Mafia love

It was a repeat of the day before, as if we were living the same day over again.

I lay in Luc’s arms relishing him, and he beamed down at me in adoration.

Neither of us wanted to leave the bed because leaving the room meant walking back into reality.

We’d stayed awake for most of the night, only getting the bare minimum sleep we needed. Then waking up to make love.

He sighed, and I watched the steady rise and fall of his powerful chest.

“I think we should leave.” His voice broke into the gentle silence that had settled over the room.

“Five more minutes, please.” I ran my fingers up to his jaw and over the shadow of a beard that had formed on his face.

He chuckled and eased himself up onto his elbows. “I mean leave for good. Just go away and disappear. We could go to Italy. We talked about going to Italy. We could live in the villa, or somewhere else, and no one would be able to find us.”

My lips parted, and numbness filled me, because I’d played that game before. I ran away from home, from Chicago. I became someone else and in all honesty doing that ate away at my insides and suffocated me.

Ru

“Luc, I…”

“I know it’s like before, but this time you have me. If we get you out of the country, you could be safer, out of danger. It’s a good idea, isn’t it?”

I nodded. It was a good idea. Leaving. I would be safe. I could disappear, but what would happen here? What about Dad?

When I’d left before, I had the safety net of him. He’d looked so frail yesterday. He looked like he was on his last breath.

“My father, Luc.”

“He will understand and do what needs to be done.” His brows furrowed. I didn’t miss the harshness in his tone and I recalled all that he’d said yesterday about Dad. “I’m thinking leaving might be our best option.

We can think about it, but not for too long. Maybe by tonight. Tonight we can decide.”

“Okay,” I breathed.

“Okay?” He actually looked relieved.

“Yes. We decide tonight.”

“Let’s get back to Raphael’s and see what’s happening. But I’ll plan like we’re going.”

It was all so sudden.

We got dressed and got back to the manor by ten.

I was so happy to see Dad sitting in the living room with The Four.

Claudius and Marcus came back with us.

It was strange seeing so many in this room. Although it was big enough to accommodate a small party of people.

I rushed up to Dad and gave him a hug and kissed his cheek. He hugged me back but then looked to Luc.

“Don’t you dare say anything to me about taking her away from here,”

Luc cut him off before he could comment.

“I wasn’t going to. I heard what happened yesterday,” Dad answered.

Instead of sitting next to Dad, Luc took my hand and pulled me over to the empty seats on the sofa. I noticed Gio’s cocky smirk at Dante as they exchanged curious glances with each other.

“It’s been several days, and we’ve come up with nothing,” Dad stated.

“They’re playing with us,” Luc filled in. I could feel his rage toward Dad rippling off him.

“They’re fucking with us, son,” Dad stated boldly. He looked more like himself now. “We need to turn this town upside down. With the level of control I have over this city, I’m surprised we haven’t found them yet. It’s more than odd. It suggest they have help.”

“The Salvatores and the Manellos,” Claudius offered.

I didn’t know who anyone was.

“No, not the Salvatores,” Marcus intoned. “Tag killed their consigliere.

They would never link up with him after that.”

“But they might with Victor. He’s a powerful man to keep,” Dad continued.

A buzzing sound interrupted his next words. It was my phone.

I pulled it out to turn it off, but I stopped when I saw the unknown number notification come up.

Luc looked too and tensed.

“What if?” What if it was them?

“Let me answer it.”

“No, maybe it’s Gigi.” My heart told me it wasn’t.

I answered the phone, and everyone looked to me.

“Hello.” I couldn’t control the tremor in my voice.

“Amelia, long time no see.”

Chills ran down my spine. It was Victor. It was foolish to wonder how he’d gotten my number.

“What do you want?” I tried to sound firm, like this man didn’t faze me, but again I couldn’t help it. Just thinking of all the evil he’d done turned my stomach.

“You have a visitor. Make him feel welcomed. I advise you all to hold fire.” He hung up, and the line went dead.

“That was Victor. Someone’s here,” I spoke, looking at everyone.

The guys all stood up and reached for their guns.

The doorbell rang, and we all looked at each other.

My heart was pounding in my chest. I reached for Luc’s hand on instinct, and he took it, gripping me tight.

“He said to hold fire,” I spoke out to no one in particular.

Dad boldly started moving toward the door. I went to stop him, but Luc held me back.

It was Dante who stepped in front of Dad and held his hand up.

“No, boss, no. I’ll go.”

He left us, and thank God Dad listened. A few seconds later, Millicent emerged with tears streaming down her cheeks. There was a collar around her neck with a red flashing light in the center.

“Millicent.” Again, I tried to move, but Luc held me back.

“Good, good, keep a leash on that one, Lucian,” boomed a voice from the corridor. A man walked in. He looked to be the same age as Dad and Marcus, but unlike Dad, he stepped strong. Strong and proud. His dark

Italian features were striking, as were his silver eyes. They matched the silver streaks in his hair.

Behind him was Dante with his gun trained on him. The trigger was pulled back, nigh on release.

As I studied the man’s face, I realized I’d seen him before. I knew his face; it was the eyes I recognized.

Dad had kept me and Mom out of business, and the only person I remembered seeing outright was Marcus. I guess because he was Dad’s most trusted friend, but this man…

As I looked at him, I instantly took a dislike to him outside of the situation, and the feeling felt familiar.

Images of him and Mom flickered in my mind. I must have been about seven or eight. I couldn’t quite recall, but I remembered seeing them together.

They were in the kitchen, and I came back from… ballet early. Millicent must have gotten me from practice. I ran into the kitchen, and he had his hands on Mom.

He’d looked at me as I dashed in.

This was Tag… God, I knew him. I knew him.

He looked at me now and smiled.

“Eloise, you could be her, Amelia.”

The way he looked me over, it felt like he was staring right into my soul.

Marcus moved and stood next to Dad, drawing Tag’s attention to them.

“Hello, old friends, look at us back together again. The infamous three.

Raphael, Marcus, and Tag. You two went soft on me. One of you betrayed me. It wasn’t you, Marcus. You would never do what Raphael did. Like me, you have sons you love. I see they’re both here. I wonder what mine would have looked like today if they’d lived.”

“Get off my property,” Dad barked. “I will kill you right here.”

“You can, but if you kill me, your beloved Millicent will explode.