“Yes, father,” I said stepping into the study. “All is well in our bloody wonderland. In fact, the adventure is just beginning.”
He sighed, taking a seat in front of the desk. “Must you torture me boy, or will you tell me what is going on? Half the city is covered in blood and the other half is afraid of its shadow. Both you and Melody insisted that we attend this mockery of a wedding. However, neither Neal nor Declan are going to be in attendance.”
“You always said I was impatient. If so, I see where I get it from,” I replied pouring myself a glass of wine.
“I’m guessing you and Melody are no longer shooting at each other.”
“For now. My wife’s opinion of me changes more often than the tide. She may shoot me tomorrow if I tell her I dislike her gun collection.”
“But at this moment—”
“Are you asking as my father or as a Ceann na Conairte?” I cut him off leaning into my chair because it was my chair and not his. Kicking my feet onto the desk I watched as his eyes narrowed at my shoes. He used to hate it when I placed my feet on his desk as a teen, but he couldn’t say anything now.
“I’m asking as a father. Son, are you happy with your wife?”
“Yes, father, everything is bloody and well in fucking wonderland.” I drank some more. “She is . . . she is Bloody Melody and perfect. God created her and then shattered the mold afterward, for the world could not handle two of her.”
“Look who has become a poet.”
“Hardly, it was a simple fact.” My wife was a ruthless animal, and it only made her sexier.
“So then I could expect something to go terribly wrong at this wedding.” He really wanted to know. It was almost sad.
“I hope when I have a child, I’m not in the predicament you are in.” I laughed at him.
“Knowing you, I doubt you will allow your son or daughter to take the throne as easily as I did.” He was joking. He had to be joking.
“Bullshit. The amount of hell you put me through—”
“I put you through hell so you could sit in that seat and call hell to you. In three weeks, you have brought this city to its knees.” He almost sounded jealous, but I could also hear the pride.
“We, Melody and I, brought it to its knees. However, it’s not bowing yet. The police commissioner is still holding out for hope to overcome the mess. A judge gave him the okay to place wiretaps on the house and our phones.” I snickered. That was only after the first week.
“When was this?”
“It doesn’t matter.” I grinned drinking again. “We had jammers and frequency scramblers placed throughout the house, and then updated all the phones. Melody insisted that we make an example out of the judge.”
I waited for it to click in, after all it had been all over the news that week. He shook his head as the realization hit him.
“Judge Randal. They found him hanging from the bridge. I figured, but I didn’t understand why.”
“I don’t believe the commissioner has had any help with the courts since then.” Because they were fucking smart.
“And you both don’t want to end him?” Oh, how the tide had turned.
“And let another wannabe hero take his place? He is about to break, and when he does, his moral compass will either force him to take his life or he will just drink himself to death. Either way I don’t give a flying two fucks.” He picked a fight, and now he was going to lose.
“Bloody wonderland,” he said again with a smile. There was a knock at the door, before I could reply.
“Enter,” I called out and in walked my mother dressed in a beautiful long-sleeved, green dress. “You look beautiful mother,” I said, standing up to greet her.
She kissed my cheek. “Thank you, son. I came to tell you that there are two officers at our door. They’re asking to speak with you. I thought I would let you know personally. This is the third time, Liam. I’m not pleased.”
Rule Sixteen: Never displease your mother.
“Call my wife.”
“No need.” Melody stepped inside, making me want to drop to my knees and kiss her feet. She was an absolute vision in the long, strapless white dress she wore. She looked like a goddess or an angel, and I felt lucky to even stand before her.
“Father, Mother, thank you. However, my wife and I have some business to attend to. We shall meet you at the wedding.”
“Please send the officers in,” my Mel replied as she walked, more like glided, toward me.
Taking her hand, I kissed it once my parents were gone. “You look beyond beautiful.”
“Save your flattery and tell me we are going to kill these sons of bitches for returning here.” She glared as she fixed my hair.
There was another knock at the door, and I smirked at her.
“Let’s find out.” I grinned, walking to my desk. “Enter.” Sadly it wasn’t the commissioner, but his Smokey the Bear sidekick along with another broad-shouldered man with orange hair.
“No commissioner? I’m insulted.” I turned to Mel who only glared at them.
“The city is a bit too chaotic for him to make it,” Smokey said. “As you know I—”
“We don’t care. What do you want?” Mel asked, looking at the younger man next to Smokey.
“We’re here to wave the white flag,” the orange-haired man declared.
I felt my brow rise and a smirk curl my lip. When I looked over to Mel, she frowned. Of course she would, white flags weren’t her forte.
Stepping toward the man, I looked him over. “You’re Irish.”
“Yes, Mr. Callahan.”
“Who the fuck forgot to recruit you?” I snickered. Most of all the Irish-born natives in the damn state worked for me in some form.
He glared at me. “I wanted to be the first of my family to do right by the law.”
“Well then, as you can see, we are on our way out.”
Mel replied stepping toward me. “We will speak to the commissioner at a later time. You both found your way in, I believe you know the way out. Please give Officer Pope and his family my regards.”
They couldn’t speak and that may have been due to the fact that she looked sinfully beautiful in white, or because Officer Pope and his family were no longer alive. They nodded with rage building in their eyes. The door slammed once they exited.
She turned to me and frowned, straightening my tie again. “You know they were lying right?”
“Yes, and what do we do with liars?” I asked my hands on her hips. She smiled as well, reaching into my tuxedo jacket to pull out my phone.
“Monte, two officers should be leaving the premises. Please make sure to escort them back to the station. You and I both know how tricky those high bridges can be.” I watched her mouth as she spoke, and I wanted nothing more than to kiss the breath from her lips.
She noticed once she hung up and placed her finger on them.
“Candy store is still closed.” She glared. “After all, you want to see Vance’s face instead.”
“Lov—” She didn’t even allow me to finish speaking before she walked away. Damn it all to hell. Vance better fucking cry and piss in his fucking pants.
MELODY
“Shoot me, please.” I groaned as I watched Amory and Saige kiss. It was like they were trying to suck the skin off each other’s faces.
“Not before you shoot me,” Liam whispered back. His eyebrows wouldn’t stop twitching, and had it only been us, I would have laughed over it. However, it wasn’t just us. We were surrounded by at least three hundred of Vance’s closest “family and friends.” The wedding was so boring that Liam and I spent most of our time texting Declan and Neal for updates.
But it was game time now. Taking our seat at table five, with the rest of the Callahans, we waited for the text message signaling it was done. However, the true fireworks didn’t start until Vance got the call. I was tempted to tell them myself. However, Vance still thought I was some little lamb unaware of the world around me. He was a fucking idiot. From Saige’s letters, he must have known I was the child who was spared on the plane. However, he still didn’t see me as a threat.