Chapter 33

Julie

She walked downstairs, to the cellars. The staircase was narrow, barely able to fit one person. Two of Trey’s goons walked with her, a bald one in front, one with a ponytail behind.

They told her her father was waiting for her. She didn’t believe them at first but they showed her pictures of her and Remy.

He knew. He spied on us and now wants to destroy everything.

They got to the bottom of the stairs into a cold, wide room. Soft, yellow lights lit the way ahead, wood shelves full of bottles of wine adorned every corner. They kept going and entered a corridor and turned left into another room. This was one split in the middle by an old rack, also full of wine bottles.

These were the cream of the crop.

Ahead, in a rounded room, her father waited for her, sitting on a chair. He looked as if in the middle of a library, every shelf around carrying old wines, completely cold, as if forgotten by time. A lonely light bulb bathed him in soft light, he was still wearing his tuxedo.

Suddenly, she knew this wouldn’t end up well.

“Julie?” He said, raising his eyes, “what’s going on? Where the hell is Trey?”

The two men said nothing. She ran to hug him, “something’s wrong.”

“I want you to get Trey here now.”

“He’s coming, sir.”

“He told me he had information on our enemies and this—”

“I know, but—”

“No buts! You work for me you asses, go get him right now!”

The two men looked at each other. Charles Crawford, head of the organization stood up, taller than them, his eyes fixed on the bald goon.

“We’re leaving.”

He stepped forward but they didn’t move. If they didn’t let him through they would seal their fates.

Another step forward. Julie held on to him, scared. They were four or five yards away from them. She could see them tense up. This was a decision that would mark them for life.

Another step and the ponytail guy stepped back to let him through. The bald guy did the same. Charles was about to pass them when a voice echoed in the circular room, through the shelves and glass bottles. The cold dampness around Julie felt like the embrace of death.

“Sorry I’m late, Mr. Crawford.”

It was Trey, speaking from the corridor outside, but the first person she saw come in was Remy.

She couldn’t move. Trey knew about them and was going to destroy everything. Remy’s face didn’t betray any emotion. He looked at her, his calm reassuring.

Trey followed him. He pushed Remy from behind, but he barely moved.

“Grab him!” Trey yelled when his efforts were so obviously fruitless.

The two goons moved fast and brought Remy forward.

She could see the gun in Trey’s pants.

“What is this, Trey? Have you lost your mind?”

Ponytail pushed Remy and sat him on the chair.

“No, it’s your daughter who’s crazy.”

Charles turned to her.

“Spit it out, dear,” Trey continued, “you betrayed me.”

“Fuck you, Trey. Dad, I was going to tell you everything.”

“Tell me what?”

“I’m Remy Morgan,” Remy said, sitting on the chair, his eyes looking straight at Charles, “the son of Edward Morgan, and I love your daughter.”

Charles clenched his jaw, his face red with anger. She’d never seen him like this.

But it didn’t matter. Hearing him say that again. It was music to her ears. The world could go to hell. This was her life, and she had been doing great at it. Everything else was just noise. She and Remy, nothing would stand in their way.

Trey laughed, a scornful laugh that would have driven her over the edge a second before. It didn’t matter. He was an ant. An insect. What he thought about anything at all was of no concern to her.

“What have you done?” His father asked.

She stepped towards Remy, he tried to stand up but Ponytail hit him in the back of the head and pushed him down.

His grunt made her shiver. There were four men here besides Remy. All of them his sworn enemies.

“We fell in love,” she said.

“Quiet,” Charles replied coldly.

“He’s a spy,” Trey said, “he probably knows everything about how we clean the money—”

“Of course I do,” Remy interrupted, “I’ve also had plenty of chances to take advantage of that knowledge, but I haven’t done it.”

“Hit him again, Ray.”

The man behind Remy balled his fist and tried to punch Remy, but he moved to the side just in time to catch his hand and twist it.

Ponytail —Raymond— screeched in pain, dropping to his knees. Bald guy jumped forward and kicked Remy right in the face. He fell back, the chair cracking as it hit the floor.

“No!” Julie yelled, but Ponytail kicked him in the stomach. She leaped towards him, trying to stop him but he jerked back and pushed her.

She hit the ground with a loud thud. Ponytail realized what he had just done.

Everyone stopped moving.

“What are you’re doing?” Charles yelled.

Remy got on his knees, then put a leg forward, and finally stood up. Blood poured down from his nose and eyebrow.

“I’ll do whatever it takes for her. I want your blessing, I want to marry her.”

Julie looked at him, her heart beating faster than ever. She didn’t know whether she was going insane with happiness, or Remy wanted them to kill him.

“You fucker!” Said Trey, “you’re filth. Your whole family is filth! I’m going to kill you.”

“No,” said Charles.

What?

Did her father just said no?

Charles stepped forward, facing Remy.

“Does your father know about this?”

“No,” Remy answered.

“There’s—” Trey tried to say.

“Quiet!” said Charles, still looking at Remy, the cold air around them like a dead winter morning. He looked like a wolf staring at his prey. And Remy stared back, unable to relent.

“Mr. Crawford…” Trey said, “Charles!”

He was sounding more and more panicked, his plan somehow was taking a turn into unknown territory.

“The Morgan’s killed my father. You know I can’t let him go. I ask permission to take him out.”

He brought his gun up, pointing directly at Remy’s head.

Remy didn’t flinch. He kept staring at Charles.

“What are you going to do, son?” Charles continued, “You know how stubborn your father is.”

Remy’s face was full of blood, his clothes ruined, but he kept staring straight at the head of the rival organization.

“I told you,” he said, in a more even tone. He wasn’t defying him now, he was saying exactly what he meant.

“I’m going to do whatever it takes.”

Charles Crawford, one of the most powerful men in Chicago, smiled. It wasn’t a big smile, no one would have been able to see it. But Julie recognized it. She knew her father too well. Remy brought all the walls down.

“Understood,” he whispered, and her body, every muscle in it, trembled. It was a powerful feeling, getting rid of that weight.

“No!” Trey said, “they killed my father—”

“And your father killed Jacob Morgan. He fucked up back then.”

“You’re on their side?”

“I’m on our side,” Charles said, quietly, “put the gun down Trey. The bloodbath is over.”

Trey turned white, mad with fury.

“Fuck you!” He yelled, and turned to him.

Remy jumped forward, tackling him but it was too late, the gun went off.

Charles was down, blood pouring from his chest, tinting his shirt bright red.

Julie screamed as Remy wrestled Trey for the gun, she was on the floor, trying to help her father.

His eyes found her, and she knew he was dying.