Mafia love

“No, it’s—” She didn’t let me finish.

She shook her head at me and planted a kiss on my forehead. “It’s my fault, sweet girl. Let’s face it. It is, and you know that I know that. That’s why we’re here.”

I opened my mouth to respond but stopped. I heard my name being called from far away. Far, far away.

Someone was calling me. My heart responded first, warming as it recognized the voice before my brain did.

Luc…

I looked around but couldn’t see him.

“You need to wake up,” Mom said. “Wake up and remember always that I love you.”

“I love you,” I told her, speaking from my heart.

She smiled, and darkness filled my surroundings.

“Amelia!” Luc cried out in a frantic voice. So hurried and panic stricken it snapped me out of the dream.

“Luc.” My voice was barely audible, and my throat was dry. Dry like I’d just swallowed a handful of dirt. I tried to swallow, but I couldn’t even do that.

I blinked several times trying to see my surroundings. The gentle breeze caressed my cheek, stinging my skin.

I was looking at a garden ahead of me. A vast expanse of wild flowers that hadn’t been tended to in forever.

“Amelia!” Luc’s voice again.

Now, I looked up and saw him. He was on the roof just ahead of me, standing about fifteen feet away. Claudius was with him.

Before them lay a vast expanse of rigid glass. On the roof. Not the kind you could walk across.

Wait… how did I miss that?

Where am I?

I made the mistake of looking down now and nearly fainted.

I screamed.

I was hanging from the roof of wherever I was, and below me was a drop of what I would say a hundred feet. A hundred feet right into the jagged rock formations that ran into the river.

I looked up to see two ropes were attached to me, wrapped around my arms and waist. They were attached to the bolts on the fixture on the roof.

The ropes twined into one, and right there in the middle of the co

An actual bomb.

“Fantastic,” Tag’s voice boomed just above me. He crouched down and smiled at me. “She’s awake. Had to knock you out to pull off this little stunt of mine. Glad to see your boys are here.”

“Let her go!” Luc cried. He tried to come across the glass, but Claudius held him back.

“The glass, Luc, wait,” Claudius cautioned.

Looking properly now, I could see the glass had missing sections. It was a little different to where I was, although where I was didn’t exactly look stable. I thought that part was intentional.

“Yes, Luc, the glass. I’m going to have to ask you to leave the diamonds over there and leave.” Tag declared.

“Fuck you, asshole. You seriously think I’m just going to hand them over to you? Release Amelia.” Luc stood firm, vicious in his ma

He and Claudius both had that dark, vengeful look.

I couldn’t believe they’d come for me.

“I’m sorry. This was never negotiable. You must have misunderstood. I wanted Amelia dead and to have possession of the diamonds. Not the

diamonds in exchange for her life.” Tag laughed.

“You give her to me, or you get nothing,” Luc barked.

“Thought this might happen. Anyway, the answer’s the same.” Tag straightened and held out a remote control. “See this baby? It’s the detonator for the bomb above your love’s head. You will give the diamonds to me.”

“Do you seriously have no form of dignity? You’re an old fool.”

“You’re just like your father, Luc, awkward. An awkward brow

“Why don’t you come over here and say that closer to our faces,”

Claudius challenged.

“How about I let these guys answer that question for you?” Tag whistled, and from the platform just across from Luc, a host of guys emerged, coming up from downstairs. They all had guns.

Tears rolled down my cheeks.

God, this was it. Luc and Claudius would never make it.

I thought they would cower or something, but they didn’t.

“Blood for blood!” Luc yelled.

What I saw next made me think I was still dreaming.

Max and Sinclaire came out first, firing shots that took out the first row of guys.

Max, my partner Max.

I never thought I’d see him again. And Sinclaire.

They were both here.

Behind them were The Four and Maurice. They managed to take down more guys. They might have been outnumbered, but they had enough skill to deal with Tag’s men.

Luc and Claudius didn’t join in. They were looking for a way across the roof. I watched them. While Luc looked, Claudius covered his back, shooting at anyone who got close.

“Bastards. I’ll show them,” Tag growled. He moved around the arc above us, so I could see him fully. “This will not end well for you. I want you dead more than I want those diamonds. I want you dead.” He held the detonator out, so I could see it. “I think five minutes will give me enough time to dash.”

As soon as the words left his mouth, a bullet ripped through his arm. I gasped.

It took him by complete surprise, and he dropped the detonator. I watched it drop all the way down and disappear amongst the rocks just below me.

Another bullet hit him, and we both turned to see where they were coming from.

Dad walked across the glass roof on our side. He’d come from a different direction than Luc.

“Fucking asshole, who do you think you are!” Dad bellowed.

Tag growled, propelling himself toward Dad, but he had to dodge when Dad fired more shots.

I looked at the two in complete horror. Dad looked like the person he’d been that night when he shot Agent Peterson. That was what he looked like.

However, instead of the shock I’d felt that night, I felt triumph.

He’d come for me too.

“How dare you think you can hurt my daughter. You’re dead! Son of a bitch.” Dad screamed.

Tag took out his own gun and shot at him. Dad dodged it and jumped straight into Tag, knocking him over. I didn’t know where he got the strength and the energy from. Days ago, he’d looked so frail.

The two started fighting, and bullets started firing as they tried to shoot each other. One went into the glass and broke it, causing that whole section of panels to give. As the fixture dangled, I realized how unstable it was.

Rust had taken the areas around it.

Another bullet fired and went through the glass nearby.

“Amelia,” Luc called to me.

I returned my gaze to him. He’d found a path and was inching across the roof.

“Luc, it’s not safe. Go back. The glass… it’s not safe.” I would just die if the roof caved in and he fell through.

“Don’t worry about me, goddess. I’ll come for you.”

I couldn’t steady my breathing. It was too much. Too much going on around me. Too much.

Dad and Tag throwing punches at each other. Luc climbing across a glass roof with missing panels and a rusty framework.

Another set of glass panels gave way just beside me, and shit, it took out the bolt on the left holding me up.

I screamed as I dropped lower. Now, I couldn’t see Luc at all, but I could see Dad.

“You took everything from me!” Tag yelled.

“Fucking prick. This is on you, not me.” Dad barked back. They both had one gun now that they were fighting to gain control of.