A Bloody Kingdom (Ruthless People Book 4) (7 page)

“You’re one to talk. I ate so much Jell-O while pregnant with you, your father nearly bought stock in the company.” Evelyn smiled; it didn’t matter the conversation, she could always manage to bring Sedric into the conversation. She still wore her ring, and I didn’t think she would ever get rid of it; she made all of us feel as though he had never left. I was grateful because it kept Liam grounded, but most importantly, confident. I knew he had dinner with her every Sunday night just so he could hear her thoughts. Evelyn meant more to him now than ever before and I thought that was what gave her strength to smile even though I knew she was broken on the inside. No amount of grandchildren or attention from her family could ever fix that.

“Mel? Are you all right dear?” She put her hand on my shoulder. “I will personally look into finding a new nanny for the kids.”

“Thank you, Evelyn, excuse me,” I replied. Liam gave me a glance, but I nodded for him to follow our kids then walked back into our bedroom.

In my closet, I saw my forgotten pair of tan Gucci heels on the ground. Grabbing them, I sat down on the couch and leaned against the pillows.

I loved my family. Liam. My children. Evelyn. Everyone. But Sundays were still the hardest for me, the bubble of cheerfulness that made a part of me want to roll my goddamn eyes. What was wrong with me that I couldn’t adapt? Even after all these years, it was like I was staring at the Brady Bunch; it was too much sugar and sweetness. It was making me sick.

“Melody, it’s me.” Mina knocked on the closet door.

“Come in,” I said, buckling the straps on my shoes.

“We have a small problem.” She waltzed in dressed in a butterfly print A-Line sleeveless white dress.

“Define small.” I stood, reaching for my jewelry.

She held out her phone for me and there was a photo of Liam and me on the penthouse roof of the Glass Emperor Hotel, making out, the picture clearly showing him gripping my breast and ass…tightly. The caption read,
“The Governor: play before work.”

“They could have done a much better job with the title,” I said, clasping my earrings on. “Why is this a problem? Are they going to call me a whore for kissing my husband?”

“I told you already, image is important, Melody. We are a few months away from announcing your bid for the presidency; we cannot let images become topics of debate. You know reporters will be at the church and they will hurl questions at you.”

“Disrespectful ingrates,” I muttered. “But this is hardly a problem. If anyone attacks me for it, I’ll just say I don’t see any men having to comment on their sex life.”

“Normally that would work, but last night there was a shooting in Bella Vista. A black boy was shot by gang members when he used his body as a shield to protect his two little sisters. This morning the cops still have no leads. They are going to come at you for not only having a dinner party for the police but having time to have “playtime” with your husband while violence is creeping back up again.”

“I cleaned up the Southbend and now fucking Bella Vista wants to erupt,” I muttered to myself. “Did you talk to Fedel?”

“I sent him the information, but I don’t cross that line Melody. My job is to keep you out of the mud, not get into it.”

I snickered at that. “Mina, I was born in the mud, raised in the mud, and married into the mud. All. I. Know. Is. The. Mud. You can dress me up like a saint, but in the end, I’m just a sinner. I thought you knew that.”

“I thought you were, at least, faking not to be,” she challenged.

“I heard Bella Vista has gotten a new gang. I wasn’t sure, but apparently it’s true. As governor I think I should welcome them, don’t you?”

“Melody…”

Ignoring her, I patted her shoulder on my way out. I was excited…there was nothing like a good old-fashioned Chicago welcome to get the taste of sugar out my mouth.

LIAM

Someone one was going to die or was already dying; I could tell the moment we got to the church. She was eerily quiet and smiled a little too much at the cameras, but the most frightening was the fact that she sang. My wife sang in church. The last time she’d sung in church was when we’d first gotten married and she’d ended up beating the shit out of my ex, Natasha, in the ladies room.

The icing on the cake was when we went to the soup kitchen, as we always did after church. We had built the Orlando-Sedric, known simply as the OS Center, only a block down the road from the church in order to provide for the community. It was also a way for the Irish and Italians to peacefully get together, although the center was open to everyone. Melody personally carried out trays of water while Dona shadowed her and handed everyone napkins. The smile plastered on her face didn’t look as fake as usual, but it wasn’t real either. She was on autopilot so again. Either someone was dead, or someone was dying.

“Chocolate.” A small blonde-haired girl stared, mesmerized by the cakes in front of her, and before I could reach for it, her eyes shifted to another one. “Or maybe lemon? No, cream bundt…there are so many!”

“You’re really picky.” Ethan made a face at her beside me.

She glanced up, finally noticing us behind the counter. When her blue eyes fell on Ethan, she stuck her tongue out. “Maybe you’re not picky enough, shorty.”

I tried my best not to laugh, biting inside my cheek when I saw the look on Ethan’s face. He apparently had gotten used to everyone being respectful toward him.

“I’m not short!” he snapped at her.

“To me you are.” She held her head high. “So I’d rather be picky than a shorty.”

Well, son? What’s your comeback?
I waited, glancing between them. Ethan just stood there, not sure what to say, and so again she stuck her tongue out at him and focused on me smiling from ear to ear.

“Can I get cream bundt?”

“All that cream is going to make you fat,” Ethan shouted so loudly even Coraline, who stood at the far end of the table, turned her head toward him.

“So what?” she said to him, her hand outstretched for the cake.

“Huh?” he questioned, confused.

“So what if I get fat? I have cake.” She shrugged and happily walked off.

That did it, I laughed outright; I couldn’t help it. Not only did she seem so proud of herself, but Ethan was so thoroughly confused and upset his ears were turning red.

“She’s a weirdo!” he yelled up at me.

“But she’s a weirdo with cake…” Wyatt finally spoke up and I was dying at that point.
Oh God.
Ethan scowled at his brother but Wyatt didn’t seem to mind, stepping on his tiptoes to hand the next person their piece.

For the rest of the afternoon, Ethan stewed in rage, every once in a while shooting glares at the girl sitting with her family by the windows.

“What was up with all the laughing?” Mel came over as I pulled my gloves off.

“Ethan lost a fight to a girl about cake.” Wyatt ratted him out in a flash, causing Ethan to take one of the towels and throw it right at his head. “What? It’s true!”

“Which girl?” Dona frowned, peeking around the corner of the table.

Ethan ignored her. “You are a blabber mouth, I don’t tell Mom everything about you!”

“I don’t have any secrets!” he said proudly.

Ethan’s eyebrow rose just like Mel’s did when she went in for the kill. “Really? Is that why you can’t say a word around Giu—”

Wyatt rushed him and put his hand over his mouth, then looked over his shoulder at us, smiling brightly.

“Wyatt. Ethan. Is this how we behave in public?” Mel questioned them. Wyatt let go of his brother’s mouth, both of them standing straighter.

“Sorry,” they both grumbled.

“You guys go play with your cousins or, Ethan, you can go offer that girl another piece of cake,” I teased him.

“Why would I do that?” He grabbed his siblings’ arms, pulling them toward my mother’s table. She sat with a bunch of the older women, all of them playing cards and drinking iced tea I was sure was spiked.

“Who’s the girl?” Melody eyes narrowed, looking over every girl in the center.

“Why, are you jealous?” I pitied the girl either of our sons ever dared to bring home. “Sorry, but you’ll have to get Wyatt to spill the beans.”

“Fine, I will, but later. I need to go into work for a little bit.”

Work, huh?
She never lied to me, but she wasn’t being forthcoming.

“Governor work or boss work?” I asked, wiping my hand.

“Two birds one stone.”

“Melody.”

“Liam.” She kissed my cheek then whispered in my ear, “I’m not asking. I’m telling my husband I’m going to work.”

This was starting to work on my nerve.

“Are you taking Fedel?”

“He’s your guy now remember—”

“There are ‘your’ and ‘my’ guys now? I thought we shared everything, sweetheart.”

She grinned. “Good answer. Fedel knows everything; I told him to fill you in.”

“Be safe,” I said before kissing her again and watching as Mina left with her. Neal’s eyes met mine. Nodding my head toward one of the free tables, I called Fedel over. I took an apple and a knife. Declan kissed both Coraline and his daughter’s heads before walking over.

“What’s going on, Liam?” Neal questioned when we stood in the farthest corner of the room.

“Good question. Fedel.” I waited, peeling the apple in my hands.

“There is a new gang growing in Bella Vista.”

“All of the gang leaders in the city know to keep their presence to a minimum. We let them know the consequence of not doing so years ago. Bella Vista is managed by the Royals and I personally let him know,” Declan stated.

“The man you dealt with is dead, and the rest of the gang apparently has short memories because it is getting worse. This new leader is trying to build a name for himself. He wants to be feared, and his followers are loyal—not to mention he’s starting to get much bolder. From what I can tell he’s simply ignorant of the way things work around here.”

“Why are we just hearing about this now?” Neal shouted at him.

“Calm down,” I muttered, sliding a slice into my mouth. “I was already informed about what’s happening in Bella Vista.”

“And you let it go?”

My eyes narrowed on Neal. “Do I look like the let-it-go type of person to you, brother?”

“Sorry,” He grumbled. “We have peace, Liam. Real peace. Please, I don’t—”

“I understand that, which is why I’ve been waiting to see how far this new idiot would go. If he had settled himself and followed the rules, I wouldn’t have to step in, but apparently something happened in the last twenty-four hours I was not aware of?”

“Yes sir,” Fedel answered. “Last night there were multiple drive-bys, but the most notable one that is gaining media attention was a seventeen-year-old football player and honor student that died shielding his younger sisters, one nine, the other twelve. The shooter hasn’t been caught.”

“So Mel went to bring order herself? With no men?” Declan pressed as if I would tell him more; even if I did know, I wouldn’t tell him, but it bothered me that I didn’t know. “Does she have an inside man?”

“Not that I am aware of,” Fedel replied.

Neal shook his head. “I thought your setup was to keep her looking clean for when she ran for president. If anyone sees her…”

“Has my wife ever been careless?” I asked, sliding another piece of apple in my mouth.

“No, but—”

“But what about your wife?” I finished for him. “I’m happy Mina brings you so much joy Neal, and I understand your need to protect her, but remember she came into this family eyes wide open. She chose to work for my wife. She is loyal. Mel protects those who are loyal to her. You shouldn’t be worried. I say that knowing full well you won’t listen, but it needs to be said. The Callahan women are not just fashion icons and charity heads. They get their hands just as dirty as we do. If that is all, you both can go.”

Neither of them said anything more before going back to their tables. I could tell Neal was annoyed, but he was just going to have to get the fuck over it.

“Fedel, when did she tell you she was leaving?”

“This morning before mass.”

“And you didn’t fill me in then because…?”

“She directed me to wait.”

Melody…God damn it, woman…must you drive me to gray hair before I even turn forty?

“Boss?”

“What!”

He moved to stand in front of me. “I would never dare pretend I know the boss more than you.”

“But?” I could feel it coming.

“But…as you remember, she did not grow up like you did. You had a family. No matter what you all went through as a family, you were a family. The boss was alone for most of her life and when she was with her father, he was doing everything in his power to make her into a bloody soldier. The boss, Melody Nicci Giovanni Callahan, is a soldier, and like all soldiers, she is at her best when she is fighting. She doesn’t understand peace. She tries to for the sake of you and your children, but at the end of the day, she will always feel the need to fight. It has nothing to do with you or anyone else; it is her own personal curse.”

I didn’t reply. Instead, I kept eating, watching my children as they tried to learn poker from my mother. He hadn’t told me anything about my wife I didn’t already realize myself. She’d been playing the role of Governor Callahan for so long, Bloody Melody was losing her mind. If she needed to smash a few skulls to get focused again, I’d happily serve them up to her; that was the twisted way we loved each other.

MELODY

It must have been some person’s idea of a sick joke to call this place Bella Vista.

Over the years, I had put in
a lot
of time trying to repair the ghettos. However, Southbend and Bella Vista were still holding out against all my efforts. The crime rates had dropped, but it was hard to rebuild a community the rest of the state didn’t want to invest in. It was even harder when those in that same community tried to do everything in their power to get in my way.

“Governor, are you sure about this?” Murphy said to me when I stepped out in front of the old diner. He was going to learn to never ask me that question.