Secret Heir

Chapter 1

Chapter 1

Mitch Morgan III, on the verge of collapse from sheer exhaustion, stared down the long, empty hall of his mother’s penthouse suite overlooking the Mississippi River. Fiona Dupree had just passed. He’d never tell a soul, but he felt as if he could at last sleep, now that his mother no longer needed him to be awake.

Footsteps echoed on the silk carpet runner and he glanced at the nurse who had been at his mother’s side. A new woman, Marie or something. She quickly averted her gaze as she handed him paperwork, then picked up the phone and called the funeral home, her whispers secretive. Was she trying to spare his feelings?

This was it. Mitch stood from the padded armchair and returned the papers allowing transport of his mother's remains.

“I’m sorry,” the nurse murmured without once looking at him.

Mitch lowered his eyes. He was done with accepting apologies for things out of anyone's control. The end had been coming for over a year. Fiona was now at peace.

He hoped she’d found solace. It was time for him and his brothers to make amends, starting with a call to Axel. His mother's heart attack had come a month after Axel exploded during a bitter family argument, saying Fiona never should have loved their father—a married man.

Part of Mitch understood the feeling. His father had only been there part-time, making their mom happy for those few months he was around. Then he’d leave again, crushing her, until he found time to be away from his legitimate family and with them once more. These last months, his mother had fretted that his father’s wife would not allow her to be buried next to the man she loved.

Waiting for paperwork took too long. Once the nurse nodded at him, letting him know everything was complete, Mitch walked away. With every step, he knew he'd never return—they’d hire a company to clean the penthouse and put it up for sale. His mind swirled.

The need to prove himself itched at his skin and the very fiber of his being. His banking empire was the fastest growing business in New Orleans, and the offers to buy it rolled in daily. He'd never sell. This was his ticket to wrestle the House of Morgan and Morgan Enterprises out of Peter's hands. Their father had another family, a real family. When his dad had died, he and his brothers hadn’t even been invited to the funeral.

They had always been second, but now that his mother was gone, nothing would stop him from being number one.

Mitch made his way outside. The sun and humidity hitting his skin made him long for a shower. Thirty seconds later, his driver pulled up to the curb. Without waiting for him to get out and open his door, Mitch slipped inside.

"The church, Pierre."

Mitch slumped into his seat and took his cell phone out of his pocket. Galen and Damien needed to be told right away. He took a deep breath. Signing the papers had been as surreal as holding her hand while she passed. The end had been so quiet that he’d sat for another hour, waiting, just in case the nurse was wrong. Galen wouldn’t have to take the next eight-hour shift at their mother’s penthouse.

Mitch dialed, his brother answering on the first ring. "Hello?"

"Galen..." The sentence wouldn't form in his throat. How did he tell him their mom was gone? Galen was patient and funny and made Mom laugh.

Silence hung in the air as Pierre drove into the French Quarter.

"Has Mom...?" Galen’s sentence trailed off.

"Yeah."

“Damien?”

“I’ll call him next.”

Galen coughed. Hard heels clapped against wood and Mitch imagined him pacing his office. "Mitch, this sucks. Have you found Axel?"

The angry one.

Axel had stormed out the day they all received their inheritance, telling the banker his money could burn for all he cared—and then his fight with their mother. None of them had seen their brother since, well except on TV.

Mitch clutched his phone. "I’ll call him, too."

Galen let out a breath. "Tell you what, I'll get Damien. We'll meet you at the penthouse."

He wouldn’t spend another second there. He closed his eyes. "No. Mom wanted her service at St. Louis Cathedral. Meet me there and we can go over her list of things she wanted.”

Mitch heard a jingle of keys, then a door opening, and closing. Galen chuckled sorrowfully. Two beeps sounded as he unlocked his car. "I just hope the church doesn’t fall down around me."

None of the brothers were as religious as Fiona had raised them. "Just show up, Galen, that would make Mom happy.”

Their mom wanted them to stick together, no matter what. Her voice replayed in his mind. “Family matters. You boys will only have each other someday.” She’d made Galen, Damien, and Mitch all swear not to bother Axel, hoping he'd come home on his own.

Axel always let his stubbornness get the better of him. Mitch sighed. He should have called his brother sooner, despite their mother's opinion.

Galen said, "I'll call Damien—see you in a few.”

The driver turned onto Royal Street as Mitch dialed Axel. Two rings later, he heard the phone click, but no words. Mitch swallowed around the ache in his throat. "Axel?"

"I'm busy, Mitch," Axel mumbled.

"Mom died."

None of the past mattered. Mitch's shoulders slumped in exhaustion. He pressed his lips together and waited for his brother to realize what he’d said.

"What?" Axel shifted, muffling the speaker and then in a clearer tone asked, "How? When?"

If he were Axel, he'd be extremely angry. At least Mitch had the chance to hold her hand and listen to her advice about not seeking revenge and finding a pretty woman to settle down with. This past year, his mother suddenly became big on marriage, although she had never married. She’d said she’d realized her mistake and didn’t want her kids to make the same. Not that Mitch blamed marriage—it was love that made you insane.

"Heart attack, months ago, but she’s been growing weaker and more frail since. She's finally at rest."

"I didn't know."

Axel's anguish echoed through him. If their roles were reversed, Mitch would want to be alone so no one saw his tears. As the responsible one, he’d sat at her side, though her sudden turn for the worse at the end made him numb. He closed his eyes and wished he had called his brother sooner. He would have wanted to at least say goodbye. Now Axel wouldn’t have his chance, not like the rest of them had.

Mitch massaged the bridge of his nose. "She didn't want to make you feel guilty—she understands your anger."

"Well, I do now. It wasn't her I was mad at, anyway. Not really."

The strain in Axel's voice was naked, raw, and full of pain. Mitch believed him.

Pierre parked the town car at the curb. He’d take the path through the garden, to the cathedral. Their mother would want them all there. Plus, he wanted to see Axel again—he missed his brother.

"Will you come home for the funeral? We are meeting at St. Louis Cathedral to discuss the arrangements."

"Of course." His brother sounded like he hit a wall or something. “I’ll get my band to either cancel the next stop or hire a guest for the gig.”

"See you soon,” Mitch said softly as he pulled the phone away from his ear. Indigo 5 could do without their keyboardist for a few days.

He pocketed his phone, staring out the car window. The stress was too much. He focused on every breath, inhale and exhale, like the counting would help him get through this sorrow.

Pierre turned from the front seat and interrupted his thoughts. "Mr. Morgan, you're getting a call."

"I don't care about business today." Mitch reached for the interior handle. There was no peace to be had. He opened the door and climbed out.

The driver hopped out and raced around to Mitch’s side, one hand on the roof of the town car. "Your mom was a good woman. May she rest in peace."

Mitch patted Pierre on the shoulder and nodded. "She was the best."

Good women were rare, and he knew he'd never find one as gentle-hearted, not that he intended to look. His parents’ example was exactly why he needed to avoid the word “love” in any romantic relationship.

As he walked through the garden, he heard a family laughing on the green grass and jazz music from street performers on the main street beyond. His shoulders lifted. The familiar scent of the Mississippi River clung to the air and gave this area a unique flavor. After meeting with the priest, perhaps he'd get a coffee before returning home.

Savoring the chicory coffee played in his mind; a reason to live. The dark thought caught him off guard. He swallowed as he quickened his steps on the cobblestone pathway. How could he bear the pain? At least Mom is no longer suffering.

As he neared the entrance, he saw his two darker-haired brothers standing tall outside. Galen quickly put out his cigarette as if he hoped Mitch hadn't seen. He wouldn’t judge today. "Galen, Damien..."

Galen lowered his head and whispered, "I can’t believe it."

Guilt wasn't good. They had talked about how to continue their lives while still having one of them around their mother at all hours. They had worked as a team. Mitch would feel the same if it hadn't been his turn to be there.

He tucked his hand behind his back and kept his head down, too. They’d each taken a few hours of their day to visit her so she was never alone too long without family. "It was so fast and peaceful at the end, as if she just gave up fighting."

"That isn’t like her, but I saw the same thing. Did you contact Axel?” Damien asked. Galen stepped back and Mitch wondered what Axel and Galen had said to each other before Axel took off on his motorcycle, after the blow up. It had seemed personal, so Mitch hadn’t pressed. "Yeah. He’s coming."

"He wasn't happy with Dad or Mom," Galen stated as they walked toward the entrance of the church.

Mitch reached for the door. "I know he feels bad about Mom, at least. Let's just go inside and make the arrangements."

A layperson escorted the brothers to the priest, who saw them right away. Nobody would ever ignore the Morgan name, even the bastard foursome. One day soon, the rest of the Morgans would pay for how they treated his family. His parents should have had the right to marry. His family should have been the legitimate branch.