Chapter 14 - MY FATHER
The drive to Vermont took three hours.
It felt like fifteen years.
I said almost nothing.
Roman sat beside me.
Titan lay between us.
When we reached the small farmhouse outside Brattleboro, I couldn’t open the car door.
Roman didn’t rush me.
For once.
I stared at the house.
“What if it isn’t him?”
“Then we leave.”
“What if it is?”
Roman looked at me.
“Then you decide what comes next.”
I stepped out.
Titan came with me.
I walked to the porch.
Knocked.
Nothing.
Knocked again.
Footsteps.
The door opened.
The man standing there was older.
Gray beard.
Thin.
A scar running from his jaw into his collar.
But his eyes—
I knew those eyes.
He dropped the mug in his hand.
“Nora?”
My entire body went numb.
“You’re alive.”
His face collapsed.
He started crying.
So did I.
I hit him.
Not hard.
Once against the chest.
“You’re alive!”
“I’m sorry.”
“You let me bury you!”
“I’m sorry.”
“You let Mom die thinking you were dead!”
His eyes closed.
That hurt him.
Good.
I wanted it to.
Then I fell into his arms.
For a long time, neither of us spoke.
Titan sat beside us.
Roman stayed near the car.
My father finally looked over my shoulder.
“Roman Calder?”
Roman approached carefully.
Daniel’s expression hardened.
“You look like your father.”
Roman stopped.
“I’m beginning to understand that isn’t a compliment.”
Inside, my father told us the truth.
He survived the Pier 9 fire.
Barely.
A firefighter connected to federal investigators moved him before Malcolm’s people reached the hospital.
Daniel agreed to disappear because Malcolm threatened my mother.
And me.
“I thought staying dead kept you alive.”
“You could have come back.”
“Not while Black Harbor existed.”
“You had fifteen years.”
“And every year I hated myself.”
I couldn’t forgive him in one afternoon.
But I could understand.
Maybe.
Someday.
He handed Roman an old metal lockbox.
Inside were original cargo manifests.
Photographs.
Bank records.
And a handwritten statement from Nathaniel Calder.
Roman’s father.
Roman read it silently.
Nathaniel had discovered Malcolm and Declan were expanding Black Harbor beyond what he intended.
He planned to cooperate with federal investigators.
Three days later, his boat exploded.
Roman sat back.
Malcolm had killed his brother.
Then inherited the empire.
My father looked at Roman.
“He’ll run now.”
Roman nodded.
“Probably.”
“No.”
Daniel looked toward the television.
“Not probably.”
Breaking news showed helicopters circling Boston Harbor.
A reporter stood outside Calder Marina.
“Authorities believe Malcolm Calder may be attempting to leave the country aboard a private vessel.”
Roman stood.
Luca called at the same moment.
“We found him.”
“Where?”
“Calder Marina.”
Roman headed for the door.
I grabbed his arm.
“You’re not going alone.”
“Nora.”
“He killed my father once.”
Daniel corrected quietly.
“Tried.”
I looked at him.
Then back at Roman.
Titan stood.
Roman sighed.
“I assume the dog is coming too.”
Titan walked straight to my side.
May you like
I smiled.
“Apparently.”
