Vicious Minds: Part 3 (Children of Vice 6)

Siena had told me over and over that nice people finished last. Nice was a weakness. She was thousands of miles away, most likely about to die. I trusted Ethan, and his crazy parents would be able to do it. I trusted other people that was also a mistake. Only trust yourself, Siena had told me.

I didn’t listen.

And as I walked back to Gigi’s room and saw the blood in the hallway, I felt Siena’s grip on me again. I should have run, but everything slowed down. I was scared to go into the room. Tears were already in my eyes. My heart was starting to burn.

“Gigi?” I called out softly.

But there was no answer.

The door was open. It was silent inside. She should have heard me.

Stepping inside, I saw my daughter on the floor, her dogs shot, and blood covered her. Evelyn was on the ground beside her!

“Gigi!” I screamed, finally able to run to her, falling to the ground to pull her into my arms.

“Mommy…” she grumbled, wincing in pain.

“Oh, thank God!” I said, pushing her hair off her face, seeing the blood that was on her temple. “It’s okay, sweetheart. It’s okay.”

Someone had hit her hard. Quickly, I moved to check the rest of her, but I didn’t get far. The black device around her neck meant there was no further to look. I stared at the timer on it, praying it wasn’t what I thought it was but knowing exactly what it was.

Ring.

Ring.

The cellphone was in her little hands.

“I will find and kill you for this,” I said.

“Or, we will finish the mission you were trained to do.”

I knew that voice. My eyes widened, and my stomach turned because I fucking knew that voice. “Kill the Callahans, Calliope, or your daughter’s head goes off. You have until sunrise.”

I looked at my daughter and then Evelyn. How could he have gotten this close? Despite the fact that the house was on lockdown? How?

“Roman.” My stepfather and my fucking useless older brother who abandoned everything! How? How could it have been him?

“I think you all called me Mr. One…good name. I heard you killed your father. Then you came for my mother. After you came for my wife and daughters? Did you think I was just going to keep being a pacifist? Let’s finish the Orsini dream! Tick, Tock, little sis!”

“Fuck you!” I screamed, throwing the phone against the wall. Grabbing my own quickly and dialing Ethan. Only one person I knew could take off this bomb, and he was about to kill him. It was Luca’s bomb!

But he didn’t answer!

“Fuck!” Fuck! I cried, lifting Gigi up onto the bed.

Who else? Who else?

There was no one fucking else! Holding her, I couldn’t think. I really couldn’t think.

Kill them.

Save her and kill them.

It was the only thought in my mind. Slowly I took out my gun and dialed.

“Calliope, this isn’t a good time,” Wyatt said.

“I don’t give fuck, get here now! Now!”