The Callahan Dynasty

Talk to Me

"Are you going to talk to me Katie?" I heard Alex ask.

He stood across the room from me, he didn't dare move closer as if any sudden movements would break me.

When Jason left, I came up here and cried. I don't know if the tears represented fear, relief, sadness or anger but I just couldn't stop myself from letting the tears fall because I needed to do something.

What do you do when you realise the guy you've been living with for eighteen months has been lying to you that entire time?

What would you do if you found out the guy you love is actually a completely different person?

"Why didn't you tell me?" I finally spoke. I looked up at him. "Why did you lie to me all this time Alex? Or should I call you Harry?"

"Alexander is actually my middle name." He said. He took a step forward but immediately stopped his movement when he saw me flinch.

I saw the disappointment cloud his face.

"You're a Callahan." I said in disbelief. "How could you keep a secret like that from someone you've been with for this long?"

"Technically, I am a Robinson, that was my father's name. I'm a Callahan by blood. My mother is Frank Callahan's little sister."

I took in a deep breath trying to process it all.

"And Isa is part of all this too?"

He nodded. "Isabella is a very close family friend. I didn't lie about that part. Her family has been associated with the Callahans for a very long time."

Isabella, all this time I believed her story about her being some unprivileged girl who grew up in the bad part of Miami.

"But why? Why run away from your perfect family and pretend to be someone else?"

Alex looked at the ground and let out a humourless laugh.

"'Perfect' isn't the word I'd use to describe my family. Sure it seems that way when you see them in the media in their expensive clothes, wearing their priceless jewellery, attending their fancy parties in their fancy cars but behind closed doors, the Callahan are anything but perfect."

I shook my head. "That still doesn't justify what you did. All families are imperfect but you don't run away, you stay and live with it or at least try to change it if it's that bad. "

"You don't get it Kate!" He snapped. I was shocked at the change of his tone. He never talks to me that way. "Those people are not good people. You have no idea what they do."

"Of course I don't because you won't tell me." I retorted.

He looked at me seriously. "The last thing I'd want to do is get you involved."

I threw my hands up in exasperation. "Well I am. I got involved the first time you asked me out, I got involved the first time you kissed me, I got involved the first time you told me you loved me. You can't run away from your problems Alex and the more you hold off, the more they become and they don't only drag you down but the ones you care about too." I got off the bed and walked towards him until I was standing right in front of him. I cupped his cheeks and made him look down at me.

"If I'm going to be on that jet with you and Isabella tomorrow. I at least deserve to know what I'm getting into."

Alexs hazel eyes darkened. "I can promise you that you won't like the answer."

"And I can promise you that I can deal with it because in spite of what happened, I still love you a lot and I'm willing to work with whatever baggage you've got."

Alex took my hands away from his face and turned around.

"Las Vegas, 2013, Longford hotel, remember what happened?" He asked.

"The hotel accidentally burnt down." I replied.

"It was no accident." He told me.

I furrowed my brows. "Of course it was, it said so in the papers, a gas pipe burst open in the kitchen."

"That was just a cover up. What really happened is that my uncle, Frank Callahan got mad at the owner of that hotel and punished him by burning it to the ground. Fortunately, all the guests at the hotel managed to escape but the owner lost everything he had ever worked for."

"What are you saying?" I asked cautiously.

Alex turned around to look at me. "I'm saying the Callahan are wealthy and powerful people but they don't deserve the respect they get. They are heartless and ruthless. The owner of Longford hotel was just one of their victims."

I took in deep breaths trying to calm myself down. A panicky feeling brewed inside of me.

"Are you saying your family was responsible for that?"

Alex nodded solemnly.

Never in a million years would I think I would get anywhere close to meeting a Callahan let alone knowing their secrets.

I felt like I just stumbled on to a conspiracy I had no business being involved in.

"Kate, the Callahans are all trained the same way. From when we are born, we're taught to act a certain way and talk a certain way. We're taught to get whatever we want be it by force or by other means. Each generation is taught to be as corrupt and cunning as the last. We're taught that killing isn't wrong and we're taught the art of covering our tracks every single time just to keep the Callahan Mafia Dynasty going."

I froze at the word 'killing'.

Killing? Mafia?

I could feel myself start to hyperventilate.

Alex attempted to hold me but I just pushed him away.

I rubbed my temple. "Oh my gosh, oh my gosh, oh my gosh.." I repeated

I suddenly regretted making him tell me.

I didn't want to know this, I didn't want this knowledge.

Just yesterday, if you told me I had the opportunity to meet the Callahan, I would be over the moon but now they were the last people I would ever want to meet.

"Kate!" Alex yelled. He grabbed me by the shoulders and made me face him. "You need to calm down."

"I... I can't.... I can't do this. I don't want this Alex. I don't want to be involved in anything like that. I wouldn't know what to do. I'm just an normal girl from Seattle.... I.... I can't do this. I can't come with you."

He sighed. "You have no choice, Kate."

My eyes widened. "What? What do you mean?"

"You already know too much. Believe me, I would do anything to make sure you didn't get involved in all this but even if I let you go you'd be dead within the day. Jason saw you and so did the other guys and I have no doubt in my mind that they have reported you to the boss already. There is no option Kate, it's either you come with me or you die."

I felt like the air had been knocked out of my lungs. I would have fallen if I didn't have Alex to hold me up.

He wrapped me in a tight hug and pressed his lips to my forehead. "It's okay, I'm here. I'll keep you safe, I promise."

I gulped. This was happening. Not only was my life on the line but I had to say goodbye to the world I knew.

The scent of Alex's cologne filled my nostrils.

He had been using the same cologne since we started dating and the familiar scent is what caused me to take heart.

Alex, the love of my life. I didn't care where we were as long as I was with him.

The thought made some of the fear disappear.

"I love you." I whispered to remind myself but mostly to let him know too. I wanted him to know that I meant it each time I told him I would love him through everything.

"I love you too Kate and I'm so sorry about all this. Trust me, I never wanted this to happen."

"I know, I believe you."

We stayed like that for some time. Some how we went to the bed. I was still lying on his chest when I asked one final question before drifting to sleep.

"Alex, who's the boss'?"

I don't know if it was the fatigue but it felt like minutes before he answered.

"My father."