Melody's POV

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.