Page 36 of Unleash Hades (Ungoverned Spaces #5)

Calissandra

Unknown

H e put a bag over my head. He tied me by the wrists and ankles and took me in a car to God knows where. The car turned and wove. I couldn’t tell what was up and down. I had no clue what direction we were going. I couldn't think, because he kept his phone on speaker.

I could hear my boys breathing, and talking on the other end.

“I love you, Mummy. I love you Rem,” Romulus said, his nose sniffling. “I love you so much.”

I took a deep breath, and whispered, “I love you, boys.”

Richard sniffed, probably disliking anything that showed affection. Or maybe he had a heart that still beat. It would and should beat for his children, no?

“Pathetic,” he finally said. It answered my question.

His own sons - his own flesh and blood! He was a calloused fucker.

I shut my mouth. Everything was unimportant except for that. I loved my boys.

“I’m sorry Mummy,” Romulus said, and I could tell he was crying. “I went with him willingly because… because…”

“Because he’s your father,” I finished for him.

“Rem told me not to. But I did. I’m so, so, so sorry!”

“It’s not your fault,” I tried to say in an even voice, but it was a losing battle. “You did nothing wrong.”

“Pathetic!” Richard said, stronger this time, as if his disgust for his own sons was what caused this mayhem. But I knew better.

I stopped speaking, and so did the boys.

I knew they would, because I knew them .

He didn’t. Maybe all those years of connecting to the boys would pay off.

Maybe my connection to Adelia, and to her children, would somehow help us through this.

Maybe… maybe their mother was looking down on us now, and I hoped that she understood me.

That she knew I had done my best. Because I had.

For all my faults, and all my weaknesses, I knew that loving those boys was not one of them.

The car stopped. He cut the engine, and I stayed silent.

He got out of the driver’s seat, and came around, opening my door, then dragged me out by the arm. I blindly tried to stay upright, as I stumbled on unsure footing.

My feet were on pebbles, then stairs that I almost tripped over. Then I was in a building.

The hood came off. I was in a darkened hall, somewhere. Maybe it was some kind of barn, I wasn’t quite sure, as I blinked, my eyes adjusted to the low lighting.

Romulus was fighting tears, as a stony faced Remus looked at his father. They were on their knees, their hands bound in front of them.

A door closed in the distance. Footsteps retreated.

“Alone, at last,” Richard said. “One big happy family.”

I looked, and he had a gun in his hand. I was surprised. Not that he would be willing to kill, but that he would do it himself. In my mind, he was the man behind the killer. The dollars, not the trigger.

Remus set his jaw, his eyes darting back and forth as if he was still looking for a way to escape. He still thought there was hope.

Pandora’s most damning gift.

“Let me stand,” Remus finally said.

Richard tilted his head, looking at his stoic son. The one that resembled him in almost every way.

“If you’re going to kill me, father,” he said, planting one foot up, then rising from his bended knee until he was eye to eye with the man who made him. “I’d rather stand.”

Richard smirked, pointing the gun at him. I screamed, “Richard! No! Kill me, but leave the boys! Leave them alone!”

“You fool.” Richard’s smile confused me, but I didn’t have time to think. “What does it matter how a man falls down?”

“When the fall is all there is,” Remus said, his eyes narrowing. “Then it matters a great deal.”

Then it hit me. That was his move. He was paraphrasing a Lion in Winter. Paraphrasing the character named Richard… Richard the Lionheart. In a way, he was quoting his own father.

Richard lifted the pistol, and pointed it at the ceiling, laying his finger out, and resting it outside of the trigger well. I whimpered, feeling the blubber coming from my chest.

“I’m not totally heartless,” Richard chuckled, and the sound of it sent those unpleasant shivers up my spine. “Let’s leave it up to your mother, shall we?”

He pointed the gun back down, right at Romulus.

“Don’t touch him!” I screamed at the top of my lungs as Richard stepped between our boys, placing the gun against Romulus’ temple.

“Choose one, Calissandra,” he sneered. “Who’s your favorite, huh?”

He turned the gun to Remus, then back to Romulus.

“The sensitive one? Or the cold one?” Richard’s voice was like thunder that promised doom. “I can guess.”

He turned it back to Remus, and smiled.

“No!” I screamed, as Romulus let out one sad tear. “No! Don’t touch them! Don’t hurt them!”

I fell to my knees, all my pride gone. I’m not above begging.

I would do anything to save my boys. I’d do anything…

“Please, Richard,” I swallowed, trying to gentle my tone. “Please, you know I’ll do anything… I’ll…”

The small lift of his chin, I melted into a puddle of helplessness. He had all the cards. He had me in a checkmate. I was weak. I was pathetic. I would never win. He would always be there to walk over my grave.

I waited, feeling the sword of Damocles over my head, ready to cut me down. What cruelty would he bring down on me? What would I lose this time?

On our wedding day, I lost my sister. Then my father. Then friend. Now, I might lose my boys. All because I had the misfortune of falling for the charms of Richard Davenport. The fucking Devil himself.

“Sign your voting shares of Laurent Media to me,” he said, turning the gun on me. I felt the heat of its aim at the center of my forehead. The place where the bullet would pierce if he squeezed the trigger under his index finger.

I had allowed the sin of hope to crawl over my chest and think that I could defy him. That I could win. That I could get me and the boys out unharmed. But no one could get away from the Devil without sacrifice.

“I’ll do it,” I said, my hands still up in surrender. “Let them go, and I will call the lawyers.”

“Call the lawyers now, and then I will let them go.”

I needed more. I’d do anything. I’d give anything.

“Let them go now,” I bargained, “And I will call Chloe and have her sign the shares over to you.”

Remus’ eyes grew stormy dark, as he looked at me like it was a betrayal. Like I was committing some great sin. But my boy didn’t know how much I would do for them. What I would give up to keep my boys alive.

I’d give up everything. Even myself.

Richard smirked. He truly was evil.

“Well that we can work with,” he said, as he lifted the gun so it pointed harmlessly into the air.

“Mama, no!” Remus hissed.

“Sign them over, and then I will consider letting one of them go,” Richard said again.

“I’ll call Chloe, then…” I wasn’t even going to bargain for myself. What would the point be? “Let Romulus go.” I chose Rom not because I loved him more, but I knew Remus could stay cool for longer. “When you get confirmation that her shares are with you, let Remus go, and I’ll give you the rest.”

If you can fight, you can win.

I was fighting from moment to moment. I’d win, second by hard earned second.

Richard pulled that insipid black phone from his pocket, swiped it on, and flipped it towards me, holding it between his thumb and large index finger.

I took it in my shaking hands.

“If you call someone else… if you call that Frenchman …” His self-important, and selfish voice made prickles rise over my bare arms. Was there a cold draft that followed Richard around?

Or was that just the stench of Hell on him?

“I will kill you. And the boys.” Then he smirked, as if he had a secret to keep.

As if he had one more thing on me that I didn’t know about.

“I’ll take Chloe on the floor and make her bleed the same way I made you. Do you understand, darling ?”

He let his voice fade away in a sound of chuckles.

But I said nothing. I did nothing. Because I was good at silence.

The boys stared at their father, and so did I. Like staring at a snake, ready to bite.

“Put it on speaker,” Richard added for good measure, his distrust of me clear.

And probably quite valid at this point, if I’m honest.

I dialed. And Chloe answered.

“ Oui ?” she asked, hesitating. “Yes?”

“Chloe, I need you to sign your shares of Laurent Media to Richard Davenport. Transfer immediately.”

There was silence on the other end. Silence that I couldn’t interpret.

“Why?” she asked.

“Please, just do it.” Then I added for emphasis, “For me. For the boys… for…”

I couldn’t go on. I couldn’t beg more. I had so little left to bargain with and now, I was giving it all away. I was asking my sister, the one I promised to protect, to give up her legacy. To give up her son’s legacy as well.

God, what was I thinking?

“There was a bouquet of sunflowers sent to my room when I graduated from medical school,” she said in a rush. “There was a gold ribbon, and the picture of the helpful caterpillar on the wrapping paper…”

Yes. I had sent them through a proxy because I hated the idea of not being there for her great achievement. But for fuck’s sake. What was she going on about?