"I wanna stay," Sedric whined.

Helen dragged her feet. "Me, too."

"Nope." She pulled harder and out the door.

"Night, Ethan."

"Goodnight!" I called out after them and when they were gone, I felt even more tired. Pulling off all my clothes, I crawled into bed and wrapped the sheets around me two times. As I closed my eyes, I couldn't help but remember the...the screams, all the screaming, and the booms. I couldn't help but see Dona and Wyatt.

I didn't care what happened or who else got hit, just not them.

Mommy would cry if it hit them. I had only seen Mom cry once and that was when I was a baby and Wyatt was sick. I never wanted to see it again.

Rule 56. Never let Mom cry.

MELODY.

"Citizens of Chicago, I stand before you not only as your governor but as a mother of three children at Pennington Academy. I understand the fear. I understand your anger, and most importantly, I understand your desire for justice, which can never cover the pain. We lost nine innocent children at the one place where they should be the safest. I...I want to assure you all that none of us will rest until the shooter is found. The FBI is already in contact with the Chicago PD. As for the families of the victims, we've already met, only briefly, as I know they need time as a family to mourn. I can give no further information as this is an ongoing investigation-"

"Governor! Governor!"

"Governor, what is going on in this city? Just this morning Mayor Weston was forced to resign in light of allegations of prostitution and bribery. Then later Deputy Commissioner Cheung was found to be part of a child slavery and prostitution ring, now this shooting. It feels like, despite all your best efforts, Chicago is reverting back to its former infamy. Do you have any comments?"

"Yes. First, what is your name?"

"Phoebe Salinger, with NKB News."

"Okay. Second, you're a fucking idiot, Phoebe Salinger with NKB News."

"Madam Governor, would you like to explain-"

"Would I like to explain why you are a fucking idiot? No problem. I'm not sure you have enough brain cells left to figure it out yourself. Nine kids died today. Nine. At the school my children attend. I've spent the last few hours speaking with the FBI, local police, and the families of the victims, meaning I was unable to go home and see my own children. It is the mayor's duty to speak out during times like these, but this city currently has no mayor, so I stepped up. Instead of focusing on the tragedy at hand, you want me to take the time to comment about two men and their sexual exploits? If you want to be a news reporter, Ms. Salinger, report the news. If you want to make shocking headlines, start a blog and get the hell out."

"There you have it, ladies and gentlemen. Governor Callahan's verbal ass-whipping of a reporter from-"

"That's enough radio, thank you." Mina nodded up to the driver while I leaned back into the leather seat, unable to look away from the tablet in my hands. Ethan, Wyatt, and Dona...they all slept perfectly. I had even heard Dona snoring softly. My mind was reeling with so much rage, I didn't know what to do with myself. I wasn't sure what to even say. I wanted to kill them. I was going to burn the Tiyng family to the ground.

"If you keep gripping on it like that it's going to break, Mel." Mina reached over, yanking the tablet from my hands as we pulled up to the mansion.

I didn't even wait for the car to come to a stop before I opened the door and raced up the stairs.

"Welcome-" Our butler started to greet me, but he passed by in a flash as I ran, skipping every other stair as I made it first to Ethan's room.

"Ethan?" I called, not caring if I woke him or not. He rolled over as I moved over to him. I noticed once again he had chosen to sleep naked; it made me smile because I remembered how he was when he first figured out how to take off his diaper. The moment he had the chance he would take off his clothes and diaper, hold the diaper above his head, and run all over the halls. It was fucking hilarious. The whole family would try to catch him, even Evelyn, and none of us did-correction, none of us wanted to. He would just keep laughing and laughing as if nothing else made him happier than being chased after.

"Mama?" He rolled back over when I brushed his messy hair away from his eyes, tracing the mark on his eyebrow. Was he hurt?

"Mio bel leoncino."

"You're home." He turned back over, giving me a hug. "I missed you."

Swallowing slowly, I kissed his head and forehead. "I missed you too...I'm sorry I'm late."

"It's okay. Daddy always says your job is important. Everybody knows you. The girls in my class think you're really pretty, too." He grinned, rubbing his eyes. He sat up and the moment he noticed he was naked, he pulled the sheets up and fell back down.

"Who are you hiding from? I remember the times you used to run around the whole house naked-"

"Mom!" His muffled voice came from under the covers. Hugging him tightly, I kissed all over his sheets before I let him go.

"Get some sleep okay? I'm not going to work tomorrow."

"Okay! Love ya." He still wouldn't look up from the covers.

"Love ya more," I said softly, moving toward Dona and Wyatt's room. When I saw her rubbing her nose with one hand and gripping tightly on to that silly elephant, I took a deep breath once again, fixing her blanket.

"Mommy?"

"Wyatt?" I turned back and he was staring at me, smiling even though it looked like he wanted to cry. "Why are you still awake?"

"I was waiting for you." He patted the side of his bed.

Lying down beside him, I touched the mark on his upper lip. "What happened?"

He didn't answer, just covered his mouth behind his hand.

"Wyatt?"

"Does Daddy hate me?"

"What?" Of all the things I'd imagined him ever asking me that had never even crossed my mind. "Wyatt, baby, how can you ever think that?"

He shrugged. "I'm not like Ethan. Everybody talks about Ethan. At school, at home, even when we help on Sundays. He's smart and the teachers want to move him up a grade. He and Daddy go out all the time. Every time something happens, he always does the things Daddy would want him to do. He just knows. All the Irish people say he's just like Daddy was as a kid. Even Uncle Neal and Uncle Declan say it. I can't do anything right. I try and try but...I'm no good, Mommy."

I heard the door squeak and instinctively turned. I saw Liam; he didn't enter, just opened the door no more than a creak. He stood there frozen, his head down, and I knew he'd heard him.

"Make me better, Mommy," Wyatt whispered, touching my cheek, not at all noticing his father.

"What?"

"Aunt Cora and Uncle Declan always say you are super strong. I saw you fight Fedel, and you won-"

"And what will you do when you know how to fight, Wyatt?" He frowned, not sure what I meant, so I asked again. "Who do you want to fight against, Wyatt? Your brother?"

"No...I don't know," he answered honestly; he was always honest with me.

Brushing the side of his face, I leaned in and kissed his head. "Of course, we will train together, but remember you are perfect to me. You aren't just Daddy's son, you are mine, and I'm head over heels in love with you."

"I know. I love you too, Mommy." He smiled, poking my upper lip.

"Good. Me, you, and Dona will train, then you will learn who we're fighting against, okay?"

He nodded.

"Good, now go to bed."

Getting up out of the bed, I tucked him back in and kissed his forehead before going to our room.

Liam sat on the edge of our bed trying to undo his cuff links, but he was so annoyed he couldn't do it without tugging at his sleeves.

"I bought you that shirt," I said, standing in front of him and gripping his hair. "I would prefer if you didn't destroy it."

"How could he possibly think that?!" he hollered, looking up to me. His eyebrows were tensed and worst of all, he was hurt. "I love him just as much as I love Ethan. I've never once compared them. Ever. I take Ethan out because he's older, not because I love him more. I look forward to the time when they are old enough to come out together-"

"Liam." I tugged on his hair once again, forcing him still. "Breathe for me."

Cracking his jaw to the right, he did what I asked, resting his forehead on my stomach when I loosened my grip.

"History never looks well on brothers. In the Ottoman Empire, the moment one son took the throne, he was forced to kill all his brothers. Shakespeare, Greek plays, the fucking Bible are filled with stories of brothers turning on each other. Hell, I don't even have to go back that far in history. My father and his brother fought. Neal and I fought. I don't want that to be the future for my sons, Mel. I want them to support each other, not shoot at each other. Yeah, Ethan will one day end up leading the family, but I want Wyatt standing right beside him," he snapped angrily, his voice rising again with each sentence. "I don't know what to do. I didn't even think he felt that way!"

"Keep breathin-"

"Am I giving birth? Why do I have to keep breathing like this?"

Smacking his arm as hard as I could, I tried to back away from him, muttering, "Ass."

He smirked, grabbing on to my ass to pull me closer and squeezed tightly. "You do have a nice one."

"How do you go from worrying about our sons to my ass in zero seconds flat?" I tried to shove him away but he held on to me.

"I'm upset, your ass makes me feel better, it's not that big of a leap," he explained, and I could feel him become serious again.

"I don't know."

"What?"

"Ethan and Wyatt. I don't what to say or do for that. I never had siblings. I don't understand what it means to be jealous like that. However, you do have siblings. Why not ask your brother? I'm sure he understands more than anyone else what Wyatt is feeling."

He pouted. "I don't wanna."

"Fine, you big baby, but before you worry about that, we need to worry about the motherfuckers who shot at them today."

Right on time, there was a single knock on the door.

"Enter." I turned back.

"Boss." Fedel stepped inside. "Everyone is waiting in the study."

Taking off my coat, I threw it on the bed. Liam rose and we followed him out. We hadn't had much time to speak about this, but a family meeting was needed. The hallways were silent with expectation as my heels clicked on the marble floor. Neither Liam nor I stopped until I stood in front of a postmodern contemporary painting of a female nude done by none other than famed painter Leo Lemieux. It was covered in reds and pinks, with a hint of dark blue around her heart.

"Boss?" Fedel called, holding open the door to the study for me. Liam was already inside. Turning from the painting, I walked into the study, once again annoyed at the sight of the place. Because Liam was such a nerd at heart, he had modeled it like some sophisticated hybrid of a comic book cave/lair and his father's old office. There was even a glass case by the window filled with all his favorite comics. Every time I went in there I wanted to roll my eyes so damn hard they would come out of my head. It looked like an overgrown man-child with far too much money decided to have a field day. Over the years, Liam had gotten much more serious about being the head of the family, but there were some things he could not let go of, like his undying love for comics and superheroes.

"I feel like I have less and less dignity the more I come in here." I groaned, putting my hands over my mouth. The door shut behind me.

"Woman, I added the mahogany desk and cabinets, what more do you want?" He also groaned, kicking up his foot on said 1930s prime mahogany desk I had bought for him.

"Man...I want to walk in here and not see that." I pointed to the Stormtrooper in the corner. "You're the head of the fucking mafia, not fucking Stan Lee."

"What does Stan Lee have to do with Star Wars? Do you mean George Lucas?" he asked so seriously I wanted to hit him.

"Are you fucking kidding me right now?"

"That's what I want to know. Stan Lee or George Lucas? How do you not know the difference-"

He stopped at the sound of Coraline's laughter. It was so weird and unique that you couldn't help but stop. She sat comfortably in Declan's lap on the opposite side of the room, dressed in casual jeans and a white blouse.

"I'm sorry." She wiped her eyes. "But really? I came here expecting the Liam and Melody 'let's burn them all' speech and instead you're fighting over Stormtroopers and Stan Lee? Thank you for lightening the mood, really."

"Is she done?" Liam asked Declan, who just leaned back, biting the corner of his lips to stop from smiling. He glanced up at Cora, who smiled brightly and nodded, saying with a perfect accent, "Done, I am. Continue, may you."

Declan lost it, as did Neal, and even Mina looked like she was trying her best to keep her composure. I looked to Liam, but he smirked, shaking his head.

Children. They are all bloody fucking children...I thought that even though I felt myself relax at the sight of them, all of them our family, healthy and smiling at each other as if nothing in the world could ever prevent that.

"I'm quite pleased you all still find it possible to laugh." Evelyn came in dressed in a pair of black pants and a black blouse with a bow tied at the neck. "That's what has always made us different from those who want to hurt us. We laugh together. We cry together. We fight together. I'm sure Sedric is laughing with you all."

"Evelyn, what are you doing here? I thought you went to rest." Coraline stood, reaching for her hand.

"Someone took a shot at my grandbabies today. How can I rest?" She took a seat in front of Liam's desk. "Who are these ingrates?"

I took a seat on the arm of Liam's chair while Fedel walked in front of us.

"It's the Chinese mob...or triad, as they call it."

TEN.