Vicious Minds (Children of Vice 4)

“You seem to know a lot about things you shouldn’t know about. Who should I thank for that?” Translation: the only possible way I could have this conversation is if there was a mole.

“I hope that is a rhetorical question. If not, why in the world would I kill an ally of mine?” I frowned, trying to think. “That’s just stupid. This whole point of this conversation is to tell you I am not stupid.”

“I thought this whole conversation was you telling me you want my attention—”

“Actually, I want you to marry me, but we can take it slow if you prefer.” I shrugged. It’s not like I had issues with time.

His nostrils flared. “I do not see that reason and I like you less than I did a day go.”

“Look again. Maybe it will come to you.”

“I do not like desperate women.”

My eyes narrowed, and he offered me a small smile as if he was pleased with his little dig which was why he kept trying to hurt me.

“Do you know how many women want to be my wife? How many people trip over themselves to stand beside me? Do you think just because I’m listening to you that I give a shit about you? Do you think it’s because I fucked you or was it because we met once as children? How pitiful must you be to plan all of this for nothing? How much of a nothing are you in your own world that you come desperately seeking my attention…only to be nothing here too?”

His green eyes raged with disgust and amusement. I said nothing and rose from the couch, grabbing the keys off the table and handing them to him.

“I took care of the bodies already. I made breakfast for myself but there is some left over, and with that I say goodbye, Mr. Callahan. If you’d like to kill me, please do it personally and stop unnecessarily endangering the lives of your employees. Loyal people aren’t easy to find.”

I picked up my heels and he was silent.

BANG!

I paused, staring at the bullet hole in the wall in front of me.

“Were you not taught manners?” he asked from behind me. “You’ve cost me a lot of money and time. And I believe it’s quite rude of you to leave without cleaning up the mess you made. If you can’t pay me back, a limb will do.”

I turned back, meeting his gaze before extending my hand to him. “If you want a limb come and take it, motherfucker.”

He rose to his feet, annoyance clear on his face as he placed the gun at the side of my skull. “You obviously do not understand who the fuck I am…ugh.”

His face bunched up as he fought back a cough, the gun dropped from his hand.

“No, Ethan,” I whispered coldly as he took step back holding his breath. I took off my ring and lifted the lock, dumping powder into the pitcher of water. “It’s you who doesn’t understand, so let me re-introduce myself. I am Calliope Seraphina Orsini, your future wife. Be sure to drink this whole thing. I’ll see myself out. We’ll talk tomorrow, I already added my number to your phone.”

Taming a Callahan man was so much fucking work.

Chapter 4

“It's dangerous to meet a woman who fully understands you.

It usually ends with marriage.”

* * *

~Oscar Wilde

ETHAN - AGE 23

Bogotá, Colombia

Sunday, June 31st

Kill her.

The next time I saw her, I was going to fucking rip her crazy head from her crazy shoulders. The fucking poison she had used on me still had me feeling fucking weak. The fucking bitch poisoned me.