“Maybe this is why so many serial killers work in pairs.
It’s nice not to feel alone in a world full of victims or enemies.
It just seems natural. You and me against the world . . .”
~ Chuck Palahniuk
MELODY
I couldn’t stop shaking, me, motherfucking, Melody Giovanni, now fucking Callahan, the girl who did not blink when she sold her first ounce of coke at sixteen in a back alleyway. I was the girl who murdered a cartel member at seventeen because he stole a pound of weed from us. However, here I was, and I could not stop shaking. I did not shake. I did not bend. I did not fucking flinch at the sight of blood, drugs, or at the sound of a fucking bullet! Yet here I was, watching as one of Cascadia’s doctors looked over Liam, and I was bloody shaking! What the hell was wrong with me?
I was trying my best not to scream at the fool hovering over Liam, who hadn’t moved in nine hours. If it weren’t for his chest rising and falling, I would have thought he was . . .
This stupid doctor had five seconds to give me an update or I was going to reach up and pull his tongue out of his ass!
“Mrs. Callahan—”
“You’re wasting words,” I hissed. “How is he?”
“He’s fine. Luckily, the bullet wasn’t lethal. In fact, I’m not sure exactly what it was. He has two bruised ribs, but they will heal. He is on medication for the pain, but other than that he is fine and should get back to moving around in a couple of days,” he replied, stepping back when I moved to the edge of the bed.
Liam looked so . . . peaceful. There wasn’t a wrinkle or any discomfort in his face. I felt the urge to run my hands through his hair. Part of me wanted to lay with him. A big part of me wanted to lay with to him. It was like my mind knew that was the only way the shaking would stop. However, I couldn’t. Instead, I turned around and walked out the door. Knowing he was okay, knowing he would be fine meant that I could do what I had been itching to do from the moment Fedel came to me.
I stepped outside, allowing my eyes to roam the yard of men who were all waiting for the same update I had been. My gaze stopped at the fool’s, and it was like the lion was out of the cage.
“Neal!” I roared, causing every man in his right fucking mind to part like the fucking Red Sea as I walked to him. He didn’t move, he didn’t even look surprised, but in a moment, he was going to look like he was in a hell of a lot of pain.
But I couldn’t get to him, though, Declan blocked my path and grabbed my arm.
Who did this motherfucking bitch think he was?
“Melody—”
Before he could finish, I punched him straight in the throat, kicked his back legs so they buckled, and brought him to his knees. Grabbing his hair, I yanked it back and pressed my knife to his neck.
“I will end you Declan Callahan, if you ever stand in my way again.” I pressed the blade even harder against his Adam’s apple.
“You aren’t thinking clearly—”
He didn’t seem to get that I wasn’t fucking joking. Pulling the knife from his neck, I stabbed his shoulder. His eyes widened as I backed away, allowing him to fall to his ass before letting out a roar of pain.
“Have you lost your fucking mind?” Neal yelled at me, rushing toward Declan. However, I stood in front of him.
“Yes, because if I was fucking sane right now, if I was Melody Giovanni instead of Callahan, I would have fucking killed him for stepping in my way! But I can’t kill Liam’s cousin and his brother in the same day,” I yelled, and he looked me over, unsure of what to do or even say. I would help him find his tongue.
“Did you shoot Liam?” I knew the answer, but I wanted to hear him say it.
“Melody—”
“Did you fucking shoot my husband, Neal?”
“Yes.”
I felt a moment of peace before I found myself lunging at his neck. He saw it coming and grabbed hold of my arms and lifted me as if I was a fucking newborn.
“Melody, it was an accident!” He yelled, but look at what long legs I have . . . only to strangle him with.
I wrapped them around his neck like a python, and squeezed until he had to let my arms go to grab hold of my legs. When he did, I flipped off him and kneed him in the crotch. He bent down and the stupid, tall, bear-like motherfucker gasped in pain.
“You, Neal Callahan, are the accident!” My fist smashed into his face.
His head jerked, and I felt the pain in my hand, but I didn’t stop. “You, Neal Callahan, are scum. You do not deserve my respect.” Another punch in the fucking nose.
“You do not deserve your last name.”
At that, he grabbed my fist, stopping it before spitting the blood from his mouth and rising to his feet. He glared into my eyes, and his own were burning. “Watch yourself, sister, or you may get hurt.”
He did his best to tower over me as if he was trying to say something with his size.
“What? Because you chew on steroids for breakfast I should be afraid of you?” I spun into him so quickly he didn’t have time to comprehend what I was doing until it was too late. It was one of the few things I had learned from my failed attempts at dance lessons as a child. Let your partner lead. It was probably why I failed at it. I did the leading. However, it worked for Neal, who was too big to stop me from spinning into him and grabbing his gun before spinning out.
With my left finger, I pulled the fucking trigger. Sadly, it wasn’t a gun but a Taser. However, it worked, and eighty-thousand volts sent him straight to his ass, shaking like a fish out of water.
“A Taser? Really? What are you, a mall cop?”
I sighed, looking down at him. But the big bad wolf couldn’t speak.
Bending on one knee, I leaned in so he could see my eyes. “If you ever cause harm to Liam again I will cut you in half and stuff you inside a locker.”
Standing back up, I turned to look over the rest of the men. Mine were all smiling, while the rest looked proud. I guess they didn’t like their boss being shot either.
“He’s fine, just needs rest. Continue on pretending like you are not trying to kill each other. I’ll see you all later,” I told them, and my eyes met Declan’s. He was being held up by none other than Eric, who I was starting to dislike. Declan looked pale and in need of a drink. He would be fine. If not, well then boo fucking hoo.
“I’ll send for the doctor,” I said in a mocking tone, then walked past them and into the cabin.
The doctor looked at me, unsure of what to do or where to go.
“Fedel will handle your payment after you look over Neal and Declan,” I told him, taking off my boots. My hand was sore, but I would deal with that later.
He must have noticed because he stepped forward, but I glared at him. There was only one doctor I trusted, and it wasn’t him. Getting the message, he left quickly, leaving me alone with the handsome, sleeping asshole who was my husband. Once again, I found myself staring at him. He looked beautiful, and I gave in to my need, allowing my good hand to run through his hair. When he let out a small moan, I stopped. Even in his sleep he was a horn dog. He was definitely all right.
Smiling to myself like an idiot, I stripped down as I walked toward the bathroom, grabbing myself a bottle of brandy as I did.
Turning on the shower, I waited until the water was hot, which would take a moment. It was one of the downsides with camp. Drinking from the bottle, I allowed myself a second to stare in the mirror. Most people hated to look at themselves. They always found a flaw within the person they looked at.
However, I never had that problem. I knew I was attractive, and I knew I was smart. I wasn’t looking hard enough, though, not until Liam shoved a metaphorical mirror so close to my face that my nose was touching the glass. It was only then I truly saw that, in many ways, he was right. I was alone, and I was lonely. I had always accepted that, and I made sure never to think about it. It wasn’t until we were in the forest that I actually understood. Losing Orlando hurt underneath everything, even when I saw that coming. Liam though . . . that bullet, I didn’t see it coming, and in a moment, he could have been gone.
No one to fight, laugh, or rule with. I frowned to myself, taking another sip of the brandy before placing it on the counter. It also meant no one to sleep next to and no one to talk to. I could speak to others. However, I could only talk to Liam, because somehow he . . . I didn’t know. I could just talk with him, and in a second, stupid fucking Neal almost took him away. “Where is the brandy?”
I jumped at the sound of his voice. The mirror was so foggy I hadn’t even noticed when he walked in.
Turning to him, my eyes went straight to the bandage that was wrapped over his shoulder and around his waist. When I did glance up, he was looking me over as if I was water and he was a man in the desert.
I hadn’t realized until then that I was standing completely naked while he stood in pajama pants.
“Li—”
His lips were on mine, before I could get the words out. My hand went to his hair, kissing him just as hard as he was kissing me. He tasted like honey, and I didn’t want to let go of him. But I had to.
Breaking away, I took a deep breath, preparing to speak when his lips went to my neck.
“Liam we need to—”
He gripped my nipple, and I felt a moan ripple out of my throat. When his tongue began to trail down from my neck toward my breasts, I began pulling on this hair.
“Jesus! Fuck, Liam! Stop!” I yelled, and he froze, slowly ripping himself from me to look down at me. In his eyes I saw confusion, frustration . . . and hurt.
Letting me go completely, he took a step back, shaking his head. “Sorry. I just came in search of the brandy.”
He frowned, reaching around me, but I grabbed it first.
“You shouldn’t mix alcohol and pain killers,” I said quickly. He glared at me before spotting my hands. I wasn’t sure why I only then noticed the dry blood that was still on them . . . Neal’s blood, maybe a little of Declan’s as well.
Don’t ask, Liam.
“What the fuck happened to your hand?”
Damn it, just listen to me once.
“Neal was the one who shot you,” I replied, waiting to see how he would react, but he didn’t look surprised.
“That doesn’t explain your hand.”
“I said your idiot brother shot you, and all you care about is my hand?” He should be out there kicking his brother’s ass.
“Yes, because you’re my wife.” He sighed. “I will deal with Neal when I’m not on drugs.”
Turning away from him, I took off my ring to wash my hands. “I handled it.”
“You killed Neal?” he whispered, stepping up right behind me. Warmth radiated off him like waves. I felt myself leaning into him, closing my eyes, and relaxing as I rested my head on his chest. That is, until I remembered he had a bullet wound and stood straighter.
“No, I didn’t.” I should have. “I tasered him after beating into his face and stabbing Declan.”
I prepared myself for his bitching, but when I turned to him, he was smiling. He must have been on some really good drugs.
“Let me get this straight. You stabbed Declan. And attacked and tasered Neal while I was out?” he asked, and I nodded. He was going to find out anyway.
“You show affection in the oddest ways,” he said, kissing my forehead and grabbing the brandy.
But once again, I took it from him, placing it on the counter again. “Not with pills.”
“You’ve got to be kidding me! Give me the bottle, Melody.” He groaned, reaching for it.
But I poked his wound, causing him to hiss and flinch back. “No, means no, Liam.”
“This is the worst thing you’ve ever done to me.” He frowned like a six-year-old boy.
“I shot you, stabbed your brother, tasered your cousin, and almost cracked open your ex-girlfriend’s skull—”
“My ex-girlfriend?”
“Shit. I didn’t mean to say that.” I bit my lip. “Natasha and I met in the bathroom at church. She said some things, and I put her head through the glass. So, no, withholding brandy isn’t the worst thing I’ve ever done to you.”
Once again, his lips found mine, but only for a second before he broke away.
“In my eyes it is,” he whispered. “I have two pleasures in this world. One is you, Melody Callahan, and the second brandy. Withholding them both is just plain cruel and borderline inhumane.”
And just like that, something clicked in my mind. Here I was standing naked in front of him, not only in body, but with my “sins” as well, and he didn’t care. He saw the deepest and dirtiest parts of my soul and mind but didn’t care. In fact, he wanted to stay in the darkness with me. Just him, me, and the fucking brandy.
“They’re both just temporary holds. You can have them once you’re feeling better,” I whispered back, kissing his lips softly before pulling away.
His eyes widened as my words set in. Grabbing hold of my waist, he pulled me closer to him. Bringing his lips to my ear, his hard-on pressed against my stomach.
“I won’t feel better if I don’t have you now,” he replied, biting my neck and making me want him even more.
I moaned, rubbing against him. “Liam, you’re hurt.”
Pulling me away from the sink, he pushed me against the bathroom door. “Mel, I plan on fucking your brains out.” He pulled the drawstring on his pants. His dick was pointed right at me, and I closed my legs trying to think clearly.
“You want me to fuck you against this door.” He whispered staring into my eyes. He held me prisoner with almost no effort at all.
Think Melody.
“I want to hear you scream my name.” He rubbed against me as he spoke. “You want me inside of you. I can feel it,” he added, licking up my neck while using his good arm to grab my ass.
“You’re going to be so sore in the morning,” I choked out as he sucked away. The warmth of the steam along with his body made me feel like I was on fire. I couldn’t even think. All I could do was feel him, and he felt amazing.
“If I do my job, you will be, too.” He smirked. “So just stop fighting this once and let me have you, wife.”
I couldn’t speak because he didn’t wait for a reply. Instead, he plunged so deeply into me that my head went back. Moaning, I grabbed his neck, wrapping my legs around his waist as held me against the door, going deeper and deeper with each thrust.
“I’ll take that as a yes.” He moaned, pulling out once more only to slam back within me. “I’ve wanted to fuck you against the door for a long time.” He smiled at me while he rammed into me over and over again.
I couldn’t even make a sentence. I couldn’t speak. I could barely see because my eyes rolled back.
“I wanted it to be hard,” he added, pulling my hands from his neck and holding them above my head.
“I wanted it to be rough,” he said, and it was like he let the animal out of the cage as he thrust into my body repeatedly, giving me no time to think or even move. All I could do was accept and moan like a bitch . . . his bitch.
He let go of my hands to grab my waist, and I let out a scream of pure pleasure as I came against the force of his cock. He didn’t let up, fucking me harder and harder until he thrust so deeply my voice cracked as he came. When he let go of me, I felt my legs release him. But I was too weak to stand and slid to the floor. I took in the warm air greedily but when I looked up, all I saw was his erection.
How is that humanly possible? I thought as I stared at him in shock. He had stamina like I had never seen. Looking down at me, he stroked himself, which in return only made me want him again.
LIAM
Sitting up, I grabbed the bottle of pain meds, taking two with a glass of water and not brandy like I should have. Mel could have her way for now. Looking down at the sleeping beauty beside me, I waited for the guilt to kick in. However, it was nowhere to be found. I had tricked her, and I didn’t fucking regret it because I now had what I wanted. I had her. I felt it, the shift in her, as we had our way with one another. We went from the bathroom, to the shower, to the bed, where she helped me redress my wound before we fucked again. My shoulder, like she had said, hurt like a bitch, but it was worth it because I had her. I did what I needed to do to get my wife, and there was no fucking taking it back.
She knew now. She knew I was hers and she was mine, and now we could move the fuck forward. It felt like the longest war but it was over now, and we were both victors. One day, when we were about to die of old age, I would tell her. But for now, I would shut this away and never speak of it again. All I had to do was make sure my brother and cousin kept their mouths shut. If they didn’t, I would kill them . . . and I meant it.
Trying my best to ignore the pain, I lifted myself from the bed, grabbing a pair of jeans and a jacket. I had thought I was quiet, however Mel sat up, rubbing her eyes as she tried to focus on me. Fuck, she was beautiful.
“Where are you going?” She yawned, and it was cute.
“I’m going to have some words with my brother.” I grinned. Walking over to her side, I kissed her cheek, and she accepted it without a glare or flinch.
The pain was worth it.
“Come back to bed. We can kill him when the sun is up.” She smiled, pulling on my jacket, and I was tempted, but I needed to make sure this didn’t blow up in my face. I didn’t want to lose her.
“I will be right back.” I kissed her lips. I couldn’t stop kissing her. “I’m not going to kill him. My mother is fond of him. However, I will express how I feel in other ways.”
She rolled her eyes at me before falling back on the bed. “Fine, but if you change your mind, Cascadia is the best place to hide a body. So much forest, and so few witnesses.”
God, I loved her.
“I’ll keep that in mind.” I laughed, walking out the door. The moment I did, I was hit with fresh air. I had to give it to her; the camp location was beautifully hidden in the midst of the forest. It was large enough to fit all our men, with ten or eleven houses and one dining hall at the far end.
Seeing me, Eric limped over. The poor fuck.
“Neal and Declan are in the dining hall,” he stated. Nodding, I walked slower so he could walk beside me.
“How is your leg?” I asked, trying my best not to smirk. Melody and her handiwork.
“Doctor said it will be like this for another four or five months. I think your wife hates me, sir.”
I couldn’t help it. I laughed even though the pain ached in my chest.
“Don’t take it personally. She hates everyone equally. At least she didn’t stab you.”
“The men were thinking of starting an injured by BM club,” he said, and I stopped.
“BM?” What the fuck were they calling my wife?
“Bloody Melody,” he answered quickly.
It fit. The moment she found out, though, they were all going to prove that name right. Shaking my head at him, I continued forward.
“None of you call me anything do you?” If they did, I would kill them myself.
Eric tensed, and I didn’t even bother pushing. When I stepped into the dining hall, everyone shut up immediately. My eyes narrowed in on Declan, who was hunched over a bowl of food and looking a little pale. Next to him was Neal, who appeared to be in much better shape, even with a broken nose, a black eye, a spilt lip, and what looked to be a choke hold bruise on his neck. He would live.
“Don’t you just love my wife?” I asked them loudly, causing the men to either laugh or grin like fools.
Antonio stood up with a mug filled with what had to be alcohol. “Lunga vita alla Regina!”
“Fada beo an Banríon!” My men yelled back in Irish.
Long live the queen, indeed.
They had been here, what, two days? Maybe three if I’d slept for as long as I thought, yet here they were, drinking and laughing at one another.
Grinning along with them, I nodded over at Neal and Declan who were both glaring at me. Rising, they followed as I walked from the dining hall to the shade of the trees. Declan moved slower than usual, as did Neal.
“So how are you?” I asked them, trying not to laugh.
Declan stepped forward, nose flared and eyes wide. He was pissed.
“You fucking two-bit asshole of a dick! You are fucked in the head. Your wife stabbed me! She fucking stabbed me, Liam! Have you ever been stabbed? This bitch”—he pointed to Neal—“was the one who fucking shot you, and he only gets tasered! All I did was try to calm her down. What kind of bullshit is that?”
I laughed. I couldn’t help it. Even though it hurt like a son of a bitch all I could do was laugh. It was so fucking funny. I hadn’t ever laughed like this before my Mel came along.
“Why did you even try in the first place? She shot me in the thigh when she was calm. I’m surprised she didn’t do more.”
Declan shook his head, and I could see the rage building in his eyes. “I fucking hate you all!”
With that he walked away. Slowly, the big baby.
Neal stood still, not saying a thing and waiting for me to live up to my side of the deal. Part of me had hoped he would fail so I could hate him, but it was time to move forward. He did what I asked. Sighing, I reached out for his hand.
“There will be times where I’m still going to be an asshole to you,” I said when he took my hand. “However, I promise to move forward, brother. I will not hold the past against you any longer. I will no longer hate you for it. I still dislike your wife, but I don’t hate you.”
“Can you just do that? Can you let go of the hate?”
“Automatically, no. However, you’re the reason why my wife and I had mind-blowing sex last night and will continue to. That’s enough to make me at least want to have a beer with you. After now, we never speak of this moment again, and let Declan know.” I had told him the truth, and he looked . . . lighter, like someone had taken the world off his shoulders for once.
“Thank you, Liam.”
“Well, the first few beers are on you. That shit hurt!” I winced and grabbed my chest before walking away.
Walking back to our cabin, I found myself feeling lighter as well. Things in my personal life were finally making sense. All I had to do was kill Vance, Saige, Amory, the police, and then take over the rest of the country, plus Europe. All of which was possible thanks to my wife. Thanks to my Mel.
As if she could read my mind, the moment I walked in I found my beautiful wife dressed in my shirt, sitting on our bed with files and a laptop around her.
“The life of a mafia couple.” I smirked, taking off my jacket slowly while trying not to wince at the pain.
“It’s a bloody but necessary one,” she said, handing me a file as I lay back down.
“They are calling you Bloody Melody now.” I smirked at her, flipping through what looked to be more coded letters from Saige.
She stopped and frowned. “That doesn’t strike enough fear into the hearts of men and woman everywhere.”
“Oh, it does. They fear and respect you. Maybe more than me.” I pouted, and she smiled, bending down to kiss my lips.
“You could blow up the police commissioner’s house for trying to break into our downtown factory.”
She smiled, causing me to rise up quickly. Maybe a little bit too quickly but I ignored the pain.
“What the fuck?” I shouted, searching for the file she was talking about, but she simply handed me the laptop.
“That is our meth lab in Orland Park, isn’t it?” she asked, even though we both knew it was.
“How the fuck did he get in there?” I snapped, watching as the idiot and his men broke into the factory. So much for personal rights.
Mel picked up Saige’s coded letters. “Apparently Vance is tipping them off as a way to keep us distracted.”
Taking the letters, I raked through them quickly.
“This could be a trap. Saige could be writing these as bullets for us to pick up and shoot ourselves with.” I didn’t know this Saige well enough yet. But from what I did know, she was a snake in the grass and someone needed to cut off her head before she fed and grew.
“I thought the same thing and had Fedel contact Ryan after we first got off the jet. Apparently, Saige forgets things constantly and needs to write everything down. Amory has her computer coded weekly so no one can hack in. Ryan is a big help with that. But I’m not ruling out anything yet. Right now we do still have a police rat outside our door,” she replied looking at the computer screen.
“Declan put a bomb under his house,” I said, reminding myself. Mel flipped the channel to the small and modest family home in the Chicago suburbs. He must have kept it even after he lost his family. It was kind of sad.
She handed me a cell phone, and I smiled. Pressing send and watching the house go up in flames was like watching fireworks during New Years. Now it wasn’t so sad anymore.
Flipping back to the factory, I dialed the site number and pressed send once more for the heck of it, and Mel turned to me wide-eyed.
“What the fuck did you just do?” she gasped, staring at the screen.
“Too many people knew about the place. We were having meth-heads show up at the door. I had everything moved from there a month ago.” The commissioner would have found nothing anyway.
Mel smiled, but in a flash it was out as we spotted the commissioner’s stupid, Smokey the Bear sidekick helping his boss out.
“Some rats just don’t know when to die.”
Kissing her neck, I pulled her toward me. “In due time, love. In due time. We will make them all suffer.”
“And then we kill them?”
I grinned. “Then we will kill them. One by one, until all that’s left are bloodstains.”
As she relaxed into me, we watched the police officers who weren’t so lucky get burned alive. I counted six running around like chickens with their heads cut off. However, I wasn’t sure if there were any still inside the burning building.
“He’s going to try to pin this on us.” Mel smirked, drinking my brandy.
“I hope he does. Now I have a reason to go annoy Judge Randal.” What’s the point of having a judge on the payroll if you never get to use him?
“And Senator Colemen,” she added and looked to me. “You know, I’ve never killed someone in pajamas before.”
“Neither have I. May we always remember our first,” I replied, taking her lips with mine. This was how it should have been from the start. She and I setting the world on fire together.