That Thing Between Eli & Gwen

by J. J. McAvoy

  Stepping back, I applauded along with everyone else before moving to take photos with Mayor Weston, his wife, and various police commissioners from across the state. Like always, Liam stood beside me, but I could tell he was couldn’t wait to leave.

  “Your biggest fan is trying to get your attention” he whispered in my ear.

  I didn’t understand. “Who?”

  A small smile spread across his face as he nodded over to the family table and sure enough, there was my Ethan, dressed in a bow tie, and a Ralph Lauren satin lapel suit jacket. He smiled brightly at me, giving me thumbs up. I gave him a quick wink and faced back to the cameras as more people came up beside us.

  “You brought him with you to see Tàiyáng?” I quietly questioned Liam through a smile.

  “Yes,” he said sternly, giving my waist a soft squeeze, “and he did well. Better than—”

  “You should have told me.”

  “I just did.”

  At that, I did turn to face him, however he didn’t return my gaze. He just smiled for the cameras saying, “smile, sweetheart, they’ll think we’re arguing.”

  Looks like we were going to fight tonight.

  I nodded to Mina, who was dressed in a long lavender and grey floral gown. She stood up and said, “thank you very much, ladies and gentlemen, the Governor and our family truly hope you enjoy your evening.”

  “Has the Governor—”

  “Tonight is to the celebrate the united efforts of our men and woman in uniform, and nothing else. Thank you again.” She smiled and nodded back to me.

  Peeling Liam’s hand off of me, much to his annoyance, I walked over to Ethan who stood in between Declan and Neal. He and Neal both laughed over something, the height difference between them was hilarious. But even more amusing was how much more mature Ethan tried to be in front of his uncles.

  “Mio bel leoncino,” I called out to him, my hands outstretched.

  “Mommm.” He groaned with a frown on his face at my nickname for him, but I walked over to give him a hug away.

  “Don’t mommm me,” I said cupping his cheeks forcing him to look at me, “because I can think of something much more embarassing.”

  His green eyes widened. “Leoncino is good.”

  “I thought so. Now what where you and your uncles laughing about?”

  Ethan and Neal shared a look before both saying, “guy stuff.”

  I felt my eyebrow raise at their alliance, then turned to to see Declan putting his phone back into his lapel pocket.

  “They were laughing at Ethan’s imitation of our guest earlier,” Declan confessed, causing Ethan’s mouth to drop open.

  “Uncle!”

  Declan struggled to keep a smug look off his face; “What? My boss asked for an answer. I answered.”

  He crossed his arms frowning. “Dad’s the boss.”

  “Ethan.” Liam stepped up, towering over him, and once again Ethan stood straighter.

  Two emotions rushed through my veins the moment he spoke those three little words—

  rage and pain. It wasn’t a lot, but it was there. Smiling, I just petted his hair.

  “Right, dad’s the boss,” I said and I saw them all, Liam, Declan, and Neal share a glance in response. “Come on, it’s way past your bedtime. Fedel?”

  He stepped up. “The car is already up front.”

  “We should get going Cora and Evelyn must be exhausted dealing with all of the kids,” I told them before reaching for Ethan’s hand. He stared wide eye trying tell me not to.

  Fine.

  Forcing another goddamn smile I did not mean, I turned away from them as Mina made her way back to us, her eyebrows frowned together as she tried to read my facial expression. Shaking my head at her, I took my clutch from her hand, along with my phone.

  “Mel?”

  “Bathroom. I’ll meet you at the car,” I said not bothering to look back, knowing full well my security detail was already following discreetly.

  It was a much longer walk from our table to the bathroom tan it needed to be. Every other step, people kept popping up in front of my face, pushing my restraint to the maximum capability. I thought I had finally escaped them, pushing the wooden doo, and stepping into the marble tiles of the bathroom, but right there at the sink dressed in her hotel uniform was some blonde in tears.

  For the love of fuck.

  Sighing, I ignored her and put my purse on the counter, pulling off my rings in order to wash my hands.

  Don’t talk to me.

  Don’t talk to me.

  Do not even fucking think of talking to me.

  “Sorry for all the crying…”

  Fuck me.

  “It’s alright, don’t care either way,” I stated and grabbed my lipstick.

  “This city!” She inhaled sharply her fist clenching at her sides until she finally smacked the black counters. “Why is everyone here so cold? I don’t get it? I’ve been here a month and everyone is just horrible and miserable! It’s like the most negative people on the planet decided to move to Chicago and live!”

  “Then leave,” I said calmly, finally facing her.

  “What?”

  “Pack your shit. Get on the next bus to nowhere-I-don’t-give fuck-vile and stay there instead of bitching to people who do not know you, nor would like to in five-star hotel bathrooms,” I replied. I put my rings back on, dropped my lipstick into my clutch and turned to leave before she further ruined my mood.

  I made my way back to the door before remembering something. “If the most negative people on the planet have moved to Chicago, what does that say about yourself? If you can’t make here, that is no one else’s fault but your own.”

  She stood there like a statue frozen in her own hypocrisy.

  “Ma’am?” Huston Murphy, my head of security, stepped up to my side, glancing back over my shoulder at the door. “ We heard shouting—”

  “I’m fine. What did I tell you, Murphy? I’m not like past governors, and you don’t need to hover, especially in one-on-one situations” I said. It was times like this that I wished I still had Fedel and Monte beside me. Since becoming governor, everyone on my staff needed to be squeaky clean to the point of annoyance.

  Like all American boy Huston Murphy, 31, a decorated Marine, and recipient of the Medal of Honor, born and raised in Chicago, black hair, blue eyes, 6’1 and a half. He was also voted most popular in high school—queue eye roll. No arrests, no tickets, just a few unpaid student loans. When his file came across my desk two months ago, I wanted to shred it. Anyone with that clean of a record had some secret. I didn’t trust him with my shoes, let alone my life. However, Mina insisted.

  “Ma’am, your family is heading to the cars” he said to me.

  Ma’am.

  Ma’am.

  Ma’am.

  The more he said it, the more I heard Ethan’s voice in my head saying ‘Dad’s the boss.’ I spent twelve hours pushing his hairy head out and he goes and stabs me in the fucking heart.

  “Ma’am—”

  “Governor. Just call me governor!”

  LIAM

  When she left, both Neal and Declan cringed at what would only be one hell of a fight tonight. I was partially excited, but then I remembered the look in her eye as Ethan spoke.

  Grabbing him by the bow tie, I crouched down right in front of him.

  “Dad?”

  “Hold your ears,” I said seriously and I waited. Frowning he did what I asked. “To everyone you meet I am the boss, the Ceann na Conairte, Don. There is only one person alive who is the exception to this and it is your mother. The reason being is that she is the boss, the Ceann na Conairte, Don. Everything I am, she is. Saying anything less than that is an insult. Are we clear?”

  I could see he looked hurt and confused, but nodded. His head dropped down. I stood back up and put my hand on his head, rubbing the back of it when he dropped his hands.

  “Ethan, will you walk me and wait for your mom?” Mina asked with a
smile.. He nodded and stepped over to herleft, and as always Neal stepped up just a little bit in front her, like he was going to guard her with his body. He’d been doing it for so long that I don’t even think he realized it.

  “If only Mel was around to hear that little speech,” Declan said beside me.

  “Not even that would help me. She needs to get a few hits in at me first.” Once Ethan had said it, there was no going back. Plus, on top of taking him on the ‘job’…tonight was not going to go at all as planned. I could feel it. God fucking damn it.

  “Look on the bright side,” he said when we got on the elevator.

  “What’s on the bright side but sunburn?”

  He snickered and leaned against the paneling. “After all these years, she running out places to not lethally shoot you.”

  Neal laughed out loud causing Mina to elbow him in the ribs, but it didn’t stop him.

  “Fuck you both,” I muttered under my breath when the doors opened again and we were in the cream and gold hotel lobby. Across from us, another pair of elevators opened and even though I knew she was pissed off at me, I couldn’t stop the small smirk from forming on my lip as she stepped out—an army of black suits behind her.

  She was so stunning; no one could look away from her, in their eyes lust, jealousy, respect, and fear. She walked into a room and commanded all of that with one glance. Her place was at my side, but instead of coming to me, she walked over and placed her arms on the shoulders of our son, sparing me not even a glance.

  “Looks like we’re going to fight tonight,” I muttered to myself, my jaw tensing up. The two clowns beside me grinned.

  “So—”

  “Don’t make me hurt you,” I said to Declan. Strolling right up to her side, I wrapped my arm around her waist.

  Her brown eyes focused on me, eyebrow raised, we’d been married for so long, I could tell what she was thinking “You’re really going to touch me when you know I’m pissed off at you?”

  So I smiled and winked at her. Her nose flared because she knew what I meant. “Yes, I know what I’m doing. Get over it, sweetheart.”

  “You’re not tired?” She ignored me and focused on Ethan as we walked to the car.

  “Nope.” He yawned and leaned in closer to her.

  “Okay big kid,” I replied.

  “I’m really not tired.”

  “I believe you,” she said ,shivering with the instant change in temperature. It was only March and yet it felt like November tonight.

  “Boss,” Fedel nodded to her and opened the door for us. Ethan stepped in first, followed by Mel and then me.

  The moment the doors closed, Ethan rested his head on her side.

  “I’m not tired,” he muttered softly.

  “I believe you,” she said softly, again kissing his forehead as his eyes closed. “Mio bel leoncino Significhi tutto per me.”

  “And his father?” I asked her. “If he means everything to you, what happens to me?”

  “Are you jealous of your son?” she asked, not bothering to look at me, her eyes only on him.

  “Yes.”

  Her head snapped to me like she wasn’t expecting me to admit it. Reaching up, I brushed her hair behind her ear, leaning in closer to whisper, “I love seeing you as a mother, you are stunning. But Sei il grande amore della mia vita. Il mio cuore è solo tuo Senza di te la vita non ha più senso. (You are the love of my life. My heart is yours. Without you, life has no meaning.) So never look away from me for too long.”

  I kissed her cheek. She glared at me, but said nothing and leaned back in the seat.

  I closed my eyes and tried to relax; however, only seconds later the car came to a stop and we were already at the gates of the mansion.

  Over the years, we had expanded it to make room for the newest members of our family. Rule Five: One family. One Roof. Yes, even though we basically lived in a palace now, it still felt crowed some days.

  “I got him,” I told her. I got out of the car and came around to the other side to lift him out of the seat.

  His arms snaked around my neck. I couldn’t believe how big he was getting.

  “Good evening, Sir, Ma’am,” our butler said to us when we stepped inside. “Madam Coraline has already put Wyatt and Donatella to bed, but they wanted to wait up for you.”

  “I’ll go to them now,” Melody said and kissed Ethan’s cheek before walking up the steps.

  “O’Phelan, anything worth noting happen in our absence?” I questioned.

  “No, Sir. Between your mother and Madam Coraline, it was a casual evening. They baked cupcakes, spent some time outside before watching a movie in the theatre with popcorn. Most of them fell asleep after that.”

  “Good work, that’s all for the night.”

  “Of course, Sir. Goodnight.”

  Ethan’s room was only two doors down from ours, in the west wing, with a door that connected to his sibling’s room. It was massive, as per Melody’s orders, the floor covered in soft cream carpets, cherry wood paneling on the walls, and the best view of the backyard over which the Chicago skyline in the distance. His bed was much bigger than it needed to be and when I laid him down, he rolled into the center. I pulled off his tie and shoes and he stirred as I sat him up and took off his jacket and pants.

  “Ethan, you need to change,” I told him when his eyes cracked open.

  He made a face before lifting up the comforter and crawling underneath in only his boxer briefs. He fell right back asleep.

  “Because of you, my night is ruined and yet you sleep like baby,” I muttered as I kissed his head. “Sleep well.”

  Moving to the door that connected to Wyatt and Donatella’s room, I turned off the light to his room, leaving the door only partially closed.

  “Daddy?”

  Donatella sat up rubbing her eyes.

  “Shh,” I whispered and walked over to her pink bed. Her brown hair was a complete mess around her sweet face. “What are you doing up, princess?”

  She didn’t answer, she just wrapped her tiny hands around me when I was close enough. Closing my eyes for a second, I hugged her back and patted her hair down.

  “Come on, bed,” I whispered to her. “Beautiful girls need sleep to stay beautiful.”

  “Love ya much,” she said with a yawn.

  “Love ya more,” I said and kissed the space between her eyebrows. “Sleep well.”

  I moved over to Wyatt, who was snoring softly, kicking off his blanket when he shifted over. Of all of my kids, he was always the most expressive when he slept, making faces. He even talked in his sleep sometimes. If Dona ever heard him, she would tease him the next day. He hated when she did, but he never asked for his own room and neither did she.

  “Sleep well,” I said to him and kissed the top of his head.

  When I opened the door that connected to our bedroom, I prepared myself, locking the door to their side. Our rooms were all beyond sound proof, we’d never hear them if we didn’t open the door.

  “Zip,” Mel said and turned her back to me. Relatively calm?

  Is this good or bad? Was she over it? Or did she not want to ruin her dress? I couldn’t help but wonder as I pulled the zipper down exposing her beautiful olive skinned back.

  She allowed it to fall to the ground and stepped out of it, only in a black lacy bra…that’s it.

  Fuck me.

  My eyes traveled every length of her body. Over the years, I had watched it chang., She was as fit as ever, but had gotten most of the stretch marks on her body removed except for a few on the left side of her stomach. She said it because giving me my children was one battle she wanted to have scars from.

  “What’s wrong with you?” She paused in the center of our room as she took her earings out of her ears. My eyebrow rose at that.

  No guns? No cursing? Not even a glare? Everything was wrong.

  “Nothing,” I replied and pulled off my tie. When she went into her closet, I moved over to the side table on her s
ide and quickly took the bullets out of her gun. Then I moved to the one under her pillow, and the one strapped to the headboard and the one behind the dresser, and the one under the bed.

  “Tomorrow, are you going to be with us for the food drive after church?” she called from the bathroom.

  Throwing the pistol back under the bed I stood up straighter. “Yeah, why wouldn’t I?”

  No answer. What was she doing in there?

  Goddamn it. This was more stressful than her actually coming out front and fighting me.

  Fuck it. Kicking off my shoes, I moved to my closet. I stripped down and changed into a pair of black pajama bottoms, running my hand through my hair as I joined her in the bathroom.

  Her eyes met mine in the bathroom mirror, a toothbrush in her hand and a silk robe now covering her.

  “No guns tonight?” I asked her as I grabbed the toothpaste.

  Rising her mouth out, she shook her head. “We have a busy day tomorrow and my husband can’t show up with a black eye. Besides, I think you know how pissed I am. That’s good enough.”

  “Look at you being all mature.” I smirked as I brushing my teeth.

  “Don’t push me!” she snapped and stomped out.

  Leaning back, I watched her ass as she left. “What about our other plans for the night?”

  “I put lotion by your sink…have fun.”

  I looked down and sure enough, there it was and a box of tissues.

  After I rinsed my mouth out with her mouthwash, I followed her. I stepped back into the room and she was already in bed.

  “Mel, we don’t go to bed angry with each other,” I reminded her as I moved over to my side of the bed.

  She didn’t reply.

  “Fine. I’ll wait,” I said. I fluffed the pillow behind me and sat up against the headboard.

  Again, she said nothing turning off the lights, now the only source of light—the grayish-blue moonlight streaming in from the window.

  This was ridiculous. “I took him today because he was ready. He wasn’t in danger, nor would I—”