"I never want to see that woman in my house Mel. I don't care how it happens. I want her gone."

"Then she's gone."

Nodding, he walked over Dona, standing right behind our sons, all of their attention focused on their princess. I watched them for a second as they all tried to make her laugh before stepping outside the room, closing the large wooden door behind me. Fedel stood waiting.

"She's locked up for now, boss, unless you wish her to be punished right away?"

"She can wait until after mass. The cars?"

"They are all out front. The rest of the kids are eating breakfast."

Before I could speak, I heard laughter come from behind the door. Crossing my arms, I felt relieved to know she was fine, but I couldn't shake my anxiety.

"Do you ever remember hearing that when I was young?" I nodded to the door behind me.

"Boss?"

"The laughter," I replied. "Do you ever remember innocent laughter in my house when I was young?"

He shook his head. "No, I don't believe I ever heard it."

"Laughter is a good thing, isn't it? My daughter is more loved than I ever was and that is a good thing...but she is soft, Fedel. It bothers me because in the back of my mind I know she cannot remain innocent for the rest of her life. She cannot stand behind her father and brothers forever. I don't want her to be the damsel in distress. She cuts her hand or burns herself and the world stops in this house. It can't always be so, but I do not know how to make her a fighter without breaking her first."

"She's still young boss."

"Exactly...everything that happens now molds her." Pinching the bridge of my nose-a habit I'd picked up from Liam-I tried to get the image of me as a child, begging for my father to give me a break or crying for help and never receiving it, out of my mind. My father had put me through hell and I'd hated him for a long time for it, but now as an adult and parent, I understood why more clearly than ever before. If I didn't take care of me, no else would. How much did it hurt him to mold me into a fighter?

"Boss?"

"She's going to hate me." I inhaled, standing a little bit straighter. "But I can't...I won't let her be weak."

"She will grow to thank you for it, just as you have with Orlando."

She wasn't the only person I was worried about. Liam was going to be- The door behind me swung open and Dona ran to me, turning so I could see the intricate knot in her hair. "Mommy! Mommy, look what Nana did!"

"Well isn't Nana talented. Your hair is beautiful sweetheart, but come on, we have to get going. Is everyone ready?"

"Yeah Mom, but you don't have shoes." Ethan pointed to my feet.

I glanced down, staring at my painted toes.

"Mommy came rushing to see what happened and forgot to finish getting dressed." Liam picked Dona up, leaning over to kiss the side of my head. "Let's go get food and let her finish."

"I want waffles!" Wyatt grinned, already running down the hall.

"Uncle Neal will eat them all again!" Ethan panicked, running after him.

"Wait for me!" Dona yelled, wiggling out of Liam's arms and running as well.

"What is this obsession they have with waffles? Even when you were pregnant you were inhaling them by the truckload." Liam tried not to smile but I could see the corner of his lips turning up.

"You're one to talk. I ate so much Jell-O while pregnant with you, your father nearly bought stock in the company." Evelyn smiled; it didn't matter the conversation, she could always manage to bring Sedric into the conversation. She still wore her ring, and I didn't think she would ever get rid of it; she made all of us feel as though he had never left. I was grateful because it kept Liam grounded, but most importantly, confident. I knew he had dinner with her every Sunday night just so he could hear her thoughts. Evelyn meant more to him now than ever before and I thought that was what gave her strength to smile even though I knew she was broken on the inside. No amount of grandchildren or attention from her family could ever fix that.

"Mel? Are you all right dear?" She put her hand on my shoulder. "I will personally look into finding a new nanny for the kids."

"Thank you, Evelyn, excuse me," I replied. Liam gave me a glance, but I nodded for him to follow our kids then walked back into our bedroom.

In my closet, I saw my forgotten pair of tan Gucci heels on the ground. Grabbing them, I sat down on the couch and leaned against the pillows.

I loved my family. Liam. My children. Evelyn. Everyone. But Sundays were still the hardest for me, the bubble of cheerfulness that made a part of me want to roll my goddamn eyes. What was wrong with me that I couldn't adapt? Even after all these years, it was like I was staring at the Brady Bunch; it was too much sugar and sweetness. It was making me sick.

"Melody, it's me." Mina knocked on the closet door.

"Come in," I said, buckling the straps on my shoes.

"We have a small problem." She waltzed in dressed in a butterfly print A-Line sleeveless white dress.

"Define small." I stood, reaching for my jewelry.

She held out her phone for me and there was a photo of Liam and me on the penthouse roof of the Glass Emperor Hotel, making out, the picture clearly showing him gripping my breast and ass...tightly. The caption read, "The Governor: play before work."

"They could have done a much better job with the title," I said, clasping my earrings on. "Why is this a problem? Are they going to call me a whore for kissing my husband?"

"I told you already, image is important, Melody. We are a few months away from announcing your bid for the presidency; we cannot let images become topics of debate. You know reporters will be at the church and they will hurl questions at you."

"Disrespectful ingrates," I muttered. "But this is hardly a problem. If anyone attacks me for it, I'll just say I don't see any men having to comment on their sex life."

"Normally that would work, but last night there was a shooting in Bella Vista. A black boy was shot by gang members when he used his body as a shield to protect his two little sisters. This morning the cops still have no leads. They are going to come at you for not only having a dinner party for the police but having time to have "playtime" with your husband while violence is creeping back up again."

"I cleaned up the Southbend and now fucking Bella Vista wants to erupt," I muttered to myself. "Did you talk to Fedel?"

"I sent him the information, but I don't cross that line Melody. My job is to keep you out of the mud, not get into it."

I snickered at that. "Mina, I was born in the mud, raised in the mud, and married into the mud. All. I. Know. Is. The. Mud. You can dress me up like a saint, but in the end, I'm just a sinner. I thought you knew that."

"I thought you were, at least, faking not to be," she challenged.

"I heard Bella Vista has gotten a new gang. I wasn't sure, but apparently it's true. As governor I think I should welcome them, don't you?"

"Melody..."

Ignoring her, I patted her shoulder on my way out. I was excited...there was nothing like a good old-fashioned Chicago welcome to get the taste of sugar out my mouth.

LIAM.

Someone one was going to die or was already dying; I could tell the moment we got to the church. She was eerily quiet and smiled a little too much at the cameras, but the most frightening was the fact that she sang. My wife sang in church. The last time she'd sung in church was when we'd first gotten married and she'd ended up beating the shit out of my ex, Natasha, in the ladies room.

The icing on the cake was when we went to the soup kitchen, as we always did after church. We had built the Orlando-Sedric, known simply as the OS Center, only a block down the road from the church in order to provide for the community. It was also a way for the Irish and Italians to peacefully get together, although the center was open to everyone. Melody personally carried out trays of water while Dona shadowed her and handed everyone napkins. The smile plastered on her face didn't look as fake as usual, but it wasn't real either. She was on autopilot so again. Either someone was dead, or someone was dying.

"Chocolate." A small blonde-haired girl stared, mesmerized by the cakes in front of her, and before I could reach for it, her eyes shifted to another one. "Or maybe lemon? No, cream bundt...there are so many!"

"You're really picky." Ethan made a face at her beside me.

She glanced up, finally noticing us behind the counter. When her blue eyes fell on Ethan, she stuck her tongue out. "Maybe you're not picky enough, shorty."

I tried my best not to laugh, biting inside my cheek when I saw the look on Ethan's face. He apparently had gotten used to everyone being respectful toward him.

"I'm not short!" he snapped at her.

"To me you are." She held her head high. "So I'd rather be picky than a shorty."

Well, son? What's your comeback? I waited, glancing between them. Ethan just stood there, not sure what to say, and so again she stuck her tongue out at him and focused on me smiling from ear to ear.

"Can I get cream bundt?"

"All that cream is going to make you fat," Ethan shouted so loudly even Coraline, who stood at the far end of the table, turned her head toward him.

"So what?" she said to him, her hand outstretched for the cake.

"Huh?" he questioned, confused.

"So what if I get fat? I have cake." She shrugged and happily walked off.

That did it, I laughed outright; I couldn't help it. Not only did she seem so proud of herself, but Ethan was so thoroughly confused and upset his ears were turning red.

"She's a weirdo!" he yelled up at me.

"But she's a weirdo with cake..." Wyatt finally spoke up and I was dying at that point. Oh God. Ethan scowled at his brother but Wyatt didn't seem to mind, stepping on his tiptoes to hand the next person their piece.

For the rest of the afternoon, Ethan stewed in rage, every once in a while shooting glares at the girl sitting with her family by the windows.

"What was up with all the laughing?" Mel came over as I pulled my gloves off.

"Ethan lost a fight to a girl about cake." Wyatt ratted him out in a flash, causing Ethan to take one of the towels and throw it right at his head. "What? It's true!"

"Which girl?" Dona frowned, peeking around the corner of the table.

Ethan ignored her. "You are a blabber mouth, I don't tell Mom everything about you!"

"I don't have any secrets!" he said proudly.

Ethan's eyebrow rose just like Mel's did when she went in for the kill. "Really? Is that why you can't say a word around Giu-"

Wyatt rushed him and put his hand over his mouth, then looked over his shoulder at us, smiling brightly.

"Wyatt. Ethan. Is this how we behave in public?" Mel questioned them. Wyatt let go of his brother's mouth, both of them standing straighter.

"Sorry," they both grumbled.

"You guys go play with your cousins or, Ethan, you can go offer that girl another piece of cake," I teased him.

"Why would I do that?" He grabbed his siblings' arms, pulling them toward my mother's table. She sat with a bunch of the older women, all of them playing cards and drinking iced tea I was sure was spiked.

"Who's the girl?" Melody eyes narrowed, looking over every girl in the center.

"Why, are you jealous?" I pitied the girl either of our sons ever dared to bring home. "Sorry, but you'll have to get Wyatt to spill the beans."

"Fine, I will, but later. I need to go into work for a little bit."

Work, huh? She never lied to me, but she wasn't being forthcoming.

"Governor work or boss work?" I asked, wiping my hand.

"Two birds one stone."

"Melody."

"Liam." She kissed my cheek then whispered in my ear, "I'm not asking. I'm telling my husband I'm going to work."

This was starting to work on my nerve.

"Are you taking Fedel?"

"He's your guy now remember-"

"There are 'your' and 'my' guys now? I thought we shared everything, sweetheart."

She grinned. "Good answer. Fedel knows everything; I told him to fill you in."

"Be safe," I said before kissing her again and watching as Mina left with her. Neal's eyes met mine. Nodding my head toward one of the free tables, I called Fedel over. I took an apple and a knife. Declan kissed both Coraline and his daughter's heads before walking over.

"What's going on, Liam?" Neal questioned when we stood in the farthest corner of the room.

"Good question. Fedel." I waited, peeling the apple in my hands.

"There is a new gang growing in Bella Vista."

"All of the gang leaders in the city know to keep their presence to a minimum. We let them know the consequence of not doing so years ago. Bella Vista is managed by the Royals and I personally let him know," Declan stated.

"The man you dealt with is dead, and the rest of the gang apparently has short memories because it is getting worse. This new leader is trying to build a name for himself. He wants to be feared, and his followers are loyal-not to mention he's starting to get much bolder. From what I can tell he's simply ignorant of the way things work around here."