Ruthless People (29 page)

“And then we kill them?”

I grinned. “Then we will kill them. One by one, until all that’s left are bloodstains.”

As she relaxed into me, we watched the police officers who weren’t so lucky get burned
alive. I counted six running around like chickens with their heads cut off. However,
I wasn’t sure if there were any still inside the burning building.

“He’s going to try to pin this on us.” Mel smirked, drinking my brandy.

“I hope he does. Now I have a reason to go annoy Judge Randal.” What’s the point of
having a judge on the payroll if you never get to use him?

“And Senator Colemen,” she added and looked to me. “You know, I’ve never killed someone
in pajamas before.”

“Neither have I. May we always remember our first,” I replied, taking her lips with
mine. This was how it should have been from the start. She and I setting the world
on fire together.

TWENTY-ONE

“It is not easy to find happiness in ourselves,
and it is not possible to find it elsewhere.”

~ Agnes Repplier

CORALINE

Day 3

“I can’t do this!” I choked out before puking into the bowl once again.

“Cora, you’re doing well, and I’m not going to be the one to tell the Boss you gave
up after only three days,” Adriana said, holding my hair back.

Pushing her away, I backed up against the tub. “My skin is so beaten up, it changed
colors. I can barely stand. I can’t do this. I can’t. I’m in so much pain all the
time, Adriana. Please, let me give up.”

Adriana sighed, kneeling in front me. She took my hands and pulled me to my feet.

“You are stronger than you think, Cora. In three days, you have come so far. Yes,
I know you are in pain. But you aren’t the same Cora. So suck it up, get dressed,
and go to dinner so we can get to work tonight,” she demanded, handing me an outfit
to wear.

Grabbing the clothes, I glared at her. “I hate you.”

“No, you don’t.” She smirked, before leaving.

It hurt like a bitch getting into those clothes. My arms felt like they were being
burned off. If I hadn’t just thrown up everything in my stomach then I would have
just gone to bed, but I was so damn hungry. Washing out my mouth, I rinsed before
heading down the stairs slowly.

“Coraline?” I jumped at her voice.

Not Olivia.

“Yes, Olivia?” I turned to her when we reached the dining hall.

She looked me up and down but didn’t say anything. Stepping into the dining room,
both Evelyn and Sedric stopped speaking and just stared at me.

How did Mel handle all the staring?
Whenever people stared at her, she simply walked prouder.

Taking a deep breath, I walked slowly to my seat. Placing the napkin in my lap, I
grabbed some food and pretended they weren’t there.

“Okay, Coraline, enough. What is happening to you? Are you all right? I’m worried,”
Evelyn asked, causing me to jump.

“Nothing, I’m fine,” I replied, filling my plate.

“The way you wince when you breathe means you, at the very least, have a bruised rib.
Not to mention the busted lip you’re hiding under makeup. But those are only the wounds
we can see. I’m willing to bet Declan’s life on it, so tell me the truth, Coraline,”
Sedric demanded as he cut into his lamb.

“I’m taking a self-defense class,” I answered, waiting for them to flip out. However,
only Olivia seemed shocked.

“Why in God’s name are you taking a self-defense class?” It seemed like a stupid question.

“Because I would like to defend myself?”

“This is about Melody isn’t it?” she snapped. “She is killing this family and tearing
us apart from the inside out.”

It’s not like we were perfect before.

“What would Declan think Coraline? What if you were to get hurt? You have no idea
what you’re doing. You aren’t some—”

“Shut up!” I yelled, standing up angrily. “What I want to do with my life and my body
is none of your damn business. The only person’s opinion that matters is Declan’s.
We get it, you’re bitter that Mel stole your thunder and that the magazines no longer
give a shit about you. But it doesn’t mean you have to take it out on me. Go look
up baby names or something, and leave me the hell alone.”

When I was done, I blinked a few times, unsure of where that came from. Taking a seat
again, I kept my head down and finished eating.

“Sorry for cursing, Evelyn.”

“Not at all. It seems like you have been holding that in for a while.” She laughed
when I looked up.

Sedric frowned. “Who is giving you these lessons? Are they trustworthy?”

“Adriana, Mel’s—”

“The slave girl who follows Melody around like a lost dog?” Olivia snorted, drinking
her wine.

“Olivia, that is enough,” Sedric snapped, and she stood up straight immediately. “Coraline,
when do you train again?”

“Tomorrow at five,” I answered, smiling at Olivia.

“Very well, I shall see you both then.”

Shit.

Day 5

“Do it,” I told Adriana as I sat in front of the mirror.

“Are you sure Cora?” Evelyn asked, looking at my hair.

“It is just hair. It will grow back, right? Adriana almost ripped my ponytail out
during our fight yesterday,” I said. After everything, Evelyn and Sedric were both
watching as if it were some damn sport. Sedric didn’t really speak. However, he would
frown every time my body collided with the floor.

Adriana demanded I learn how to use my size to an advantage, so everything I learned
had been quick jabs and kicks. She made me jump up and down for an hour straight before
having me kick her hands. But I could barely even stand up, let alone kick. When I
puked, she gave me water, some bread, and a six-minute break before putting me to
work again.

“Here I go,” Adriana said, and I closed my eyes. All I heard were the scissors snipping
away at my hair.

“Evelyn, your nephew will still love me if I’m bald right?” I joked.

“Um—”

“Evelyn!” My eyes flew open, and I stared at my reflection. I looked so different.
Not bad different, just different.

Evelyn gasped. “Adriana, you must cut my hair from now on.” She messed with some of
the edges of my hair until she met my eyes in the mirror. “You look beautiful, and
Declan, will fall in love with you all over again.”

God, I hoped so.

“Now you, Adriana.” I smiled, standing up as I pulled her down.

“Cor . . .”

“Nope, we’re doing this, and if you don’t, I will cut your hair while you sleep,”
I threatened, causing her to roll her eyes.

“I don’t sleep,” she joked.

“Why doesn’t that shock me?” I smiled, grabbing the flat iron.

“I think we may have some contacts. Let me see if there are any for your prescription,”
Evelyn said quickly, walking out of the room.

“Sexy Adriana is under here somewhere.” I grinned. “This is going to be like one of
those teen movies.”

Day 7

I pressed my dress down for what had to be the ninth time since we stepped out of
the car. I felt like I was going to jump out of my skin. I was so excited to see him.
However, the first person to step out of the jet was one of the men I didn’t recognize,
followed by Mel. She looked me over as she made her way toward me.

However, I couldn’t pay attention because there was my Declan. His eyebrows squished
together as he looked at my hair.

“Do you like it?” I asked him as I brushed the back down a little.

He reached over and played with a little before looking back to me. “I’m kind of shocked,
but you look cute.”

Cute, not beautiful, but I would take that for now. It was better than nothing.

TWENTY-TWO

“It is surely easier to confess a murder over a cup of coffee
than in front of a jury.”

~ Friedrich Dürrenmatt

LIAM

“That’s right, you little shit, come closer,” she said as she eyed the deer standing
a few dozen feet away.

“Relax your arm and breathe,” I told her, resting my head right beside hers.

“My arm is relaxed, and you’re doing enough breathing for the both of us,” she replied
like the smartass she was.

Backing away from her, I rolled my eyes. “Well then, go ahead, kill Bambi.”

She released the arrow and just like I figured, it went right past the deer’s head,
causing it to run away in fear. She watched it disappear into the forest in silent
rage before turning back to me. Handing me the bow and arrows, she pulled out a gun,
and I tried not to laugh.

“I could kill it so much better with this!” she yelled, and it was cute, especially
since I knew I wasn’t the source of her rage.

“That’s not the point.” I lifted the bow to the sky, pulling it back and releasing
the arrow. It went straight through a bird’s heart. Mel simply rolled her eyes, pointing
to the sky and shot three times.

“Three birds for me, one for you. What’s the point again?” She smiled, looking down
at the . . . fuck.

“We just killed Mockingbirds.” I frowned, kneeling down to stare at the four birds
now half-blown to pieces on the ground.

“Please, tell me you’re joking.”

Smiling at her once more, I stood and released another arrow into the tree, watching
another one of the beautiful birds fall to its death.

“Show off.”

“I found the one weapon my wife can’t use.” I grinned as she glared at me. “I think
I’ll show it off as much as possible.”

“I’m a people hunter! Who hunts people with arrows?” she snapped, and I opened my
mouth to speak but she glared.

“If you say the Green Arrow I will shoot you in the other thigh,” she added, and all
I could do was smirk at her.

“All people are animals, love. They freeze when they are afraid. They cry out in pain
as they die. A hunter is a hunter, and if you can kill a deer, you can kill a person.
It’s that simple,” I replied. “Plus, I wasn’t going to say the Green Arrow, maybe
Hawkeye or Katniss Everdeen, but definitely not the Green Arrow.”

Her eyes became wide, and she turned away from me, heading back to camp. It wasn’t
hard catching up to her.

“You are such a child,” she said, but I could see the smallest grin on her lips.

“Yeah, yeah,” I said, taking her hand and pulling her to me. She looked at her hands
and then to me. I knew she was somewhat uncomfortable, but she didn’t pull away.

“What? Aren’t you going to ask me to go steady first?”

“Maybe if we were in the nineteen fifties.”

“Have you ever been on a date?” I asked her, causing us to stop.

“I don’t date, and you better not try any of that romantic shit on me either,” she
said.

“Girls like romantic shit.” I smiled. She always made me smile, and I wasn’t sure
if I could bring myself to hide it from her or the world.

“I’m not ‘girls.’ I’m Melody.”

“We can compromise,” I said, leaning against one of the tress.

She crossed her arms and stood straighter. “Or I could shoot you.”

“Violence is not the answer, love. Well violence against me isn’t the answer,” I replied,
thinking quickly. “We can have private dates. You and I in our bedroom, where only
I can see you being kind.”

Before she could speak, I pulled her toward me and pressed her up against the tree,
kissing her ruthlessly, only to break away.

“On special occasions, we can kill the cops or anyone else who gets in our way in
our pajamas again. We can watch as they bleed out and burn, drink wine and have each
other over and over again. After all, we are both people hunters,” I whispered into
the distance between our lips.

She kissed me, pressing her whole body against mine and broke away with a grin. “You
sure know how to charm a woman.”

Her words made me so hard I lifted her up and pinned her against the bark.
God, I loved my wife.

“Sir, ma’am,” a voice called out from behind us, and right then and there, I wanted
to snap his neck. The darkness in Mel’s eyes told me she wanted him dead as well.

Breaking away from me, she turned to Fedel who stood with his back turned. “
What
!”

He didn’t turnaround. “The jet has been fueled and will be ready to depart. Neither
of your phones were working, but your father, sir, has tried to reach you. The police
commissioner is giving a statement to the press about the fire in an hour. They also
came by the house this morning.”

That bitch came to my motherfucking house again? He was just asking to fucking die!

“Are the men ready?” Mel asked, adjusting her clothing, but she didn’t need to—she
always looked the same—beautiful, deadly, and fuckable.