A Bloody Kingdom (Ruthless People Book 4) (33 page)

“Governor Callahan, after all of the effort you’ve put into reshape this city, these recent events prove to be the worst of your career.”

“Will you still make a run for president?”

“Do the events of the last couple weeks once again put a cloud over Chicago?”

“Ladies and gentleman, we are in the wake of a tragedy, please show some restraint. As I said, no further questions.” Bruce calmly berated them; it was no secret he wanted Mina’s job, and though he knew he couldn’t have it, he still did his best to stand with his head tall.

Walking away from the podium, I headed out the side door, entering the hall.

“Fucking annoyance,” I hissed out when we stepped into the hall.

“This will pass. You’ve gotten through worse, ma’am. Everyone knows this city was on the brink of chaos before you stepped in.” Bruce stepped in front of me, reaching into his ugly ass sweater vest for his phone. Ignoring him, I walked right past him and toward my office, my heels clicking against the marble floor. I couldn’t even think of them now; the most important thing was finding Emilio.

“Your husband, ma’am.” Bruce handed me the phone as I headed into my office

“Did you get her?”

“She’s dead and I think Emilio is going to—”

“Aaagh…” I gasped out, dropping the phone as my body jerked backward and I fell to the ground. I reached up for the wire around my neck, which was cutting off the air to my lungs.

“You are a damn fine governor, ma’am, and it’s been a pleasure working for you, but I just got orders and Emilio isn’t the type of man you let down.” Bruce sneered, spit coming from his mouth. My nails broke against my own skin and neck as I tried to pull the wire off.

“Ugh!” I reached for the lamp but only managed to grab the edge of the wooden table. My whole body relaxed as my vision blurred.

Five.

Four.

Three.

Two.

One.

Dying at the hands of this prick?
No.

When he removed the wire from my neck, I didn’t breathe or move.

“It’s done,” he said into the phone. “What do you mean am I sure? I’m looking at her—”

Grabbing him by the bow tie, I pulled him down as I brought my head up and slammed it into his nose. Spinning onto my knees, I took the lamp and smashed it into his head.

“God—”

Screaming, I charged at him as he stumbled away from me. I rammed his body into the grandfather clock and grabbed a piece of glass, then shoved it into his eyes.

“Fuck!”

Moving back, I grabbed the wire he had dropped and pulled it around his neck. “This how you choke someone out, you little cunt!”

He elbowed me a few times, trying to roll over, but I pulled harder, the wire digging into my palms. “It’s a shame, you’re a damn good kiss-ass, but I’m alpha here, have been since day fucking one, and alphas don’t get fucked over by bitches.”

I pulled hard and the wire dug into his Adam’s apple, blood pouring from his neck and onto my hands. When he fell to my feet, I took a few deep breaths, closing my eyes and backing up to my desk as I reached up to rub my neck. I stood there for a second before moving to pull out my favorite gun, a stainless Beretta M9, checking the chamber—

“Melody!”

I held the gun straight up as he came in. Liam’s eyes widened as he stared at the gun in my hands, the bruises around my neck, and the dead secretary on the government seal between us.

“Motherfucker.” He spat at him.

Putting the gun down, I leaned forward.

“There isn’t anyone out there, is there?” I nodded to the door behind him.

“Your office is empty but there is still some security,” he replied. I reached for my bottom drawer to pull out a bottle of my favorite red wine.

“Looks like my dear older brother is bringing the fight to me.” I lifted the bottle to him before taking a long drink.

He walked over to me and I handed him the bottle. He didn’t drink, just lifted my chin to see my neck.

“I’m fine.”

“That’s for me to decide,” he said seriously.

“Since when?”

“Since I married you. Now hold still.” He pulled out a napkin from his jacket pocket, wiping off the blood from my neck.

“We don’t have time for this—”

BANG!
The first shot seemed to echo throughout the whole building, followed by screams and even more gunshots.

“Called it.” I sighed, lifting up one of my guns for him.

He pulled out his instead, a standard black edition. A grin played on his lips as he said, “Drinks and cigars on the rooftop when we’re finished?”

“On account of my recent heart surgery, I think we should find a new tradition.” I smiled.

He struggled. “Smoothies, then? We’ll even be like those annoying girls at the mall and ask for extra kale.”

Before I could reply, both our heads snapped to the door when we heard a gun cock. We dove under the desk as the bullets came flying in.

“You don’t go to the mall, how do you know about these
girls?
” I yelled over the bullets.

He looked at me, stunned. “Really, you’re going to argue with my joke right now?”

When the bullets stopped, we both turned back around the desk and fired. I hit one of them in the chest and Liam hit the head of the other before we turned back inward.

“It was a simple question; why are you so defensive?”

He cracked his jaw to the side, about to say something, when we heard one of them step on the broken glass.

Liam looked through one of the bullet holes in the desk before nodding to me. Distracting him with a shot at his feet, I rose up, gun in both hands, firing back. When they all dropped, Liam rushed to their bodies and picked up the rifles.

“I’m getting too old for this shit!” he grumbled, throwing me one as I rushed to the door.

“Stay then, babe, have a tea party while you’re at it.”

“Melody, baby, do me a favor and cock it,” he snapped at me and I licked my lips for him, slowly stepping out of the door.

“Whenever you want—”

“Melody!” he screamed, rushing me just as I heard the soft beep. It was odd, I felt nothing for a good second before our bodies crashed into the wall, the painting of Abraham Lincoln shattering and falling on top of Liam’s back. Liam pushed it off, hovering over me.

“Are you okay?” I asked him.

“Fuck, I think my legs broke, but I’ll live. Declan’s taking his sweet ass time.”

“That’s good.”

“Mel?” He sat up, looking me over, his eyes widening at the shard of glass lodged in my stomach like a fashion accessory. “Melody!”

“I’m fine,” I lied, putting my hands around it. “Honest Abe here—ahh I got nothin’, sorry.”

“Melody, breathe. Baby, it’s okay. It’s not nothing, just a flesh wound.” He was lying too.

“I know.” I forced a smile. “Which is why it’s good you’re not too hurt…oh…cause…cause…”

“Melody!” He shook me. “Melody, keep your eyes open okay?”

“Liam, I’m fine, just sore.”
Liar. Liar. Liar.
“I…need…you to kick my brother’s ass, okay? I’m going to wait for you here.”

“Melody—”

“He’ll kill us, and I really want my smoothie on the roof.”

He froze. He just kept staring at me, not even blinking, and I was sure that was why a tear came out of his left eye. They must have been burning with how long he kept them open.

“Liam, you looking at me like that is freaking me out.” Still nothing. “GO—”

He kissed me hard and I didn’t like it, not at all, but I kissed him back.

“If you die I will
never
forgive you, wife. Never,” he said when he broke away, pulling off his suit jacket and placing it over me.

I didn’t answer, just nodded…but I hoped to God he would forgive me. I waited until I saw him leave before I broke out into tears, sobbing for the first time in so long.

“Ugh…I’m sorry. I’m so sorry,” I whispered over and over again, Ethan, Dona, and Wyatt on my mind.

LIAM

9:17 AM

I was on fire…or at least, that’s what it felt like. My whole body ached, but not as badly as my leg did. I was now one hundred percent sure I had broken it, but that was nothing in comparison to the excruciating pain in my chest with each step. Limping forward, I saw Melody, saw the piece of glass, and I saw the relaxed expression on her face like she knew…
No. No.
She wasn’t going to—

BANG

“UGH!” I hissed, falling onto my back as the bullet went through my shoulder.
Shit!
I had taken off my jacket, which had also doubled as my bulletproof vest.

“You know, Callahan, this was all a little too easy for my liking,” he said, bending down over me. “But then again, everyone who you’ve faced so far wanted power, they wanted what you had; I, on the other hand, don’t give a damn. I’m here to watch it all burn.”

Every moment I wasted with this cocker was a moment away from her.

“My father spent his life building this. Melody spent her life building it, and for what? This city will move on when you die. The people you’ve protected will find new bosses. What is the point?”

“Ugh!” I hissed, my teeth clenched together as he pressed down on my leg.

“Those are just a few of the questions I wanted to ask my father, but the old man just had to die. All that talk of me being strong and he croaks, damn hypocrite—”

“I don’t give a fuck!” I pulled out the knife at my side and reached over, stabbing him in the shoulder before rolling away, lifting the gun up, and shooting into his chest.

He flew back, and I knew I had hit his vest. Twisting onto my elbows, I pushed myself up off the ground. “You got daddy issues? Get in line!”

He laughed, pushing himself off the floor, pulling the knife out of his shoulder, and dropping it. Turning to me, he also dropped the gun in his hands before raising them. “Let’s fight it out, man to man. I can see it in your eyes: you want to beat the shit of me, right? Let’s see if you really can, with that golden spoon hanging out of your mouth—has daddy’s favorite ever even been in a real fight? DO YOU EVEN KNOW WHAT IT IS LIKE…no, the Callahan fucking happy-go-lucky fam—”

“You know that part in the movie where the villain makes his grand speech about why the hell he’s so fucked up and does bad things?” I cut in before lifting the gun. “I hate that part the most.”

BANG.

The bullet hit his neck and he fell to his knees.

Turning from him, I tried to move back toward her, but I couldn’t. Everything blurred together and before I could stop myself or brace for the impact, I was on my stomach.

“CHICAGO PD!”

Of course…now they come. There were very few things you could count on in this Chicago; the Cubs always won the opening game, the city was always windy, and the police could never get their asses anywhere on time.

9:24 AM

I could hear them over me, but I couldn’t open my eyes, they felt so heavy.

“He’s losing a lot of blood here Jerry!”

“ETA four minutes!”

“How’s his leg looking?”

My wife…what about Melody?

MINA

11:57 AM

“Talk to me, please,” I whispered, reaching out for his hand, but he pulled away from me, turning his head. Since he had woken up, he hadn’t said a word or even opened his eyes. He just sat there in silent, agonizing rage, and I wasn’t sure what to say to him. I didn’t know how to fix this.

“Neal…” Again I reached out to touch his thigh, but he grabbed my arm, gripping tightly.

“Just go.” His voice was stern and stiff, nothing at all like the man I had married. “Take the kids and go.”

“No.” I pulled my arm away.

“Goddamn it, Mina! GO! LEAVE!” He screamed, his chest puffing up and down like a bull. “I can barely look at myself and I can’t stand for you to look at me too.”

“Why wouldn’t I look at you, Neal? You’re my husband, aren’t you?”

He didn’t answer, just turned his head from me. “Mina…please.”

I wanted to argue. I wanted to beg him…but instead I got up, kissed the side of his head, and walked out. Shutting the door behind me, I took a breath and leaned against the door. Just as I was about to slide down, I felt Sedric’s tiny little hand tug on my shirt.

“Mommy?”

“Hey, buddy.” I bent down in front of him, cupping his cheeks.

“Can we see Dad now?” he asked. I glanced over at Nari, who kept staring at the door. Reaching over, I pulled them both into a hug.

“Not yet, buddy. He’s very…tired.”

“But he said I could talk to him whenever.” He tried to push away.

“Sedric!”

We all jumped when we saw Helen grinning widely and running toward us. Behind her was Cora with baby Darcy.

“Sedric, I missed you!” Helen wrapped her arms around him, but Sedric tried to pull away.

“Why? Are you going to put makeup on me again?” He frowned.

“No, we are going to paint your nails. Come on, Nari!” She linked arms with both of them and pulled them away.

Nari dragged her feet “But my dad—”

“Nana says a girl should always have her nails done, it says she takes care of herself. You don’t want Uncle Neal to think you aren’t taking care yourself do you?” she replied, totally defeating Nari.

“Your daughter is smart,” I said tiredly to Cora, who smiled proudly.

“I know, and I take all the credit.”

We both laughed, but it was short-lived. She looked over my shoulder. “How is he?”

“In shock.”
As anyone who loses a limb would be.

“Give it time…he might lash out and push you away, but it’s honestly the last thing he wants. Take it from me. The more we say ‘leave me alone’, the more we mean ‘don’t let go.’” The image of her undergoing cancer treatments flooded my mind. I hadn’t been part of the family then, but I had seen how much she and Declan had suffered.

“Cora. Mina.” Evelyn came toward us, her eyes red. God only knew how painful the situation must have been for her.

“Evelyn he’s going to—” I started to say, but she cut in, taking a step back and trying to remain composed.

“I’ve gotten a jet ready. We need to have everyone back in Chicago as soon as possible. I’ve already spoken to the hospital about Neal.”