The way it had played out and from what I knew of Tag back then, I knew that if he’d gotten his hands on Agent Peterson, the man would have sung like a canary and told Tag it was me who’d put him up to the whole trap. Blood for blood.
I’d known Tag would have wanted Amelia. He’d lost his boys and Eloise, and he would have wanted her dead too.
To my poor girl, I’d run a successful business. She’d never known who I really was. It was part of my job to keep everything business related out of her life. My men hadn’t even known I had a daughter. Just Tag and Marcus. That was it, and even then, I hadn’t allowed any association for safety reasons.
No one had to tell me that Tag would have sought revenge on me by getting to Amelia. I’d known he would kill her because he would have wanted me to feel the same pain he felt. I knew how his mind worked. I’d never expected Amelia to leave home the way she did and for any of what happened to happen. It hadn’t been in the cards. So, my mission had been to keep her even more secret.
Now was the time of reckoning. All the secrets were jumping straight out of the closet. Right into the open for all to see.
Luc came into the office with a frown on his face, probably checking to see what the holdup was with me.
It was time to go.
“Eight o’clock, Tag.” I looked at Luc as I spoke, and his eyes widened when he realized who I was speaking to. “This ends today.”
“You bet.” Tag hung up, and I placed the phone back on the hook.
“That was Tag?” Luc asked, moving closer.
“It was, and they don’t know about the cops. He wants to meet at eight. We have an advantage and a window.”
“Let’s go.” He nodded firmly.
One thing I’d admired about this guy since his return to Chicago was his love for my daughter.
She was his price. No one had to tell me that he would do anything for her.
It was evident in everything he did.
He turned to go, but I stopped him. I took off my family ring and held it out to him.
“Your ring. Why are you giving me that?” He furrowed his brows.
“Whoever wears it owns the business.”
He shook his head at me. “Raphael, I’m honored, but like I told you, I don’t want it. If we make it, I’m taking Amelia out of this life.”
I rested my hand on his shoulder and smiled. “That’s why you should have it. It was always yours. You take it and give it to whomever you see fit.”
He looked at the ring, staring at it for a few moments before he took it. “Thank you… I’ll make sure who gets it will definitely be fit for the job.”
I gave him a curt nod. “Let’s go.”
Time for showdown. Time to face my enemies. And if I died, it would be time to face death.
I’d finished the Bible last night.
In my state of sorrow, I took to it.
At the end, the conclusion I’d come to was, it wouldn’t matter what I did. There was no place in heaven for a devil like me.
Chapter 14
Amelia
* * *
That was it.
