Mafia love

Both had their hands on the handle. They maneuvered it down, and it went between them. Tag was on top of Dad, gaining control over him.

Across from me, everyone was still fighting. Bullets were being fired, everyone was shouting, but I heard that one single shot go off between Dad and Tag.

I screamed again when the two of them went still.

That moment seemed like forever. I watched it in complete horror, chills ru

When Tag moved, my heart squeezed, but then he fluttered back, going limp.

It was him who got hit. Not Dad.

Not Dad.

Dad didn’t even spare him another moment. He came for me. With his face battered and bruised, blood ru

“There, there. It’s going to be alright.” He tried to smile.

“Dad.” I winced.

“I know, I know. We can talk about this tomorrow. Let’s just get home and out of this crazy mess.”

I looked at him wondering how he was going to get to me.

Luc appeared in my view.

“Boss,” Luc cried.

“Lucian, you have to go back. The glass is going to give.”

“I’m going to jump across to you,” Luc said.

I looked from Luc to Dad, seeing their love for me, and felt so complete in that moment.

But damn it, just like with everything since this whole crazy mess had started, there was never a dull moment. Never time to take a breath.

The bolt on the other fixture started to wobble, causing me to drop. Dad saw and leaned in to try and catch the rope, but he was too far up.

“Keep very, very still, Amelia. Please. No sudden moves.”

“Okay… okay,” I answered breathlessly.

“Raphael, let me come help. Move out the way!” Luc yelled.

“Luc, I’m warning you. Stay back. We don’t know what kind of impact you’ll make jumping over here like that. We could all die. The panels aren’t stable.” Dad shook his head.

He leaned in again, this time suspending himself a little over the ledge, and swung in to catch the rope. He started pulling on the part that was just under the bolt. Pulling up with all his strength. I was lifted higher.

Dad pulled and pulled trying to get me up. I could see his struggle as he did so. Then the dreaded bolt came free completely, causing Dad to slip as I bobbled again.

I was surprised to see he regained his footing and continued pulling again. There was another bolt I didn’t see just behind me. He managed to secure the rope onto that. He stopped for a second and grabbed his chest, breathing hard. It was too much for him.

“Dad, stop. Get to safety. Please. You can’t do this.” He couldn’t. He had that frail look again.

“No. No. You let me take care of you,” he cried. “I’m going to pull you up.”

He pulled again, and I was almost up. It would have been so much easier if I hadn’t been tied up the way I was with the ropes wrapped around my arms. He literally had to do all the work.

One last pull, and I would be right up there on the roof with him, but the panels holding us up came free, and we both fell through the air as it crumbled.

“Daaaaadddd!” I screamed.

Dad rolled past me, and both Luc and I cried out.

I thought he was going to fall straight to the ground, but Dad grabbed the rope dangling below my legs.

Resilience and determination shone from his face. My breath hitched somewhere between my heart and my throat as I watched him climb up higher.

He didn’t say anything; he just held on tight, pulled in a deep breath, then reached into his back pocket to pull out a knife.

“Dad, what are you doing?” I couldn’t keep the panic out of my voice.

“Amore mio, listen to me. I’m cutting the rope from your arms. When it loosens, grab the rope above you and pull yourself up.”

“No, I’ll help you.” I wiggled my fingers.

“Amelia, listen to me. Do this for me. Just focus.”

“I can’t. I won’t leave you. Cut the rope from me, and I’ll help you up first. Then you can pull me up.”

“You get your stubborn from me, girl. Now’s not the time to be stubborn. I need you to listen to me. Remember that day, that first day I took you to your first ballet class?”

I’d been five, but it was a day I would never forget. It was one of the most meaningful days of my life. “I remember.” I whimpered.

“All the other girls were so good, and it threw you off. But I told you to do your own thing. Focus and do what comes to you. Focus. When you did, you did what came natural to you.”

I started sobbing. The mask of the tough cop I’d become over the years faded, and I could have been that little girl again.

“Amelia, we need to act fast. Ready?”

I nodded, unable to talk.

He slid a little higher and started cutting away at the knots. My left arm came free first, and I reached up to grab the rope above me.

“I’m going to leave the rope around your waist, just in case.”

My right arm came free, and I shook the remains of the rope from me. It fell down past Dad.

“Dad, I can pull the both of us up now.” I was determined to.

The rope above us started to shift, then it dropped slightly. The panel just before the bolt gave way, and we both dropped some more. I looked down at Dad, my heart beating so fast I thought it was going to jump out of my chest.

We were going to die. This wouldn’t work.

“Lucian,” Dad cried, glancing over his shoulder and locking his gaze with Luc’s.

“Boss, no…”

The two seemed to share some hidden message I wasn’t privy to.

“You and your brother are like sons to me. Your father is… he is like family. Tell him I said that.”

“Tell him yourself. Raphael, son of a bitch. Don’t you dare…” Luc wailed.

“I always liked that you called me Raphael. My mom used to hate when people shortened my name. You showed me respect always, and I appreciated it. Please take care of my little girl. She really loves you.”

“No. Boss, no. Don’t.” Luc cried.

“Dad, what are you doing?” I cried, catching his attention.

He looked back to me and smiled. “Amore mio, the rope can’t take the weight of the two of us. It can’t, not for the two of us. Listen to me sweet girl and climb up.”

As if on cue, we heard a crack. Dad held up his knife and smiled. A tear ran down his cheek.

“Dad, no!” I screamed. I knew just by looking at him what he meant to do. I knew it, but I didn’t want to accept it.

“Amelia Rossi, remember when I said I’d love you with my last breath?

I meant it.”

With one slash, he cut through the rope above him and below my feet.

“Dad, noooo! Please take my hand. Papa!! Papa!”

Everything stilled around me, like time froze again. I watched horrified at what was happening.

Another slash severed the rope. It severed the rope with a snap, and Dad was falling away from me.

He looked up at me as he went down.

Falling away…

Falling… away.

Falling…

It happened so fast. It all happened so fast.

One minute he was there, and the next he was falling away from me.

My father…

He’d cut himself free from the rope to save me.

My screams echoed all around. Inside and outside of me.

CHAPTER 19

Amelia

“Amelia!” Luc cried.

I couldn’t look at him. I couldn’t look away from where Dad had fallen.