by J. J. McAvoy
~Hermann Hesse
ETHAN
“In i Libitinarii, there is what is called the four horsemen,” Calliope explained, pulling the picture of two males and two females….one of them being her. “No association to the biblical text, just Fiorello thought it was the perfect nickname than simply calling us the four.”
“And what is it that makes you all so much more special from the rest of the ones we killed?” my father asked.
“Our death counts,” she said, putting the numbers on the screen. She had the second highest in comparison to the man with no picture.
“I’ve never met the first; no one has. He’s one of the reasons why it has taking me so long to declare my side. I wanted to know all of their faces. In the end, all I could find out was that he is definitely a male, and he’s much older than me, maybe even closer to Siena’s age. I’m not sure. And he’s been dead loyal to Siena. He was there even before I was. Every time she sent him a name, he completed it within twenty-four hours. I just called him Mr. One.”
“I truly hate this assassin shit,” my mother chided. “The dumbass nicknames, and the secrets…what happened to the good ol’ days when people faced each other one on one.”
“You killed them,” I replied, lifting the next picture. “You kept winning, so they moved to the nicknames and the secrets.”
“Exactly,” Calliope replied. “The next one, after me, is Luca.”
From the picture, the man had short auburn hair and bright brown eyes. He even wore glasses. He looked no different from any other average man. In fact, he looked more like an accountant than a killer responsible for over a thousand deaths. “Luca is my biggest worry inside the house. He’s a computer wizard, but not just one who likes to set traps; he likes weapons, too, one of them being robotic dogs he has watching over the grounds.”
“You’re kidding,” my father scoffed. “As in the sci-fi movie shit?”
“Welcome to the new age,” she replied.
“The last is Mary,” she said, showing the woman with short, buzz-cut hair, no eyebrows, and scars around her face. “As you can see, she is a bit intense. She is a hammer. Everything is a nail. She likes guns, grenades, and anything else that blows bodies apart. She’s also very good with a meat cleaver. She doesn’t hide from hand-to-hand combat. You’ll most likely run into her on the grounds while Luca runs support.”
“What were you supposed to do?” I asked her, and with ease, she replied.
“If my cover isn’t blown, I’m supposed to lead you into the house and stab you in the back, but that is if you are attacking in the house. If they were to attack us, I was to let them in and stab you then.”
“And if your cover is blown?”
“Bring Gigi and stay in the center of the house with my grandmother and wait for you,” she replied.
“Why are they so confident in all of your loyalties?” my mother asked. “Why would they believe you’d so easily kill or risk your own child or betray Ethan for them?”
Was she asking? A few weeks ago, she was dead sure she was betraying me, too! Apparently, she had forgotten.
“We all have some grievance against the Callahan family,” she replied. “For Luca, I believe you killed his whole family and hid it as a gas leak years ago. He was away on a camping trip. He was put into the foster system, and Siena found him, faked that he was sick and died, then brought him with her. For Mary, Liam, you killed her father in Ireland. I believe he was stealing money and product on the side.”
“That often happened. How the hell am I supposed to remember who she’s mad about?” He frowned, pinching the bridge of his nose. “This is why we always made sure to take out the whole family.”
“Yes, and you did well, but nothing is ever perfect. Even if you took out 99.9%, there is still that .1%. Siena found them. Then she broke us down. Over and over again. But she was smart; she also played the role of mother or grandmother. Taking care of us. Making sure she showed kindness. That’s what makes us four different. Siena isn’t just the leader; she’s supposed to be our family. When the big, bad Callahans ruined our lives, she came in and made us strong and protected us. That is the loyalty that binds all of us. The hate for the Callahan family and the desire to protect the only one family we each believe we have left.”
In the end, everything really did come down to the love of family.
I looked over every detail and every entrance of the house she’d give us. They’d most likely have more people, hired bodies around their estate to keep us from getting inside.
“How do we know they are still there?”
“The same reason why they know the Callahan family wouldn’t abandon Chicago,” she replied. “It’s home. Besides, Siena, due to her illness, is attached to the estate. It’s where her sons were reburied. They are still there because she won’t leave. That and they believe they have the best security.”
There are at least forty acres of land around their main house, which sat slightly on a hill. A shoot out would start if we tried to break in directly. Part of me wanted to bomb the whole place, but I was sure they had safe zones within the house as well.
“Is there another way into the house?” I asked.
“Yep.”
And I looked at her, waiting.
“I’ll give you that information on our way there,” she said, and I rolled my eyes. “We can get in directly. That’s why I’m not worried about anyone they may have hired to fill the gap in security. Ethan, we talked about it before. Once inside, we can blast out the power grids in and around the house and even force Luca to fight hand to hand, too. Then from there, we make our way through to the center, where I believe the last one would be to protect Siena in my place. All that is left to figure out is where to leave Gigi until this over.” She looked at me, waiting.
I nodded. “We’ll leave her with Dona.”
“Dona?” she said, surprised.
“She’s a monarch, and Gigi is her niece. She’ll watch over, and the press will also be watching with her. Along with a whole palace of people. It won’t be easy to get to her.”
Calliope paused, thinking it over.
“Can you think of anyone else?” I pressed.
“Fine…we will drop her off on our way. But Dona is still dealing with a lot. I don’t want to just drop her with some maid. You never know—”
“Again, can you think of anyone else?”
She was silent.
“Good, now let’s talk over where we will stop after we go to Monaco.” I wanted her to see every step.
CALLIOPE
“Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the house, all but one creature was stirring, not a mouse, only my spouse,” Ethan said when he came over to me, taking a seat beside me on the ground.
And I snickered, turning to him. “I’m too excited to sleep,” I admitted to him. “So, this is how normal kids felt the night before Christmas.”
“Yes, well murder and death wasn’t what they were excited for,” he replied, his eyes glancing over the plan we’d spent the whole day fine-tuning. “Calliope, you need to rest. You are still in pain, aren’t you?”
“I’ll rest all you want after Christmas, I promise,” I said, giving him my pinky.
He rolled his eyes but took and latched his pinky with mine. “My mother went over the plans with you again?”
“Yeah, I think she’s starting to warm up to me,” I said smugly. “Told you, it just takes a little time, and then it’s hard to get rid of me.”
“Like a virus,” he said and moved when I punched his arm, but he grabbed it, bringing his face to mine. “Kidding. Save your punches for tomorrow.”
“Yeah. Yeah.” I pulled my arm back. However, he moved to push my blouse, gently checking over my bandages. “Ethan, I’m fine.”
“Your skin is red.”
“I was rubbing it. It’s fine,” I shot back, lifting my blouse back into place.
“You frustrate me.” He sighed, leaning back aga
inst the couch, closing his eyes. I watched him try to relax, but I could see his temple twitch a bit. Twisting, I moved and began to rub.
“Headaches again?”
“I’m okay,” he whispered, allowing me to message them anyway.
“I’ll be less frustrating when this is all over,” I said back gently, only for him to scoff at me. So, I hit him in the chest.
“Yes…so much less frustrating,” he grumbled, reaching up and taking my wrist. He kissed the back of it, and I enjoyed the warmth of his skin on me. When his eyes drifted to mine, I knew he missed my skin, too.
“I’ve thought of something that will help me sleep and get rid of your headache,” I replied, taking his hand and rising off the ground.
He didn’t say anything, and he followed me as I led him to our room. Kicking the door closed with my foot, I sat him on the bed and straddling him.
“Calliope, you are hurt—”
“Shh.” I kissed his lips once before getting down onto my knees, undoing his pants.
He watched, and in the dark, his eyes were chillingly seductive. When I grabbed his cock, he took a deep breath, and when I licked the tip of him, he shuddered. I knew he wasn’t going to worry about my injury for much longer. As I licked down to the base of him, I felt him harden even more.
I kissed my way back up, swirling my tongue over the tip of his shaft, while wrapping my hand around him, stroking.
“Mmm…” he murmured in pleasure.
He wanted more than that, so I took his cock into my mouth. It was so big I couldn’t fit all of him, and the part that did, hit the back of my throat, but I didn’t flinch, sucking so hard, up and down so fast he grabbed my hair.
“Fuck,” he cursed.
That still wasn’t good enough. I wanted to hear Ethan cry out for me; I wanted to get him to the point where he felt like he was losing his mind. And for that, I cupped his balls with my other hand messaging them in my hand.
“Calliope!” he moaned.
And when I looked up, the deep thoughts, unphased attitude, even his concern were gone. His nostrils flared, and his mouth parted and then closed as he cursed more and thrust deeper into my throat. I could feel his control slipping, and squeezed slightly, slowing down to get him there. And it worked. With his hands on my head, he stood and proceeded to fuck my mouth. His eyes and head pulled back as he gave in to his lust and pleasure, ramming himself into my mouth over and over again. His grip on my hair tightening, as he made sure he came. I swallowed every drop of him. It was warm as it filled my mouth, but I didn’t back away.
“Dammit,” he cursed, and he fell onto the bed.
Grinning, I wiped the corner of the mouth, letting go of him. “Still have a headache?”
He pulled me onto the bed next to him and pinned me down. Ignoring the pain that shot through me because I didn’t want him to stop, he pulled down my pants, quickly spreading my legs wide.
“Let’s see if this helps you get some sleep,” he replied, putting his lips on my pussy, and this time, I shuddered, and he licked deep inside of me, rubbing my clit slowly as he did. It made my toes curl and my mouth open.
“Ethan!” I gasped when his tongue entered me.
All of me felt as though it was heating up. All of me felt as if I were being lifted off the bed. My vision blurred as Ethan added a finger…then another and another. Biting my lip, I tried to slow my breathing, the longer he went, eating as if I were his dessert, the harder it became, and the more pressure began to build in my stomach. With ease, my body rocked against his fingers and mouth until I couldn’t take it.
“Oh!” Coming with his lips on me left me hot all over.
Which was good because he wasn’t finished. Rising up, licking his lips, he grabbed one of my thighs and lifted it, making space for his body.
“Etha—oh fuck!”
With one thrust, his cock was inside me, and my body rose off the bed for sure.
“Goddammit…” he moaned, slamming himself in deeper.
There was nothing I could say to that. There was nothing but the sound of my moans. I could even feel myself fucking drooling as he pulled out and thrust back in over and over again inside of me. He lifted my body off the bed, wrapped my arms around him, and held me close. His face was against mine, his breath on my lips, until he closed the distance between us and kissed me, and his tongue twisted around mine.
“Ah…Ethan...” I cried out as he pinched my nipples, sending a shiver down my spine.
He kissed down the side of my face, to my neck, biting gently. I could feel him everywhere, and it only made me want him more…and more.
ETHAN
I loved the way she cried out my name as my cock entered her from behind. She gripped the sheets. Her hair was over her face, and her body was covered in a thin layer of sweat. She should have been resting. We should have been resting. But I couldn’t. Grabbing her waist, I pulled her to me just as I thrust forward, and she shook.
Sweat dripped down my cheek and onto her back. I froze as doubts came into my mind, along with so many other thoughts that I didn’t want to dwell on.
“Ethan,” she snapped, glancing over her shoulder at me, her chest rising and falling as she took a deep breath. “I’m okay. You aren’t going to break me. Now get out of your fucking head and fuck me.”
That did it.
Grabbing her hair, I pulled her up to me, I hovered over her. “You should be more careful with your words, Calliope.”
“And you should be more forceful with your hip—ahh!” Her mouth dropped open as I rammed into her harder….and then harder, so hard the bed moved forward with us. I could feel the walls of her pussy tightly clench me, aching for me…more of me.
Pushing all the thoughts out, I focused only on being here, on her only, trusting that she was right and that I could not break her.
Another reason I loved her, she helped me to stop thinking, even if it was only for a little bit.
“Harder,” Calliope demanded, and I did as I was ordered.
Grabbing hold of her breast, my back against her, I fucked her with everything I had.
16
“Plenty of humans were monstrous, and plenty of monsters knew how to play at being human.”
~ Victoria Schwab
CALLIOPE
I was sore, both my shoulders and the lower half of me. And there wasn’t any real time to recover since we had to leave early before the sun was even up.
The Callahans had their own family international Dreamliner. However, instead, we would have two different jets flying, one to Boston and the other going to Washington. Melody and Liam were supposed to be on one jet, and we were supposed to be on the other. But seeing as how Ethan still didn’t trust them to do as he said, we were all flying to Boston and then from there blending in to take a flight into Florence.
It felt as though I was high.
My body was buzzing, my mind spinning. I hadn’t felt like this since Gigi was born. I knew what it was—completely unburdened happiness. Happiness that came from no longer having to pretend.
“You all really spoil her,” Melody said from her seat as we entered the jet, and Ethan moved to take Gigi to the bedroom at the back of the plane.
“Maybe,” I replied, taking my seat on the other side of the aisle. “I try not to, but I do, so does Ethan. I don’t want her to be a brat. However, after thinking about it, I realized that it was okay to spoil her bit. Being a Callahan would hammer out any other issues over time.”
“That’s the first I hear of that,” Liam said with an eye mask and blankets over him as if he’d just been dragged from the bed. “One would think all the wealth and power us Callahans have would exacerbate all our other issues, not make us better.”
“One would think, but I am not one,” I said, relaxing into my chair as well. “Yes, you all are drug dealers and murderers, but because you all wish to play the part of good citizens, you learn to hide your bad parts. In so doing, the children learn to behave. At
the same time, because of the constant struggles and battles this family goes through, children are also forced to grow up faster. So, it’s okay with me if Gigi is a little bit spoiled. She’s going to face much harder things than other children simply because her last name is Callahan. She’ll one day be trying to fix my and Ethan’s mistakes.”
“At least you admit you’ve made them,” Melody muttered, looking out the plane.
“I can. But can you?”
Her head turned, and her brown eyes narrowed at me.
“What?” I grinned. “Touchy subject? And here I thought we’d become closer, Mom.”
Her face almost cringed; meanwhile, Liam smiled, still with that stupid eye mask on. “Don’t take it personally; it’s taken her years to get close to me,” he said, only for Melody to kick his leg hard enough that he sat up.
“Joint pain, sorry,” she replied, not at all sorry as she brushed her hair off her face.
He ground his teeth together before taking off his eye mask. “Joint pain? Really?”
She nodded, looking back out the window.
“You two really are an entertaining pair.” I chuckled.
“It depends on your sense of entertainment, I guess,” Ethan replied as he stepped back into the main cabin of the jet, moving to take a seat opposite of me. Causally he looked over to his parents. “When this is all over, find a beach, or forest, or mountain, and be less entertaining there.”
“Is this the thanks we get for saving your ass?” Liam asked.
Ethan’s eyebrow raised. “Saving my ass? Me. Do I know these Orsinis? No. Did I kill Siena’s children? No. Am I responsible for any of the grudges held against this family? No. They were passed onto me like the plague. Yet, I am not complaining. I’m doing what I’m supposed to do. But I’m supposed to say thank you, the ones who shoved this onto my plate? In what world does that make sense?”
Liam’s face fell until he was fully frowning. Looking away from his son, he looked to me. “A tiny part of me wishes you had betrayed his ass so he would be humbled just a bit. The problem with smart people is sometimes humor and sarcasm manage to go over their massive heads. How? I’m not sure. But it is a miracle that you or anyone else don’t strangle him as he sleeps.”