Page 75 of The Heir
"Could it be Marie?"
"I guess we'll find out." He heaves a sigh and reaches into his jacket pocket, where I know he has a handgun.
My dumb ass didn't think to grab one. All that whining and cajoling about learning how to shoot, and here I am, completely unarmed. I huff out an exasperated breath and follow my husband in step, a few paces behind.
I scan the windows for movement, but there's nothing. It's as if the house is wholly untouched. But I know I saw the light on—Dante did, too. Someone is in there. They must know we're on our way here. Fuck! Were we stupid to leave The Eligos's compound? Am I stupid?
The more I think about it, I sure might be.
Dante silently flips open the keypad and presses in the code. We both wince when the little "accepted" beep sounds, but there's still no movement from inside. Turning the knob, he pushes open the door.
The smell of cleaning products and fresh pastries fills the air. Something about the mixture turns my stomach, and I grit my teeth, swallowing hard.
"Melody—love, are you alright?" Dante asks in a hushed tone. I tersely nod and motion for him to keep going.
"Welcome home."
Every muscle in my body tenses as the light flicks on. That voice… it's familiar, but I haven't missed it. And yet, there she is. Sitting on the plush sofa that Dante bent me over so many times. She has a tight smile across her face, and it doesn't reach her eyes. No, the only thing behind her eyes isgreed.
"Mom." The term falls from my lips without any love.
"State your business." Dante cocks the handgun, pointing it straight at my mother's chest. I didn't even notice he'd pulled it out.
"I haven't seen my daughter for nearly two years—that's my business." My mom's smile drops as she gives Dante the once-over. "You've done well for yourself, Mel."
"How did you find me?"
"Well, after you made the international news for being amurderer, it was pretty easy, babe." Mom returns her attention to me, staring directly into my soul. "Mortifying. There I was in Costa Rica, enjoying a lovely cocktail—and my phone went off with a news alert. There you were. Very much alive but very much a killer. How could you do this to me?"
"Toyou?"I gasp.
"Yes, to me!" She shakes her head angrily. "I gave you everything. I gave you a home. I fed you. I kept you clothed. I let you move back in when you got fired from yet another job,you killed my husband, and you splashmyfamily name across international headlines?"
"Don't you dare address her like that," Dante interrupts. "You want to talk about what you've done? You let your fucking husband abuse her. You let him grope her. Yes, he's the one who touched her, but you turned a blind eye. You chose not to believe your daughter. You're so fucking lucky you're still alive to spew vitriol at her."
I open my mouth to tell Dante to stop, but I can't make the words come out. Every emotion crashes around in my head at once. Guilt—she's right, I did do that. I did kill her husband. I staged it to make it seem like I was taken. Iembarrassedher. Fury—Dante's right; she let it happen. She told me I was imagining things. She told me I was being sensitive. She told me foryearsthat I would never have the kind of attention I want, so stop making things up.
Her reproachful glare makes me feel small. I want to fold in on myself and let the earth swallow me up. My heart pounds in my throat as I try to figure out what the hell I want to say. I don't know if I want to say anything. Sure, I'd imagined meeting with Mom and telling her everything that happened. But not like this.
"I think we can come to an agreement here," Mom says. "You're still on the run from the law, aren't you? You escaped prison? I'm sure you wouldn't want that to come to light. So, I'll just take my payment and be on my merry way."
"Oh, fuck you."Nowmy mouth will let me speak. Of course, she wants money. She took her life insurance payout and disappeared to the tropics. She has no fucking idea what I've been through—what Dante has been through. She just wants to continue living it up. "Fuck you, Mom. Howdareyou?"
"Melody, love," Dante murmurs. "I know she's your mother—but does she have to stay alive?"
"What?" Mom gasps. "You wouldn't. You wouldn't. I'm yourmother. I gave you everything! I gave youlife!All I'm asking for in return is just enough to send me on my way—I know your husband is loaded. I know he has the funds. He could pay my condo rent for a year without breaking a sweat—"
"Listen to me, and you listen good." Rage is steering my ship. "You don't know me. You don't know a single thing about me. You gave a few phony press conferences after I disappeared, and then you fucked off. That'sexactlywhat you're going to do. Fuck off. You already spent the life insurance money? Beg on the street for all I care. I owe younothing."
"That's a shame, babe." Mom pulls her phone from her pocket and taps on the screen. "Even if your husband shoots me before I talk to the operator, they'll still send acar over."
Bang!
My mother's eyes widen in shock as the bullet hits her chest. Crimson blooms and stains her pale pink floral dress. Her phone falls to the floor, clattering across the wood, with only 9 and 1 dialed. As she crumples to the floor, she rattles in a horrified breath, staring at me. Her mouth falls open, and droplets of blood spray out as she wheezes.
I turn to my husband with wide eyes, trembling in shock.
"I'm sorry, love. I couldn't let her talk to you like that." Dante tucks the gun back into his pocket.
