Chapter 28 Amelia Ridley
Amelia Ridley
Mrs. Darla scrambled to Amelia’s door and began knocking aggressively. Amelia flipped her covers back, barely getting a chance to put her feet in her slippers. More knocks slammed on her door. Amelia slung the door open in anger over the disruption of her sleep.
Mrs. Darla grabbed hold of her.
“It’s about Kavi. Go out to the maze—your brothers and Adesua are out there waiting,” she said, out of breath, then plopped onto Amelia’s bed.
Amelia threw her robe on over her nightdress and ran outside to see all her siblings except one—and Franklin. She walked up to him and slapped him in the face.
“What did you do to her?”
“They took her, the mobsters your father spoke about,” Franklin said. Amelia turned, heading straight back to the estate.
Wei grabbed her arm. “Franklin has pleaded with us not to tell Father, or he feels like they will get rid of Kavita.”
“He wants only you, Amelia, alone. He knows you’re taking over the Ridley Line and wants a deal with all his wishes fulfilled since your father ratted him out,” Franklin added.
Amelia looked at her siblings, back in the same position, once again, where she had to make the tough decisions.
“Wei, Henrik, and Adesua, you go in a separate car. Franklin and I will arrive together,” she said.
They rushed to put proper clothes on to make it in time.
It was still dark outside. Franklin and Amelia drove quickly out of Long Island to make it to the shipping docks.
Amelia didn’t like the feeling that was enveloping her.
Her sister had gotten in the middle of something that wasn’t her doing, but her father’s.
Franklin slowly pulled in and parked the car.
The sudden roar of an engine blared. Lucky emerged from the driver’s seat, then pulled Kavita out with her arms tied behind her back.
Lucky’s cigarette dangled from his lips with the embers glowing ominously.
“Well, well. Isn’t this sweet? Got the newest leader of the Ridley Line,” Lucky drawled, a hint of madness in his voice when he laughed. “Makes my job easier, doesn’t it, Franklin, my boy?”
“Your . . . boy?” Amelia whipped her head around to Franklin.
She had no idea about their ties. If Kavita weren’t in love with him, she’d be sure to have him killed by tomorrow.
Amelia knew Kavita was a fool in love, but not this foolish.
She remembered when Kavita swore up and down that Franklin would protect her at all cost. Yet here they were, failed by more men in their lives.
She saw Henrik hiding behind the crates, doing just as she’d told him. They knew this shipyard front, back, and sideways. This was their playground.
Lucky’s savage grin widened. “Oh, darling, that ain’t the half of it. Tell her about Montana, Franklin. Tell her how you played her like a fiddle at that gambling table. How you were gonna take the money and run,” Lucky said mockingly.
“Kavita, I was . . . I would have never done that to you.” Franklin was fuming, trying to redeem himself.
“I trusted you, Franklin. Now you have put me and my sister in danger,” Kavita said, heartbroken.
“These damn entitled lovers are something, ain’t they, Amelia?” Lucky interrupted, slipping his hand into his coat pocket.
“Now for what I really came here for. I want to strike up a plan with you. My name will be cleared because I am going to be putting the blame on one of my disloyal men. From that point, you, Amelia—or ya father, whoever will be in charge—will need to make sure all my lovely cargo gets here untouched and ready to be served to the fine people of New York.” He laughed like a maniac before continuing.
“Your father has made me lose so much business that this is the only way to redeem even a sliver of it. You hear what I am saying, girl?” He spoke in a low voice, flashing the pistol to make sure she understood.
Amelia felt at a loss with this. Lucky clearly had a gun and was ready to use it at any moment.
“Yes, Lucky, we have an agreement,” she said in defeat.
Kavita spoke up weakly. Amelia tried to wave her hand down for her to stay calm, but it was too late. “I don’t give a damn what you lose, you bastard. I am going to make sure every press from New York to California knows what you did here today.”
Amelia and Franklin took a step closer to brace for what Lucky might do next. She took a look at Henrik, while Lucky homed in on Kavita.
“What did you just say, bitch?”
“No matter what our family does, we get away with it because we are the family everyone craves to be. You will always be known as less than a criminal for stealing from the poor. So no, my sister will not be doing your bidding.”
Franklin had taken so many steps, he now held on to Kavita and was backing her slowly away from Lucky.
“Lucky, listen, it doesn’t have to be like this. We can find another way,” he desperately pleaded.
Lucky scratched his head while waving the gun.
“Don’t you get it, Frank? People like them always win. This is why they both gotta go. Let them be a lesson for the rest of those who consider trying me again.”
Amelia screamed so loudly that every other noise was drowned out. Kavita closed her eyes. She now felt what Dale had. Even through Amelia’s screams, death was silent, the air around her gone.
A gunshot rang out.
But it wasn’t just Lucky’s. Henrik held a gun up high, frozen there as if he were a statue.
The crack of the shots from both of their guns had split the night. As Franklin lunged into Lucky’s sight, he pushed Kavita down as the fatal bullet hit him. He crumpled, crimson blooming across his shirt.
“Franklin!” she screamed in agony.
“Kavi . . . I want you to know—” Franklin’s final breath dissolved into silence as he held her hand.
Kavita’s anger filled the sky.
“Franklin, please. Please wake up, I love you.”
Henrik stood at the edge of the darkness, his father’s Smith & Wesson smoking in his hands.