Page 62 of The Lies That Shatter
Kellan’s gaze flicks over to me for a second and he smiles, pleased I helped him make the right choice. As painful as this is, Mia needs to know the truth, and she deserves to be involved in the discussion that comes next.
Kel turns back to Mia. “Of course. This is your family. You have a right to know everything.” He gently tucks a strand of hair behind Mia’s ear before kissing her on the lips. It’s a short kiss, but man does it make my heart ache for McKenna.
Everyone is nodding, agreeing with Kel, but Mia’s the one who shakes her head in disagreement, shocking us all. “You’re right. I want to be part of the discussion. But you’re wrong when you say they’re my family. They aren’t…you are. The Doughtys have been more of a family to me in the last couple of years than those people ever were. To call them my family is disrespectful to you, the people who I chose to be my family.”
Mia is such a quiet girl. When she speaks, it’s so soft, but her words have such certainty that it leaves no room for argument, not that she’d get any from us.
Bree reaches over and grabs her hand. “We will always be your family.”
Liam clears his throat before continuing on from his wife. “She’s right. You are family, which means you get the same right everyone else in this family has…if you want it. We will needto have a proper discussion around this, but I’m sure we’ve all come to the same conclusion. Mel and Mortimer both need to die.
“Unfortunately, Mortimer’s death has been on the table for a while, but Mel’s requires discussion. As per our rules, if you want to be the one to kill her, that right belongs to you before anyone else.”
Even though everyone in the room knows these rules, we’re shocked to hear Liam be the one to offer this to her. It’s always been this way in our world. If someone wrongs you, and the Family agrees they have to die, you have a right to that kill…if you want it.
Call it revenge or therapy…but it’s a choice.
If you don’t want the kill, you can pass it to someone else, or allow anyone to do it. Those are the rules we’ve always stuck to, but Mia isn’t reallyinour world, so I’m shocked Liam would offer this to her.
Clearly, I’m not the only one. Red looks a little annoyed, but Kellan looks murderous. He turns his now much darker blue eyes on his best friend, his anger practically vibrating off him.
“Fuck no! Why the hell would you offer her that? She’s not part of our world like that. Hell, she’s probably never even fired a pissing gun. Absolutely not!”
Now it’s Mia’s turn to look angry, which is something I’ve never seen on the petite brunette. For a second, it’s easy to see how she and Bree became friends, as she masters a glare that looks like a milder version of the one Red throws at us regularly.
“Actually, Idoknow how to fire a gun. I may not like weapons, but I’m perfectly aware of how necessary they are in this world. I may not be actively involved in the same shit you are, but I have a family to defend. So, if this is the choice all family members get, then I have a right to make my own decision.”
Kel’s eyes widen as he takes hold of both her hands. “Flower, I know you probablycando this, but I’m asking you not to. You may know about the stuff we do, and you’ve been exposed to far more of our world than I’d have ever liked, but the truth is, you’re not part of it…and that’s a good thing.
“There’s a difference between defending your family because you have no other choice, and ending a life because you choose to. If you do this, there’s no going back. Taking a life, particularly the life of someone who means something to you—no matter how much you may hate them right now—there’s no going back from that. I can do this for you.”
His words are pleading, and Mia’s expression settles when it’s clear Kellan isn’t trying to tell her what to do. He’s protecting her.
He’s also correct. Taking any life is hard, but killing someone close to her would change Mia, and not necessarily for the better.
“I agree,” Mia says, catching everyone—Kellan included—off guard. “I don’t want to be that involved in your world. I understand why you all do what you do, but it’s not for me. Like you said, I’ll protect my family with my life, if it’s the only option available to me at that time.
“I don’t have it in me to murder anyone, but that doesn’t mean I don’t want my mother dead. She’s not only ruined my life, but she’s stood by while my father hurt God knows how many other children.
“As grateful as I am that you would volunteer for this job, Kel, I don’t want you to be the one to do it either.”
“Why?” Kel asks, looking confused.
“My decision isn’t about you, Kel. I know you would do this for me in a heartbeat, and I love you so much for that. But I have someone else in mind, if that’s okay?” Her eyes search his, as she waits for his approval. As soon as he nods, she turns in her chairto face her best friend. “I want Bree to do it, if that’s okay with you?”
Bree’s eyes widen in shock, but her bloodthirsty edge is clear to see. “Of course, but why me?”
Mia takes a deep breath and lets out a small sigh. “You saved me from my family when we were just kids. You helped me escape my mother’s clutches while we were debutantes. You’ve been fighting for me—and my freedom—since we met, so it only seems right that you get to be the person who ends this for me.
“I have this new, amazing life, and my own family now, and it’s all because of you. Getting rid of Mel and Mortimer, whilst it’ll be incredibly painful for me, I think it will give me the closure I need. I can end that chapter of my life and start fresh.”
Although the words are spoken directly to Bree, she looks at Kellan when she talks about finding her new family and planning for the future. I’ve never seen my brother look so happy, and the emotion in the room is almost suffocating.
Kian, who’s been sitting quietly in the corner until now, decides to ruin the sentimentality in the only way he knows how…humour. “Admit it, you don’t trust Kel enough to do a good job. If the assignment was to kill them in a video game, nerd boy would be fine, but in real life, he’d miss for sure. Boss lady is a much better choice.” To add insult to injury, Kian throws a cheeky wink at Kel, and Mia chuckles.
“Fuck you, asshole,” Kellan snaps.
Then all hell breaks loose, and Kian and Kellan start a war of words that we’re all very used to hearing by now. They pretend they can’t stand each other, but I think they’re more alike than they both care to admit.
