Mafia love

He got me. He caught me.

God. This was it.

As I remembered everything and Millicent’s betrayal, bile rose into my throat. It rose into my throat, and I couldn’t stop myself from vomiting.

“Shit, couldn’t you have warned me you were going to do that?” Victor winced. “This suit is expensive.”

When I threw up again, I realized it couldn’t have been from the realization of what had happened. I was sick.

I was actually sick…

Whatever Millicent had given me had made me sick.

Did she poison me?

“Vomit is so gross.” Victor frowned and stepped back, so he wasn’t near me. At least that was one good thing. Anytime spent where he wasn’t touching me was a good thing. “God, and nasty. Burt, send someone in to clean that up, will ya,” he called over his shoulder.

“What did you give me? What did you people give me?” If it was poison, I could die. Just like that. Mission accomplished.

“It’s an anesthetic, similar to what’s used in hospitals prior to surgery.

Major surgery. I should give you a list of the side effects. The only real thing you can do though, I guess, is the throw it all up.”

“Where’s Gigi?”

“Lights.” He held up the candle like some kind of freak, and bright white light snapped on from above, filling the room.

Instantly, my gaze landed on Gigi. She was directly opposite me but about six feet away. Duct tape was covering her mouth, and she was bound just like me, but she was alive. Alive but what appeared to be sleeping or knocked out.

I didn’t know. What I knew was, I could see the slight rise and fall of her chest.

There were bruises all over her face.

Tears ran down my cheeks. Tears of sadness because I couldn’t believe that my poor friend was caught up in this mess, but also tears of relief. I thought the next time I’d see her would be…

Well, I thought she was dead.

“Don’t look so relieved. I have much in store for you, Amelia Rossi,”

Victor taunted.

I returned my gaze to him, looking over the madman that stood over me.

“Why? Why are you doing this?” I didn’t care what he was getting paid.

This was pure evil. He was pure evil.

“I get a kick out of it. Anything like this is me. Come on, how many times do you think I get to have this kind of fun, Amelia? It’s a hoot and a half. Plus, what can I say? I love my job. Oh, also, maybe there is this.” He snapped open his shirt to reveal his chest. I winced at the sight of the angry-looking burn scars that covered it. “Those scars make it personal for me.

Women cringe at the sight of it. The way you’re cringing now. Doesn’t help much in the bedroom.”

I couldn’t imagine what woman in their right mind would be with him, but then maybe they didn’t have a choice. Again, bile rose in my throat when I thought of what he’d done to Henry’s wife. And all he’d done to Henry and his kids, the whole family. Plus, there were more people. I didn’t know Henry and his family or the other people this man had hurt, but that didn’t matter. None of that mattered. This was the man who’d done so much evil. So many people had lost their lives and had their lives ruined because of him.

He cleared his throat and continued talking. “Your boyfriend did this to me. Took me a long while to heal, but like Rasputin, the mad Russian monk, I came back from the dead. I trust he must have told you what happened between us. That little explosion could have killed me if I’d been deeper inside the building. However, it was good for people to think I was dead. It was more dramatic this way, plus it gave me time to get to a hundred percent. Probably better. I lost a lot of clients though while I was down. I blame Lucian for that.”

“You’re crazy.”

“Newsflash, people kind of know that, as do I, my love.” His eyes went wide with excitement.

My mind ran on Dad and Millicent. What did they do to him? Where was she? Where was Tag?

“My father. What did you do to him?”

“Absolutely nothing. It’s not his time yet. This is the main event. He’s probably at home tucked in bed watching shit and reading the Bible. Poor asshole, as if reading the Bible can help him. Can it help anybody? Hardly,

even when you do what the good book says, you’re still at a loss. He seems to take comfort in it. I wish I could burn it right in front of him. I’d have fun doing that. I’d torture him then too.”

He walked around swinging his head from side to side like he relished the thought. I took the opportunity to look around the room. Anything that could give us some escape would be good. Of course, providing I could get out of these bonds. The room we were in looked like an old-style interrogation room. Like something from The Green Mile. Large space, bars ahead of us with a door. It made me think we could be at the old, abandoned prison. I couldn’t remember the name of it, and there was a good chance we weren’t there. I stopped looking around when Victor turned back to face me with a devilish smile. It was a smile a predator would give its prey. He looked at me like he wanted me to answer. What the hell kind of answer should I give him?

Anything I said would most likely infuriate him. I couldn’t call him an evil, psychotic madman.

“Poor sap,” he taunted, seeming to love the sound of his voice. “There’s a chance he doesn’t even know what happened to you. Millicent was such a good sport. Giving us all the information we needed, feeding us with data.

Good woman. She wore a wire and everything, allowing transmit live and in living color to get straight to us. That’s what you call a good sport. A real team player. She deserves an award or something. Best spy.”

“How did you get to her?” I wanted to know. I had to know. I wanted to know everything.

“That wasn’t me. So, your guess is as good as mine. She was already playing the game when I got on board. That wire of hers worked wonders though. Technology these days is off the hook. That little device allowed us to hear even the slightest whisper from thirty five feet away. Good right?

We heard things even before she heard. That’s how we knew about the key and the safe. Also how we knew when to get rid of the wire. You have to agree that nothing is sweeter than the betrayal of a friend. A trusted family friend who was more like family to you. We well and truly put her to good use.”

God, I couldn’t believe it. Of course it all made sense now. They played this game so well. They didn’t need to bug the house when they had Millicent wearing a wire. She did indeed catch the tail end of the

conversation I had with Dad in the garden. However, by then it was too late.

Chances were she never heard any of what I’d said but they did.

They’d already heard me say that I was going to put the key in the safe.

They may have even heard the whole conversation prior to that too depending on where Millicent was in the house.

That laugh sounded from him again, making me sick.

“You people will pay for this,” I cried. It was stupid to say that, like I could really make them pay. I couldn’t do anything. I was helpless. So much for being a cop. Look where it got me.

“Your beloved won’t be able to save you.” He laughed. “He thinks he can just get the diamonds and hand them over, then I’ll let you both go. As if I’ve ever been a bargaining man. He’ll come along riding on his white horse, and either I’ll shoot him in the head and take the diamonds, or one of my lackeys will get him.”