Page 140 of Delirium
“That’s the bitch who’s about to die tonight,” Maya sneered, pulling out the gun she’s been carrying tucked in the back of her pants, and looked at me. “Can you handle this? Because they’re carrying something and I bet I know what it is. If you can’t handle me shooting at your brother and sister, then you should step back and let me handle this. Call Atlas.”
“No.” I shook my head, as if I was waking up from a deep slumber. “I can do this.”
They were my brother and sister, but blood didn’t make a family. Both of them betrayed me and they didn’t deserve my mercy.
“Lead the way,” I whispered, my eyes following every movement of those two. They weren’t running, so sure they wouldn’t get caught. I had no idea how they could be this stupid.
Without another word, Maya started walking toward them, increasing her pace the closer we got. Just as the two of them were about to cross the street toward the parking lot situated behind the hangar, Maya whistled, startling them both.
“Yo, bitches!” she yelled out, pointing her gun straight at Tristan. “Going somewhere?”
Tristan and Ava froze in their steps, slowly turning around to look at us. And then I saw them, the two bundles in their arms, each carrying one. The low crying sounds told me everything I needed to know, and the anger I was keeping at bay roared back to life, taking over my body.
Pulling my gun out, I aimed it at Ava, while Maya kept hers aimed at Tristan.
Ava’s eyes widened, looking from Tristan to Maya and lastly landing on me, shock and disbelief written all over her face.
Ava was always the favorite in the family—the youngest child, the spoiled princess—and it was our fault. All of us spoiled her, handling her with kid gloves even when she was old enough to make decisions on her own. Ophelia could never see it, but Ava wasn’t the sweet little girl who always followed Ophelia around.
No, I saw the sides of her that Ophelia and my brothers never did. While I had mourned the death of the little sister I had, I never liked the way she behaved with people, with staff, thinking she was better than everyone else, thinking she was owed something just because she was a Nightingale.
“Cillian.” She said my name, barely above a whisper, staying in the same spot. “It’s so good—”
“Cut the fucking crap, Princess,” Maya cut her off. “That little innocent face you’re trying to plaster on your face is not going to work on me.”
“Maya? It’s been so long. I almost—”
“Cut the crap!” Maya bellowed, walking closer to them.
Tristan’s eyes were filled with torment, the lines around them pulled taut, but I held no sympathy for my brother. He made his fucking bed, and now he was going to sleep in it.
“That little act of innocence you always used to fool everyone else? Yeah, that never worked on me, bitch,” Maya spouted, venom dripping from her tongue with each word she said.
So I wasn’t the only one that always saw through Ava’s facade?
“Maya, it isn’t—” Tristan started, pulling Maya’s attention to him, but she wasn’t having it.
“You too. It’s better for you if you don’t talk, Tristan. Trust me, I know how to use a gun, and there are at least three bullets inside that have your name written on them. I wouldn’t mind using it on you, Nightingale or not.”
“Cillian.” He looked at me. “Please. Don’t do this.”
“Don’t do what?” Maya sneered at him. “Those are my niece and nephew you two are trying to steal away. Don’t do what? The right thing. You’re as insane as she is, aren’t you?”
“She’s my sister.” Tristan’s lower lip wobbled. “Our sister,” he reiterated, looking at me. “She deserves to be happy.”
“What she deserves is to be dead, and to fucking stay dead,” Maya bit out, uncaring about Tristan’s emotions, or his obvious distress. I had to agree with her because I couldn’t give a fuck either.
Both of them were sick for doing this. Sick in their heads, and I had no sympathy for whatever they were going through.
“Give us the babies, Tristan.”
“No!” Ava belted out, closing the distance between her and Tristan. “These are my children. Mine!”
“If you know what’s good for you, you’ll hand them over,” Maya seethed. “I don’t give a flying fuck about the consequences, assholes, but you are not going anywhere with those kids.”
As Maya kept on talking, I saw movement from behind Ava, a dark figure moving between the parked cars.
“You don’t know anything, Maya.” Ava chuckled. “What would you know about being a mother, when you left your only son behind?”
