The moment it opened, Declan and Neal stepped through. Coraline and Olivia both ran into their husband’s arms, and I felt tempted to roll my eyes. We had called them back just in time to pull this off correctly.
“Save it, let’s go.”
The men being . . . Callahan men . . . made sure we girls went through the new tunnel first, however I waited at the door for Liam. He was the last to exit, and as we closed the door, we met the eyes of Vance as his men tried to pull him away. I smiled at him before giving him the middle finger just as Liam shut it completely. Turning back to me, he grinned.
“So mature.”
“You’re jealous you didn’t do it.” I smirked as we walked through the underground tunnel.
“Next time. I really hope he doesn’t die.” He pouted looking back as we reached the lake. There was a boat waiting for us.
“No, he isn’t going to die. He’s too big of an ass to die so easily.” I smirked as he helped me onto the boat.
“I swear you’re both pyromaniacs.” Declan laughed as he handed us a glass of champagne.
Looking back over at the mansion behind us, I couldn’t help but agree.
“Where to sis?” Neal yelled from the steering wheel. Olivia hugged him as he moved us further and further away from the home.
“The city,” Liam and I said together. Everyone broke off into their own private conversations giving me time to turn to Liam.
“It’s later.”
He rolled his eyes. “There was a little hiccup in the bathroom. It got messy, I killed two . . . three men and had to change. Nothing major.”
“You need to control your temper.” I leaned in to kiss him.
“One of these days I will . . . maybe.” He kissed me back.
Motherfucking day made.
TWENTY-FIVE
“My husband and I have never considered divorce.
Murder sometimes, but never divorce.”
~ Joyce Brothers
OLIVIA
“So you’re okay with what just happened?” I wasn’t even sure where to begin. Neal didn’t respond but started to change out of his tuxedo.
“Neal!”
“What Olivia, what!” he yelled, throwing his tie onto the bed.
“Don’t you ‘what’ me! We just set a mansion on fire—”
“You didn’t do shit. Melody and Liam did,” he interrupted me as he walked into the closet.
“Exactly, and it was wrong! How many people just died?” He was acting like he didn’t care. But this had to have bothered him. I was so angry that I wanted to kill them all.
He looked at me like I was insane. “It’s the job, Olivia. I don’t give a shit about who died. I’m not paid to give a shit. This family is all I care about, and you know that, so save me your bull about the innocent.”
Crossing my arms across my chest, I glared at him and bit my tongue to stop myself from saying what it was I really wanted to say.
“They are reckless and callous, which isn’t a good combination! They have no idea what they are doing! You sell drugs! You are not murderers! How old is Melody? Twenty-four, twenty-five? She walks around like she owns the goddamn world!” I hated her the fucking most.
“Because she does!” he snapped, stomping out of the closet and into my face.
“No, she doesn’t, and neither does Liam. He shouldn’t even be Ceann na Conairte! You should be. This is all fucked up! They treat you as if you’re a fucking dog. They treat us all like we are their fucking pets. She shot you twice! And each time you defend them! You are the oldest. You are the strongest. You should be Ceann na Conairte!” There, I fucking said it.
He shook his head at me and sighed before taking a seat on the bed. I fell to my knees in front of him and kissed his hands.
“You have always allowed Liam to hold the past over you. Now his wife is doing the same, and she isn’t even—”
“Enough, Olivia,” he replied so coldly I flinched. “Do you want to get a divorce?”
My jaw dropped open as I stared at him. “Neal you can’t . . . What? No, I don’t want a fucking divorce.”
I got to my feet as he stared at me. He stood up, walking to my closet and started to pull out my things.
“Neal, what in seven hells are you doing? I don’t want a divorce!” I yelled again trying to stop him.
“That’s the only way I know how to protect you. We could get divorced, you would have to get a new identity, and I would leave you enough money that you wouldn’t have to worry. Once Melody and Liam found out they would most likely have you killed. You speak French right? France could be good for you, the shopping, the—”
“Shut up you asshole! We have vows. I’m not divorcing you. I would rather have them kill me.” His words stung, and I tried to fight the tears that were building up in my eyes as he pulled me in and kissed me hard, but it was only when he broke away from my lips did he finally truly look at me.
He kissed my forehead and I stayed in his embrace. I loved his arms. I felt protected, and loved, and special.
“I love you, Olivia, I truly do,” he whispered. “But I love my family more. If it came down to Melody and Liam and this family, I have to choose them. It’s in my blood to choose them. I want you at my side, but you need to understand that we are family and we are pawns. Melody and Liam rule, which means when they call, you answer. They tell you to jump and you try to reach the sky.”
“Neal—”
He pulled back so I could stare into his eyes “No. Listen to me Olivia. Just because I am firstborn does not give me any right to be Ceann na Conairte. I don’t want to be Ceann na Conairte. Melody and Liam were born on the dark side of the moon. They enjoy this life. They watch people burn in their beds. When they aren’t doing that, they are making sure needles stay in people’s arms and coke in their noses. That is all they do all the time. It’s what you do when you’re the Ceann na Conairte. I watched our father go half-mad because of what he was forced to do. I’ve watched my mother dip herself in cement just so she could stand beside him and not break. She wasn’t always so tough. This life changes us. It forces us to become cold-blooded and not to care for anyone but the family. I handle being a sidekick, because I don’t want to walk so deeply in the dark. I do not want us to walk so deeply in the dark.”
“So what am I supposed to do?” I hissed, breaking out of his hands. “Bow down to them as though they are King and Queen.”
He looked at the clothes on the ground and then at me. “You have three options—bow, hide, or die, Olivia. So yes, you will bow down and kiss the ring like we all do. You will jump when they ask, come when they call, and anything else. Or, you can be packed by the time I get back.”
He walked past me and toward the door before turning again. “I knew when you married me that you loved the idea of power just as much as you did me. I knew you wanted all the things that came with being a Callahan. I’ve tried to give it all to you, but you need to understand Olivia, you are not the queen, you are the princess. You will always be the princess. You may wear a tiara, but it will never be as big or as shiny as Melody’s. Hopefully you love me enough to be just Princess.”
“Neal—” He slammed the door.