The Untouchables(123)

“Keys,” I hissed, pointing down at my ankles. He wasn’t dead yet, the least he could do was be helpful. But he didn’t move; his eyes slowly began to turn into his skull.

Well he’s useless.

I had no other choice but to use the bloody fork. Bending to the chains at my feet, I tried to focus, all too aware of the clock ticking behind me.

“Focus, Mel. Focus.” It didn’t help. The drugs burned in my veins. What was worse was the voice in the back of my mind. I wanted to give into the false sense of peace they provided. I wanted to be on a different plane with Liam and Ethan again. I was fucked in every sense of the word, but I couldn’t focus on that now.

“Finally.” Pulling off the chains around my feet, I tried to stand, but my legs buckled under my own weight. Grabbing hold of the end of the table, I wobbled over to Nelson. I took the gun right next to his head and kneeled next to him, pressing it into his eye.

“Where is she?”

He didn’t get a chance to reply before the door opened. “Shit, Cod—”

Before he could even get the words out, I fired, signaling a parade of alarms to sound throughout the house.

“You…re…ne…ver…get…ting…out…” Nelson sneered as the blood poured from his ears.

“Tell your sister I said hello.” I thrust the gun into his eye before pulling the trigger.

Step one: Call Liam.

Step two: Kill Aviela.





LIAM

We fucked up. Mel and I had come to trust the people that surrounded us. We’d gotten used to them, and in a way, we cared for them as though they were our own family. But they weren’t. The truth was, they were broken China that we’d found, hot glued together, and still tried to use. No matter how hard we tried, and no matter how much glue we used, it would never change the fact that they were cracked; broken plates would never be reliable. A broken cup still leaked.

We had trusted Adriana. I had trusted Adriana. Yet here I was, standing on platform B of the Ogilvie transportation center, waiting for Judas. My hand trembled with rage, wanting nothing more than to rip her apart. For five days she had watched us, watched me and my son suffer in agony; she probably laughed her ugly fucking head off.

“Boss, she’s coming your way,” Monte spoke in my ear. When I turned towards the stairs there she was, blonde wig, giant glasses and all.

When she saw me, she tried to turn, but Monte was already waiting behind her. Pulling off her wig, she turned to me, sighing deeply as she made her final free walk towards me.

“I’ve been waiting for you to find out,” she whispered, keeping her head down.

“Where is she?”

“I don’t know.”

“What does Aviela want?”

“To save her from Ivan. Lia—”

Grabbing her arm, I pulled her closer to me. “Do not say my name. I want to snap your fucking neck right now. Was Antonio betraying us too, or were you lying to everyone?”

“No. Antonio would have never—”

“And yet you did.” She winced as I squeezed. “Who is Ivan?”

“He’s demented, a psychopath.”

“So are we! The only reason you’re still alive is because Melody would want to kill you herself.”

“I’ve suffered,” she whispered. “I did this to protect her. Aviela may be insane but she knows how to protect her! She’s been doing it for years. She loves—”

“Do you hear yourself?” How had we been so blind to who she really was? “Make contact now.”

The moment I let go, she wiped the tears falling from her eyes. It only served to anger me even more. How dare she cry!

“Adriana, do not test my patience.”

“After taking Melody, Aviela sent me this.” She threw her phone at me.

If she had this, why did she bother coming?

“She calls every Thursday at 12:01am. Answer only on the third ring. Tell Mel I’m so sorry.”

I didn’t even have time to blink. She threw herself off the platform, and her body disappeared as the train swept it down the tunnel, screeching as it tried to stop.

“Fuck.”





THIRTY-SIX

“Look like the innocent flower, but be the serpent under it.”

—William Shakespeare





OLIVIA

There were certain guidelines that all politicians and their families followed. It only had three basic rules:

First: at some point there will be a chance to get ahead. Take it and never look back.

Second: people will talk, make sure you control what they talk about.

Third: always be willing to cut off the head of your enemies, especially when they’re on their knees.

“Neal,” I whispered, walking up behind him.