Mafia love

He loved being a fed, but he also loved money. Who didn’t?

“Raphael, this is Tag we’re talking about. He’s not like you.”

“What the fuck does that mean?”

“He’s not as reasonable as you. He’s hot tempered and could retaliate.

Can you seriously see him cooperating when we arrest him? He’s the kind to fire back and run.”

“You’re a fucking federal agent. You don’t allow the other guy to run from you. You know Tag, and come on, if he gives you trouble, you know what to do. Shoot the fucker.”

Yes, shoot the fucker. I was done with that guy. I’d known him for so long I couldn’t remember not knowing him. I would have trusted him with my most precious possessions. My wife and daughter.

I kept Eloise and Amelia out of business, kept them right out, but the two guys I trusted most were Marcus and Tag. Marcus met both Eloise and Amelia. When he moved to LA, Tag stepped up and became my consigliere. My confidant. A confidant and friend I trusted enough to introduce to my wife. I introduced the two right here in this house. We had him over for di

When he met Eloise, the two got on well, but I didn’t realize I’d just set in motion a train of disaster for myself.

That one meeting, just that one meeting years ago sealed my fate and crippled my marriage. I didn’t know how many more times the two met after, or when this affair started and became full blown because I didn’t have Tag back here after that. All I knew was it happened. Eloise came by the office a few times and would have seen him. It would make me crazy trying to figure it out. Trying to pinpoint the when and the where.

“You want me to kill him?”

“You kill who you have to.”

I seriously hoped this guy wouldn’t cross me the wrong way. Not today.

He could come with his bullshit some other time, but not today.

This was the perfect plan. It couldn’t have been more perfect.

The diamonds were coming in on the shipment, smuggled in from South Africa. Tag, his three sons, myself, and a few of my guys were supposed to be there to collect. The plan was to set up and go in for the taking once the coast was clear. We’d been pla

We’d checked times for when we could pull off this heist in the stealthiest way. Well, plans changed four nights ago when I watched him pounding into my wife.

I still couldn’t believe it. I’d followed Eloise, and she’d gone to Tag’s place. I snuck in the back and watched. I watched them together out of shock and horror. Sadness.

“You do what you need to do. Get it done and make sure there are no loose ends. He’ll be getting to the docks in about half an hour. Follow the directions I gave you.”

“Okay. I’ll check back in later.”

I hung up.

It was her reflection in the window that startled me, her in that red dress, that made me whirl around to face her.

Eloise was standing in the doorway. Tears were streaming down her cheeks, and sorrow filled her beautiful face.

Shit.

I thought I was alone in the house. No one was supposed to be here. She said she was going shopping.

I would have taken more care in my conversation if I’d known she was going to be here.

“Raphael, what are you doing?” Her voice shook as she spoke, and more tears ran down her cheeks. “Did I hear you right?”

Damn it, I was such an idiot. I’d allowed my feelings to cloud my actions, and I didn’t think. I should have made that call back at the office.

Not here.

It was so ironic. I’d kept my wife and daughter out of business, kept everything at the office in town. I’d kept things tight and on a leash, never discussing anything in the house, yet she’d just heard me plotting perhaps the biggest and worst ambush I’d ever concocted.

“What did you hear?” I demanded.

“Tag. You just ordered Agent Peterson to kill him if he had to. He’s your friend. Why would you do that?”

That was it. I lost my composure. “I saw you with him.”

I was never a beat-around-the-bush kind of guy. Never. And I wouldn’t start being one now.

Eloise sucked in a sharp breath, and her skin turned pale.

“W-what?”

“I. Saw. You. With. Him!” I screamed.

“Raphael, please, I can explain.” She rushed up to me.

When she tried to touch me, I moved my hand away.

“Why? Why would you do that? And what kind of explanation do you think you can give me? You slept with him. I watched him with you.”

“You watched?” she gasped looking mortified.

“That’s what you’re concerned about? Well, yes, Eloise, a person tends to do crazy shit when they’re in shock. That was one of them. Though it was more the case of me watching in complete horror and disbelief because I didn’t want it to be true. I couldn’t believe it. You and him. Don’t worry. I left before he finished fucking you.”

“I’m sorry. I’m sorry. Raphael, things haven’t been… I should have come to you and told you I wanted a…”

Wow, please, don’t tell me she was going to say what I was thinking.

She swallowed hard and wiped her face. “I want a divorce.”

“Done. Fucking done.” Of course, I was done. Didn’t matter that I loved her with everything in me. Didn’t matter that this was killing me. I was done.

If she didn’t love me. I couldn’t do anything about that.

“Raphael, things have been bad with us for a long time.”

I wished she hadn’t said that. “Yes, that’s the perfect excuse to go fucking my best friend, right? I understand perfectly. That’s the natural thing to do, of course.”

“It’s not. It was wrong of me, and I made a mistake.”

“I would never do that to you.” I had plenty women who would have been eager to be with me because of who I was and what I was. I owned Chicago, I had unimaginable wealth, and I think I could be bold enough to say that I owned people too. There were so many chances for me to cheat, but I would never. I didn’t believe in it, and I was too in love with my wife to even contemplate hurting her like that.

“I know. I know you wouldn’t, and that’s what makes me feel even worse. Raphael, every time I tried to talk to you, you’d come up with some excuse or take us someplace that would make it inconvenient to tell you how I felt.”

I couldn’t deny that I’d been stepping around a fear I didn’t want to acknowledge. I’d felt at one point that she wanted to leave me. I’d felt it, and it terrified me. It terrified me so much I didn’t even want to acknowledge the fear. So, I’d pushed it aside.

“How do you feel? Tell me, Eloise. I have given you everything. I have protected you from the darkness in my world. I have given you my heart and soul and loved you.”

Her lips trembled, and she shook her head slowly. Her face contorted as she winced and pulled in a sharp breath. “I don’t love you anymore.”

I just stared at her. I stared at her for what felt like an eternity, and I was sure that my heart must have stopped beating.

“You don’t?”

“I’m sorry.”

I had to fight back to control my own tears. “I love you.” It was stupid to say it, but the words fell from my lips mindlessly.