The Untouchables (27 page)

Biting my lip, I nodded as he led me to the front desk.

“Is there anyway we can get a pregnancy test done now?” He winked at the woman who could only smile and nod.

“If I am, Evelyn is going to have a heart attack if we tell her now.” I could just see her face; not able to process the information we were telling her before she jumped me.

“Then we’ll tell her later and make it our little secret for now.” He grinned, kissing my cheek.

OLIVIA

It’s not fair. I was always the one being shit on. I was always the one watching as everyone else moved forward while I was pulled back. Mel was a evil bitch! She broke every law; every commandment under God, yet still, her life was perfect. Her life was just the way she wanted it to be.

“You suck, you know!” I yelled up at the sky. “I’m not sure what you do all day, but it isn’t working! Life is shit and you know it.”

“Are you yelling at me or God?” Neal called out behind me.

“Go away, Neal!” He disgusted me.

He touched my shoulder softly and I was tempted to lean into him. “Olivia…”

“Were you or were you not going to kill my father tonight?” I turned to stare into his eyes, but he couldn’t meet my gaze. “I can’t believe you.”

“Olivia…” he tried pulling me to him

“NO!” I snapped, pulling out of his arms. “Ever since that woman has come into our lives, shit has gone to hell! What happen to the rules? We killed
for
family, we die
for
family? Yet nobody is safe! God forbid you even blink in their direction. Family used to be important to you and everyone else. But now, fuck it. It’s every person for themselves, and you don’t even have my back. No one has my back but me. So fuck you, fuck Melody Giovanni, and fuck everything you pretend to stand for.”

I tried to leave, but he grabbed onto my arms, shoving me against the door and leading back into the hospital.

“Let go of me!” I pushed. “Neal—”

“No! You’ve spoken, now it’s my turn!” he yelled, grabbing my hands. “First of all, I’ve had your back. I’ve had your back the moment you came into my life. I’ve had your back even after you couldn’t trust me with your secret. Even after the family told me
not
to marry you. I’ve
always
had your back because for some stupid reason I love you. I wasn’t going to kill your father tonight.”

“What?”

He frowned. “I sat on top of that roof, my rifle pointed at the First Lady. I spoke to your father, he was supposed to push her out of the way and take a bullet to the arm. I’m always on your side. So fuck you for not trusting me
again
.”

Letting go of me, he reached for the door handle at my side.

“Move, Olivia.”

“No,” I whispered, as I jumped up into his arms, trying to kiss him. “I’m sorry.”

DECLAN

“What’s taking so long?” Coraline sighed, kicking her legs back and forth on the edge of the bed.

The nurse had left with her blood samples over two hours ago. If I knew it took this long to take a pregnancy test, I’m sure Coraline would’ve rather we waited and done this in the comfortable privacy of our own home.

“Baby, I’m sure they are going as fast as they can.” I tried to hide my skepticism. She was excited. She was trying so hard not to be, but she couldn’t help it. Her whole body was shaking and in return, so was mine.

We had come so far in the last year and a half. We hadn’t fixed everything, and we still went to therapy, but we were happy. I kept trying to imagine us both as parents. What would I teach him or her? Who would they look like? I was hoping that our girls would look like her; had her smile.

“Stop looking at me like that.” She laughed, kicking her feet at me.

“This is how I always look at you,” I replied, grabbing hold of her legs and kissing her thighs. “And I was thinking of names for our son, Brendan.”

“Brendan Callahan? It sounds so boring and simple.”

“Well excuse me, what names do you have in mind?”

“Our first kid is going to be girl.” She laughed.

“Sorry, baby. Callahan swimmers seem to only produce males.”

Before she could respond, the door opened. I stood up as the doctor walked in.

“Please don’t make us wait another second. We’re both going crazy here.” She smiled up at him, taking my hand.

However something felt odd. The doctor before us didn’t smile, he looked as though he was in pain. Like he didn’t want to break our hearts. When he frowned, I felt her try to pull her hand away.

“We’re not pregnant,” she said slowly, trying not cry. “I’m sorry we wasted your time, we were just excited. I think we should just go.”

“Mrs. Callahan, can you answer some questions for me?” he said to us. We both froze, staring at one another before looking back at him.

“Why? We aren’t pregnant, right?” I asked.

He shook his head. “No, I’m sorry, you’re not pregnant. But we did find something else in our tests that raised some questions.”

“What?”

“We found that you have abnormally high levels of CA 125. From there, we ran a few other tests…” He paused, and took a deep breath as if readying himself.

“The high levels of this protein suggest that there is a form of antigen that exists. It has symptoms that led you to falsely believe you were pregnant. There is a high chance that the antigen is attacking parts of your reproductive system. You explained earlier to the nurse that you have been feeling tired, experiencing abdominal pains as well lower back pains, these symptoms can be a sign of stress, other physical activities, or—”

“Just spit it out already,” I snapped; he was going to make her panic.

He seemed to pause to collect his breath, as if reading himself for another long-winded speech. “I’m so sorry, Mrs. Callahan, but such levels of CA 125 leads us to believe that there is a possibility that you may have a cancerous growth in your body. There are other reasons for such high levels of CA 125, but seeing as you are young and not premenopausal, it’s my professional opinion that these markers are evidence of ovarian cancer. There are other tests—” The moment he uttered his damning opinion, she stumbled back as if he had slapped her across the face. She grabbed hold of the bed, trying to catch her breath.

“Mrs. Callahan, there are procedures and tests…”

“GET OUT!” I roared at him, causing him to stumble. He was the cause of her upset, her unhappiness. All rational thought left me as he stumbled feebly to the door. I didn’t care that he had the unfortunate job of delivering such news to us, it didn’t matter that it
was
his job to do so, all I saw was him talking and as a result, my wife, my purpose for living, seemingly being ripped in two right before my very eyes. He was right to leave. I was feeling the irrational urge to make Coraline smile, as she was ten minutes ago, through any means necessary.

One of those means may have included carving his face from his body.

I stepped towards my wife, holding her tightly and hoping for some way to carry all of this burden. I didn’t care that marriage was supposed to be a fifty-fifty deal, when it came to anything that hurt my wife, I’d carry all of the burden without a thought.

“Coraline. Coraline, baby, breathe.” I held onto her, but she just kept sobbing, until her knees went out and we were both on the floor.

“I’m so sorry,” she cried into my shirt.

Biting on my lips, I fought my own tears; she didn’t need that from me, not now.

“You’ve got nothing to be sorry for, baby. We’re going to fight this,” I whispered, kissing her head. “We’re going to fight this and win.”

She only cried harder, and I lost the battle against my tears as they started to stream down my face.

Fifteen minutes ago, we were thinking about baby names, laughing, happy, dying to hear two little words:
you’re pregnant
. Now I was trying my best not to think about funerals, or about losing her, my reason for living.

Staring up at the flickering lights, I found myself speaking to God, truly speaking to him for the first time in what felt like forever.

If you think you can take her away from me without a fight, you’re fucking mistaken. She will not die from this; I won’t let her.

TWENTY-FOUR

“Life, although it may only be an accumulation of anguish, is dear to me, and I will defend it.”

—Mary Shelley

LIAM

“This is breaking and unprecedented news. Only hours after Senator Colemen’s all-white charity ball and Melody Callahan’s hospitalization, First Lady Julie Monroe was arrested and charged with treason and the murder of her husband, President Monroe. Thus, making her the first woman to ever have a hand in the assassination of a U.S. President. The FBI claims they were given an anonymous tip with undoubtable proof of her involvement. First Lady Julie Monroe only days ago vowed to run in her husband’s place for this year’s coming election. This is all very confusing and honestly unfathomable. But stay tuned. We hope to keep you updated on…”

“Are you eating my Jell-O?” Mel whispered, trying to open her eyes.

Staring at the cup in my hands, I frowned. “I thought you hated Jell-O.”

“You thought wrong, now hand it over.” She reached forward, taking the cup from my hands and eating a spoonful.

“How are you feeling?” I asked.

“Like I’ve been in bed too long…and hungry,” she muttered, scarfing down the little that was left in the small cup.

“Sixteen hours of sleep will do that to you.” Reaching over to her bedside, I grabbed the second cup I had conned the nurse out of from her tray. She watched my hand before taking my Jell-O once again. “Sixteen hours? Why in the hell would you let me sleep that long?”

“You haven’t had a good sleep in days. Besides, there was nothing for you to do anyway.” If I had woken her, she would have killed me.

She stopped mid-bite, glaring at me. “In our line of work there is always something to do. So the real question is, what have you been doing?”

All I could do was roll my eyes at her and turn up the volume of the television.

“People all over the world are still reeling over the arrest of First Lady Julie Monroe. It was only hours ago that the FBI announced that the First Lady was arrested in connection with President Monroe’s murder. From what we’ve been told, it took only one anonymous tip to unravel this national tragedy…”

“You tipped them off?” she asked.

“No, I tipped off your mole. He deserves a raise, don’t you think? Catching the President’s killer is a huge step up,” I replied, dialing Declan for what had to be the ninth time.

“That’s all you did today?” She sighed, staring at the now empty Jell-O cup.

“Really?” I smirked, shaking my head. “You’re not killing my high today, wife. I’m having a son and about to get the White House.”

She laughed, as she rubbed her stomach fondly. “First, I’m sorry, it’s the hunger speaking. Second, we’re having a son.”

Sitting next to her, I kissed her forehead, taking her hands into mine.

“We’re having a son,” I whispered down to her.

“Are you nervous?” she whispered back.

“I think I will be at some point. But like I said, I’m numb with happiness. Are you nervous?”

“Yeah.” Leaning back against the pillow, she took a deep breath.

“You’re going to be a great mother. So, what do you want to eat?” I asked, dialing Adriana.

She grinned widely. “French Onion Soup with stuffed Artichokes on the side and a large chocolate milkshake?”

“Is that all?”

She smacked my arm.

“Sir?” Adriana said on the other line.

“I want a bowl of French Onion Soup with stuffed Artichokes and a chocolate milkshake—”

“Large,” Mel stated, biting her spoon.

“A large chocolate milkshake.”

“I’ll have it brought over in half an hour,” she replied.

“Hurry, before she bites off my arm for a snack,” I said quickly before hanging up. She reached over to smack me again, but I grabbed her hand and kissed the inside of her wrist instead.

“Don’t look at me like that,” she snapped.

“Like what?”

“Like…” She was interrupted by the second phone in my pocket. “Isn’t that my phone?”

“It is,” I told her, answering, “Callahan.”

“Sir? This is Officer Beau Brooks and I believe we may have a problem.”

Rising to my feet, I placed the phone on speaker. “You believe we have a problem or you know we have a problem?”

The smile on Mel’s face dropped as she glared at the phone in my hands.

“Sir, there is a maid here who says she overheard the conversation with the First Lady and Aviela when she returned to your home to get her belongings after being terminated. She also claims she’s seen a lot more within the Callahan household. But that’s all she says, she isn’t speaking in detail until immigration gives her a visa. The FBI is trying to make this a double whammy and pull charges up on you also. She’s under twenty-four hour protection”

“Shit. Fucking Olivia,” Mel hissed. “Brooks, hold on and make sure she can’t talk until we call you back.”

“How does this involve Olivia?” I asked her when he was gone.

Shaking her head, she took a deep breath. “She fired all the illegals working for us for the charity shit. Whoever this woman is, she’s probably sharpening her axe for us, wanting revenge for what your idiot brother’s dumb bitch of a wife did. Damn it. This is the last motherfucking time we leave Olivia or him in charge of anything!”

“Love, relax. The baby.”

She froze, placing her hand over her belly before turning to me. “We have to move quickly.”

“Beau can’t kill her,” I thought aloud. “There is just too much focused in and around her right now since she knows enough about us to use it as a bargaining chip. Shouldn’t she be more afraid?”

“I don’t think the maids were that bright to begin with.” She sighed, trying her best to keep calm, but she was raging. I could see it.

“Even an idiot knows when to be afraid.”

Fear was human nature. People instinctively knew when to stay away. It’s what kept the human race alive.