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“You think there will be some?”
“I hope not. Raphael is a valuable asset. But he’s dealing with people who won’t take kindly to bullshit. It could get dangerous for him.”
“It could,” I said.
“And are you prepared for that?”
I knew he was asking me without asking me. He wanted to know if it came to it, would Raphael—and Amethyst—affect the way I behaved.
“I was very clear with him that he was on his own. Whatever happens to him is outside of my control,” I said.
“Is she going tofeel the same way?”
“Yes,” I said without hesitation.
But in truth, I wasn’t sure. And I hadn’t been brave enough to ask.
“I hope it’s doesn’t come to that,” Elias said.
“I hope not either,” I whispered.
But something told me I might have to ask that question sooner than I wanted.
* * *
Amethyst
“You wanted to meet me?”I said to my father.
He had sent me an email and told me he would be back in Zürich and he wanted to get together.
At first, I had been excited, thought that maybe it was his attempt to try to get back some of our relationship, or at least give me some semblance of the relationship I’d thought we had before.
But when I saw him, I knew that hope was dumb and futile.
He was dressed in his best, not unusual, but a sign that this was not a friendly visit.
I had watched him my entire life, knew how he handled negotiations. The blue suit, Italian loafers, and heavy wool coat told me that this was not a social occasion.
“Hello, Amy. You still look tired,” he said.
“Good to see you, Daddy. Or should I call you Mr. James?”
He laughed, but didn’t answer my question.
“You know,” he said, leaning back in his chair.
I shouldn’t have taken the bait, but I couldn’t resist. “Know what?”
“I never thought you would do that, be a single mother,” he said.
Yes, this was definitely a negotiation.
He was trying to soften me up, make me feel bad before he went in for the kill.
Deep inside, his words did sting, but I wouldn’t show that to him.
“Is this what you came to talk about?” I asked.
