When I finally stopped, Coraline handed me glass of water. I wanted wine. My wine.

“They all love you.” Coraline grinned. “A few men even cursed Liam for finding you first.”

Just smile and drink Mel.

“Oh, we are going to have a garden party for you tomorrow, for all us girls.” Evelyn’s eyes shined with joy. “Everyone is dying to meet you.”

I would rather have everyone just dying.

“I can’t wait,” I said, but they didn’t even notice I was lying.

Glancing around, I realized then that all the Callahan men were gone.

“Where is Liam?” I was ready to break the glass in my hands.

Olivia and Coraline frowned, but Evelyn held her strong demeanor. She turned her back to the guests to stand in front me.

“Melody, do not worry. I know you are aware of what our men do. But believe that they are safe. They often use parties like this one to cover up something else. We try not to get involved and to know as little as possible. My son would never want to endanger your well-being.” Evelyn’s face became serious before relaxing into a carefree smile once again.

I nodded, trying my best to stay calm, but as my gaze landed on Fedel and Monte near the doors, looking scared for their lives, I knew that someone was going to die tonight.

“Excuse me.”

Fedel and Monte stiffened, waiting until I was before them to speak.

“Flight 735 just exploded over the Atlantic ocean. Death toll is one hundred ninety-two. Eighty-seven of them Valero who were smuggling drugs in the seats,” Fedel said.

The glass shattered in my hand, but I didn’t feel it. Even as the blood dripped from my fingers, I couldn’t feel it. Walking calmly into the house, I moved straight to the foyer. I had gotten blue prints to this whole place years ago and noticed there was space left out. It didn’t take genius to realize they were hiding something behind a fake wall, and that the rather larger Jackson Pollock hanging on the faux wall really had to be a door.

Bloody hand raised, I waited for Fedel to hand me a gun.

“We are outnumbered, ma’am,” he said instead, and I simply shifted my gaze to him. Today was not the fucking day.

Monte handed me the semi-automatic he always had strapped to his leg.

“Fedel, stay out here, I wouldn’t want you to get hurt,” I snapped before shooting right through the wall. Neither Monte nor I stopped, not even when the painting, tattered and unrecognizable, crumbled to ground. The wall blew apart bit by fucking bit until the door bounced open.

When it released, I stepped in. There stood the rats, all drawn and panicked with the news playing in the background. My eyes met Declan’s, who looked white as a sheet, then Neal, who was trying his best to stop the bleeding in his arm. Next was Sedric, who didn’t seem surprised it was me. In fact, he was the only one wearing a bullet-proof jacket underneath his suit. If he hadn’t been, the bullet hole in his tie would have killed him. The biggest rat of them all, who must have had a fucking guardian angel in his pocket because he was perfectly fine, was furious.

“Tell me it wasn’t fucking you, and you still get to come to the motherfucking wedding sweetheart,” I said still calm as ever, ready to start shooting again.

I should have worn the white heels.

EIGHT

“The facts of a person’s life will,

like murder, come out.”

~ Norman Sherry

LIAM

“Your fiancée is . . .” Neal stopped talking, taking her in through the window as she laughed and danced with the children. A part of me wanted to run over there and save their lives. The beautiful woman with the kind smile, laugh and blushing face was just an illusion. They were dancing with a fucking lion, a snake in the grass.

“She is a master of fucking disguise,” I hissed angrily. I would have enjoyed watching her dance and smile and sing off-key if I hadn’t known better. If there wasn’t a bullet hole in my fucking thigh, I would have been tempted to think myself lucky.

The woman before us now was the woman I was expecting, the one I wanted, and it pissed me off to no end, because she didn’t exist. This party was supposed to make her uncomfortable, but she was playing every last one of our family like fools.

“She has them all eating right out of her hands. She’s a master,” Neal said looking at her in wonder and awe.

“Neal, I will shoot you in front of Olivia and then give her the gun to shoot you again if you don’t stop staring at my fiancée like she is the fucking Virgin Mary.” I knocked back the brandy in my hand. I hated her for this. For, once again, making me realize she could play this game, the game of murder and lies, like a motherfucking pro.

“Don’t take your anger out on me. You’re the one who fucked it up. If you had just—”

“Shut the fuck up Neal, or I swear to God!” I gripped the glass in my hand so damn tight, it almost broke. “Go do your bloody job. I want that plane in ashes in three minutes.”

He didn’t say anything more, but left to meet with Declan along with the rest of our men while I watched my soon-to-be wife walk on fucking water.

The moment we had stepped out of the car, she had transformed into this delicate little bird. The Melody I met the day before, and the Mel she announced herself as to my mother, were two very different women. But she drew them in like moths to a flame. She was so fucking beautiful and nonthreatening when she met everyone, that for a split second I forgot.

Had she been this way when I first met her, I would have dazzled and charmed her while we were making love on my bed. I would have taken pleasure in making her whole body blush, keeping her safely tucked away.

If only my life was that fucking easy.

“Sir, we’re ready,” one of my men, Eric Reese, called from behind me. Eric wasn’t family, but pretty damn close. He was one of the few of my men with more than half a brain, and full loyalty. The rest were in this out of fear, or for the money.

Nodding, I walked through the door that lead to the secret office my father had built into the walls to make sure no one would “accidentally” find it. The room was filled with monitors and maps, all focused on where the inbound airplane would be.

“Are you sure you want to do this Liam?” my father asked as he stared at the dot indicating the plane’s current position. It would be crossing into American waters soon.

“It’s fucking brilliant,” Declan said, waiting excitedly. “The Valero will never see it coming.”

“I wish I could see Vance’s fucking face man.” Neal grinned. “This is going to set him back a fortune.”

Eric nodded. “You should send him a wedding invite, just to sweeten the pot, mate.”

They were all right, and yet my father still did not seem to approve. Well, fuck him then. Vance Valero had no idea anyone knew about his secret plane, and still allowed a few unlucky everyday folks board it. He must have figured no one would be ruthless enough to kill a few innocents to get to his men onboard. After today, though, it going to cause him regret. Not only would he lose men, but he would also lose half a million dollars in cocaine and heroin. That would be a bitch.

The moment I saw the plane appear on one of the video monitors I gave the go ahead. “Do it.”

Declan smirked, but before he could push the button, Neal beat him to it like they were fucking kids.

“I’m the fucking oldest, cousin,” he said, before grinning like a mad fool. A moment later, there was red, orange and yellow flames filling the sky. Metal ripped from metal, ashes fell into the sea and all I could do was revel in the greatness of it all.