by J. J. McAvoy
“His mother is fond of him, and I am fond of his mother, Ms. Giovanni.” The motherfucker smiled, as though this bitch had not just insulted us, as if she hadn’t almost killed family. “Melody, I understand your anger, and you are justified in it—”
“The fuck she is!” I shouted, holding my gun up as well. Never in my life did I ever want to put someone down so fucking badly.
“Liam Callahan. For the next forty-eight hours I still rule. Stand down!” Once again, the blood in my veins was demanding blood to be spilled, and so I shot right past her head and at Monte’s arm.
Melody eyes glowed with rage, but before her bullet could hit me, my father went for her hand. He twisted her wrist and struggled with her until the gun was out of her grip and he had her arm behind her back.
“Melody, listen to me,” my father said while she snarled like a damn lion. “As the head of the Callahan family, I apologize for my son’s idiotic move today and the memories it must have recalled of the damage that was done to you. But, I need you to breathe and walk away from this now. Not as a woman, but as a Boss, to regroup and think. If you found this room, you must know where Liam’s is. He will be there momentarily, and you can speak Boss to Ceann na Conairte.”
When she nodded, he let her go, and she left with Monte, who held on to his arm, and Fedel, who hadn’t moved from the destroyed wall. When she was gone, my father didn’t even have to speak, he glared at our guys and they left faster than she had—leaving me with the man who had just spit all over my victory. Once again, all I could see was red, and for the first time in my twenty-four years of life, I wanted my father’s blood.
“You embarrassed me! This relationship, this marriage will not work. I will burn the fucking contract so I can put a bullet in her myself.”
He stepped forward, his eyes darker than a brewing storm. “You embarrassed yourself today. Did you not think that a woman, a Boss, like Melody, could have easily bombed the fucking plane? Yes, I knew where you got the intel from, you fucking idiot. I checked their files, too, while you were busy chaining your fiancée to a pool chair.”
“But she didn’t do it, probably because she was weak and didn’t want to kill innocents,” I snapped back, trying my best not to point a gun in his face.
He pointed at the crumbling wall, which now exposed us. “Did that look like weakness to you, or are you so blinded by the thought of power that you have forgotten everything I have taught you?”
I sighed deeply, dropping the gun on the table before I pulled the trigger. “Everything I did today, you would have done as well.”
“Yes, but I would have made sure it didn’t hurt my wife first. Congratulations, you have proven to Vance and his brothers that you are just as merciless as they are. You won the pride of your men, and you pulled off a job no one will tie to you,” he snapped angrily. “But if you had heeded my words and tried to make peace with Melody instead, you would have used your access to the Giovanni files and did your homework on what happened to Melody and her mother to bring you both together in the first place.”
I froze, not understanding what Aviela Giovanni had to do with this. She had died years ago.
“Think about it, then go back to her and grovel.” With those words, he left the room.
Taking a seat at one of the only computers not blown to the heavens, I pulled up the very files he was bitching about, and my blood froze.
MARCH 19: FLIGHT 307 CRASHES INTO THE ATLANTIC OCEAN; ONE SURVIVOR, SIX-YEAR-OLD MELODY NICCI GIOVANNI.
“Fuck,” I murmured to myself as I read the title, but it only got worse.
NOTES:
According to young Melody’s memory, there were four men on the plane who stood up mid-flight and started shooting and demanding Aviela Giovanni, wife to the Boss, to show herself. Mrs. Giovanni, with the help of her bodyguard, placed Melody into one of the overhead compartments right before they were both shot and killed. The men, who were later identified by the V tattoo on their arms, were Valero. After the death of Mrs. Giovanni, they proceeded to kill everyone on the plane. It was due to her tears and whimpering that the men found her. Landing the plane on the surface of the sea, they filled the chambers with smoke before dragging young Melody onto an awaiting boat.
Melody explained that, because she was praying, they decided they would let God decide her fate and threw her back into the ocean holding on to a piece of wreckage. As they drove away, they told her that if she survived to join the Valero when she was older.
The Boss found his daughter the next morning clinging on to one of the broken wings of the plane. The plane was torched beyond recognition, and the body of Mrs. Giovanni was never recovered.
Melody was alive, but suffered from hypothermia, and developed extreme Achluophobia, which she still has not recovered from. With therapy, it might lessen with time.
COVER-UP: PLANE CRASH DUE TO ENGINE FAILURE.
“Fuck.” I sighed running my hands through my hair. “Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. Mother of fucking fuck.”
My mind was so messed up. I couldn’t think straight, all I could see was a younger version of my fiancée, clinging to a wing in the middle of the fucking Atlantic Ocean.
In the dark. Just how I fucking left her. “Fuck.”
My father was right. I truly needed to grovel, but even that wouldn’t change things. It wouldn’t be enough. Nothing would be enough, and I had nothing left to give.
I had no idea I was even moving until I found myself standing outside my bedroom, dreading the thought of going in. My bedroom was my sanctuary, and now, it was going to be place of my death. But, I needed to man up and deal with the consequences of my actions.
Inside, she stood at the foot of my bed, dressed in gray with a gun and a knife strapped to her thigh. She seemed to be taking it all in, from the dark reds and gold of my bed and walls, to the wooden floors, large windows, lion-skin rug, piano in the corner, and flat screen plastered on the wall. She turned around slowly, and I really wished I could hear her thoughts. It wasn’t a woman friendly room. However it was wasn’t meant to be.
“We had a machine onboard recording their conversations. It’s now somewhere in the ocean. A team and I will be getting it back,” she told me as she tried to leave the room, but I grabbed hold of her arm first.
“I can go,” I said as she glared up at me. “I should go because it’s my fault. I’m sorry. For everything, I . . .”
“Look who finally did a background check. If you want to come, I can’t stop you.” She ripped her arm from my grasp. “You are everything I thought you would be—a child in a grown man’s body. You’re brash and wild, and you don’t seem to get the gravity of our situation. You don’t impress me, Liam Callahan. So get that poor little girl out of your head, because I am not her.”
Closing the small space between us, I glared down into her brown eyes, wanting to rip them from her oval-shaped face.
“I am brash? I am wild? So says the woman who blasted her way into a private meeting nearly killing her future in-laws. You do not know me, Giovanni. Do not be fooled by my wit or charm. It has taken all my strength not to kill you.”
“What wit? What charm? You’re nothing but talk, and I do not need to know you, Callahan. I just need to marry you.” With that she held her head high and left.
I would not bow down. She would not bow down.
The gravity of our situation was starting to eat away at me. I needed this to work. The Irish needed this to fucking work. But how the hell was I going to handle a lifetime of her—a hot-blooded Italian Boss?
Step one, accept she was a damn boss.
Step two, hide all the knives, guns, and maybe the pillows, too.
NINE
“One murder makes a villain,
millions a hero.
Numbers sanctify, my good fellow.”
~ Monsieur Verdoux
MELODY
There was something about Liam Callahan. He was immature, rowdy, and impatient. Those were just the kinder thi
ngs I could think of, and yet I knew he smelled like cinnamon, spices, and apples. I had taken the time to reflect on his scent, even enjoyed it. Ugh. On top of that, I enjoyed how he looked up close. The way he flexed his muscles out of habit and cracked his knuckles when he was tense. I had noticed that in just two days. I had a whole arsenal of men under my control and many were attractive in some way, shape, or form, and yet there was something about Liam Callahan.
When he stepped out of his room, he was dressed in dark pants paired with a black and green vest with the letter C on the breast. He looked surprised to see me, as if he wasn’t sure why I was here. On his arms were bruises and marks from our fight. The idiot should have treated them, but instead, he had to be a man’s man and leave them.
“Took you long enough, Callahan. Did you need to fix your hair?”
He glared at me before smirking. “It’s called sex hair for a reason. That’s the only way I fix it. You done being a bitch?”
Fedel came down the hall, before I could respond.
“Ma’am, the helicopter is ready. Monte is fine, and we are ready to aid,” he said, waiting for orders.
“I already contacted Monte, and he’ll tell you what to do.” His eyes widened, knowing what I meant. He just lost his title as right-hand man, the fucker. “Next time, Fedel, when I tell you to fall on your sword, do it without hesitation. You waste my time and insult my intelligence with a statement like, ‘we’re outnumbered.’ That is all.”
He nodded and left quickly, leaving Mr. Sex Hair and me alone. Liam stared at Fedel’s with narrowed eyes then turning his glower on me.
I cut in before he could speak again. “The helicopter is lifting us to Delaware. The flight is an hour. From there, we are taking a speedboat north. The GPS is picking up the signal fifteen clicks from shore. However, the Valero are already aware of your stunt and will most likely have men in the water trying to recoup any lost drugs.” Stepping forward, I made sure he understood I was not playing. “First, you see what I’m doing, telling you every detail of this? Yeah, that is what you should have done. Second, this is my operation now. My men. So if you fuck up, I will slit your throat and then fill you with bull—”
His eyes lit up like fire before he grabbed me and threw me against the wall. “Every moment you waste roaring at me, is a moment against us, Captain Bitch-a-Lot. As smart as your plan is, it would be better to have snipers in the air. Something I thought of before I even stepped out here.”
I just grinned. Even with his arm on my neck, he thought he was so fucking smart. “You are so right. Which is why I already have Neal and Antonio locked, loaded, and waiting. Anything else you assume I didn’t think of? When will you get that while you’ve been number two for daddy, I’ve been number one?”
He said nothing, just glared.
“You should release me, Captain Dipshit or lose your arm. Your choice.”
I didn’t wait, I broke free. I was tiny compared to him, so all I needed to do was drop down and roll out of his grip. He had so much to learn, and this was his time to do it.
Due to the fact that I had shot up Sedric’s house, the party they had thrown in my honor had ended and everyone departed.
Outside were four motorcycles, two of which were taken by Declan and Monte. The other two for Liam and me—mine white, and his green and black. He looked at me as if I was a china doll, and all I could do was roll my eyes before jumping on my bike and taking off as soon as one of their people opened the gate. Only a second had gone by before I saw him skyrocket past me, almost cutting me off, the sour brat, so I sped up beside him. We raced through the backstreets of Chicago, the lights from the buildings up above us all blending together in a single streak. No matter how much gas I gave while weaving in and out of traffic and intersections, he was always winning. I could only get in front of him for a second before he would shoot past me out of nowhere. It was as if he was toying with me.
By the time we got to the silver, luxury-style helicopter parked privately at the airstrip, Declan and Monte were right behind us. Liam was already off his bike, arms crossed with a grin on his face, as if he had waited hours—the asshole.
Saying nothing to him, I walked right onboard to find Antonio and Neal salivating over sniper rifles like kids on Christmas morning.
At least I don’t have to worry about Irish and Italian feuding between them.
“I’m glad to see your loyalty is still so easily bought, brother.” Liam glared at him as he took a seat.
Or not.
Neal froze, and I saw a speck of anguish go through his eyes. Liam must have seen it as well, because he didn’t stop whatever mental assault he was delivering. It was like he could see into his brother’s soul.
Can all siblings do this?
“Jinx,” I said as loudly as possible.
Liam, Declan, and Neal all looked around to find the person behind the name, but no one came. A second later, the helicopter’s engine kicked on and a soft voice broke out over our headphones. “Benvenuto a bordo,8 ma’am. I will have us to Delaware in forty.”
Monte sat before me in the seat Fedel normally would be in and turned to Liam, who also sat across from me. “Jinx is our master aviator. If it goes in the sky, he can fly it.”
“That’s his name?” Neal asked, “Jinx? I feel safer already.”
Monte sneered. “If he’s good enough for the Boss, he’s good enough for you cane.”
Antonio snickered.
“Cane? What the fuck did you just call me?
So much for no feuding.
“It means dog.” Liam glared at me.
Was he waiting for me to do something? His brother started it. Rolling my eyes, I looked to Monte who muttered something under his breath. Neal hunched over like a cane and focused in on his rifle.
I knew Antonio could shoot to kill in any sort of condition. The wind and darkness of the evening wouldn’t be an issue. It wasn’t the first time he had done it in such conditions. However, I was testing Neal, and if he didn’t pass, this would be the last time he worked closely with me. At least until he became better. I already had an idea of Declan’s skills. Seeing as he was the one who had “hacked” into my computers. I made it easy for him, but he still did it quicker than I expected.
“You will be monitoring the GPS,” Liam stated, finally catching up.
Monte nodded, and Liam turned to me.
“Declan can hack into the surrounding frequencies and keep track. The area should be filled with paramedics, cops, and the coast guard,” Liam said, and in his eyes he was daring me to agree, now of all times.
Seeing as he was being a good little boy, I would let him have his moment of dominance. Monte looked at me, and I nodded. I had planned to have Declan on the sea with me since he was great with hand-to-hand combat as well and we may need it, but sure, Liam could pretend he helped. Once finished, Monte stood up quickly to get out of the negative bubble created by Liam and me.
He did not say a word, but I could see Liam’s mind racing, and I could tell he didn’t like me being here. I almost wanted to tell him to get the fuck over it, but the helicopter was tense enough. Declan and Monte were focused on the four sets of laptops between them, while Antonio and Neal both kept checking their rifles. They seemed close already since Neal threw him a pack of chewing tobacco and Antonio accepted it like it was gold. One moment they were fighting, the next they are trading toys.
Finally, when my eyes fell back on Liam, I found him watching me. He didn’t look away like most people would when caught staring. Instead, he just stared harder, as if I were a book he was trying to read, but it was in a language he didn’t understand.
“Yes?”
He shook his head. “We’re here.”
And sure enough, the helicopter began its illegal descent on the beach.
“Sir, ma’am,” Declan said, looking between us both. “We have a problem.”
“What?” Liam and I asked at the same time.
Monte clicked
away at his computer. “The Valero have just gotten the recorder and are heading further out to sea. They have a boat waiting.”
Taking a deep breath, I pushed the button overhead. “Jinx, take us . . .” I looked over at Declan and Monte for the coordinates.
“38.09, -72.50,” they both said, quickly.
Liam nodded, looking over at Antonio and Neal as the helicopter pulled up. “They’ll bring it to us. Melody and I will wait on their boat. You guys will shoot from the door.”
They nodded while Liam stood up and looked over to me. He was doing so well until he opened his mouth again. “Or you can shoot and Neal and I can go.”
Standing up, I glared right back at him. “Give me a rifle and the bullet goes in your spine,” I told him as I waited by the helicopter door. Jinx was going to have to circle around continuously. Liam stood in front of me, hand on the door handle and just stared at me, once again. Always with the staring, the creeper. For a moment, in the midst of the storm that was in his eyes, I saw worry. He was fucking worried about me, the fucker. This was not my first—nor would it be my last—jump out of an aircraft. He needed to grab his balls and take a shot of testosterone, because I wasn’t worried for shit. I just wanted this over so I could drink myself to sleep.
Monte walked over to hand us parachutes, but we both shook our heads. They would only slow us down enough to be shot. We need to drop down quick and hard.
“Jinx, take us as low as possible,” I said.
Our stomachs dipped as we felt the helicopter drop. Somehow, knowing before Jinx even had to speak, Liam opened the door and in the darkness of the night, we could both see the yacht waiting below. He looked back at me, but I ignored him and pushed off the wall to jump. The moment the cold breeze hit my skin, I braced myself for the impact of the deck. When my body landed, I rolled as bullets came flying my way.