“Laughter is good for the soul,” I tell him. “You two should try it. Or at least smile. After all, you’re on camera.”
“What?” Amara’s father narrows his eyes, his gun faltering just a little.
“I thought that would get your attention. I’m betting you don’t like a lot of publicity. Pretty sure you can’t be the real power behind this city if everyone has to deny you own them, right? If everyone’s clamoring to prove they’re not in your pocket, it’s only a matter of time before one of them decides you’re too much of a liability. So, might want to turn around.”
Predictably, both of them turn to where I’m pointing, which is only helpful to my cause.
“Up there, in my apartment, is a camera, pointed right this way. It’s been filming since you arrived. And all the footage is being sent straight to a friend of mine, who will release it in the event that either Amara or I get hurt. There’s no way to stop it, there’s no way to sabotage it and there’s sure as hell no way to deny it.”
Her father seethes, but the gun drops to his side. “What do you want, son? Money?”
“No. I want the two of you to leave. Right now. I want you to get out of Amara’s life.”
I feel her at my side, wrapping her arm into mine, and I pull her in tight as I stare at them. She leans into me and I turn to kiss the top of her head.
“Told you I’d fix everything,” I tell her as they climb into their car.
The engine starts, and without another word, I watch as they drive off down the street and out of both our lives. Hopefully, I’ve just made both of us not worth the effort, and her father seems like a smart guy. He knows how things are.
“Why did you have a camera pointed at my apartment?” Amara asks, and I grin as I take her lips in mine.
Everything is perfect, and we’re finally free.
Epílogos
I watch from a distance as they load boxes into the back of a van, Saint laughing with the driver as my daughter’s things are placed inside. It’s only a couple of blocks to his apartment, so is this a friend? Perhaps the one that has the footage of me?
A growl rumbles in my throat. It doesn’t matter. Right now, there’s nothing I can do. But that doesn’t mean I’m beaten.
Amara laughs as she runs down the steps and into his arms. I roll my eyes. I’ve seen this before, it never lasts. They say love is blind, but the truth is it’s people that are blinded by the idea of love. They don’t realize it’s all just chemicals firing in the brain, and once those chemicals are used up all they’re left with is disappointment.
She’ll be back to me. Once the moment fades and he casts her aside, my daughter will realize I was right all along.
Turning away, I light a cigar and climb into the back of the limo that brought me here, Camilo handing me a folder, explaining the details of the business we’re about to commence. Life goes on for me too. I can’t afford to spend all my time worrying about my daughter’s whereabouts. Some said I should have had Camilo executed for not doing his job properly in the first place. And it’s true that he disappointed me. But good lieutenants don’t grow on trees and he is worth keeping around.
One day, I might need him to prove it was worth it. If Saint loses his advantage over me, or if I can come up with a way to bring Amara home, Camilo can clean up the mess.
But until then, business is business.
Epilogue 1 – Saint – One Month Later
I’m grinning as I watch her skating in the park out the window of my apartment. I need to shower and change from my work clothes, but life is good and that’s worth celebrating. Amara is everything to me, and today she’s going to find out just what that means.
Last night, we found out some news that changed both our worlds forever. Amara is expecting our first child and right now I’m even more protective than usual. It’s been a wild ride getting to where we are, but I’ll shield them both from anything life can throw at us.
To that end, I’ve made an investment today that should see us right for the future. The firm I work for was asking for voluntary redundancies and I’ve taken mine, the money going straight into my own steel fabricating and construction company, along with a sizeable loan from the bank. They know I’m a good investment, because I’ve secured my first contract already and, while things might be difficult for a little while, I feel good about where we’re heading.