American Savages by J. J. McAvoy
His guards stepped aside, allowing me to come forth. Unbuttoning my coat, I kept my gloves on even as I sat in the last booth, right across from the scum who had killed my father.
Do not let your emotions take over, Liam. Mel’s voice rang out loudly in my head.
“Mr. Callahan.” He fought back surprise as he washed down a mouthful of his lamb with a glass of orange juice. “What can I help you with?”
I grinned and relaxed. “Have you ever seen The Princess Bride?”
“My time is valuable. I try not to waste it on movies, son.” He grinned as he cut into his bloody lamb.
“Shame. It’s a classic, and I would know, I’m a movie enthusiast. My favorite character has to be Inigo Montoya whose father was murdered. He swears that when he when he finds his father’s killer, the very first thing he would say is: ‘My name is Inigo Montoya. You killed my father. Prepare to die.’”
“Really? And I assume that at the end of this fairytale, your hero murders his father’s killer?”
“But of course. What good is a son that does not avenge his father?”
He snickered. “The son should have never gotten his father killed in the first place. Or better yet, the old fool shouldn’t have retired. I’ve heard that it can be the death of some people.”
My hand twitched.
“Callahan, I’m trying to enjoy my lunch here. So why don’t you get to your point. Or better yet, get on your knees. We both know you have no cards to play here. This terrorist plot of yours was cute. But you’ve just started to scratch the surface on what it truly means to fight me. It could have easily been that mutt of a son of yours, or your mother, or that whoring granddaughter of mine. She reminds me a little too much of her father for my liking.” He was fishing for my anger, and one more comment like that would get it.
Easy, Liam. Don’t let him derail you from your plan. I heard Mel say in my mind.
Smiling politely in the face of stupidity and ignorance, I restrained myself from allowing him under my skin. It was only now that I truly understood how much effort it took to wait until the right moment.
Luckily, this was that moment.
“My name is Liam Callahan, you killed my father….and, well, I think death is too good for you. Isn’t that right, brother?!” I yelled the last part and at the snap of my fingers, Neal, along with seven of our men appeared. They were dressed in all black, with their faces covered, and their guns in hand.
Before anyone in the restaurant even had a moment to think, they opened fired. They shot every man and woman with precision, including the three agents assigned to cover Avian. Avian’s eyes widened as he stared at the chaos unfolding all around him; the blood that splattered across the walls, the people who screamed for their lives as they ran to doors that would not open for them.
I reached over and took his orange juice and toasted to him. “What where you saying about scratching the surface? I may not be able to kill you just yet, but I will make you suffer a thousand deaths before I gut you like the pig you are.”
Rising, I pulled out my burner phone and dialed 911.
“Help please…Rsamas…” I held it up so they could hear the gunshots.
“Sir! Sir! Where are you?”
“The Blue…Gard—”
I cut the call and kicked the phone over to one of the nearby bodies. It dragged through the pool of blood that covered the floor and came to rest inches away from the corpse.
“This is sloppy, you own this restaurant. Do you really think you can fucking get away with this?!”
“Actually, I don’t own this restaurant. We figured you would come here under the belief that we wouldn’t want to draw any attention to our business. Wait…” I paused dramatically. “Now that you mention it, you’re right, it would seem odd that the Director made it out without a scratch.” I pulled out the gun from behind my back and aimed downwards as I shot him in the kneecap. He dropped to the ground and bit down on his tongue to keep in the scream.
Squatting, I looked down into his eyes. “Remember my fucking face. Remember as you sit with their rotting bodies, that you did this. You unleashed this and there is no going back. A man cannot live by two names. You shall suffer death by a thousand cuts. Consider these the first two.”
Pointing the gun to the same kneecap I fired once again.
“FUCK YOU!” he screamed as he gasped for air. “I will rain down hell on your motherfucking head, Callahan! If you think this means that you’ve bested me, then you’re bloody fucking mistaken!”
“Save your energy, Director, you’re going to have to give a speech soon. Rsamas has just claimed responsibility for this. You’re going to be on the four o’clock news…after they fix you up, of course,” I said as I stepped over him.
“Until next time,” Neal muttered to him behind his mask. We walked out of there, knowing that there was not a soul besides Avian who was going to make it out alive, and I knew he wouldn’t talk. Not now at least. Mel was sure he had something, some last fuck you to give us if we killed him out right. I was willing to take the risk. She and Declan could back-hack whatever it was, couldn't they? Apparently she wasn’t of the same mind. She was right though…our futures depended on whether or not he had another shoe to drop on our heads.
MELODY
She entered my car, took off her sunglasses, and placed them on her head. Crossing her legs, she shifted to look at me.
“What can I do for the almighty Melody Callahan now?” She tried to joke, but I knew she was uncomfortable.
“Do you think you’re better than me?” I asked her as I flipped through my phone.
“No—”
“Would you ever wish to replace me?”
“I don’t understand.”
“Answer the question, Mina,” I replied emotionlessly.
“Replace you? No. Why would I want to do that?”
“You have a two year-old girl, right?” I asked her.
She froze before she swallowed. “If I’ve offended you—”
“You’re wasting words.”
“Yes, I have a daughter. Her name is Sayuri.”
“Her father?”
She shifted. “He never wanted to be in either of our lives.”
“Good, because I want you to get close to Neal Callahan,” I told her as her mouth dropped open.
“Excuse me? Get close to?”
“Fuck him,” I said more clearly. “Declan has his wife. Liam has me, and Neal needs someone. He’s running on pure anger and adrenaline, but once that runs out, I don’t want him going outside the family for comfort.”
“I’m sorry, are you trying to pimp me out to Neal Callahan?”
“Pimp? Sure we can call it that, but that would make me doubt your intelligence because all you have to do is think of the prospects of being in this family…you’ll no longer be the help. You’ve done well for yourself, but at the end of the day, you are still the help. You’ve already seen us at our darkest and yet you’re still here. You know what we do, and best of all, you fear me. Which means that what happened to Neal’s last wife will not repeat itself.”
It was like watching a fish, the way her mouth opened and closed.
“I thought Avian killed her.”
“We lied. Neal killed her for betraying us. But you’re tough, aren’t you? You have a black belt in taekwondo and jiu jitsu.”
She didn’t speak as the wheels turned slowly in her head…too slow for my liking.
“Right now, this family is in chaos. My job is to make sure that everything is balanced and that our family skeletons stay in our closet. You are intelligent, beautiful, and a fighter. Neal will come to worship you. He’s the type of man that justifies his existence by those around him, and therefore tries his best to please. With a kid, and being the President’s right hand, we both know that men shy away from you. You intimidate them. You have no family other than your daughter, and you cling to both her and your job for dear life. I’m offering you a seat at the rou
“The public still doesn't know about Olivia,” she whispered as she brushed her hair back, and I could see her coming over to my side, she just needed a final push.
“Tonight, I will be releasing a list of undercover FBI agents. Olivia’s name will be one of them. She will have died in service to her country. It will not take any stretch of the imagination to understand how you and Neal had a friendship that blossomed into something more. In two or three years, you will be able to go public with your relationship.” I hated the fact that I was going to have to elevate Olivia to being a damn martyr, but again, I was more focused on the big picture. This way, the President would look good and remain on our side. I would just have to take satisfaction in knowing how she truly came to an end.
“What could Olivia have possibly been doing as an undercover FBI agent within one of America’s elite families?”
It was a good question.
“White collar criminals,” I answered. “Million dollar art scams and all that. It fits perfectly. It’s set up; all I need is your agreement.”
“I’m not Neal’s type.”
“Are you female?”
“Of course!”
“Then you're his type,” I replied, waiting.
She nodded. “Fine. Please just promise me that my daughter will be safe no matter what.”
“She’s now Ethan’s older cousin. I promise you that no harm will ever come to her. Now get out of my car.”
When she stepped out, Declan and the driver both stepped into their spots in the front.
“What was that about?” Declan shifted to look back at me.
I didn’t answer, I just kept checking the news reports on my phone, until I finally saw the breaking news that I was waiting for.
The Blue Garden Massacre.
“Liam and Neal are done with their lunch.” I told him.
THIRTY-ONE
“In a time of deceit, telling the truth is a revolutionary act.”
—George Orwell
MELODY
“Go to bed, love.”
Liam’s voice startled me. I jolted upright and drew my gun on him before he could come any closer.
He looked down at it, then at me. “Seriously?”
“Sorry,” I muttered. And as I pinched the bridge of my nose, I placed the gun down beside my mouse pad. I stretched, and all my bones cracked as if I had aged overnight.
Pulling a chair beside my desk, he sat beside me. “It’s 3:00 a.m., love, you need your rest, you can finish this later.”
“I want to finish it now,” I told him as I shifted in my seat again.
Glancing at Liam, I noticed that he was watching me intensely. I tried not to focus on the fact that he was wearing nothing but his pajama bottoms.
“What?”
He shook his head and kept on staring. “I’ve just been thinking a lot lately.”
“About our plan? Because it’s—”
“No. About you,” he stated as he leaned forward. His face was serious and he looked like he was trying to read to me.
“Okay…” I wasn’t sure where this was going. He usually gave me more to go on, but he seemed to be thinking it through as well.
“And how my father wanted me to marry you,” he added. “I keep thinking about how much I fought him on it. How much I didn’t want be with you. And yet, fast forward a few years and here I am, unable to imagine a world where you’re not in it. Knowing you was the best gift he ever gave me.”
I wasn’t sure what to say to him, I wasn’t good with words. Instead, I took his hands and kissed his knuckles.
“I’ll get us some coffee since you won’t come to bed.” He smiled as he rose from his chair.
I didn’t want him to think that I didn't care. Standing up, I followed behind him and wrapped my arms around his back as he entered the dark kitchen. As I kissed his spine, he tilted his head back.
“I love you,” I whispered.
Breaking out of my hands, he turned around and lifted me up.
“I know you do,” he muttered as he kissed my lips softly.
It would have been amazing had my bloody stomach not growled loudly.
He smiled into our kiss.
“Well, that’s not sexy,” I muttered.
“No, it’s cute. Come on,” he replied as he lowered me back onto my tip-toes and led me further into the kitchen.
He pulled out a frying pan and grabbed a few eggs out of the fridge.
“What are you doing?” I watched him as I leaned against the sink.
“Seeing that you’re the worst cook on the planet, I thought I’d make us a grilled egg and cheese,” he said matter-of-factly, as he grabbed the bread from the pantry.
“I can cook a grilled egg and cheese, Liam.” I crossed my arms glared at his back and he looked to me, amused.
“Really?”
I didn't like the surprise in his eyes. Stomping from the sink to the stove, I took the eggs and tried to crack them over the skillet. Sadly, the first one broke in my hand.
“Don’t you dare!” I snapped as he held back a snicker and handed me a paper towel. I cleaned off my hands.
“Try again,” he replied handing me another egg.
I didn't take it. “You should just do it—”
“Oh no you don’t, wife. You got yourself into this, and I’m not letting you out of it.” He stepped into my path.
“I could so take you.” I sized him up.
“And then you still wouldn't have your grilled egg and cheese.” He smiled as he held up the stupid egg. “Come on, I’ll help you.”
Rolling my eyes at him, I turned around as he came up behind me. He placed the egg in the clear bowl with the rest of them and handed me a knife. Without thinking, the very first thing I did was flip it around in my hand to size up the weight before adjusting my grip.
He grabbed my wrist. “Wife, you’re not using it as a weapon right now. We’re just going to use it to get some butter.”
He placed the butter in front of me.
“Why do I need a knife for that?” I asked him as I lifted the whole bar up with my fingers and dropped it into the pan.
“Mel!” He groaned and snickered at the same time as he placed his head against mine.
“What? You use the butter to grease the pan so the stuff won’t stick, right? So I put the butter in the pan!”
“Yes, a small piece of it, not the whole damn thing!” he muttered as we watched the butter melt in the searing hot pan.
“Well, now we have extra.” I hated cooking.
“Now, we’ll die of diabetes,” he said, and I could feel him shaking his head behind me.
Reaching up into cabinet, he grabbed a bowl and poured out some of the melted butter before lowering the heat.
“I like to grill the bread and the cheese first before doing the egg.” He instructed as he waited for me to grab the bread. Grabbing two slices I lowered them into the pan as he placed the cheese on top.
“How long do we wait?”
“Until it starts to get golden and the cheese melts over it. If it burns we’re screwed…we don’t have any bread left,” he replied.
I leaned over and watched it closely causing him to snicker once again. I just ignored him.
“Now take the egg and crack it over the bread,” he whispered behind me. He was so close that I could feel his hot breath on my neck.
Taking the egg, his hand carefully covered mine as he helped me to hit the egg on the side of the pan, and with one hand, we poured it over the cheese.
“Perfect.”
I shivered and didn’t answer. Who knew cooking could be so sexual? His hands went to my hips as he showed me how to flip over the bread and allow the eggs to cook over easy.
“Good.”
Damn him.
For some reason, neither of us spoke anymore. He helped me finish the sandwiches, and we grabbed two glasses of milk b
“My father once tried to teach me how to cook,” I confessed to him as I took a small bite out of my sandwich.
“But you didn’t let him?” He hissed as the egg burned his tongue.
“I told him to stop treating me like a girl. I thought he wanted me to learn so I wouldn't focus on guns. So while he tried to teach me, I kept juggling knives. God, I drove him crazy sometimes. Looking back on it, it probably wasn’t all that wise of a choice.” I laughed.
“I think it was. I like you depending on me no matter the reason. My mother actually taught me how to cook. She told me that women loved a man who could cook. I guess she was right.”
“I suppose it’s nice. Though I would prefer my man to have different skill sets.” I winked as I drank my milk.
“Your man? Someone has become possessive,” he replied as he took another bite.
“Damn straight.”
“Declan tells me you had a private conversation with Mina.” He changed the subject.
“Way to kill the mood.” I frowned.
“I’m your man, and I have to the skill set to bring the mood back anytime you’d like.” This time, he winked at me as he grabbed his drink.
“Well, excuse me, Casanova.” I grinned.
“Damn straight.”
“To answer your question, I asked Mina to get romantically involved with Neal,” I said, biting into my sandwich once more.
He froze mid-bite and looked to me. “What?”
“Now before you get pissed at me for not telling you what I was going to do, remember how you were yesterday morning. You had one thing on your mind; I want to get Avian as much as you do. But I also want to make sure that we’ll still be walking on stable ground when this is all over.”
“Mel—”
“Neal needs someone, Liam. Just think about it. You sometimes have sex with me to help yourself calm down and relax. I don’t mind. I enjoy the fact that taking me makes you feel better. But Neal doesn’t have anyone right now, and I would prefer that the next woman he brings into this family not be stupid enough to cross me.”