Page 103 of Mafia Scars

“No, thank you. “

He smiled down at me, then glanced at Luc, inclining his head toward him. “Go, go be with your guy. Have some normal if only for a few hours more.”

Normal.

Yes. I turned to go to Luc and skipped into his arms, giving Millicent a bright smile as I approached.

Alarms sounded just before I reached Luc, stopping me in my tracks.

What was that?

“Someone’s in the house,” Dad called out.

“You said the security was turned off.” I winced, turning back to him.

“It is. That was a homemade trip wire I placed in the library.”

“What’s in the library?” Luc asked.

I looked back to him. “The safe.” My heart squeezed.

“What’s in the safe, Amelia?”

I looked to Dad before confirming that, and he nodded. “The key to the diamonds.” We’d put it there yesterday.

“Fuck. Stay here.”

Dad was already moving past us. Luc rested a hand on him to hold him back.

“Stay, Raphael.”

“This is my home. How dare they come in here,” Dad snarled.

“Mr. Rossi, please,” Millicent offered. “Please stay, you… aren’t well.”

Beads of sweat formed on her upper lip. Strange because it wasn’t exactly hot in here. Must be the anxiety. I felt that too.

I moved past Luc and Dad.

“Amelia, you stay here with your father and Millicent.”

“No, I won’t stay. We go together.”

“Remember what happened when you—”

I didn’t allow him to finish. I moved on ahead of him through the door. He followed after me and took hold of my arm to pull me back.

“Jesus, Amelia, don’t you understand I’m trying to keep you safe?”

“Yes. I do. I understand, but you know I’m not useless. I want to see who this person is.”

“Stay beside me and don’t break away. Stay with me.”

“I will,” I assured him.

From his back pocket, he whipped out a gun and handed it to me. He then took out his gun from his side pocket and held it up ready to fire.

Like I promised, I stayed beside him, and we proceeded up the steps and on to the second floor, where the library was situated.