by J. J. McAvoy
“Heroin,” she said, and my father grabbed the injection before handing it to her.
“Do you need help?” he asked.
But the girl just shook her head untying her halter-top and using it as a tourniquet with no shame that her breasts were exposed to the world. Moaning out as though she was at the peak of a climax, she rode the wave of poison in her veins.
“Druggies man,” Monte whispered in disgust. This was a constant reminder why none of them were allowed to do any shit.
“Where’s your boss, dear?” Sedric asked her softly.
“I don’t know.” She smiled, and I felt myself losing control. “They said they were going to Finland. No one ever checks Finland.”
“Did they tell you this?” Sedric questioned looking back at me.
She shook her head like a child “Nope. Vance had just finished fucking me. He’s an ass. He left me high and dry. I was almost begging. But nope, he was done and wanted me out. So I went in the shower and heard him talking to some redheaded bitch. Ha-ha, you both like redheads.”
“Do you know anything else?” Sedric asked her. “This could save your life.”
“I’m horny. Can I get a last fuck instead of a last meal?” She grinned reaching for my father’s crotch.
I was tired of her. Nodding over to him, he held a gun to her skull. “This isn’t jail. You don’t even get a last prayer.”
Her body slumped over the table with the fucking needle still in her arm. Sedric just looked at her in disgust—the mask of kind smiles was gone—the man who stood in front of me was the same man who made me who I was today. Shaking his head, he put another two in her before handing the gun over to Fedel.
“Such a fucking idiot.” He frowned, pulling out his electric cigarette. It was the only compromise my mother would allow him.
“So Finland then?” Declan asked me.
“No, not until we know for sure. I don’t believe we have any men there but double-check and pull them out. I don’t want them catching on. Besides I still need to talk it over with my wife,” I replied as I opened the door.
“Is she speaking yet?” my father asked, but he knew the answer.
“No, no she isn’t, but she will.” I had to believe she would snap out of it.
“Don’t give up hope, son.”
Easier said than done.
MELODY
Day 14
“I had a crush on you,” Declan whispered from his spot at the foot of the bed. “Crush is such a stupid word. It was more like lust. I shouldn’t be telling you about it, but I’m hoping you will get pissed and kick my ass. You know, like Bloody Melody would. I know Liam would skin me alive. No seriously, he actually had us skin one of the Valero. It’s like he is going through a historical Roman torture manual and just picking shit. I wouldn’t be shocked if we crucified someone next.”
I need to put a “do not disturb” sign on the door.
“Yeah, so please don’t tell him. Maybe one day when we are old and gray . . . no not even then. He would be senile and probably worse. He acts just like our grandfather sometimes, and our grandfather is an insane, perverted arse of the highest degree. He lives in Ireland and prefers to stay there, which is good. He would understand why I lusted after you. It’s hard not to. I think every man with a working dick does. But I’m the only one foolish or stupid enough to stay it out loud.” He laughed because he was stupid.
Very stupid. No wonder Coraline is pissed at him.
“It’s gone now. Not that you’re not attractive because you are, but I think . . . I know . . . I’m lusting after my wife a whole lot more. You had something to do with that. I don’t know how you did it. Maybe it’s just for the fact that you exist. But you did it. You took my lamb and made her a tiger. She isn’t a lioness like you, but she is deadly in her own right. Plus the new hair style gets sexier with each passing day,” he said.
Closing my eyes, I went back to sleep, trying my best to drown him out.
LIAM
Day 18
“I thought I said no one was to enter Finland?” I asked them as I drank straight from the bottle.
Antonio nodded. “You did, sir, but she spotted one of our men in the airport before they had a chance to leave. They had no choice but to bring her along.”
Sighing, I stared at the blonde woman known as Vance’s favorite mistress, Hera Pompilio. There was nothing I could do about it now. She wasn’t the big fish I wanted but I could use her as bait.
“May I?” Declan asked, stepping up to the mirror.
“Knock yourself out.” Maybe he could use his gentlemanly shit on her.
When he walked in, her dead eyes stared right through him.
“Are you the man who killed my son?” she questioned softly.
Declan simply raised an eyebrow. “I’ve killed many sons, ma’am. You’re going to have to be more specific.”
“Amory Pompilio Valero. Age twenty-seven. Six feet, two inches tall. Blond hair, blue eyes, he—”
“No, I did not kill him,” Declan said. “That honor was left to my brother and two cars. I was under the impression Amory’s mother died when he was young.”
“That’s what you get for being under everything.” She smirked. “I was always made to be Vance’s wife. No other woman could carry his child, not even his stupid wife. I told him he should kill her and marry me, but he told me he couldn’t. That he made some deal, but I knew it was lie. He took Amory from me and gave him to her. She was so beyond herself with happiness. Every day taking care of my son, I hated her. The day Amory called her Mother, I rammed an ice pick through her heart. Vance was pissed so he broke four of my ribs and my jaw. But he loved me too much to kill me.” She laughed so effortlessly, I wondered if Natasha could use a roommate in the asylum.
“Sad,” Declan said, but I knew he didn’t give a fuck. “Why were you in the airport in Finland?”
She didn’t answer. Instead, she just checked her nails.
“Hera, what you tell me could be the difference between a painfully slow death, or a quick one. One where you could be with your son, again,” Declan told her.
“So my options are death or death? Fuck you and fuck my son. I wanted to get him out of this life before, and he told me he could handle it. Now he’s . . .”
“Now he’s in pieces somewhere in the Great Lakes.” Declan smirked. “I’ll take credit for putting him there.”
“You are all so damn proud of yourselves. A bunch of murderers, liars, thieves, and cheats.” She frowned. “Your women hate you, you know. They hate you, and they hate what you do. They don’t want this life. They wanted the money and the fame, but they didn’t want the drugs, blood, and the horror.”
Declan grinned, looking evil. “You don’t know my wife. If you did, you wouldn’t be so quick to speak. And you sure as hell don’t know the Boss. So sweetheart, tell me what I need to know and we can move on?”
She leaned in. “Fuck y—”
Rising from his seat, Declan walked around the table until he was right in front of her face. Hera did her best not to look like she was going to piss in her pants, but she failed.
“Do your worst. But believe me, Vance has done worse.”
Declan grinned, holding a knife to the side of her face. “Everything he did was healable. After all, in the end, all you have is your looks. Imagine what Vance will think when he sees his favorite toy cut and sewn back together like Frankenstein. My stitches aren’t that great with live patients.”
“What could you possibly need to know, huh?” she yelled. “We went to Finland to hide. Amory fucked up. Vance spent months, if not years working on different ways to raid this fucking place. He had everything planned to a T, even the day. But Amory couldn’t wait. He didn’t want to listen, and because of that, he was killed. Is that what you want to hear? Or do you want to know that Vance is losing his mind? Amory was the last straw. Vance killed one of his brothers because he thought he had betrayed him. The other brother is in the
wind. Everything is fucked. He’s going to know you have me, and he’s going to hide again.”
Declan turned to me and smirked. It was almost sad how quickly she talked.
“You were in the airport. He’ll just think you abandoned him.” Declan ran the knife against her cheek.
“I would never leave him,” she whispered. “He knows that. He knows that no matter how many times I say I’m leaving, I always come back.”
“You’re a fool. He doesn’t love you, and because of that you will die alone,” was all Declan said before he slit her throat, her body stilled for one moment before falling to the ground.
“Have every flight in and out of Finland monitored,” I said before leaving. It was getting late, and I was going to miss my favorite moment of the evening.
I tried not to run, but this was the only spec of hope I would have all day. It was what got me through the day. Rushing into our bedroom, I smiled when I saw the bed was empty. I entered the bathroom, and smiled at the sight of my Mel bathing herself.
It was only four days ago she had found the will to bathe herself at all. It was a small step, but it was something. Taking a seat by the foot of the tub, I just watched her.
“Would you like me to do your back?” I whispered, and she froze like she hadn’t realized I was in the room with her.
She looked up at me through her hair and handed me the loofah. It was another small step. She was on her road back. As she leaned on my free arm, I felt my heart leap. Slowly I rubbed her back, and smiled because I had hope; the dark nights were ending.
MELODY
Day 23
“So I have a confession to make,” Neal said pacing in front of me.
Great another one, I thought as I cut into my steak.
“Liam wanted me to take this to my grave, but you won’t speak. We’ve tried everything so maybe you will be so pissed at him and me that you will snap out of it.” He stopped and looked me dead in the eyes, but I just ate slowly.
“I shot Liam because he asked me to.” He waited for me to react, but I couldn’t muster the emotion.
He frowned. “Seriously? You tasered me, you stabbed Declan, and all you can do now is stare at me? This isn’t you, Melody. In fact, this surpassed creepy after the first week. I get you’re sad, but Liam is going through hell for you. He is not stopping until he kills them all. I know the ruthless woman we all love and fear is still inside there, so can you please come out here and kick my ass or at least shoot Liam again?”
I just ate. It was the only thing I could bring myself to do.
LIAM
I made it to our bed just as Neal was walking out. He looked at me and frowned before leaving.
“We have to go to church, love,” I said to her as I entered.
At least she’s eating.
She didn’t respond. She never responded, and it was starting to send me off the deep end. But I couldn’t lose my temper.
“We’ve already missed three masses. A forth one and people might think I killed you.” I smiled.
Grabbing the remote, she flipped the television on and sure enough, she went to Sunday morning mass. It was kind of funny and cute. Shaking my head at her, I took off my shoes and jacket before jumping onto the bed. She handed me the bottle of wine, but still didn’t speak. Kissing her hand, I took it and drank.
“Do you have bread?” I asked, and there it was, a small smirk. It made my heart leap for joy, it brought water to my eyes, and it was my own personal Sunday miracle.
She didn’t say anything, but a smirk was enough to get me through the rest of the day.
MELODY
DAY 25
“I don’t know what to say to you,” Sedric said.
I mentally groaned. How about nothing at all?
“So I will make this short.”
Thank Jesus.
“Melody Nicci Giovanni-Callahan, get your fucking ass out of bed. This has gone long enough,” he snapped at me.
Raising an eyebrow at him, I flipped on the television as Evelyn laughed.
“I told you it wouldn’t work.”
“Had to try, but apparently my daughter doesn’t like to listen to me,” he said kissing my head, before leaving Evelyn and me alone.
She sat on the bedside me. “I understand. They don’t get it. How it feels to have a child living within you one moment and then taken from you the next. I understand not being able to move, speak, or even breathe because of the hole burning inside your heart. No else gets it. But I do, so stay in bed as long as you need, Melody. Grieve, and when you’re ready, you will get up again.”
I watched her as she got up before turning to leave. She was the only one who understood. Wiping the water that poured from my eyes, I held on to myself.
Go to sleep, Melody. Just sleep. I would get up in the morning, but now I just needed to sleep.
LIAM
“And just like that, the rat is back,” I hissed at the man before me.
His nose was busted, eyes bruised, teeth were knocked out, and any exposed part of his skin was either burnt or cut. Patrick looked like he had been to hell and back.
“Sir,” he said quickly, fighting against his chains. “I did this for you, to help you”
“You betrayed me to help me?” I said, slowly turning back to the rest of our men. So many of them wanted to watch this that we had to go outside.
“Sir, I swear, I never betrayed you. I’ve known you since college. We’ve been—”
“Get to the part where you stabbed me in the back,” I said, pouring the gasoline over his head. “Remember the part where you left my wife bleeding-out on the ground as you escaped with the Russian slut.”
“Sir—”
“Don’t waste words. I can only hold this match for so long,” I said, lifting the small flame in my grasp.
“Liam, I knew they were planning something. The only way to find out was to make them think I’d jumped ship. I had no idea what Saige had in store for your wife. I just knew the Valero had to come to an end. The information I’ve gathered can help you bring them down. They aren’t in Finland anymore. They went to Tanzania. It was the only place they thought you couldn’t reach. You have people in all of Europe, but not in Africa. I’m telling you, I wasn’t betraying you.” He cried out in panic.
Shaking my head, I let the flame drop but sadly it was already out.
“So you became a spy without my knowledge?” I laughed. “You’re lying—”
“No—”
Punching him in his broken nose, I held his face. “Never interrupt me, or have you forgotten your manners while with the dogs?” I squeezed his face. “You’re lying to me, Patrick. You should know better than that. You betrayed me before, and now that the walls are closing in on Vance, you’re trying to save yourself. You’re a rat through and through. I think my wife gave a good definition of that word before.”
“Liam—”
“Don’t speak my name,” I said, taking a step back. “I don’t care why you betrayed me. The simple fact is that you did, and by definition, that means you are against me.”
Striking the match, I didn’t even hesitate as I threw it into the trail of gas. It took only a second before his whole body was up in flames. He screamed and flailed violently, while the men just cheered and sang into the night. Turning away, I just happened to look up to find my wife staring down at the burning man.
When our eyes finally met, I saw . . . I saw my lioness stirring.
MELODY
DAY 26
Drinking, I waited for them to come aboard. If Adriana had done her job, they should have known where I was.
“It’s nice to see you, ma’am,” Jinx said, giving me a brand new bottle of wine.
I nodded but did not speak. I didn’t want my first words to be to him. A second later, Nelson opened the door to the jet, allowing Liam to come through, dressed for war. He looked me over quickly. His eyes shined like green diamonds in the sun and grin spread across his face. He lo
oked like he was trying to contain himself.
“What the fuck are you looking at? We’re heading to the jungle and plan on people hunting with guns not arrows,” I said with no real edge in my voice at all.
“You could kill them with your shoes if you want, I’m happy you’re here,” he said sitting in front of me. He squeezed my hand. “Real happy.”
“Speaking of killing, Neal told me something very interesting.” I grinned as I sipped. His eyes went wide before he turned to Neal, who froze like he had forgotten his confession. I missed my old self. I hated that bed and I didn’t want to think about it. I needed to be me.
“I can explain—”
“Don’t bother. I’ve thought about it, and I’ve partially forgiven you.” I understood what he did, but that didn’t mean I liked being manipulated.
“Partially?” Liam asked with a smile.
He couldn’t stop smiling at me, and it was pissing me the fuck off. Yeah, I was talking. He needed to stop looking at me as if he wanted to fuck me over the table.
Part of me knew I was just being this way because I wasn’t sure how to explain my feelings. I understood how he felt because I felt it to. I wasn’t part of the living dead anymore.
“I’m Melody Nicci Giovanni-Callahan, which means I have to seek vengeance, even with you, husband.”
“I look forward to it.”
As Jinx took us into the sky, I stared at the sun through the clouds. Liam would enjoy my revenge, but not until I made Saige pay dearly. An eye for an eye, and life for life.
THIRTY-ONE
“I guess I’ve played a lot of victims,
but that’s what a lot of the history of women is about.”
~ Jodie Foster
ADRIANA
She didn’t have to say anything, all she did was hold out a plane ticket. She wouldn’t force me to go. She wouldn’t even ask, it was my choice, and I simply took it from her and left her bedroom. Of all the men in Mel’s crew, I was the only one she would ever let leave if I wanted to. Before Liam, I was the only one allowed to see her when she as down, when she had her dark days.
