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In a matter of moments, we were alone. Liam, Ethan, and I; our fucked up, beautiful, little family. Liam sat down and placed Ethan on his lap.
“Liam—”
“Four minutes, Melody. Four minutes, that how long it’s going to take them to bring the car around, and I just want four minutes with the most important person in my life, and to not deal with what the hell you’re about to drag me into,” he spat at me causing Ethan to frown and smack his check again until he smiled at him.
What I was dragging him into?
I felt a cold sweat envelope my body at his words. It wasn’t what he said, I’ve heard worse things directed at me. But, it was how he said it. Disdain was the prevalent emotion that I could hear. Although I didn’t expect to be welcomed back with open arms, just hearing his voice and being beside him made me wish that that was what greeted me instead of this. Sitting down, I didn’t say anything more. He tried to distract himself with Ethan, but my little one couldn't even keep his green eyes open for more than a minute. His head started to nod back and forth, and I reached for him but Liam shook his head and held Ethan to his chest tightly.
“Why start pretending like you care now?” he muttered.
I guess our four minutes were up.
“Is this the game we’re going to play?” I whispered, trying not to look at him.
“No one is playing any games but you. Did you find yourself wherever the fuck you went? Was it amazing? Please tell me, was it worth keeping me in jail, and away from my son? Was it worth abandoning him?!” he snapped and Ethan stirred for a moment before he readjusted himself. “I thought about everything I would say to you when you got back. And all I can think of saying is I’m done. I’m done worrying or caring about you. You are as coldhearted and as manipulative as your fucking mother.”
Closing my eyes, I bit the inside of my cheek as I tried to calm down. He wanted to hurt me. He was pissed, and he was trying to hurt me. It was working.
“Either way, I’m done. If I knew marrying you—” he stopped.
“You would of what?” I asked him seriously. “Married Natasha? I’m brewing with jealousy.”
“Really? When did the wizard give you your heart back? When did you develop emotions or care about anyone other than your fucking self? Not even your own fucking child…”
“Enough!” I hissed rising from the chair.
I was trying to fight off the stinging in my eyes. I had to turn away. I refused to be weak. Weakness got you killed, it was what had been the end of Aviela. It had turned her into a sniveling, pathetic maniac, and I refused to be compared to her. Especially by the one person I loved more than anything in this world, with the exception of the little person he was holding onto.
There were so many things I needed to say to him. I didn’t know if he would even care. They weren’t excuses, they were reasons. I had to make him see that what I did was for him and Ethan. He had to understand that only they mattered, and I refused to put them in danger without a way to eradicate it myself. I wasn’t physically or mentally capable of doing those things after I’d gotten free from Aviela, and I doubted that I would’ve been able to. Not with the roadblocks I’d encountered at every turn.
I tried not to think about it…about what had happened. I didn’t want to fight with him. I wanted to talk, to explain everything to him. How each time I tried to get closer to him, things only got worse. But most of all, I needed him on my side, not against me. I could take on everyone in the world, but I needed a reason to. He and Ethan were that reason. But if he gave up…
“Ma’am.”
I turned around and there was Monte.
“Welcome back.”
“Thank you, Monte, I hope you all have enjoyed your vacation. From now on, everyone will be working overtime.”
“Wouldn’t have it any other way,” he said.
“Good. Is a car-seat installed?” I glanced at Ethan again. His thumb was in his mouth. I used to do it as well…until my father cut my thumb and placed a bandage on it so I could break the habit.
“Yes, ma’am, your mother-in-law had it put in.”
Liam stood without saying a word. He was focused on his son in his arms. I wasn’t sure what he wanted from me. I couldn’t regret my choice. There was so much that I had to tell him, and I didn’t want to do it screaming. In the back of my mind, he had always been there. Every day, I thought of him and Ethan. But Avian hadn’t only made me suffer. If I were the forgiving type, I could overlook that. But he’d made Liam suffer…he’d left our son without his parents, and for that, I was going to get my revenge, even if it killed me.
FIVE
“We have the best government that money can buy.”
—Mark Twain
LIAM
“Good evening, I’m Stan Mercy.”
“And I’m Toni Blake.”
“This is KW4 Evening news. Tonight, we will be running live coverage on the story that has captivated the nation. The Callahan name has been heavily gossiped, and in national news for years, but no more than in the past few months. In a surprising turn of events, the Callahan name is now synonymous with national security. For the past few months, federal agents have been conducting an investigation that has resulted in the deaths of Joseph Williams and two other homegrown terrorists responsible for bombings across the Mexican border and Europe.
“Five months ago, government agents uncovered information, through the help of a witness, which led to this discovery. The world knows her as Mrs. Melody Callahan. After an attempt on her life, she was placed into witness protection. The only people knowing of her whereabouts were her husband and those of the highest clearance. This operation required a great deal of sacrifice from a great deal of people. At the latest report, the total casualty count has reached six. These were all government agents that unfortunately lost their lives protecting their country. Roger Kane, Kimberly Green, Beatrice Sinclair, Adam…”
“Holy shit,” Neal whispered as he stared at the six agents on the screen. “Did she really kill them for the cover up?”
All of us, with the exception of Mel, Evelyn, and Coraline who were in Ethan’s room, were watching the news coverage. We watched as the President, the one I had spent a fortune creating, covered for Mel…covered for us all.
“I wouldn’t put anything past her,” Declan came around, and handed me a glass of brandy on the rocks. Taking in the scent, I almost moaned as I took a large gulp.
“How did I live without this?” I asked him. “I should have had it smuggled in instead of the rocks. I could have made a whole lot more money.”
“You shouldn’t have needed anything to be smuggle in,” Olivia snapped, crossing her legs in the chair as she glared at the President on the screen.
“Thank you for your concern. Five months without a visit, I wouldn’t have thought you cared.” Downing all of the brandy, I walked across the room to the mahogany bar in the corner.
“This cover-up…it’s deep. Why did she choose terrorism?” Neal asked, looking at the television as the President went on.
“Because there are only two wars in this country that people care about,” I muttered, “the war on drugs and the war on terror; she’d rather them focus on the latter, for obvious reasons.”
