The Untouchables(117)

“Would you like wine, Ma’am?”

I should have fucking known.

I glanced up at the pale, familiar hand of Nelson something or the other… my fucking flight attendant. He poured my favorite red wine into a glass for the woman before me. She said nothing as she held up her wine glass for him.

“You’re the rat on my ship.”

“Really, Mel Bear? You think I couldn’t get closer than your flight attendant?” The woman who gave birth to me sighed before flipping the page.

“Do not call me ‘Mel Bear,’ you insane bitch. As for you, rat, I will skin you while you beg for my forgiveness, but not before I make you watch me kill your meth-head sister in the most painful way possible.” I pulled against the chain, but all it did was cause me pain. I could feel the stitches pull at my skin, and even though it was painful, it made me think of Ethan.

“Nelson, get her something to eat.”

“Give me anything and I will embed it in your skull,” I hissed. My skin was hot, my emotions were raw, and all I wanted was to be free.

“Suit yourself then, you were always temperamental as a child.” She said snidely, again flipping the damn page.

“Maybe it was because I knew my mother was a weak, conniving whore that would one day shoot me like a dog after poisoning my father. In the end, he didn’t suffer and I was there. He was happy so you fucking…” the heat that radiated off the back of her hand when it connected with the side of my face only made me smile.

Her glasses were off, her hair falling out of place and her back was bone straight as she glared into me, nostrils flaring and eyes wide.

“Did you slap me because I called you a whore? Or because you didn’t get to kill Orlando?”

“Leave us,” she hissed and every one of the men on her plane went towards the back. It wasn’t that far; I couldn’t even see why she bothered.

“Are you gonna tell me a secret, Mommy? Are you going—”

“Enough,” she said. “You don’t understand the shit I’ve done for you. How hard it was to leave you with that fucking monster, to protect you from Satan himself. You know nothing.”

“You poisoned my father for years. You shot me down. You killed my guard and now you’ve separated me from my husband and child. So fuck you and your life story, bitch. I know enough to say at the end of this, you will die, and I will feel nothing.” I wanted to kill her now. I just kept eyeing the wine on the table wishing for two more inches of chain so I could smash it against her skull.

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.”