No one to fight, laugh, or rule with. I frowned to myself, taking another sip of the brandy before placing it on the counter. It also meant no one to sleep next to and no one to talk to. I could speak to others. However, I could only talk to Liam, because somehow he . . . I didn’t know. I could just talk with him, and in a second, stupid fucking Neal almost took him away. “Where is the brandy?”
I jumped at the sound of his voice. The mirror was so foggy I hadn’t even noticed when he walked in.
Turning to him, my eyes went straight to the bandage that was wrapped over his shoulder and around his waist. When I did glance up, he was looking me over as if I was water and he was a man in the desert.
I hadn’t realized until then that I was standing completely naked while he stood in pajama pants.
“Li—”
His lips were on mine, before I could get the words out. My hand went to his hair, kissing him just as hard as he was kissing me. He tasted like honey, and I didn’t want to let go of him. But I had to.
Breaking away, I took a deep breath, preparing to speak when his lips went to my neck.
“Liam we need to—”
He gripped my nipple, and I felt a moan ripple out of my throat. When his tongue began to trail down from my neck toward my breasts, I began pulling on this hair.
“Jesus! Fuck, Liam! Stop!” I yelled, and he froze, slowly ripping himself from me to look down at me. In his eyes I saw confusion, frustration . . . and hurt.
Letting me go completely, he took a step back, shaking his head. “Sorry. I just came in search of the brandy.”
He frowned, reaching around me, but I grabbed it first.
“You shouldn’t mix alcohol and pain killers,” I said quickly. He glared at me before spotting my hands. I wasn’t sure why I only then noticed the dry blood that was still on them . . . Neal’s blood, maybe a little of Declan’s as well.
Don’t ask, Liam.
“What the fuck happened to your hand?”
Damn it, just listen to me once.
“Neal was the one who shot you,” I replied, waiting to see how he would react, but he didn’t look surprised.
“That doesn’t explain your hand.”
“I said your idiot brother shot you, and all you care about is my hand?” He should be out there kicking his brother’s ass.
“Yes, because you’re my wife.” He sighed. “I will deal with Neal when I’m not on drugs.”
Turning away from him, I took off my ring to wash my hands. “I handled it.”
“You killed Neal?” he whispered, stepping up right behind me. Warmth radiated off him like waves. I felt myself leaning into him, closing my eyes, and relaxing as I rested my head on his chest. That is, until I remembered he had a bullet wound and stood straighter.
“No, I didn’t.” I should have. “I tasered him after beating into his face and stabbing Declan.”
I prepared myself for his bitching, but when I turned to him, he was smiling. He must have been on some really good drugs.
“Let me get this straight. You stabbed Declan. And attacked and tasered Neal while I was out?” he asked, and I nodded. He was going to find out anyway.
“You show affection in the oddest ways,” he said, kissing my forehead and grabbing the brandy.
But once again, I took it from him, placing it on the counter again. “Not with pills.”
“You’ve got to be kidding me! Give me the bottle, Melody.” He groaned, reaching for it.
But I poked his wound, causing him to hiss and flinch back. “No, means no, Liam.”
“This is the worst thing you’ve ever done to me.” He frowned like a six-year-old boy.
“I shot you, stabbed your brother, tasered your cousin, and almost cracked open your ex-girlfriend’s skull—”
“My ex-girlfriend?”
“Shit. I didn’t mean to say that.” I bit my lip. “Natasha and I met in the bathroom at church. She said some things, and I put her head through the glass. So, no, withholding brandy isn’t the worst thing I’ve ever done to you.”
Once again, his lips found mine, but only for a second before he broke away.
“In my eyes it is,” he whispered. “I have two pleasures in this world. One is you, Melody Callahan, and the second brandy. Withholding them both is just plain cruel and borderline inhumane.”
And just like that, something clicked in my mind. Here I was standing naked in front of him, not only in body, but with my “sins” as well, and he didn’t care. He saw the deepest and dirtiest parts of my soul and mind but didn’t care. In fact, he wanted to stay in the darkness with me. Just him, me, and the fucking brandy.
“They’re both just temporary holds. You can have them once you’re feeling better,” I whispered back, kissing his lips softly before pulling away.
His eyes widened as my words set in. Grabbing hold of my waist, he pulled me closer to him. Bringing his lips to my ear, his hard-on pressed against my stomach.
“I won’t feel better if I don’t have you now,” he replied, biting my neck and making me want him even more.
I moaned, rubbing against him. “Liam, you’re hurt.”
Pulling me away from the sink, he pushed me against the bathroom door. “Mel, I plan on fucking your brains out.” He pulled the drawstring on his pants. His dick was pointed right at me, and I closed my legs trying to think clearly.
“You want me to fuck you against this door.” He whispered staring into my eyes. He held me prisoner with almost no effort at all.
Think Melody.
“I want to hear you scream my name.” He rubbed against me as he spoke. “You want me inside of you. I can feel it,” he added, licking up my neck while using his good arm to grab my ass.
“You’re going to be so sore in the morning,” I choked out as he sucked away. The warmth of the steam along with his body made me feel like I was on fire. I couldn’t even think. All I could do was feel him, and he felt amazing.
“If I do my job, you will be, too.” He smirked. “So just stop fighting this once and let me have you, wife.”
I couldn’t speak because he didn’t wait for a reply. Instead, he plunged so deeply into me that my head went back. Moaning, I grabbed his neck, wrapping my legs around his waist as held me against the door, going deeper and deeper with each thrust.
“I’ll take that as a yes.” He moaned, pulling out once more only to slam back within me. “I’ve wanted to fuck you against the door for a long time.” He smiled at me while he rammed into me over and over again.
I couldn’t even make a sentence. I couldn’t speak. I could barely see because my eyes rolled back.
“I wanted it to be hard,” he added, pulling my hands from his neck and holding them above my head.
“I wanted it to be rough,” he said, and it was like he let the animal out of the cage as he thrust into my body repeatedly, giving me no time to think or even move. All I could do was accept and moan like a bitch . . . his bitch.
He let go of my hands to grab my waist, and I let out a scream of pure pleasure as I came against the force of his cock. He didn’t let up, fucking me harder and harder until he thrust so deeply my voice cracked as he came. When he let go of me, I felt my legs release him. But I was too weak to stand and slid to the floor. I took in the warm air greedily but when I looked up, all I saw was his erection.
How is that humanly possible? I thought as I stared at him in shock. He had stamina like I had never seen. Looking down at me, he stroked himself, which in return only made me want him again.
LIAM
Sitting up, I grabbed the bottle of pain meds, taking two with a glass of water and not brandy like I should have. Mel could have her way for now. Looking down at the sleeping beauty beside me, I waited for the guilt to kick in. However, it was nowhere to be found. I had tricked her, and I didn’t fucking regret it because I now had what I wanted. I had her. I felt it, the shift in her, as we had our way with one another. We went from the bathroom, to the sho
wer, to the bed, where she helped me redress my wound before we fucked again. My shoulder, like she had said, hurt like a bitch, but it was worth it because I had her. I did what I needed to do to get my wife, and there was no fucking taking it back.
She knew now. She knew I was hers and she was mine, and now we could move the fuck forward. It felt like the longest war but it was over now, and we were both victors. One day, when we were about to die of old age, I would tell her. But for now, I would shut this away and never speak of it again. All I had to do was make sure my brother and cousin kept their mouths shut. If they didn’t, I would kill them . . . and I meant it.
Trying my best to ignore the pain, I lifted myself from the bed, grabbing a pair of jeans and a jacket. I had thought I was quiet, however Mel sat up, rubbing her eyes as she tried to focus on me. Fuck, she was beautiful.
“Where are you going?” She yawned, and it was cute.
“I’m going to have some words with my brother.” I grinned. Walking over to her side, I kissed her cheek, and she accepted it without a glare or flinch.
The pain was worth it.
“Come back to bed. We can kill him when the sun is up.” She smiled, pulling on my jacket, and I was tempted, but I needed to make sure this didn’t blow up in my face. I didn’t want to lose her.
“I will be right back.” I kissed her lips. I couldn’t stop kissing her. “I’m not going to kill him. My mother is fond of him. However, I will express how I feel in other ways.”
She rolled her eyes at me before falling back on the bed. “Fine, but if you change your mind, Cascadia is the best place to hide a body. So much forest, and so few witnesses.”
God, I loved her.
“I’ll keep that in mind.” I laughed, walking out the door. The moment I did, I was hit with fresh air. I had to give it to her; the camp location was beautifully hidden in the midst of the forest. It was large enough to fit all our men, with ten or eleven houses and one dining hall at the far end.
Seeing me, Eric limped over. The poor fuck.
“Neal and Declan are in the dining hall,” he stated. Nodding, I walked slower so he could walk beside me.
“How is your leg?” I asked, trying my best not to smirk. Melody and her handiwork.
“Doctor said it will be like this for another four or five months. I think your wife hates me, sir.”
I couldn’t help it. I laughed even though the pain ached in my chest.
“Don’t take it personally. She hates everyone equally. At least she didn’t stab you.”
“The men were thinking of starting an injured by BM club,” he said, and I stopped.
“BM?” What the fuck were they calling my wife?
“Bloody Melody,” he answered quickly.
It fit. The moment she found out, though, they were all going to prove that name right. Shaking my head at him, I continued forward.
“None of you call me anything do you?” If they did, I would kill them myself.
Eric tensed, and I didn’t even bother pushing. When I stepped into the dining hall, everyone shut up immediately. My eyes narrowed in on Declan, who was hunched over a bowl of food and looking a little pale. Next to him was Neal, who appeared to be in much better shape, even with a broken nose, a black eye, a spilt lip, and what looked to be a choke hold bruise on his neck. He would live.
“Don’t you just love my wife?” I asked them loudly, causing the men to either laugh or grin like fools.
Antonio stood up with a mug filled with what had to be alcohol. “Lunga vita alla Regina!”
“Fada beo an Banríon!” My men yelled back in Irish.
Long live the queen, indeed.
They had been here, what, two days? Maybe three if I’d slept for as long as I thought, yet here they were, drinking and laughing at one another.
Grinning along with them, I nodded over at Neal and Declan who were both glaring at me. Rising, they followed as I walked from the dining hall to the shade of the trees. Declan moved slower than usual, as did Neal.
“So how are you?” I asked them, trying not to laugh.
Declan stepped forward, nose flared and eyes wide. He was pissed.
“You fucking two-bit asshole of a dick! You are fucked in the head. Your wife stabbed me! She fucking stabbed me, Liam! Have you ever been stabbed? This bitch”—he pointed to Neal—“was the one who fucking shot you, and he only gets tasered! All I did was try to calm her down. What kind of bullshit is that?”
I laughed. I couldn’t help it. Even though it hurt like a son of a bitch all I could do was laugh. It was so fucking funny. I hadn’t ever laughed like this before my Mel came along.
“Why did you even try in the first place? She shot me in the thigh when she was calm. I’m surprised she didn’t do more.”
Declan shook his head, and I could see the rage building in his eyes. “I fucking hate you all!”
With that he walked away. Slowly, the big baby.
Neal stood still, not saying a thing and waiting for me to live up to my side of the deal. Part of me had hoped he would fail so I could hate him, but it was time to move forward. He did what I asked. Sighing, I reached out for his hand.
“There will be times where I’m still going to be an asshole to you,” I said when he took my hand. “However, I promise to move forward, brother. I will not hold the past against you any longer. I will no longer hate you for it. I still dislike your wife, but I don’t hate you.”
“Can you just do that? Can you let go of the hate?”
“Automatically, no. However, you’re the reason why my wife and I had mind-blowing sex last night and will continue to. That’s enough to make me at least want to have a beer with you. After now, we never speak of this moment again, and let Declan know.” I had told him the truth, and he looked . . . lighter, like someone had taken the world off his shoulders for once.
“Thank you, Liam.”
“Well, the first few beers are on you. That shit hurt!” I winced and grabbed my chest before walking away.
Walking back to our cabin, I found myself feeling lighter as well. Things in my personal life were finally making sense. All I had to do was kill Vance, Saige, Amory, the police, and then take over the rest of the country, plus Europe. All of which was possible thanks to my wife. Thanks to my Mel.
As if she could read my mind, the moment I walked in I found my beautiful wife dressed in my shirt, sitting on our bed with files and a laptop around her.
“The life of a mafia couple.” I smirked, taking off my jacket slowly while trying not to wince at the pain.
“It’s a bloody but necessary one,” she said, handing me a file as I lay back down.
“They are calling you Bloody Melody now.” I smirked at her, flipping through what looked to be more coded letters from Saige.
She stopped and frowned. “That doesn’t strike enough fear into the hearts of men and woman everywhere.”
“Oh, it does. They fear and respect you. Maybe more than me.” I pouted, and she smiled, bending down to kiss my lips.
“You could blow up the police commissioner’s house for trying to break into our downtown factory.”
She smiled, causing me to rise up quickly. Maybe a little bit too quickly but I ignored the pain.
“What the fuck?” I shouted, searching for the file she was talking about, but she simply handed me the laptop.
“That is our meth lab in Orland Park, isn’t it?” she asked, even though we both knew it was.
“How the fuck did he get in there?” I snapped, watching as the idiot and his men broke into the factory. So much for personal rights.
Mel picked up Saige’s coded letters. “Apparently Vance is tipping them off as a way to keep us distracted.”
Taking the letters, I raked through them quickly.
“This could be a trap. Saige could be writing these as bullets for us to pick up and shoot ourselves with.” I didn’t know this Saige well enough yet. But from what I did know, she was a snake in the grass
and someone needed to cut off her head before she fed and grew.
“I thought the same thing and had Fedel contact Ryan after we first got off the jet. Apparently, Saige forgets things constantly and needs to write everything down. Amory has her computer coded weekly so no one can hack in. Ryan is a big help with that. But I’m not ruling out anything yet. Right now we do still have a police rat outside our door,” she replied looking at the computer screen.
“Declan put a bomb under his house,” I said, reminding myself. Mel flipped the channel to the small and modest family home in the Chicago suburbs. He must have kept it even after he lost his family. It was kind of sad.
She handed me a cell phone, and I smiled. Pressing send and watching the house go up in flames was like watching fireworks during New Years. Now it wasn’t so sad anymore.
Flipping back to the factory, I dialed the site number and pressed send once more for the heck of it, and Mel turned to me wide-eyed.
“What the fuck did you just do?” she gasped, staring at the screen.
“Too many people knew about the place. We were having meth-heads show up at the door. I had everything moved from there a month ago.” The commissioner would have found nothing anyway.
Mel smiled, but in a flash it was out as we spotted the commissioner’s stupid, Smokey the Bear sidekick helping his boss out.
“Some rats just don’t know when to die.”
Kissing her neck, I pulled her toward me. “In due time, love. In due time. We will make them all suffer.”
“And then we kill them?”
I grinned. “Then we will kill them. One by one, until all that’s left are bloodstains.”
As she relaxed into me, we watched the police officers who weren’t so lucky get burned alive. I counted six running around like chickens with their heads cut off. However, I wasn’t sure if there were any still inside the burning building.
“He’s going to try to pin this on us.” Mel smirked, drinking my brandy.
“I hope he does. Now I have a reason to go annoy Judge Randal.” What’s the point of having a judge on the payroll if you never get to use him?