by J. J. McAvoy
That did it.
“Try not to be a bitch,” he snapped as he tapped on the window, signaling the driver to open the door.
The moment it did, camera flashes assaulted us. Liam pulled me closer to him, his arm around my waist, and I used the opportunity to try to fix his sex hair. He kissed my cheek when I was done, causing reporters to throw as many questions as possible at us. I wanted to flip them off, but Liam squeezed my hand, and I smiled squeezing back. To them we looked like lovesick fools. If they only knew.
A stunningly beautiful woman, who could only be Liam’s mother, stepped forward from the clan behind her. “Liam, put some room between you and the poor girl, we are Catholic for goodness sake.”
She pulled me into a tight hug, and I knew where Neal got it from. These people needed to stop touching me.
“Mrs. Callahan, it’s such a pleasure to meet you. Liam could not stop ranting and raving about you,” I said as politely as possible.
“Please call me Evelyn, my sweetheart.” She smiled brighter than the sun. “You have no idea how long I have waited to meet you, and no wonder your father hid you away, you are so beautiful, Melody.”
I dropped my head for effect before smiling. “Thank you Mrs . . . Evelyn, but please just call me Mel. My name doesn’t fit my personality at all. I can’t carry a note.”
Nodding in pleasure as she pulled me forward. From the corner of my eye, I saw the shocked look on Liam’s face.
Just because I hated the fucking role didn’t mean I couldn’t play it.
He wasn’t the only one surprised. Declan and Neal looked at me in confusion, before looking at each other to make sure they weren’t insane. Sedric just nodded at me with approval, looking a tab bit impressed.
“Mel, these are my other two daughters, Olivia, Neal’s wife.” The Malibu Barbie, with her long gold hair and bright blue eyes glared at me but shook my hand, giving it a tight squeeze.
“Wow, you’re so beautiful,” I said, smiling.
Her eyes lit up like she had found the true meaning of Christmas. “Thanks,” she said.
Next was Coraline, the rather tall, chocolate-skinned woman with a wide smile on her face.
“Hi. I’m Coraline. I’m glad to finally met you.” She couldn’t contain herself from pulling me into yet another hug.
What the hell was up with these damn people?
“Oh my, Italian silk, very nice.” She grinned when she pulled back saying, “Oh, my God, and the shoes! There is walk-heel-ton for charity next Saturday, you should join me.”
She wants me to ruin my shoes for charity?
“Hi, Coraline.” I smiled at her. “Everyone is so nice. Thank you for welcoming me into your home. You have no idea how nervous I’ve been.”
I heard Neal hold back a cough.
Coraline grabbed on to my free arm, while Olivia just smiled, clearly finding no threat in me whatsoever. Just like the rest of them.
“Come, Melody, we will make sure the rest of the family doesn’t overwhelm you too much.” Evelyn smiled, leading me to the manor. It was the exact opposite of my home, sadly. Callahan Manor was a modern day fortress. Beyond the cream marble floors that stretched for as far as the eye could see, the double grand stair cases framed with black iron, and the engraved wooden French doors, there was nothing but forty-six thousand square feet of illegal activity. There were no statues, barely any plants, and only modern paintings. Everything was simple, crisp, and clean.
I wanted to puke. For eighty-five million, I expected more.
“I’m sorry.” I paused, her words only now catching up to me. “The rest of the family?”
“Liam wanted to make sure you weren’t overwhelmed by too many new faces at your wedding on Sunday. So he thought it would be best to have you meet everyone now.” Olivia smiled. They all smiled, as if they were talking about five or ten people.
But I knew the Callahan Clan considered between ninety to hundred people their family. My Italian line was mostly gone. I didn’t deal with that many people anywhere, with the exception of my men.
Turning around, Liam was grinning like a fucking cat with a ball of yarn, and I knew then that I should have killed him in my basement. He winked, and I was tempted to lose my cool, but I wouldn’t give him the pleasure.
“If they are as welcoming I think, I can make it, but please don’t leave me completely alone. I really wouldn’t want to insult anyone.”
Coraline smiled. Again with the fucking smiles. “Mel, you are family. We wouldn’t throw you to the wolves without giving you a spear.”
Please give me a fucking spear. I knew whose heart I wanted to throw it through.
Allowing them to pull me away farther down the boring halls and out a set of large French doors, which opened to a large grass lawn, now covered in white tents. At least a hundred people sat drinking, laughing, and stuffing their faces with food. Music roared from an old Irish band staged by the trees, and when I said old, I meant old. With full-length white beards, they played their handcrafted instruments for the crowd.
For the love of God.
“Don’t be nervous,” Evelyn said. “You’re young and beautiful. They already love you. And those who don’t will have to because you are Liam’s.”
I’m my fucking own, I wanted to yell at her. And I wasn’t nervous. I was pissed. I wanted to play whack-a-mole with all these motherfuckers heads. But instead, I just smiled and walked outside.
“Everyone this is Melody, Liam’s fiancée!” Coraline yelled at the top of her lungs.
They all stopped their dancing, singing, and drinking, as if they wanted the world to know it wasn’t just a fucking Irish stereotype, to stare at me. Then they raised their mugs and screamed:
“Cheers!”
I don’t need this shit.
But I had a part to play so I grinned. “Sláinte!”
Everyone shouted with joy, and I was motherfucking-in with the Irish clan. At least the drunk ones with dicks. The girls would be harder. I could already tell from their glares. Maybe I could tell them they were pretty and try not hold their faces underwater.
“Hi, Melody!” A group of young kids ran up to me, speaking with strong Irish accents. If I didn’t know better, I would have thought they were drunk as well. But even the Irish couldn’t be that crazy.
Crouching down to them, I smiled. “Dia duit, mo pretties beag.”7
Their grins almost split their faces as they began to speak in full-on Irish. Liam must have followed me, because he was being congratulated by some other male drunks. He looked surprised that I knew Irish. But he was a chauvinistic pig, who thought all I did was paint my toenails and shop. Of course I spoke Irish. My father had me learn the moment the contract was formed.
As the children pulled me toward a corner of the massive garden, each dancing around me, I pretended not to notice the women glaring at me. I would speak with them later, but now I needed to make myself look like a fucking saint. I took my shoes off and danced along with the kids, singing their Irish songs and even spinning some of them around. It made even me laugh. Don’t get me wrong, I liked kids . . . kind of, sort of. I was just sure they were annoying as fuck if you spent too much time with them. But I needed them today, so I danced.
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.
Sitting back in the chair my father had once claimed, I allowed myself to dream of the future for one moment. The men in the room roared in victory over our accomplishment. The Valero had been fucked by me today. This, plus our wedding announcement, would make it clear that Liam Callahan had arrived, and I planned to make them eat shit for the rest of their lives. I would control the east and the west and, once that was done, all of fucking Europe. Who said you couldn’t have it all?
Even Melody, through all her bitching and shooting, had come in handy. Finding the flight plans was almost too easy. She had been keeping notes on it for months and never did anything. Some fucking Boss.
She could have cut Vance off at the knees, but instead, she did nothing just to save a few people’s lives. She didn’t understand. We ran the fucking Mafia, we spared no one, we took what we wanted, when we wanted it, and we killed to get the job done. All those people were in the wrong place at the wrong time, and I would make sure to have my mother . . . or maybe make Melody, open a charity in their names. Right now I—
Bullets exploded through one of the walls before I could even finish my thought.
They pelted us like rain, destroying anything and everything in their way.
“Fuck!” Neal screamed in pain as blood poured from his arm.
“Open the fucking door and blow the motherfucker away!”
Declan froze just as a bullet went right past his head and embedded itself into the monitor behind him. My father fell back as a bullet connected with his chest and Eric held on to his wrist. The rest of the men in the room scrambled to follow orders but froze when the door opened.
“Tell me it wasn’t fucking you, and you still get to come to the motherfucking wedding, sweetheart,” Melody screeched, looking me dead in the eyes.
Kill her. Put a bullet through her pretty fucking head and toss her off a motherfucking bridge, my mind yelled as I glared down the barrel of my fiancée’s semi-automatic.
I tried to stay calm. I even prayed for the strength not to lose it, but all I could see was red. Glancing over to Eric, who stood closest to her, he took charge and put a gun to the side of her head, causing her to lower her gun.
“You little bitch, have you lost your fucking mind?”
“Carrot top,” she said, still staring into my eyes. “You better pull the trigger now. You will regret it if you don’t.”
He glanced at me, but in a split second, Melody swung around and used the butt of her gun to bash his face in, knocked him off his feet, and held her gun to his balls.
“I said you would regret it,” she hissed. She pulled back and hammered into his jewels with the butt of her gun.
My father frowned, stepping forward as I reached for my gun. There comes a time when enough was fucking enough. “Ms. Giovanni, I would ask that you not to kill anyone in my house.”
Monte, I believe the man’s name was, walked forward pointing his firearm at Eric as Melody turned to my father, gun held right at his face.
“Sedric, I like you. I really do,” she said with no emotion in her voice. “But step out of the way or I will kill you before I kill your son.”