Mafia love

Simple. That collar around her neck isn’t a necklace you know. Or some fashionable accessory. It’s a bomb.”

Poor Millicent. She started to shake and tremble. My heart went out to her.

“What do you want?” Dad asked.

Tag laughed. “For those of you who just joined in or need to be brought up to speed, my name is Taglioni Donachie. This man,” he pointed to Dad.

“Your boss, ratted me out to the feds on a heist we were supposed to work on together. He did that because his wife chose me over him. His wife chose me, and jealousy made him foolish and selfish. He ratted me out to the feds, and the stint cost me my three sons and his beloved wife. The love of my life, who came to warn me of the great Raphael’s plan to ruin me.

Then the evil man he is didn’t stop there. He stole the very diamonds we were supposed to take together and got me out of town under the pretense that he was helping me. What a fool I was. So, here I am, armed with the truth, which I had to work out for myself, and this is what I want.”

He walked right up to me. Luc jumped in the way, but Claudius grabbed him and held him back.

“Blood for blood,” he taunted.

I swore my poor heart stopped beating right there in the walls of my chest.

“The daughter for my sons’ and her mother’s lives. And I want the diamonds.”

He stared me down, but I stood firm and strong, immovable. My heart felt like it would leap straight out of my chest when it started beating again, but I calmed myself enough to stand up to him.

He stepped back and laughed. “When I get all those, I’ll kill you, Raphael, before that cancer gets you. Death like that is too good for you.

The real games are about to begin. I hope you’re all ready,” he sneered as he walked by Dad and Marcus and continued down the corridor.

It wasn’t until I heard the front door open and close shut that I released the breath I’d been holding on to.

Millicent broke down, and I ran to her aid to comfort her.

I looked at the device around her neck, which snapped open a few seconds later.

“Go after him. See if you can follow him,” Luc ordered Dante and Gio, who were already moving.

“We need to get rid of that thing.” Claudius moved in and took the collar.

I looked to Luc wondering what the hell to do now. One thing was for damn certain. I couldn’t leave.

I couldn’t leave and leave my father again.

CHAPTER 8

Amelia

I sat with Dad for the longest time while everyone else got to work.

We were in the sunroom. We stayed in there for hours not really doing anything, not really talking.

I didn’t know what to say to him, and I guess he didn’t know what to say to me.

He read—or what seemed to be reading—a copy of Scientific American.

Occasionally, he’d comment. Nothing in relation to what happened earlier, just random things like talking about the vegetable drink Millicent had given him and the lunch. He said he’d become a vegetarian because it was healthier for him. The meals Millicent prepared contained anti-cancer properties.

By the time it started to get dark outside, I’d had enough of the small talk and shit, and I hadn’t seen Luc all day.

Dad and I were like sitting ducks waiting for the real games to begin.

“I saw him with Mom,” I spoke, cutting through the thick silence that made the room heavy with tension.

Dad lowered the magazine and stared at me with wide eyes. “What did you say?”

“I saw him with Mom. I was maybe eight, I think, and they were here in the kitchen. I got back from ballet early. I rushed into the kitchen, and he

was there holding her. I think he was about to kiss her when I barged in.”

Dad closed his eyes. The revelation highlighted that Mom’s affair had gone on for a lot longer than he’d thought. It must have stemmed over many years.

“I’m sorry, my girl. I’m sorry you had to see her like that, and I’m sorry I was no much better and my actions put everyone in danger.”

“Luc wants to take me away,” I spoke in a hushed voice, just above a whisper. Aware that someone could still be listening in.

“It’s a good idea.”

Of course, he would say that.

“I shouldn’t leave you. Again.”

“The focus is you. I thought you’d be safer here with people who could protect you, but I was wrong. I was so wrong. Tag was the most ruthless man I’d ever come across in my life. What I did to him probably made him insane. I’m still, however, trying to figure out how he put the pieces together. It’s still a mystery to me. No rat would have been able to tell him what happened because no one else knew what I’d done. To everyone, it looked like I was getting revenge on Eloise and trying to get Tag out of the feds’ reach. I played along well.” He ran his hand over the stubble on his chin and looked drained.

“Dad, you need to go rest. Go and lie down.”

“I’ve been lying down for days.”

“It’s where you should be. Come, let me help you upstairs.” I moved to him and took his arm.

He smiled and stood up, towering over me with his height. “This is more than I deserve, my daughter.”

“Dad, please stop saying that.”

I got him upstairs and made sure he had a mug of hot cocoa, then I went back downstairs to check if Luc had come back. I needed to speak to him.

I found Claudius instead. He was in the living room sitting by himself.

Still looking over the collar that had been on Millicent’s neck. I felt so bad for her, and for the fact that she was caught up in all this shit. We’d sent her home after that whole fiasco, escorted, of course, to make sure she and her family were safe. She’d told us how they’d grabbed her from her house. Her husband was away ru

“It’s fu

“Not a bomb?” I pressed my lips together.

“They fooled us big time. It’s just a wireless controlled device with a flashing light.” He tossed it on the table.

“Could they listen in with it?” I sat opposite him in the loveseat.

“Nah, it’s not that sophisticated. It really is just a worthless piece of shit.” He motioned his head to me. “So, you and Luc decide what you’re doing? I thought you would have headed for the hills by now.”

“He told you?”

He shook his head. “Didn’t have to. We almost have the same mind. Let me guess. He wants to take you away from here.”

“Yeah.”

“You don’t think it’s a good idea?”

“Do you?”

He swallowed hard. “I’m biased, so I can’t answer that question.”

“How?” I wasn’t sure what he meant.

“Well, it’s because I would do the same thing if I were him. I would do it in a heartbeat.”

Luc had said that too, to him, last night. They’d been talking about someone. “Would you?”

“I tried to… for my wife.” He looked down, then back to me, and his eyes spoke a wealth of sadness.

“You were married?” Luc never mentioned that, but I guess maybe the story behind that was one he’d rather not tell.

“I was. I made a deal with the devil, and things went south,” Claudius began explaining. “I was supposed to secure a deal. A million-dollar deal for the Manellos, but it didn’t work out. I work as a bookie in the business, and I thought I’d make a little extra on the side by throwing games and other shit. On this occasion I didn’t know what I was getting myself into.