Chapter 5 - The Husband Who Came Back
Josephine crossed the room before anyone could stop her.
She slapped Andrew once.
Then again.
Then pressed both hands against his chest as if she needed physical confirmation that he existed.
Warm.
Solid.
Alive.
Andrew did not defend himself.
Josephine struck him again.
“You were alive.”
“Yes.”
Another slap.
“You watched me bury you.”
“Yes.”
She raised her hand again.
This time she couldn’t finish.
Her body folded.
Andrew caught her.
Josephine immediately shoved him away.
“Don’t touch me.”
He released her.
Dante stood near the door, watching.
His expression was unreadable.
Andrew looked thinner than Josephine remembered.
There were new lines beside his eyes.
A healing cut crossed his jaw.
But he was Andrew.
No substitute.
No double.
Her husband.
“How long?” she asked.
“Eight months.”
“No. How long were you planning this?”
Andrew looked down.
“Two years.”
Josephine nearly laughed.
“You planned your death for two years?”
“Yes.”
“While sleeping beside me?”
“Yes.”
“While we were choosing wallpaper for the guest room?”
Pain crossed his face.
“Josie—”
“Don’t call me that.”
He stopped.
Josephine pointed at the boy.
“Who is he?”
Andrew looked toward the stairs.
“His name is Lucas.”
“And?”
“He’s Michael’s son.”
“My father’s son.”
“Yes.”
“My father died thirty-two years ago.”
Andrew nodded.
“Lucas is six.”
“Yes.”
Josephine stared.
Dante spoke quietly.
“Frozen embryo.”
Andrew looked at him.
Josephine turned.
“What?”
Dante’s eyes remained on Andrew.
“Michael had genetic material preserved.”
Andrew nodded.
“His first wife underwent fertility treatment before Michael died. Embryos were stored under another name.”
Josephine struggled to process it.
“And someone used one decades later?”
“Rebecca.”
“Why?”
Andrew glanced at Margaret.
She answered.
“My husband found the records. Rebecca became obsessed with restoring what had been taken from Michael.”
Dante’s voice sharpened.
“By creating an heir?”
Margaret winced.
“She believed it would protect the family.”
“It created a child people would kill.”
“Yes.”
Josephine stared at Lucas.
The boy had returned upstairs, apparently accustomed to adults telling secrets below him.
“Does he know?”
“No,” Andrew said.
“He thinks Margaret is his grandmother.”
“She is.”
“And Rebecca?”
Andrew’s expression darkened.
“Missing.”
Josephine looked back at him.
“Now you explain everything.”
Andrew glanced at Dante.
“Not with him here.”
Dante laughed once.
“You stole from me.”
“To save your life.”
“That line improves with repetition.”
Andrew stepped closer.
“Your uncle Carlo planned to remove you.”
Dante’s face changed.
“Carlo is in Sicily.”
“He was in Chicago six weeks ago.”
Josephine watched them.
“Who is Carlo?”
“My father’s brother,” Dante said.
Andrew nodded.
“The man who ordered Michael killed.”
Dante’s jaw tightened.
Josephine whispered, “Your uncle killed my father?”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
Andrew answered.
“Michael wanted out.”
Dante looked at him sharply.
Andrew continued.
“He had records. Payments. murders. bribes. He planned to cooperate with federal prosecutors.”
Josephine felt dizzy.
“My father was an informant?”
“He was trying to dismantle the organization.”
Dante’s voice became cold.
“And you know this because?”
“I found his archive.”
“At St. Agnes?”
“Part of it.”
Dante approached.
“Where is the rest?”
Andrew looked at Josephine.
“With her.”
Josephine stared.
“What?”
Andrew’s gaze dropped to her necklace.
She touched it.
A delicate gold pendant her mother had given her before she died.
Josephine had worn it for years.
Andrew stepped toward her.
“May I?”
“No.”
She removed it herself.
The pendant looked ordinary.
Andrew showed her a tiny groove along the side.
Josephine used her thumbnail.
The back opened.
Inside was a microSD card.
She stared.
“My mother knew.”
“Yes.”
“All these years?”
“Yes.”
“And you knew?”
“For four.”
Josephine slapped him again.
This time Dante looked away.
Andrew accepted it.
“You married me before you knew?”
“Yes.”
Josephine searched his face.
“Did you marry me because of my family?”
“No.”
“Answer carefully.”
“I met you because of your family.”
The distinction pierced her.
“But I married you because I loved you.”
Josephine’s eyes filled.
“How convenient.”
“It’s the truth.”
“You investigated me.”
“Yes.”
“You followed me?”
“Initially.”
“You lied about everything.”
“Not everything.”
“Which part should I treasure, Andrew?”
He had no answer.
Dante spoke.
“We need the card.”
Josephine closed her fingers around the pendant.
“No.”
Andrew and Dante both looked at her.
“For eight months everyone decided what I was allowed to know.”
“Josephine—” Dante began.
“No.”
She backed toward the door.
“My husband faked his death. My mother hid my identity. My father belonged to a criminal family. A six-year-old child exists because someone decided a dead man needed an heir.”
She looked between them.
“And both of you think I’m going to hand over the one thing everyone wants?”
Dante’s eyes narrowed slightly.
Andrew almost smiled.
Josephine noticed.
“What?”
“Nothing.”
“Say it.”
Andrew’s expression softened.
“That was exactly what your mother would have said.”
The words hurt more than they should have.
Josephine slipped the necklace back on.
“Then you should know better than to argue.”
A vehicle engine sounded outside.
Dante moved toward the window.
Three black SUVs had pulled into the driveway.
Andrew cursed.
“You were followed.”
Dante looked at him.
“Or you were.”
Margaret rushed upstairs for Lucas.
Dante’s men drew weapons.
Josephine stared through the curtains.
Men exited the vehicles.
One older man stepped out last.
Silver hair.
Dark coat.
Cane.
Dante went still.
“Carlo.”
Andrew grabbed Josephine’s arm.
“There’s a cellar exit.”
She pulled away.
“No more running without explanations.”
“Josephine, that man killed your father.”
Dante checked his gun.
“And my sister.”
The front door shook under a heavy blow.
Margaret hurried downstairs carrying Lucas.
The boy looked frightened.
“Grandma?”
“It’s okay.”
Another blow.
Wood splintered.
Andrew pointed toward the kitchen.
“Move.”
Josephine followed Margaret.
Dante remained behind.
She turned.
“What are you doing?”
“Buying time.”
Andrew looked at Dante.
For a moment the two men who despised each other understood exactly what had to happen.
Andrew handed Josephine a key.
“Cellar. Red door.”
“What about you?”
“I’m coming.”
The front door burst inward.
Gunfire exploded.
Josephine ran.
She reached the cellar stairs with Margaret and Lucas.
Andrew was behind them.
Then he stopped.
Josephine looked back.
“What?”
Andrew stared toward the upstairs hallway.
Someone had entered from the rear of the house.
Not Carlo’s men.
A woman.
She held a gun.
Andrew whispered one name.
“Rebecca.”
Lucas looked up.
“Mom?”
Josephine froze.
Rebecca raised the weapon.
May you like
But she wasn’t aiming at Andrew.
She was aiming directly at Josephine.
