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She took a deep breath, and placed her hand on her book. “Have you read this?”
“No, but don’t worry, I’ll read the spark notes.” God, my breasts hurt. Everything hurt, but knowing that my son didn’t have me made my heart burn.
“God, you’re so much like me it hurts. I’ve always been so proud of you. I’ve watched you grow, and become the fighter I knew you were when I first held you in my arms. I swore I would always do what was best for you.”
“This,” I pulled on the chains, “is not good for me. But, if you’re not full of shit, unchain me, hand me a gun, and I’ll believe you.”
She frowned, taking the wine to her lips. “You don’t want to hear this. This layer of anger and sarcasm, it’s just you trying to block me out.”
“No, it’s me, still hormonal and in a shitload of pain because of you. But please go on and tell me how I’m so fucking wrong, Aviela. Tell me your entire sad, pathetic life story. I will try to hold back my disgust. But while you speak, know that I’m going to be thinking of ways to kill you.” While I try to deny how badly I wanted to know the truth.
“You’ve always liked to test me. Whatever Orlando told you were lies, Mel bear.”
“Were you poisoning him for years?”
She said nothing, staring out at the dark seas thousands of feet below us.
“Point one for Dad.”
“Orlando…all the damn Giovannis are monsters. He killed my uncle, my brother, my fucking mother.”
Point two for Dad.
“Women like us, Mel bear, serve the men above us to survive because we are warriors, and until we get our own army, we do as we are told.” She spoke in a hushed tone, her eyes glazed over. “If Orlando told to you to kill Liam slowly and painfully, you would have done it. I regret nothing. The Giovannis, they are the reason why my father was the way he was. I couldn’t wait to kill him for the suffering he made me go through; kill Orlando, then get out. But you came and I didn’t want you to come into this life. But Orlando just didn’t know when to die and forced you into this trap.”
“So what you’re saying is that you’ve always wanted me dead.” I wished Orlando had taken her out the moment I was born.
“NO!” she snapped, slamming her hand on the table, spilling her wine across it.
Good ole Nelson was there in a flash, cleaning. She didn’t even look fazed.
“I’ve always tried to save you, Mel bear. I knew he would take you and form you into a monster just like him. Just like my father had done to me. But then I had you, and I never wanted to leave you. For years, I stayed in hell for you. To watch you, until one day, I couldn’t take anymore. I took my chance. I got you and I planned on leaving, disappearing to where Orlando and Ivan couldn’t find us. We were going to be happy and free. But Orlando came looking for you, and my father for me. I knew Orlando would turn you into a monster but Ivan—his granddaughter, a Giovanni?—he would have thrown you with snakes then sent your body to Orlando. I chose the lesser of two evils.”
“So you’re telling me that Ivan didn’t know I was alive all this time? I doubt that. From what I can tell, he knows everything about all the families. So why now, mother dearest?”
“He let you be because I took my punishment and he figured you wouldn’t be able to make it once Orlando died.” She smiled, reaching over the table to take my hand. “But you did. You overcame it all and you fucking showed him how stupid he was to underestimate my daughter.”
“You’re not my mother. I’m not your daughter. Let go of me and finish your fairytale. What was your punishment?” I pulled my hand back.
Her hands clenched together as she readjusted herself. Unbuttoning her shirt slowly, she opened it, and everywhere were scars and dozens of small brown circular wounds that looked to be cigar burns. They littered her pale shoulders, stomach and I knew it reached her back. The distance between knife scars and burns was short. Luckily for her, none of them looked new. If I wasn’t chained to this seat, I may have felt bad…maybe.
“When he was done and satisfied, he let you go, not caring what you did. Orlando was destroying his himself and his “empire” was beyond repair. But I watched you. Your first kill was Atticus Flanagan, an Irish mutt who stalked you down at the seaport. You surprised him and he ended up face down in the lake. You were, fourteen?”
“Thirteen.”
“You sold your first kilo at—”
“I was there. I know, Aviela. Why are you fucking with my life now?”
“Because you stupidly laid down with the mutt and his dirty little family. Ivan wanted you dead instantly, but I convinced him that he couldn’t take out the head of the Italian mafia. Imagine all the chaos. All the wars as people tried to replace you. He thought I cared about you, that’s why I shot you. I needed him to believe that I could kill you if I wanted to. Ivan is all about balance, about keeping the underground under ground. But you are my daughter. You had to reach higher, you had to control the president of the United States. You reached a little too close to home for him.”
“Ivan is in the White House?” Shit.
She didn’t answer. “I told him you wouldn’t win and street wars weren’t worth killing you. I made sure to kill the President just to secure his wife. She would have the pity vote, yet you still out-played me. So like I said, you’ve made my life so much harder than it needed to be. This is the only way I know how to protect you now. We’re going to have a do-over. We’re finally going home.”
“I have a family, Aviela. A son who he needs me! I won’t fucking run from a fight and I sure as hell won’t run from him. ”
“You’re not in a fight. You never even got in the damn ring. Ivan has you. He’s the only untouchable one in this game. In an instant he can take your son and burn you like he burned me. He would kill Liam. But this is a win-win. He gets his balance, the Italians will break away, leaving Liam less powerful. Liam will be devastated, but live for your son. He won’t even be able to control President Colemen. Once that man gets power, he will block out your husband. Your son will live, and because you’re like me, you can watch from afar and learn to be okay. Your child will be okay, Mel bear. He’s alive because you loved him enough to stay away.”
She’s ri—
I pushed that thought out of my mind, and leaned against the chain so she could see my eyes.
“I will get out of this. I will kill you, and I will protect my family the same way I always have. I’m Melody Nicci Giovanni Callahan, I don’t run away. I destroy everything in my path, which includes you.”
She smiled as she lifted her red stained book. “That’s why I brought the chains. You will learn, and when you have, I’ll let you see him. Pictures, videos, maybe a few of his old toys over time.”
I felt my heart stop. I didn’t want her anywhere near Ethan, my Ethan. How would she be able to get videos and pictures? The mole. But who would Liam let close enough to our child for that?
“Olivia. Olivia is the fucking mole.” She hated me enough. She wanted me gone…
“Try again.” She flipped her page, but I couldn’t see who else. It couldn’t be Coraline, she was just too sick, Evelyn…hell no. Neal? No, he craved Liam’s love. None of the family would betray us like this. But, who the hell would be that close, Fedel, Monte, Antonio… the only other person would be…
