A Bloody Kingdom (Ruthless People Book 4) by J.J. McAvoy Page A
Authors: J.J. McAvoy
already target practicing. I know you love Dona to the moon and back and around the earth ten times but putting her in a bubble isn’t enough! My father loved me enough to train me.”
“Your father knew you would be alone! Alone. Melody, you thought your mother was dead. Your father was dying. The rest of your family was gone. All you had was yourself! Your father made you into a weapon because it was the only thing he could do for you. I understand, but I also understand how it destroyed you! You've been fighting for so long you don't know when to stop! When we first met you didn’t even know how to love. Even now you can't move five feet without exerting your dominance. You never feel safe. You struggle with being a wife, a mother, and everything else. You are constantly struggling! And I love you for all the effort you make. I love you for all your scars, but I love Dona too much to let her struggle like that.”
It felt like he had punched me under the belt. I couldn't figure out what hurt more: the fact that he thought I was more broken than he was or the fact that he really didn't see the world as I did. We had always been on the same page…now I wasn’t sure.
But I could hit below the belt too. “You talk about my family like you don't know yours.”
“What?”
“Maybe you’ve forgotten, but you’re the prince who inherited the keys to the kingdom from your father. Do you know what it was like for your family before your father became Ceann na Conairte? Probably not, because Sedric did his best to keep you all in a bubble. Your father had two sisters. One was raped and beheaded, and the other was trapped in her house when it went up in flames. Declan isn't your brother, he is your cousin. His father and mother were gunned down, 87 bullets between them. After losing his precious son Shamus, your grandfather abandoned America and returned to Ireland. Your father was nearly killed to save the Callahan name; the war between the Irish and the Italians was bloodier than ever. The Callahan family army? Where was it when your mother was attacked, when she almost lost you and actually lost your twin sister? I look over my shoulder because I'm never safe, not because my father made me into a warrior, but because I was born into the mafia. The moment you get comfortable, the moment you think you’re safe is the moment you get arrogant and someone puts a bullet in your brain.”
“You were just pissed at me for taking Ethan out! Make up your damn mind woman! Do you want them to be just kids or do you want them to be kid soldiers?”
“Showing our son how to murder someone is different than teaching him how to protect himself! Dona can learn to be a fighter and still be a kid.”
“And you would know this how? When were you ever a kid, Melody?”
“Dona and I are different; she’ll adapt differently.”
He pinched the bridge of his nose, inhaling deeply. “I don’t understand you. You know Dona is soft. She likes to make crowns out of dandelions. She loves birds but won’t keep them as pets because she feels like she’s kidnapping them. She won’t even eat meat because she loves animals too much. This is the girl you want to mold? One of two things will happen: either she won’t be the same Dona anymore, or she will make the choice never to fight. There is no middle ground with her.”
“Then you are going to have to learn to love the new Dona because our daughter will always fight. If she hates me, so be it. You can be the fun parent. I’ll be happy knowing she can protect herself if need be,” I said, lifting the rope and stepping out.
He didn’t say a word or follow me, and once I turned my back to him, I didn’t bother checking on him. Instead, I got on the elevator and unwrapped the tape from my hands.
“Fucking idiot,” I muttered to myself, but I wasn’t sure if I meant him or myself…
By the time I got to my room, I was so exhausted I just took a quick shower before changing into
“Your father knew you would be alone! Alone. Melody, you thought your mother was dead. Your father was dying. The rest of your family was gone. All you had was yourself! Your father made you into a weapon because it was the only thing he could do for you. I understand, but I also understand how it destroyed you! You've been fighting for so long you don't know when to stop! When we first met you didn’t even know how to love. Even now you can't move five feet without exerting your dominance. You never feel safe. You struggle with being a wife, a mother, and everything else. You are constantly struggling! And I love you for all the effort you make. I love you for all your scars, but I love Dona too much to let her struggle like that.”
It felt like he had punched me under the belt. I couldn't figure out what hurt more: the fact that he thought I was more broken than he was or the fact that he really didn't see the world as I did. We had always been on the same page…now I wasn’t sure.
But I could hit below the belt too. “You talk about my family like you don't know yours.”
“What?”
“Maybe you’ve forgotten, but you’re the prince who inherited the keys to the kingdom from your father. Do you know what it was like for your family before your father became Ceann na Conairte? Probably not, because Sedric did his best to keep you all in a bubble. Your father had two sisters. One was raped and beheaded, and the other was trapped in her house when it went up in flames. Declan isn't your brother, he is your cousin. His father and mother were gunned down, 87 bullets between them. After losing his precious son Shamus, your grandfather abandoned America and returned to Ireland. Your father was nearly killed to save the Callahan name; the war between the Irish and the Italians was bloodier than ever. The Callahan family army? Where was it when your mother was attacked, when she almost lost you and actually lost your twin sister? I look over my shoulder because I'm never safe, not because my father made me into a warrior, but because I was born into the mafia. The moment you get comfortable, the moment you think you’re safe is the moment you get arrogant and someone puts a bullet in your brain.”
“You were just pissed at me for taking Ethan out! Make up your damn mind woman! Do you want them to be just kids or do you want them to be kid soldiers?”
“Showing our son how to murder someone is different than teaching him how to protect himself! Dona can learn to be a fighter and still be a kid.”
“And you would know this how? When were you ever a kid, Melody?”
“Dona and I are different; she’ll adapt differently.”
He pinched the bridge of his nose, inhaling deeply. “I don’t understand you. You know Dona is soft. She likes to make crowns out of dandelions. She loves birds but won’t keep them as pets because she feels like she’s kidnapping them. She won’t even eat meat because she loves animals too much. This is the girl you want to mold? One of two things will happen: either she won’t be the same Dona anymore, or she will make the choice never to fight. There is no middle ground with her.”
“Then you are going to have to learn to love the new Dona because our daughter will always fight. If she hates me, so be it. You can be the fun parent. I’ll be happy knowing she can protect herself if need be,” I said, lifting the rope and stepping out.
He didn’t say a word or follow me, and once I turned my back to him, I didn’t bother checking on him. Instead, I got on the elevator and unwrapped the tape from my hands.
“Fucking idiot,” I muttered to myself, but I wasn’t sure if I meant him or myself…
By the time I got to my room, I was so exhausted I just took a quick shower before changing into