“Please . . .”

“I think you have said enough,” I whispered, moving slower to her. Blood poured from the side of her face as I met her eyes. She whimpered, struggling against me, but I held her still, pulling on her hair. Tears spilled from her eyes as she opened her mouth to scream.

“You scream, I will bash your skull in, you hear me?” I glared at her, and her eyes widened in fear.

“I’m—”

“Shut the fuck up, you five cent bitch,” I said before she dared to lie and tell me how sorry she was. “My husband is off the market. You should be ashamed of yourself. We’re in God’s house . . . the very church we were married in, and you are thinking of trying to have an affair. You are a disgusting little whore. How many daddy issues could you possibly have?”

“I’m s-sorry. I j-j-just . . . I just love him,” she sobbed. She was an idiot, for sure. I wanted to take her head and bash it in further, but I didn’t kill on Sundays.

Peeling her face from the mirror and grabbing another fistful of hair, I pulled her into the bathroom stall. She fought against me, but it made me pull harder, throwing her against the stall before punching her in the nose. She gasped out, sliding down onto the floor and gripping her bloody nose as she sobbed. Kneeling in front of her, I made sure she could see me clearly.

“What were you doing with my husband this morning?”

“Fuck you, you scary bitch.”

“Natasha.” I sighed. “I’m going to ask again nicely. What were you doing with my husband this morning?”

“Sucking his sweet dick.”

“Wrong answer.”

Grabbing her head, I shoved it into the toilet. Her arms swung around like a mad woman, but I pinned them down quickly with my other hand. She screamed into the bowl before I let her out.

Giving her a moment to cough up water, I smiled.

“Now, Natasha, were you really sucking my husband off this morning or are you trying to piss me off?” I asked her, sweetly.

“Please . . .”

I dumped her head back into the water again, and this time, she struggled hard but sadly for her, I had pinned down men twice her size. When she stopped struggling, I let her go and she ripped her head from the toilet falling back onto her ass as she coughed and cried.

“Natasha . . .”

“I knew Liam liked to eat at Remy’s on Sundays, so I waited for him. When I came up to him, he told me to leave or he would drag me out himself. I-I lied about having information about Vance and Amory. I told him I could only tell him if he followed me out back. I made up some story and somehow he knew. He tried to leave, but I tried to kiss him and he grabbed me by my neck. He called me a whore and yelled at me to stay away or next time he would kill me. He said the only reason he wasn’t doing it now was because it was Sunday.”

Liam’s words from the night before came to mind. You are like me.

“Why did you come here then Natasha?” I asked, stepping up slightly. She slid across the small space on the floor to get away from me.

Tears streamed from her eyes as she shook, covered in toilet bowl water and blood.

“I love him,” she sobbed. “Please don’t kill me.”

“Find a new man to love, Natasha. If you come around him again, I will snap your neck and bury you under this church,” I warned, kicking her in ribs once before stepping over her and walking out of the stall.

I looked myself over in the cracked mirror—her blood still dripping from it—and fixed my hair before washing my hands once more.

“It was nice meeting you Natasha. Let’s not do this again,” I said and left.

Walking through the grand entrance, I dipped my finger into the blessed water before making the sign of the cross over myself. Moving quickly into the front aisle where the rest of the Callahans were standing and singing, I stood by Liam who stopped, glancing over at me. I smiled and took the book from him.

“I, the Lord of sea and sky, I have heard my people cry. All who dwell in dark and sin . . .” He wouldn’t sing so I nudged him. He just shook his head picking up where I left off.

Well, I feel so much better.

LIAM

“Peace be with you,” we all said.

“Go in peace, the Mass has ended,” the priest replied before leaving. Soon after, everyone started to take their exit as well, however, I grabbed Mel before she could move.

She turned to me, eyebrow raised, as if she had no idea why I was holding on to her. Maybe she really didn’t think I would notice.

“What?”

“You have blood on your shoe,” I said, waiting for an explanation.

She looked down and frowned, pulling away from me and taking a seat. She looked completely at ease as she took a cleaning pen from her purse, bleaching it clean before grabbing hand sanitizer.

“Better?” she asked me with a smile. For the love of God, she had no shame, and it made her even sexier.

I needed to stay emotionless though.

“Yes, now, how did it get there?”

She frowned. “Liam, please don’t make me lie in church.”

“You’ve got to . . . then don’t lie Melody.” She was going to drive me mad.

“I had to settle something, and it’s done,” she replied, standing up and bowing toward the altar, then leaving.

“Of all the women in the world.” I looked up at the crucifix before taking a deep breath and followed after her. I would find out soon. Right now, I just needed to make sure Step Four worked out.

We were leaving for camp tonight. After that, she and I would bond and get back to killing those who were less important.

Neal came up quickly, looking over at me and turning his back to the rest of the family.

“Liam, are you sure?” he asked me for the sixtieth time.

“Yes, Neal,” I sighed. “For the last goddamn time. While we are at camp, you are going to shoot me and you’re going to make sure it’s a good, but not fatal shot. That’s the only way I will let the past go.”

“I could kill you,” he hissed at me as we walked to our cars.

“If you do, I will haunt you for the rest of your life.” I smirked. “You won’t kill me, Neal. You want my forgiveness too much to kill me.”

“This is cold Liam. If she finds out . . .”

I watched her as she spoke with Coraline and our priest. I couldn’t help but think how beautiful she was. “She won’t find out. If she does, she will be mad but will get over it. She loves me, and she’s alone. I simply have to remind her that I’m all she has. Remember what happened last time my plans didn’t work?”

He looked at me confused. “No.”

“Exactly.” I smirked, because my plans always worked.

“Okay, I will do it. You want it on the second day?”

I nodded, stepping forward then stopping and glaring into his eyes.

“You tell anyone of this, Neal, even your wife, I won’t just hate you. I will kill you and her, I swear to God, I will,” I whispered so softly I wasn’t sure if he could actually hear me. The fear in his eyes told me all I needed to know.

Turning away, I walked over to my beautiful wife. The bow on her dress made me smile. She was a gift—my gift—and I couldn’t wait to unwrap her. I couldn’t wait for camp.

MELODY

“Liam, my young boy,” Father Thomas called out behind me as Liam approached.

Liam took his hand. “It was a wonderful service, Father Thomas.”

“You would say that even if it bored you to tears,” Father Thomas said, winking at me. “I must say, you have chosen well, another woman of God in the Callahan family. It is why God blesses you all so greatly. You all honor him every Sunday without fail.”

If only you knew what I did in your bathroom, I thought to myself.

“Thank you, Father.”

He took my hand, and Liam held on to my waist.