleeping in his hospital bed.
Taken from inside the room.
Underneath were six words.
STOP DIGGING OR HE DIES NEXT.
Norah couldn't breathe.
Gabriel took the phone.
His expression became terrifyingly calm.
Then he noticed something in the photograph.
A reflection in the hospital window.
A face.
He enlarged it.
Norah stared.
“That isn't Rossi.”
“No.”
“Who is it?”
Gabriel knew the man.
And the realization was worse than anything Rossi could have done.
“Elias.”
Norah looked at him.
“What?”
Gabriel slowly lowered the phone.
“The man inside Leo's room…”
His voice became almost inaudible.
May you like
“...is Elias.”
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