“How’s the case?” I asked him in reference to my former cellmate, Avery Barrow.
“He’s out on bail. I’ve reminded him of the terms of accepting your help. Also, the Warden wanted me to pass this along to you.” He handed me a letter and I smirked as I read her note on the top.
“Your handwritten apology.”
“Thank you, DiMarco,” I replied as I placed it in my coat.
“Good evening, Mr. Callahan, Mr. Callahan,” he said to the both of us before walking off.
“Should I be seeing spots in my vision?” Declan asked me.
With a laugh, I waved for the check.
MELODY
Her fists came straight for my face. However I blocked them and headbutted her whilst I landed a kick into her chest.
“Ah, fuck,” Coraline gasped from her spot on the ground, as she held her chest.
“And here I thought you were better than this,” I said as I looked down at her.
Frustrated, she charged forward as fast as her legs could. Her fists came at me like bullets. She was tiring herself out, but she was also wearing me down in the process, since I was forced to block her fists. The moment I saw an opening, I took it. I pulled her wrist to me before I managed to flip her over onto her back.
“Okay, fine! You win…ugh!” she called out, as she pulled her arm away from me and rolled onto her side.
“Of course I win. I just wanted more of a fight,” I said to her as I unwrapped my hands.
“I—”
“Coraline, if you say anything referring to cancer, I will kick your ass….again.” I said, as I leaned against the ropes of the ring.
“Okay, bitch, I was going say that I haven’t had practice in months!” she snapped, without bothering to get up from the ring floor. It was kind of funny.
She looked like a snow angel, or maybe a dead starfish, just lying on the floor, lazily spread out.
“Bitch? You do know—”
“Yes, you are the boss blah, blah, blah. But I’m also your friend and your sister.”
“I’m sorry, my friend?”
She pounded the floor beside her, signaling me to lie next to her, but I didn’t move.
“Oh come on, you did not summon me for a fight, you wanted to talk. We’re family, so let’s talk.”
Aren’t we observant?
“I didn’t want to talk, I wanted to see if all the training you received went to your head.”
“Excuse me?” She sat up.
“There is a mole in our house, and now I know it cannot possibly be you.”
“And how do you know that?” she snapped as she rose from her seated position and wiped the sweat that rolled down the side of her dark-skinned face.
With a grin, I straighten my stance. “First of all, the fact that you’re annoyed that I don’t think you are a mole is proof enough. Secondly, you gave up and accepted that I’m better. The person who is plotting to take us down believes that they are just as capable as I am. Therefore it’s not you. Good talk.”
“Mel, you need someone.”
“What?” I asked, as I turned back to face her. “I have Liam.”
“I mean you need a friend. Adriana—”
“Don’t.” I never wanted to hear her name again. “She wasn’t a friend. She was an employee because I don’t do friends, Coraline. I have a husband. I have a son. They are the only people I need. I like you, but we are family, not friends.”
“Whatever you say, boss. But I’m going to wiggle my way into your heart,” she smirked, as she stepped out of the ring. On her way out, she passed Fedel who came in holding the papers I requested.
“Ma’am,” he said, as he handed me the folder. “This is all the information we can find on an Avian Doers or De Rosa.”
“This is a very thin folder,” I muttered, as I quickly flipped through it.
“He must have buried most of his past after gaining citizenship. As Deputy Attorney General, he was the second-highest ranking official in the United States Department of Justice. He was the U.S. Attorney for D.C. prior to becoming Deputy Attorney General, and he helped prosecute the Mancini crime family, which put him on the map. He has been selling out small organization bosses and families for decades.”
“So he’s a rat with a fancy title.” A very smart rat, but a rat nonetheless.
“Make sure Jinx has the jet fueled. After Liam gets the key tomorrow, we’re leaving. I want you to stay behind with Coraline and Declan. Kain and Monte are coming with us.”
His eyes flashed and his jaw clenched.
“Is there a problem?”
“No, ma’am.”
“You’re lying.”
“Why is Kain here? What purpose does he serve? He has no skills other than punching his fist through a wall,” he confessed.
“He will come in handy.” I wasn’t a hundred percent sure how, but I somehow knew he would. Stepping out of the ring, I walked towards the elevator bank.
As the elevator opened, one of the last people I wanted to talk to stepped out.
“Evelyn.”
“Mel.”
“Do you need something in the basement?” I asked, as I brushed past her to enter the elevator.
“I wanted to apologize.” She stepped back into the metal box with me.
This was unexpected. “What did Liam say to you?”
She crossed her arms as the doors shut. “Why do you believe Liam spoke to me?”
This family was working my last damn nerve.
“Why must you all question why, or how, I know something? It’s a waste of time. You aren’t fooling me. So either you let me know the truth or walk away…now.” I stepped out as the doors opened, she followed.
“You’re right, Liam has spoken to me, but that’s beside the point. Goddamn it, Mel, I really want to slap the hell out of you sometimes. If someone purposely broke Ethan’s heart and then left him in jail for months, how would you feel as his mother? No matter who I was before, he’s still my son and he was in pain.”
If it were Ethan, I would have—I saw her point.
“Liam and I are heading to D.C. tomorrow. You and Sedric should be ready to accompany us. I want you to be with Ethan whenever we can’t be. We’ve already bought a house.” I wanted to turn and leave. However, I didn’t. “And Evelyn, I understand. And as long as we don’t have this issue again, I’m sure we will be fine. You are my son’s only grandmother, he needs you.”
These people were making me soft.
LIAM
When I got back to our room, I heard her horrid singing and I couldn’t help but smile. She really had no idea that she was doing it or how bad she really was. She always started off with a hum, and then next thing you know, she was wailing like a suffering banshee. Stripping down, I entered the bathroom and watched as the water trailed down her body.
“Are you going to stand there all day, Jinx, or are you coming in?” she asked and I could hear the laughter in her voice.
Stepping in behind her, I grabbed her waist and pulled her against me. I bit her ear, and cupped her pussy with one hand while I grabbed her breast with the other.
“Joke like that again and I will make you regret it.” I squeezed her nipple tightly.