Raising an eyebrow at him, I flipped on the television as Evelyn laughed.

“I told you it wouldn’t work.”

“Had to try, but apparently my daughter doesn’t like to listen to me,” he said kissing my head, before leaving Evelyn and me alone.

She sat on the bedside me. “I understand. They don’t get it. How it feels to have a child living within you one moment and then taken from you the next. I understand not being able to move, speak, or even breathe because of the hole burning inside your heart. No else gets it. But I do, so stay in bed as long as you need, Melody. Grieve, and when you’re ready, you will get up again.”

I watched her as she got up before turning to leave. She was the only one who understood. Wiping the water that poured from my eyes, I held on to myself.

Go to sleep, Melody. Just sleep. I would get up in the morning, but now I just needed to sleep.

LIAM

“And just like that, the rat is back,” I hissed at the man before me.

His nose was busted, eyes bruised, teeth were knocked out, and any exposed part of his skin was either burnt or cut. Patrick looked like he had been to hell and back.

“Sir,” he said quickly, fighting against his chains. “I did this for you, to help you”

“You betrayed me to help me?” I said, slowly turning back to the rest of our men. So many of them wanted to watch this that we had to go outside.

“Sir, I swear, I never betrayed you. I’ve known you since college. We’ve been—”

“Get to the part where you stabbed me in the back,” I said, pouring the gasoline over his head. “Remember the part where you left my wife bleeding-out on the ground as you escaped with the Russian slut.”

“Sir—”

“Don’t waste words. I can only hold this match for so long,” I said, lifting the small flame in my grasp.

“Liam, I knew they were planning something. The only way to find out was to make them think I’d jumped ship. I had no idea what Saige had in store for your wife. I just knew the Valero had to come to an end. The information I’ve gathered can help you bring them down. They aren’t in Finland anymore. They went to Tanzania. It was the only place they thought you couldn’t reach. You have people in all of Europe, but not in Africa. I’m telling you, I wasn’t betraying you.” He cried out in panic.

Shaking my head, I let the flame drop but sadly it was already out.

“So you became a spy without my knowledge?” I laughed. “You’re lying—”

“No—”

Punching him in his broken nose, I held his face. “Never interrupt me, or have you forgotten your manners while with the dogs?” I squeezed his face. “You’re lying to me, Patrick.  You should know better than that. You betrayed me before, and now that the walls are closing in on Vance, you’re trying to save yourself. You’re a rat through and through. I think my wife gave a good definition of that word before.”

“Liam—”

“Don’t speak my name,” I said, taking a step back. “I don’t care why you betrayed me. The simple fact is that you did, and by definition, that means you are against me.”

Striking the match, I didn’t even hesitate as I threw it into the trail of gas. It took only a second before his whole body was up in flames. He screamed and flailed violently, while the men just cheered and sang into the night. Turning away, I just happened to look up to find my wife staring down at the burning man.

When our eyes finally met, I saw . . . I saw my lioness stirring.

MELODY

DAY 26

Drinking, I waited for them to come aboard. If Adriana had done her job, they should have known where I was.

“It’s nice to see you, ma’am,” Jinx said, giving me a brand new bottle of wine.

I nodded but did not speak. I didn’t want my first words to be to him. A second later, Nelson opened the door to the jet, allowing Liam to come through, dressed for war. He looked me over quickly. His eyes shined like green diamonds in the sun and grin spread across his face. He looked like he was trying to contain himself.

“What the fuck are you looking at? We’re heading to the jungle and plan on people hunting with guns not arrows,” I said with no real edge in my voice at all.

“You could kill them with your shoes if you want, I’m happy you’re here,” he said sitting in front of me. He squeezed my hand. “Real happy.”

“Speaking of killing, Neal told me something very interesting.” I grinned as I sipped. His eyes went wide before he turned to Neal, who froze like he had forgotten his confession. I missed my old self. I hated that bed and I didn’t want to think about it. I needed to be me.

“I can explain—”

“Don’t bother. I’ve thought about it, and I’ve partially forgiven you.” I understood what he did, but that didn’t mean I liked being manipulated.

“Partially?” Liam asked with a smile.

He couldn’t stop smiling at me, and it was pissing me the fuck off. Yeah, I was talking. He needed to stop looking at me as if he wanted to fuck me over the table.

Part of me knew I was just being this way because I wasn’t sure how to explain my feelings. I understood how he felt because I felt it to. I wasn’t part of the living dead anymore.

“I’m Melody Nicci Giovanni-Callahan, which means I have to seek vengeance, even with you, husband.”

“I look forward to it.”

As Jinx took us into the sky, I stared at the sun through the clouds. Liam would enjoy my revenge, but not until I made Saige pay dearly. An eye for an eye, and life for life.

THIRTY-ONE

“I guess I’ve played a lot of victims,

but that’s what a lot of the history of women is about.”

~ Jodie Foster

ADRIANA

She didn’t have to say anything, all she did was hold out a plane ticket. She wouldn’t force me to go. She wouldn’t even ask, it was my choice, and I simply took it from her and left her bedroom. Of all the men in Mel’s crew, I was the only one she would ever let leave if I wanted to. Before Liam, I was the only one allowed to see her when she as down, when she had her dark days.

They were never like this, where she couldn’t even get out of bed, but they were dark enough to make normal people cringe. What she did to those who crossed her during her dark days was borderline insane. I, on the other hand, wasn’t normal. Once upon a time, I was. I was bubbly, preppy, and most likely annoying, like every other teenager. But that all changed the day my father went into debt.

Walking into my bedroom, I pulled out my knife and makeup set trying my best to hide those memories, but they would never go away. Nothing could ever make you forget your father selling you like a piece of cattle. I didn’t even know shit like that happened to people in America.

It was almost ironic really that Taken was the last movie I saw before I myself was taken right out of my room. But my father wasn’t an ocean away. No, he stood in the doorway with his head down as they came for me. I kicked, I screamed, I called out to him and my mother, but they turned away. If I hadn’t been speaking to Mel on the phone, there really wouldn’t have been any hope for me.

We were both freshmen in college, and everyone just stayed away from her. It was like she was the moon, and they gawked at her from afar. And just like the moon, she was cold, distant, and downright scary. There was no reason for either of us to have spoken if it hadn’t been for some school project. She never really talked to me when we worked, and I was a rambler then, so it worked out fine.