Chapter 14 - The Hand Over the Cliff
Rain fell over the mountain road exactly as it had months earlier.
Julian waited beside the bridge.
Marcus knelt nearby, restrained but alive.
Dante carried the money.
Cara remained behind the vehicle.
That was the plan.
Plans rarely survived the Moretti family.
Julian demanded Dante approach alone.
“You ruined everything.”
Dante stared at his brother.
“No. Father ruined us. We just chose different ways to survive it.”
Julian laughed bitterly.
“You became him.”
“I almost did.”
Dante looked toward Cara.
“Then somebody reminded me I had a choice.”
Julian followed his gaze.
That distraction allowed Marcus to move.
Chaos erupted.
Marcus struck one captor.
Cara ran forward.
Julian grabbed Dante.
The brothers crashed against the wet guardrail.
Metal bent.
Dante lost his footing.
Suddenly he was hanging over the cliff.
Again.
Cara screamed.
She dropped to her knees and caught his wrist.
The world seemed to stop.
Rain.
Mountain.
Darkness.
Her hand around his.
Exactly where everything had begun.
Dante looked up.
“You have got to be kidding me.”
Cara laughed through tears.
“Not the time!”
Marcus rushed forward.
But Julian grabbed Cara from behind.
She nearly lost Dante.
“No!”
Dante’s fingers slipped.
Julian stared down at his brother.
For one terrible second, Cara believed he would kick Dante’s hand away.
Instead, Julian froze.
Something changed in his face.
Memories, perhaps.
Childhood.
Blood.
Regret.
He released Cara.
Then reached down.
Together, Julian and Cara pulled Dante over the railing.
Police vehicles arrived moments later.
Julian did not run.
He looked at Dante.
“I couldn't do it.”
Dante breathed heavily.
“No.”
Julian began crying.
“I couldn't kill my brother.”
Dante looked at him for a long time.
Then quietly said, “I know.”
Julian surrendered.
As officers took him away, Dante did not forgive him.
Not yet.
But he also did not hate him.
Some wounds needed justice before forgiveness.
Cara wrapped her arms around Dante.
“You nearly fell off the same cliff twice.”
“Technically different sections.”
She stared at him.
“Dante.”
“Yes?”
“We're moving somewhere flat.”
May you like
He laughed against her hair.
“Agreed.”
