The Untouchables(97)

“Ma’am, why go through all this trouble for a maid?” Fedel asked. “She hasn’t said anything to the police in months.” For some reason, his voice was just grating the fuck out of my nerves.

“We can’t kill her if the police have her under protection, and killing her would only make us look bad. Aviela went through a lot to prevent us from winning the White House, and in a matter of weeks, we will have eighty-seven percent of the electorate. There has to be backlash for that, and we don’t want them using the maid against us. So we have to keep the only leverage we have: her son. She can have a job and her child, that is just as good as buying her off. Aviela can’t get to us through her.”

“But will he let the maid know?”

Grinning, I nodded and stared out of the window. I waited for the phone call I knew would be next. When Beau had called informing us about his partner’s ambition, we’d figured it was best to kill as many birds as possible with one bullet. We would prevent Aviela from taking any action against us through the maid, make sure she couldn’t kill the maid, and now we had given Officer Scooter a damn bone.

“Ma’am, Beau’s on the line.” Monte turned, handing me the phone.

“Put him on speaker,” I whispered, rubbing circles into my stomach as I closed my eyes. I really wanted to take a hot bath and unwind; the pains in my ankles were a nuisance.

“You’re on,” Monte said to him.

“Ma’am, you were right, Scooter wants the maid to go undercover at the house after she’s testified. He’s running it past the Chief now. Should I—”

“Help them anyway you can, Brooks. Goodbye.”

“Oh shit.” Fedel stated forcing me to snap open my eyes. They both stared out the windows with their mouths hanging open before Fedel met my eyes in the rear-view mirror.

Looking out, I felt myself starting to hyperventilate. There on the Callahan’s giant entryway was a massive blue sign draped in ugly birds, rattles, and cribs.

“Please tell me that doesn’t say what I think it says,” I hissed, my nostrils flaring as we drove.

I stared at the onslaught of cars swarming like an invasive species in our driveway. All the damn women from Evelyn’s monthly charity functions were there with their fake Stepford wife smiles, and big boxes with obnoxiously large bows. It was like they were walking in slow motion with the wind blowing their hair back and their laughs reaching my already frayed nerves. Jesus Christ, it was a whole other level of hell!

“I’m going to bloody kill her. Chop her into little bits and sprinkle her over fucking Lake Michigan.” I couldn’t believe—well, I could believe she would do this, but damn it all. “Is there any way to get to the garage?”

“No, Ma’am,” Monte said. “All these cars are in the way, and she’s spotted us.” He nodded over at the woman dressed all in blue, waving and smiling at all the other women I knew she hated as she made her way over.

I could handle a lot of things, but a crazed mother-in-law was not one of them. But I couldn’t hide out in the car like a bitch. Damn her.

Dear God, give me the strength not to kill anyone.

Stepping out, I was met by one of the plastics with the fakest red hair I’d ever seen.

“Oh my God!” she yelled and it sounded like she had cats trying to claw their way out of her throat. “Melody, you’re huge! Are you sure you aren’t having twins? My cousin totally, like seriously, thought she was only having one. I kept telling her, ‘Sissy, you’re huge! There has to be another baby in there somewhere!’ And lo and behold, she was having triplets. You’re just giant, how are you still in those heels of yours? I love Giuseppe Zanotti, but there is no way I could ever wear them while I was pregnant. Not at least with my first child, this is your first child, right? You and Liam must be so excited, a boy…” The moment her hand went to my stomach, I grabbed a hold of it as I stared into her eyes.

I wanted to kill her. She just kept yapping away. I didn’t even know who the fuck she was, and she was talking to me as though we were best friends. I wasn’t going to make it. Who did she think she was? Who did she think I was, that she could just come up to me like this?

“Melody, my arm.” She winced, as she fucking should.

“Mel, dear!” Evelyn came over, pulling me into a one armed hug, effectively loosening my hand off the very lucky woman in front of us. “You and that pregnancy grip of yours. I swear she could make men cry without even knowing. Are you alright, Nicole?”

“Of course,” cried the hyena, “I’m not some delicate little flower. I’m stronger than…”