by Layna Snow
For once he didn’t feel in control. He didn’t feel like he could out think this. It wasn’t an exam, or a logic problem.
Someone wanted to hurt Melody and he couldn’t do anything about it. Fear crawled up his throat, choking him, bathing him in a toxic mix of terror and fury. Threatening to overwhelm him.
“The short haired one. He said that someone called and left the message.” She explained, looking a little nervous.
“It’s alright, I’m just worried. We will talk more later. Let me just walk Emily to her car first, alright?” Seth gentled his voice. He didn’t want Melody to be afraid of him, but right now his anger and fear were eating at him like acid.
At Melody’s reluctant nod, Seth took her hand again, guiding her towards Emily’s car.
There was too much to figure out, they’d need to run this by Caleb.
“Yelling at her won’t accomplish anything you know!” Em said, glaring as she took out her keys. She seemed to take a long time to get them in the lock, probably because it was so dark. Why was she parked so far away from the other cars? Why didn’t she leave her car under a light?
Seth moved Emily gently aside. When he was in Toronto, he got into the habit of inspecting the car. Not that he thought that this small town was so dangerous, but he wanted to make sure no one was hiding in the back. It was too dark there. Too remote to take any chances.
When he stuck his head in the car, he noticed a distinct smell. It was slightly sweet but then smelled rotten. Right away Seth moved out of the vehicle, pulling the girls away too. He could immediately identify the substance.
Chloroform.
***
“Alright, everyone stay back.” The police officer said, putting up a police barricade sign to stop the drunk people from getting too close to the car. Seth eyed the people, wondering if there was danger in the crowd. Wondering how long it would take before everyone in the town knew about this.
He hadn’t told the officer of the note. He had to try to keep Melody out of this as much as possible, since she didn’t have any identification.
Right now, Emily was standing farther back with an officer, speaking animatedly with tears running down her face. He had heard enough before walking away to let him know the basics. No one had keys to her car other than her. No one was near her car and she hadn’t talked to anyone besides the three girls, and him, since she got there. He had heard the officer ask about the soaked shirt, but Emily hadn’t been able to tell if it was hers.
The cops were all confused, none understanding what had happened. All they knew was that a shirt, in an open bag, was doused in chloroform.
They suspected that someone was going to use it against Emily.
But Seth knew what had been about to happen. Emily went there, probably to look for Melody. She must have heard that she went there with Brooke. She came ready to abduct the Angel, using chloroform if need be.
This stunt just proved to Seth that Emily was involved. She had to be.
The bartender had said that he didn’t know who was on the phone, it was a man’s voice, he was sure about that, someone probably from out of town, or he’d probably of recognized the voice.
It all just added up to confirming what he had already known. Nate wanted Melody for some reason—most likely it involved the hospital and her Angelic DNA. It was obvious that he got something out of delivering Melody. And he had persuaded Emily to help him.
The news didn’t shock Seth, at least not mentally. He was used to people doing horrible things. His mother had done drugs regularly, often choosing crack over his supper. And his father had run out on his mom as soon as he had learned of her pregnancy. Jillian—Seth’s birth mother—had tried to give him to her family, but they didn’t care enough to take care of him. It didn’t help that as he aged he had spent time with the wrong crowd, with boys who’d kill you if they thought you were in the way. It was a sad life until his mother died—drug overdose—and he was handed over to his foster mother.
And even she died.
He knew better than to put total trust in people. This world was filled with people who would hurt their loved ones just to get ahead. And if they were willing to do that, then they were willing to do much worse to strangers. Since then he had kept a weary distance from everyone. Except Caleb. That kid had grown on him until his whole being was tied to Cay’s. Their personalities grew together and now they were basically one person.
So no, it didn’t surprise Seth that Nate would do this. It didn’t even shock him that Em would help. But he did feel a twinge in his chest, a small pain that he ignored. He had started to trust them, even if it was just a little, and they betrayed him. Not only that, they betrayed Cay and Mel.
Seth watched the officer and Emily interact. He looked apologetic as walked her over to the police cruiser. As they put her in the back seat, Emily looked around as if searching for someone or something.
They were probably taking her into protective custody for now. At least she would be off the streets tonight and they could come up with a plan.
Seth felt bad for her. Emily wasn’t a bad person, she just made some bad decisions. He knew that if it wasn’t for Nate, she wouldn’t be in this situation. Emily wouldn’t have made this choice on her own.
Caleb moved closer to Seth, holding Melody to his side as he did so. Seth knew that they would have questions, and in time, he’d answer them, but right now he just wanted to take Melody home.
She looked so lost and scared. He wanted to make things better but he knew that the police had nothing. This didn’t make things better. Emily wasn’t being looked at. There was no crime. This wouldn’t lead back to Nate, not conclusively. And Mel couldn’t press charges. She wasn’t real to the police. And she couldn’t be until they found a way to get her an identity.
“Seth?” Cay asked, with questions in his voice that Seth didn’t know how to answer.
He felt so useless. He couldn’t protect Mel at all times. He couldn’t have Nate arrested. There was really nothing he could do right now but wait for the next attack. This was the area where he was usually needed, and he couldn’t do anything.
Failure.
Seth sighed and turned to look at Melody and Cay. They both were watching him, as if he had a solution to this mess. As if he could take care of everything. But they were wrong. There was nothing he could think of to fix this.
“Let’s go home. We’ll talk about it tomorrow.”
Cay nodded and started to steer Melody towards his SUV, but she stopped, moving out of his arms to Seth’s side.
Looking down at her clear blue eyes, he saw trust—a trust he didn’t deserve—and a vulnerability that he didn’t like. He wanted to be the man she thought he was, the leader, the protector, but he couldn’t be. Couldn’t even pretend to be anymore.
“Mel?” Cay asked, concern lacing his voice.
“I’m going to go with Seth. He will drive me back.” She said, her voice straining even at the low decibel.
Seth looked up at Caleb, sure that he would protest, but the other man just nodded and walked away, leaving him alone with Melody again.
“Alright, come on.” He said and took her hand to lead her to his truck. Mel went along quietly. She didn’t complain when he turned off the radio, and she didn’t talk the whole time they drove back.
Seth parked beside Cay’s vehicle and got out, only to move around to open Melody’s door for her. She accepted his help out, not commenting on her ability to do it herself. She didn’t even shiver when the cool wind pressed at their sides.
Seth knew she was in shock. Knew that she would soon start shaking. She wasn’t used to this. Wasn’t used to betrayal or police. Her life had been perfect before she Fell. He could only wonder what she was thinking now, how much she regretted her decision to go against her orders.
She didn’t deserve this kind of pain, but Seth couldn’t take it away, no matter how much he wanted to.
Once inside he saw Cay standing in the mi
ddle of the room, his back to them, taught and flexed. And then Seth saw the mess. Everything was broken or strewn about.
The T.V was cracked, tilted on its side. Pots and pans were thrown around the room, leaving the cupboard doors open—some hanging off their hinges—and bare. The couch cushions were cut, the stuffing laying like fake snow across the floor. Even their bedroom doors were broken, letting Seth know that inside was just as destroyed as the main room.
But what bothered him the most was the red letters that dripped across the walls. The paint dark, a bad imitation of blood. The script hurried, almost illegible, but Seth could make it out. And if the tenseness of Melody’s body was any indication, she could too.
Just because there are two of you, doesn’t mean she’s safe.
23
Caleb swore and Seth had to agree. He felt like swearing as well.
It had taken over an hour for the cops to arrive, which gave Seth enough time to look around the house to make sure that the person wasn’t still there. He checked every nook and cranny, most of which were destroyed, before he was sure that they were alone.
It also gave Caleb enough time to carefully smear the words painted on the wall, so that no one would be able to read it. Seth didn’t want anything traced back to Melody. He didn’t want anyone to question her or look too closely.
And while they did all that, Melody stood near the door, her body as still as a statue and her arms wrapped around her small frame.
When the cops had arrived, they didn’t have much to say. They looked around the house and asked Seth some questions but in the end they had reluctantly revealed that it was unusual to find the perpetrator of a break-in. He said that the only thing that they could do was send a copy of the report to the insurance company, along with a detailed list of broken items, which Seth would need to provide.
While there, the police officer had gotten a call from another cop who had been sent out to Nate’s hotel room, based on a tip that Seth provided—which was based on the notion that he’d been angry after being fired. But apparently Nate had an alibi. He’d ordered a movie around the same time Caleb left, and had been waiting for his girlfriend who didn’t show up.
Seth thought that it was a sketchy alibi. Nate could have easily rented the movie and then left. He had to know by now that Emily was arrested and had used the in-room movie to cover his own butt.
Over all, the police had nothing helpful to say. They didn’t take the break-in seriously, since it didn’t look like anything was stolen. They didn’t listen to their concerns. It left Seth wondering if there was a way to catch Nate, and to stop this once and for all.
The message on the wall was right, they couldn’t protect her all the time. They would need to think of another strategy. And hopefully soon.
After the cops left, Seth told Cay to take some pictures with his phone and to note anything that needed to be replaced. They had a lot to do in the next few days. They would need to get the door replaced, since the lock had been broken. Seth wanted to get a security system, one so high tech that no one would ever be able to enter without him knowing.
They also needed to get new furniture and replace all the food, since the fridge had been unplugged and the door left open. And while all that was happening, he’d need to figure out how to contact the other Fallen Angels. Surely one of them would know what to do, at least about getting some I.D.
Cay pulled the desk from the study, and Seth helped him move it in front of the door to hold it shut. Then Cay went into his room to see if any clothes could be salvaged.
Seth turned to Melody, watching her look so tense and scared. She wouldn’t look around, keeping her eyes on the same design in the rug.
“Mel?” He asked, but she didn’t seem to hear him. She just continued to look at the ground, sightless.
Seth didn’t really know what to do. He wanted to hug her, to run his fingers through her hair and kiss her sweet lips. He wanted to stroke his hands along her body to make sure that she was alright, but he didn’t know if she’d allow that. Didn’t even know if he should allow it of himself.
Seth walked closer, needing to be near her. Needing to feel her warmth, her comfort. She settled him, and right now his mind was churning and his gut was clenched so hard he thought he might be sick.
I need comforting.
When she didn’t react to his presence, Seth enfolded her in his arms, unable to resist the temptation to hold her close. He could feel the chill in her body, the slight shivering of her small limbs. Luckily, she seemed to accept his presence, drawing out of herself enough to wrap her arms around his waist and hold on.
Seth felt relief rush over him. She was responding! She was actually moving into him for warmth. He had been worried that she might stay in the shocked state, worried that this night might be too much for her untried emotions. But she reacted!
He closed his eyes, blocking out the sight of the wreckage, the problems that would soon arise. He ignored all of that and focused on the way her slim body fit into his, on how her breasts felt against his abs. He concentrated on her heartbeat, steady against his and on the way her arms felt, tight against him as if she wanted to keep him there, with her.
Oh, it was Heavenly, until he started to feel wetness against his chest, and her whole body started shaking in little sobs.
Until her tears broke his heart.
“Shh, shh. It’s alright. Please don’t cry. I will make sure you are always safe. Please don’t cry, Mel. I can’t stand it.” He said, his voice rough with emotion.
He could feel a pain in his chest, a deep ache that intensified, growing until he could no longer contain it. It hurt so badly, and brought on a realization that he had been ignoring all night. He could have lost her.
He could have gotten there too late. Melody could have been in that car, her lungs taking in the chloroform, her brain slowing until she had no resistance. And then where would she have been taken? Would they know how to find her again? Would they ever have been able to get her back?
No, they could have lost her today, and that fact was enough to finish ripping Seth’s chest open.
“Baby, it’s alright now,” he told her, but wasn’t sure that was true. Nate and Em were still out there. They could try to get her again, and Seth wasn’t sure that he and Cay would be able to stop them.
Seth felt a presence behind him then, knew from the comfort he felt that it was Caleb. And he knew that Cay would be able to handle this better, would be able to make her feel better.
“Here, Cay. She’s really upset,” he said, turning so that Caleb would be able to take Melody from him. But the other man just shook his head.
“As much as I want to hold her. And I do. A fucking lot! It seems that you need it more than me. You’re upset too, man.”
Melody gripped him tighter, as if keeping him from letting her go. He didn’t want to give her to Cay, but she wasn’t Seth’s girlfriend. He shouldn’t be the one to comfort her.
“I.. I’m.. soo…sorry.” She whispered between sobs, her voice barely loud enough for Seth to hear.
“No, it’s alright. You don’t have to be sorry.” He said, moving his hand along her hair, hoping that that soothed her a little.
“I don’t know why.. why.. I’m.. leaking.” She mumbled, her sobs coming faster.
Seth leaned his head down, placing a small kiss on the top of her head. “They are tears. People cry them all the time. It’s alright. It’s normal.” He tried to reassure her, knowing that it wasn’t adequate.
But Mel just nodded, nuzzling her face against his chest. “Okay,” she said quietly before her legs gave out. Seth tightened his grip on her so that she didn’t fall to the floor. He quickly adjusted his hold so that he could lift her before carrying her to the bit of wall between his room and the door to the study.
He sat down, setting her on his lap and holding her against his chest. He could feel her release a breath, her tears slowing slightly. It felt right to have her in his a
rms like this. It felt normal and natural, like he should have been holding her this whole time. He knew that there was a lot to work out, especially now that the threat had escaladed. But he was sure of one thing, he was falling in love with Melody.
Seth looked up to see Caleb standing there, a blanket draped over his arm. He smiled at them before sitting down beside Seth and tucking the blanket around Mel. He then smiled down indulgently, and Seth noticed that he had taken Mel’s hand under the blanket, as if he couldn’t resist touching her.
“She’s asleep,” Cay said with a soft smile on his face, bringing Seth’s attention to the fact that her tears had stopped and her breath was slow, even. He was glad. She needed rest. The day had taken a lot out of her and he was glad that she was sleeping peacefully now.
“Yeah, she’s pretty strong. She did well today.” Seth said, keeping his voice low so that he wouldn’t wake her.
“She’s growing on you, isn’t she?” Cay asked, looking over at Seth, the same easy smile that he’d had for Mel.
“Yeah. She is.” But even though he wanted her, even though he yearned to be in her life, someone she went to for comfort, who she wanted to comfort, someone who she cared about unconditionally, there was still a lot of potential problems. “What of the town? I’m sure they would have a problem. It’s considered immoral, you know.”
Cay nodded, his brow pursed in thought. “I thought about that. I mean, technically it’s illegal. But so is what’s happening right now, which is dumb. But the law states that it would only be used if there is harm done to one of the parties. And mostly if the girl is underage. I mean, if the community wants to get upset about it, we will have to do something then.”
“Are you talking about breaking up or moving?”
Cay took a moment to think about it. “I don’t know. We spent so many years searching for this dream, trying to work to make it happen. Could we just give it all up?” Cay asked, suddenly looking nervous.
“I’m not sure.” Seth answered, looking down at the sleeping woman in his arms. He had tried very hard since the day Cecilia smacked him upside the head, to be this man. He worked all his life, ignoring his wants and desires in order to put work first. He knew that one day it would pay off, one day he would feel secure and provide for Cay and anyone he needed to protect. He had put everything into this clinic, could he sacrifice it for Mel, the arrogant, vulnerable, ignorant, adorable, loving woman of his dreams?