This was Tag… God, I knew him. I knew him.
He looked at me now and smiled.
“Eloise, you could be her, Amelia.”
The way he looked me over, it felt like he was staring right into my soul.
Marcus moved and stood next to Dad, drawing Tag’s attention to them.
“Hello, old friends, look at us back together again. The infamous three. Raphael, Marcus, and Tag. You two went soft on me. One of you betrayed me. It wasn’t you, Marcus. You would never do what Raphael did. Like me, you have sons you love. I see they’re both here. I wonder what mine would have looked like today if they’d lived.”
“Get off my property,” Dad barked. “I will kill you right here.”
“You can, but if you kill me, your beloved Millicent will explode. 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.
