It took all of my composure to just stand there.
“Mina will show you out.” Mel again pulled me out of my train of thought, and I didn’t argue. I just put the file beside her before walking around the desk.
He laughed beside me as we made our way into the lobby.
“How far you’ve come, Mina.”
“Thank you, Father.” I smiled at him as he froze for a second then shook it off, placing his hand on my shoulder.
“Enough of that. The past is in the past. I’m so pleased you’ve made something of yourself.”
“I couldn’t have done without you,” I said automatically, to his pleasure.
He leaned in closer. “Never forget that. Should the governor ever need someone, make sure you remember who brought you up.”
“Of course.”
Nodding, he placed his hat on his head. He stood up straighter as he walked outside. I followed, enjoying the breeze. As he got into his car, a black Mercedes pulled up. Neal unbuttoned the top button of his suit as he got out, a large smile spreading across his face. It was the type of smile that always made me smile…just not that day.
“Ready for lunch?” he asked, kissing the top of my head.
I patted down the top of his coat. “Neal, I need something from you.”
“Anything.”
“The deputy commissioner just stopped by to see Melody.”
“Everything all right?” He frowned, glancing back over at the car, now long gone.
“Yeah.” I smiled. “I just need you to kill his daughter.”
“What?” He half laughed.
Standing straighter, I repeated myself. “Deputy Commissioner Cheung has a daughter, I wa
nt her dead. He also has a wife; I want her dead. I want him to see them dead before you kill him.”
“Mina.”
“Can you do that for me?”
“Yes.” He nodded, brushing the side of my face. “But Mel—”
“I have a feeling she knows. I’m not going to talk to her about it. You can. She’ll say yes. I’m sure she’ll be annoyed that I don’t want to do it myself, but I’m not like her. I can’t be changed like Cora, but that doesn’t mean I don’t want blood either.”
“Then there will be blood.”
This was how I fucking spoke: with action.
That was the power I had now, to point to someone and order their death and have it done. That was what Mel offered me. It was worth more than gold.
One by one, everyone who had ever made me suffer, I would come for them, and one by one they would all drown in their own blood.
Mina Sung was gone.
Mina Callahan was going to have a bloodletting.
“But before you meet the commissioner, what do you want to have for lunch? I’m really feeling Thai!” I grinned up at him, taking his hand.