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 side 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—”
I froze when I felt the heat in my neck. Reaching up, I touched my skin as a drop of sweat rolled down my face.
She didn’t.
“Ahh…” I hissed at the burning. When I looked at her, she was staring right at me resting her head on her hand, an evil smile played on her lips.
“You should know better than to cross me by now, sweetheart.”
“You…fuck…in…bitch…Ahh.”