I was sore, both my shoulders and the lower half of me. And there wasn’t any real time to recover since we had to leave early before the sun was even up.
The Callahans had their own family international Dreamliner. However, instead, we would have two different jets flying, one to Boston and the other going to Washington. Melody and Liam were supposed to be on one jet, and we were supposed to be on the other. But seeing as how Ethan still didn’t trust them to do as he said, we were all flying to Boston and then from there blending in to take a flight into Florence.
It felt as though I was high.
My body was buzzing, my mind spinning. I hadn’t felt like this since Gigi was born. I knew what it was—completely unburdened happiness. Happiness that came from no longer having to pretend.
“You all really spoil her,” Melody said from her seat as we entered the jet, and Ethan moved to take Gigi to the bedroom at the back of the plane.
“Maybe,” I replied, taking my seat on the other side of the aisle. “I try not to, but I do, so does Ethan. I don’t want her to be a brat. However, after thinking about it, I realized that it was okay to spoil her bit. Being a Callahan would hammer out any other issues over time.”
“That’s the first I hear of that,” Liam said with an eye mask and blankets over him as if he’d just been dragged from the bed. “One would think all the wealth and power us Callahans have would exacerbate all our other issues, not make us better.”
“One would think, but I am not one,” I said, relaxing into my chair as well. “Yes, you all are drug dealers and murderers, but because you all wish to play the part of good citizens, you learn to hide your bad parts. In so doing, the children learn to behave. At
the same time, because of the constant struggles and battles this family goes through, children are also forced to grow up faster. So, it’s okay with me if Gigi is a little bit spoiled. She’s going to face much harder things than other children simply because her last name is Callahan. She’ll one day be trying to fix my and Ethan’s mistakes.”
“At least you admit you’ve made them,” Melody muttered, looking out the plane.
“I can. But can you?”
Her head turned, and her brown eyes narrowed at me.
“What?” I grinned. “Touchy subject? And here I thought we’d become closer, Mom.”
Her face almost cringed; meanwhile, Liam smiled, still with that stupid eye mask on. “Don’t take it personally; it’s taken her years to get close to me,” he said, only for Melody to kick his leg hard enough that he sat up.
“Joint pain, sorry,” she replied, not at all sorry as she brushed her hair off her face.
He ground his teeth together before taking off his eye mask. “Joint pain? Really?”
She nodded, looking back out the window.
“You two really are an entertaining pair.” I chuckled.
“It depends on your sense of entertainment, I guess,” Ethan replied as he stepped back into the main cabin of the jet, moving to take a seat opposite of me. Causally he looked over to his parents. “When this is all over, find a beach, or forest, or mountain, and be less entertaining there.”
“Is this the thanks we get for saving your ass?” Liam asked.
Ethan’s eyebrow raised. “Saving my ass? Me. Do I know these Orsinis? No. Did I kill Siena’s children? No. Am I responsible for any of the grudges held against this family? No. They were passed onto me like the plague. Yet, I am not complaining. I’m doing what I’m supposed to do. But I’m supposed to say thank you, the ones who shoved this onto my plate? In what world does that make sense?”
Liam’s face fell until he was fully frowning. Looking away from his son, he looked to me. “A tiny part of me wishes you had betrayed his ass so he would be humbled just a bit. The problem with smart people is sometimes humor and sarcasm manage to go over their massive heads. How? I’m not sure. But it is a miracle that you or anyone else don’t strangle him as he sleeps.”
“I’ve strangled him before. He likes that and a good slap sometimes.” I grinned, sipping on my water as his father’s face brightened.
“Is that so?” He turned his head like a demented doll back to his son.
Meanwhile, Ethan’s eyes narrowed on me dangerously. But I found it sexy in its own way. Yes, Ethan liked a little pain during sex every once in a while, so did I. We both enjoyed last night; and, once all this was over, we’d need to celebrate with a little more fun than that.
“New topic,” Melody’s harsh, motherly voice cut in, apparently not as amused as her husband at the news of her son’s kinks.
“I do not mind this topic,” Liam said, only to have her glare at him. “Fine, let’s be serious before we all go toward a hail of bullets.”
“I do not prefer a hail,” she replied before looking in my direction. “You said you knew a different way into the house.”
“Once we get into the air, I’ll share,” I said, leaning back into my chair cheerfully.
Ethan lifted his phone, dialing the pilots. “We’re ready.”