Ruthless People (42 page)

“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 looked 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.

They were never like this, where she couldn’t even get out of bed, but they were dark
enough to make normal people cringe. What she did to those who crossed her during
her dark days was borderline insane. I, on the other hand, wasn’t normal. Once upon
a time, I was. I was bubbly, preppy, and most likely annoying, like every other teenager.
But that all changed the day my father went into debt.

Walking into my bedroom, I pulled out my knife and makeup set trying my best to hide those
memories, but they would never go away. Nothing could ever make you forget your father
selling you like a piece of cattle. I didn’t even know shit like that happened to
people in America.

It was almost ironic really that
Taken
was the last movie I saw before I myself was taken right out of my room. But my father
wasn’t an ocean away. No, he stood in the doorway with his head down as they came
for me. I kicked, I screamed, I called out to him and my mother, but they turned away.
If I hadn’t been speaking to Mel on the phone, there really wouldn’t have been any
hope for me.