A Bloody Kingdom (Ruthless People Book 4) by J.J. McAvoy Page B

a silk nightshirt and peeking into Dona and Wyatt’s room. Of course, Ethan slept next to Dona, both of them curled up into a ball…and because Wyatt hated to be left out, he forced himself to the edge of the bed. He kicked Ethan, who opened his eyes, prepared to kick him back when he saw me.
    “Ahh.” He groaned when Wyatt kicked him again. “He’s so annoying.”
    “You are in his room,” I said when he crawled away from them, his brown hair sticking up and out in every direction.
    Walking over to him, I patted his hair down. “You want me to tuck you in?”
    “Mommmm.” He made a face at me, rubbing his eyes. “I’m almost ten, I don’t need to be tucked in.”
    “Fine, then will you tuck me in?”
    He thought about it for a moment before nodding. Taking my hand, we walked back into the bedroom. Sitting on my side, I laid back on the pillows.
    “Did you brush your teeth?” he asked me seriously; I did my best not to laugh.
    “Yep.” I nodded.
    “What about your clothes for scho—I mean work?”
    You’re killing me kid. “Out and ironed.”
    “Did you hug Nana goodnight?”
    “No hug but I said goodnight.”
    He crossed his arms at me.
    “I’ll hug her tomorrow.”
    He nodded and paused, frowning as he tried to remember what else to ask.
    “Did I—”
    “Did you say goodnight to Dad?” he asked me.
    This kid, man. Even when he wasn’t trying to be, he was still on his dad’s side. “Not yet, but I will.”
    “Don’t forget,” he said seriously, pulling my comforter up to my neck. He even petted my hair. “I love you, Mom.”
    “Love you too, mio bel leoncino. ” I leaned up and kissed his cheek.
    “Night!” He waved, running back to the door.
    I pretended to snore and heard him softly open the door.
    “Night, Mommy,” he whispered before shutting the door behind him.
    When he was gone, I sat back up, unable to stop grinning. I leaned back and waited…and waited…and fucking waited.
    No matter how many times we fought or how pissed off we were at each other, we always shared a bed. Always. It was a personal rule between us. And yet, it had been almost three hours since I’d left him in the basement and he still hadn’t come to bed. The clock beside me read 3:47 AM and I swore if another minute went by I was going to hurl it at the door. I couldn’t sleep. He better not be sleeping somewhere else, either.
    “Oh my God,” I whispered to myself. When had I become this person? The wife waiting up for her husband? “What is wrong with me?” I groaned, grabbing a pillow and placing it over my face. I was Melody Callahan! Bloody Melody. Head of the Italian mafia. The Governor of Illinois. Grown men had shit themselves in front of me. The woman couldn’t even make eye contact! I was a fucking boss! So why the hell am I completely losing my cool over a man? So what if I love him! So what if he is the father of my children? I’m the cool and collected one. I’m the one who is right! He’s the one trying to make our daughter some fairytale damsel in distress! If anyone shouldn’t be coming to bed it is me!
    “Mel!”
    My eyes opened when the pillow was ripped off of my face. He stared down wide-eyed, sweat dripping down the sides of his face and nose.
    “What the bloody fuck are you doing?!” he yelled at me as I sat up.
    “What?” I yelled back, but he didn't answer. He took a deep breath, shaking his head as he sat down on the edge of the bed beside me. He had changed into a pair of black running shorts and a sleeveless black shirt, the back of which was drenched in sweat.
    “Don't do that again,” he muttered, taking off his sweaty ankle brace and throwing it onto the ground.
    “What—”
    “I came in here ready to finish our discussion only to find you not responding with a pillow over your face.”
    I grinned. “You really think that's how I'm going to meet my end? A pillow?”
    “I don't think about how you are going to die, Mel. Thoughts like that…”
    He