“Adriana, what do you think of Liam Callahan?”

She froze, not sure what to say.

“Adriana, you can speak freely. I’m sure you’ve dug up more dirt since we’ve been here.”

She nodded. “Liam Callahan is cocky, arrogant, controlling, manipulative, hotheaded, and attractive. What makes it worse is that he knows it. He has bloodlust. He stares at people with such rage, it is as though he wishes for them to mess up so he can put a bullet in them. However, the moment he looks at you, it’s gone. He is content, which is far from the man I saw three days ago. He seemed a rather isolated and lonely person. From what I’ve gathered, he was a very ill child, to the point he was crippled. Add that to his high intelligence, and it made him a prime candidate for bullies throughout his early life. He keeps it private and is embarrassed about it, seeing as he is a Callahan. He was admitted to a hospital for almost year, and from there, gradually became better. He trusts very few people, which includes his family. He’s searching for something.”

I stared at her through the mirror, eyebrow raised, before grinning. This was Adriana’s talent. She was a profiler. A very good profiler. Everyone overlooked her, thinking she was just my personal maid. However, I kept Adriana close because she was my second pair of eyes. She saw people as if they were an open book and could collect information because no one noticed her. She wasn’t a fan of the blood, or the violence, and I wouldn’t force her to be. She proved her worth often in times like this.

“So you think I should trust him.”

“Only you know, ma’am. You are a better judge of character than I. I think he wants you to care about him as much as his mother cares for his father. I don’t think he is out to hurt you—yet. But he is still a Callahan, and the Irish are tricky. He is going to be your husband, and you are not cringing at the thought of it, ma’am.”

She was right, and I didn’t know how to process that.

“It has been a long three days.” I sighed, standing up and allowing my robe to fall. She nodded, grabbing my dress and holding it for me to step into.

“You look beautiful,” Coraline said, beaming when she, Olivia, and Evelyn stepped in. Olivia looked sour, and I wouldn’t have been surprised that she figured out I was the one who put a hole in her husband’s arm.

“It’s very simple,” Olivia said fingering the tattoo on her wrist, looking my dress up and down. If I weren’t in all white and about to enter the house of God, I would have bashed her head in.

“Some people have to try harder than others. Others can make simple look elegant.”

“Agreed,” Evelyn said. Apparently, she and I had come to a new agreement.

“Did you give her the bracelet?” Coraline asked even though Evelyn was already walking toward the desk to pick up the small box.

She opened it, and my eyes widened ever so slightly. The vintage bracelet, made of all pearls and pendant with the letter C embedded in it. It had to be from the early 1900s, at least.

“Something old. All the Callahan woman wear it during their wedding. It was the gift given to the wife of the first Boss.” She smiled and placed it on my wrist.

“Thank you,” I replied, and for the first time it hit me. I was getting married today.

“We should get going. Sedric is waiting,” Olivia said, frowning and clearly pissed that the moment was happening between everyone but her. The bitch.

“Sedric?” I asked her and one met my gaze. “Why is Sedric waiting? Where is my father?”

LIAM

“So what happened on the boat, Lamb?” Neal asked me for the billionth time as we waited in St. Peter’s Cathedral.

“Mind your own fucking business. And if you call me Lamb again, Neal, I will kill you, then bury you under the church.”

He smirked. “You’re excited. You didn’t even describe how you would kill me. That boat ride must have—”

Before he finished, I punched him in the fucking nose.

“For the love of motherfucking fuck!”

“Last chance brother or you’re going to piss me off,” I replied, fixing my tie.

“Liam, calm down before you get blood on your suit. I’m sure Melody wouldn’t mind, but the press . . .” Declan sighed, throwing a cold beer at Neal who held it on his nose.

Neal mumbled something under his breath and left.

“One day you two will have to work out your issues,” Declan said to me.

One day maybe, but not fucking today.

Saying nothing, I took a deep breath and walked out the door that lead to the front of the Cathedral. Looking outside, I noticed my mother had made sure to invite every last motherfucker with a net worth over a hundred million. They all looked like tourists, excited to be on the guest list. My eyes met Vance’s, and I could feel the blood in my veins begin to run hotter. He smirked, nodding at me as though he was fucking proud, the bastard. Next to him sat Amory. The golden-locks-wannabe was all but sucking on Natasha’s neck. It had seemed Deep Throat had switched ships. She winked at me, and I wanted to puke.

“How is security?”

Declan snickered. “They would have a better chance getting to the president than any one of us today.”

“If this doesn’t go off perfectly, shoot him for good measure.” I wanted to be the one to take Vance’s life, but if it needed to be done today, then I didn’t care who did it.

“Just worry about Melody and pray she doesn’t run away.”

“No, she wouldn’t run.” Running wasn’t in her nature. “She would come if only to kill me.”

Before he could reply, music rang throughout the church and the door opened slowly making my heart rate quicken. A vision in white stood beside my father with a bouquet of blood-red roses in her hands. She didn’t bother with a veil to cover her face, and for that, I was fucking glad. She was beautiful, deadly, stunning, and all mine.

When she reached me, she stopped and kissed my father on the cheek before taking my hand. However, when I looked in her eyes I saw a twinge of sadness, and it pained me to my core. I squeezed her hand, not to hurt her, but to tell her I saw and I didn’t like it. I wanted her to be happy. I would let her pick anyone in the church and kill them if it made her smile.

“Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today in the face of not only God, but the world, to join together Liam Alec Callahan and Melody Nicci Giovanni in holy matrimony.”

Everything he said after that faded when she squeezed my hand back.

She glanced up at me, and the lioness in her eyes wasn’t gone, but simply asleep. Something was wrong, and I hated that I couldn’t figure it out.

“Liam Alec Callahan, do you take Melody Nicci Giovanni to be your wife, to have and to hold from this day forward, for better or for worse, for richer or for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish? Do you promise to be faithful to her until death do you part?”

“I do, always,” I said without any hesitation, and she snickered at me, shaking her head as I placed the wedding band on her finger.

“Melody Nicci Giovanni, do you take Liam Alec Callahan to be your husband, to have and to hold from this day forward, for better or for worse, for richer or for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish? Do you promise to be faithful to him until death do you part?”

“I do, always,” she replied, and I felt overflowing relief and joy as she slid my ring into place.

“May these rings be blessed so he who gives it and she who wears it may abide in peace and continue in love until life’s end,” he said as we stared at each other. “You may now seal the promises you have made to each other with a kiss.”

In that moment it didn’t feel like our lips met. It was though our souls did.

Mel, my Mel, wiped the lipstick from my lips.