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“It’s over now.”
“Not yet.” Her eyelids snapped open and before I even could blink, I felt the burning as it spread up my arm. Glancing down I saw the long thin needle clenched between her fingers protruding from my hand. She sat up on the bed, turning to stand up. I tried to move, but I couldn’t.
“There is still one more Callahan I have to beat.”
“Did you…fucking…have to stab me?”
“You shot me.” She shrugged and pushed me down on the bed, kissing my lips. “How far is your brother going to go for you this time?”
“We don’t have to go this far,” I muttered, feeling my words slur a bit.
“The only way to create a good cover is to cover all of your bases,” she whispered, kissing me again. “I’m here. We’re here. But no one can know how we got here. All of them have to believe this lie.”
“Fine.” I frowned as I watched her go over to Giovanna’s bedside. She brushed her hair gently, before looking at me, a small smile on her lips.
“Mamma,” Giovanna whispered, rubbing her eyes. “You’re back.”
“Yes, cuore mio.” She picked her up and kissed her cheek, walking back to the bed. When she reached my side, she bent down bit. “We have to go now. Say bye-bye to papà.”
“Ciao papà. ti amo. (bye daddy. I love you.)” Giovanna whispered, leaning over and kissing my cheek before burying her face into her mother’s. I felt that guilt again. Calliope and I were also cruel people, vicious people, using our daughter like this, putting her in this position. But it was almost over. And then we’d make it up to her.
What we did now was to make sure I’d never have to leave her like my parents did me. It was hard. But it needed to be done.
I nodded once more, and Calliope took her from the room.
The world was going to fear Calliope and I. No one or nothing was going to get in our way…not even our own feelings.
CALLIOPE
I made it only a few paces into the hall when another an opponent made his appearance. Holding firm to his crutch, he glanced at Gigi and then to me.
“Do you think you have chance, Wyatt?” I asked him, already done with these people today.
He smirked. “I’ll never know until I try. It’s the least I could for my brother.”
“Very well then,” I said, reaching behind my back when he outstretched his hands, and I eyed him carefully.
“Since my body is still healing, I’ll try a different approach,” he said nodded as if I was a wild animal he was trying to calm.
“And that is?”
“Ask nicely,” he said with a smile. “My brother has been through a lot. And sure, I don’t know what you’ve been through, I will assume it was hell. But even still I’m asking…please, don’t do this to him. One by one, everything is going up in flames around him and what’s worse is that it isn’t his fault, but he’ll blame himself for it anyway. It’s what he does. He takes responsibility for everything all the time…and…and he doesn’t want to let us down. Don’t do this…for her…don’t let him let down his daughter. Please stay. I won’t stop you if try to leave but I’d rather you stay.”
Aww, such a sweet speech. Walking forward, I didn’t stop until I stood right beside him. “Thank you for not stopping me.”
I only made it three feet when I heard him turn around. I turned back to him and he sighed, holding a switch in his hands.
“I lied.”
“I knew you would.” I pointed his bad thigh and his eyes glanced down to the needle now sticking out of it.
Shi
fting Gigi in my arms, I walked faster as he went down, turning left first and making it all the way to the stairs. I set her on her feet and dropped my things on the ground. Bending down I took out my gloves from the coat, wearing them I unzipped one of pockets of my coat I pulled out a thin vial.
“Mamma—”
“Stay back, cuore mio, we’ll go in a second…” I said in Italian, trying to work, but I stopped when I heard a sniffle. I glanced up and her bottom lip was quivering and tears were pooling in her eyes.
