When Melody released me, I grinned like an idiot, enjoying how she looked as she licked me clean.
“Better?” the voice of Coraline asked, making me see clearly again.
I was going to hell. Damn it.
“Thank you, sweetheart.” I kissed her forehead as I put my dick back in my pants. What the fuck was wrong with me?
Melody was not my wife. Coraline was my wife, and Coraline was great. Fuck me, I was going to hell.
Taking Coraline’s hand, I tried not to think. I tried really hard not to think of her. I was going to figure out something to make Coraline and me better because she deserved better than this. I, as her husband, owed her better than this. I would be better than this.
I took her hand and kissed it.
“Ready?” I asked her. She nodded, stepping out of the car.
I would be better . . . for her.
SIXTEEN
“It is only if the murderer is a good man
that he can be regarded as monstrous.”
~ Graham Greene
MELODY
“I know you’re awake,” he said coldly, as he stepped in from the bathroom. Opening my eyes, I watched as he tied his tie.
“I wasn’t hiding the fact that I was. Is there a meeting I do not know of?” I replied, sitting up. It was six thirty-two in the morning. Why the fuck was he getting dressed at the ass-crack of dawn?
He sighed, bored, before turning around. “Yes. However, you do not need to concern yourself with it seeing as it is a personal one. The moment the conversation shifts to shooting puppies in the street, I will call you.”
Kill him. Cut his fucking balls off and shove them down his throat.
I could feel my eyebrow twitch at the tone of his voice. He was talking to me as if I was a fucking child.
“You—”
“As much as I enjoy our verbal assaults, Melody, I really do have to get going,” he said, walking toward the door. “I will meet you in the car for church. If you feel like ranting then, by all means, scream your head off.”
I didn’t even think. One moment I was trying to breathe, next thing I knew, my hand was under the pillow and I was firing at him. However, nothing happened. Instead, Liam shook his head.
“Gun under the pillow? I hope you didn’t think I was just going to leave it loaded,” he asked, ice dripping from his voice.
“You touched my gun!”
“I’ve touched more than your gun. Get over it,” he said, closing the door as he left.
The blood in my veins was boiling so badly, my skin was turning red.
Grabbing my phone, I tried not to yell when I heard the other voice on the line.
“Fedel, are you ready to redeem yourself?” I asked. I could almost hear him jumping out of bed.
“Yes, ma’am, anything,” he replied right away.
“Liam has a breakfast this morning. I want every goddamn detail. He sneezes, I want to know about it.”
“Of course, where is he?”
“I don’t fucking know! Do your job!” I screamed before hurling the phone at the wall, shattering it and the mirror it hit. Running my hands through my hair, I tried my best to breathe, but I was pissed off. I wanted to kill him. I wanted to kill something! But I couldn’t—not now at least—so I stood still, breathing slowly, shutting out the world around me. I didn’t allow myself to think, just breathe. I wasn’t sure how long I stood still. All I knew was that my boiling blood was becoming cold.
“Ma’am.” Blinking, I came face to face with Adriana. “I’m sorry, ma’am, but you’ve been like this for an hour and you need to get ready for mass.”
I stared at her before turning to the clock, and sure enough it was seven forty-seven. Nodding, I walked into the bathroom.
“Adriana, I need a new phone,” I said before stripping down and heading into the shower. As much as I enjoyed the warmth of the water as it beat against my skin, I needed to get a move on.
My father always said, never keep God waiting. When I stepped out, Adriana was already waiting with a towel.
“Adriana, you will not be going to Camp with us,” I told her as I dried out my hair.
“Did I do something to upset you?”
“No, I simply have another assignment for you,” I replied, dropping the towel and reaching for my underwear. “While we are gone, you are to train Coraline Callahan in hand-to-hand combat. She wants to learn how to shoot as well, but she will fail at it. Teach her the basics on knives. She may be good at that.”
Adriana handed me a blue dress with a white bow on the front to step into.
“How far am I to go, ma’am?” she asked. I knew she was worried about Declan.
Placing my earrings on, I thought for a moment. “Make sure any scars or bruises are not visible and that she treats them quickly. Give her safety knives first.”
She placed my shoes before me and nodded. “Is that all, ma’am?”
“Yes, and don’t go soft on her. Make sure she understands it only gets worse after Day One before it gets better,” I replied, stepping into my shoes before sitting down so she could place a little bit of make up on my face.
Before she could reply, there was a knock at the door.
“Enter,” I called out. Fedel walked in quickly with a camera in his hands.
“Good morning—”
“Did he see you?” I asked, stretching my hand out for the camera.
“No.”
As I looked through the pictures, I felt my anger return. He sat across from a blonde bimbo, leaning in close to her stupid fucking face.
“Her name is Natasha Briar. She attended the wedding with Amory. She came after Declan and Neal met him for breakfast. They spoke for a few moments, and when he headed toward the back, she followed. Twelve minutes later, he headed back into his car, where he then went to a boxing club in south end.”
Do not overreact, my mind screamed as my throat closed up.
Standing, I placed the camera down and grabbed my sunglasses along with my purse before walking out of the room. I wasn’t going to think or say anything until later. Right now, I just needed to breathe and stay calm. I would kill him, but not on a Sunday. I didn’t kill anyone on Sundays, even if I really wanted to. Stepping outside the doors, I watched as everyone spoke among themselves. I wasn’t sure how far away the location of Liam’s breakfast was, but he was back and speaking quickly to Neal. He stopped when his eyes caught mine.
Evelyn smiled. “You look beautiful, dear.”
“Thank you, Evelyn, as do you,” I said as I walked toward Liam’s Audi. His driver held the door open, and I sat inside.
When Liam stepped in, newly showered and dressed, he didn’t bother looking at me. Instead, he focused on his phone. In my mind, all I saw were the photos, and it made me want to stuff the phone down his throat.
“Remember to pretend as if you care about anything. There is always a chance for a photo of us to be taken.”
Fuck you.
Nodding, I looked out the window to see the same church we had gotten married in, only a block away. I did my best not to think about my wedding. It only reminded me of my father. When he took my hand, but I flinched away, and he smiled sadly, shaking his head before tightening his grip.
“Do what you do best and lie,” he whispered as he helped me out of the car. Sure enough, there were a few photographers. You would think they would have more respect. We were going to church for God’s sake.