Daylight Robbery (An Aspen Falls Novel)

by Melissa Pearl

  John just snickered in her ear. “Looking for a new place to relocate. Thanks to you, we’re gonna have to find somewhere else to live now.”

  “What?” They reached the landing and she spotted Robin with a pretty lady she recognized from the police station. Melina was pressed up against him. She was crying, and he had a gun pressed against her hand.

  “What are you doing?” Leah wrestled free of John’s hold and rushed forward. “Let her go!”

  Robin released the woman’s wrist but didn’t let her go. Trailing the gun up her arm, he rested it against her shoulder, the muzzle aimed at the woman’s neck. Her chest was heaving and Leah understood that fear completely.

  “Let her go,” she tried again.

  “You beat up JJ. You locked him in a fucking cell!”

  “You locked me in a cell,” she retorted. “And I won’t be your prisoner anymore.”

  “So you found your way back. Good for you.” Robin’s mockery was clouded by the pained look on his face.

  She had betrayed him and it hurt.

  “Why?” he whispered. “I took care of you. I love you!”

  “You’re not my father.” Tears burned her eyes.

  “I’m a hell of a lot better than he was!” Robin’s voice broke as he waved the gun at Kellan. “Always telling you to be careful. Hindering you! Squashing your potential. I was at the lake. I saw. And I knew…I knew I had to save you. Help you become the person you were meant to be. That’s why I joined the search party that night. It was my chance.”

  “What?” Leah whispered, a red haze momentarily blinding her.

  “And then I found you, and I knew it was providence.” Robin’s eyes glistened with a smile, like he actually thought he’d done the right thing.

  Rage burned deep within her and she let out a guttural scream. “You stole my life!”

  She made a lunge at him, but was quickly yanked back. Kellan held her arm steady.

  “Let me go!” She tried to fight him off.

  “Stay calm.” His deep voice was soothing and Leah went still. Kellan’s grip loosened a little, but he still kept his hand on her arm. “Robin, you can’t win this fight. You need to let Melina go.”

  Robin dug the gun into Melina’s neck, making her tendons strain. “I will, as long as she comes home with me.” Robin raised his chin at Leah.

  She flinched, hating that biting fear that wanted to claim her.

  “It’s okay, Leah,” he cooed. “I won’t hurt you. I’m not mad anymore. It’s done. Forgiven. Let’s just get out of here, collect the others, and disappear. We’ll start fresh. John’s found us a place.”

  “I don’t want to go with you.” She shook her head. “You were going to leave me to starve in solitary.”

  “No I wasn’t.” He chuckled. “You’re my kid. I was just trying to teach you a lesson. I told you that. Now stop acting crazy and come home. We’re your family. We love you more than anyone else could.”

  “That’s bullshit. You don’t love…” She shook her head, knowing it wasn’t true. Robin did love her. She could see it on his face.

  But she didn’t want his kind of love. It was warped. Wrong. She knew love could be different. Deep down inside of her, she knew because when she was little, she’d had it. She’d experienced the kind of love that wasn’t about control and fear.

  “I’m not yours, Robin. I never was. You stole me from my real home, and I will never do anything for you again. You can’t control me anymore!”

  Robin’s face morphed with rage, his gaze dark and terrifying. “I saved you from an overprotective father who was squashing you! He never would have let you reach your full potential. You’re who you are because of me!”

  “I never asked to be made into a thief! You stole my childhood! And you’re not getting another second of my life!”

  “Leah,” Robin warned, his nostril flaring.

  “Her name’s Rae,” Kellan countered quietly.

  As if to punish Kellan’s insolence, Robin dug the gun even harder into Melina’s neck. She whimpered, in obvious pain. “I can take it all. If you don’t hand her over, I’m going to kill this woman, wound you, and take the kid. You will never catch me, and I want you to live with the knowledge that I have taken everything from you.”

  “No!” Leah jerked, seeing how serious Robin was. The guy may have been a liar, but Leah could sense he wasn’t bullshitting this time around. His finger was on the trigger and Leah couldn’t bear the thought of someone dying on her account. Especially someone Kellan Marks obviously loved. “You’re not killing her. You’re not doing this, Robin. Stop. You’re not…” She held up her hands, struggling to get out the words. “You’re not this person. You’re not a killer.” Licking her lips, she dug deep and pulled out the words from deep inside her chest. “Let her go, and I’ll…I’ll…come with you.”

  “No!” Kellan barked. “Rae, don’t do this.”

  She glanced over her shoulder and drank in the look on her father’s face. It wasn’t scary. It wasn’t accusing.

  He was afraid for her. He didn’t want her to get hurt.

  Because he loved her, the way a father should love a daughter.

  She so desperately wanted to stay and find out what “a normal life” really meant.

  But she couldn’t do that at the cost of someone else’s.

  Raising her hands, she stepped forward and repeated, “Let her go and I’m all yours.”

  50

  Friday, October 5th

  9:10am

  An invisible hand wrapped around Kellan’s heart, squeezing the living crap out of it. He felt like his insides were being pummeled. He couldn’t lose his daughter again.

  But he couldn’t lose Melina either.

  Seeing her life threatened had only confirmed it for him—he was in love with this beautiful woman.

  As soon as Rae was within reach, Robin shoved Melina away from him. She stumbled and Kellan lurched forward to catch her before she hit the floor.

  She sniffled and shook against him. He wrapped his arm around her waist, holding her steady while he threw molten glares at the man who was trying to take Rae away from him.

  He wanted to threaten and curse the man, but that would only rile Robin more, and he knew he couldn’t risk hurting Rae.

  Robin’s grip on her arm was strong and unrelenting, and Kellan could see it was hurting her.

  He needed to act fast, because like hell was he going to let them walk out the door.

  “John, let’s go.” Robin didn’t take his eyes off Kellan as he dished out his command. John edged for the doorway, pulling the keys from his pocket. Kellan glanced at the jittery young man, his brain working overtime for the best solution.

  As Robin started for the door, Rae glanced Kellan’s way and he caught her eye, desperately hoping she could read his mind.

  He wasn’t going to let her be taken. They had to end this. Now.

  She went still, resisting Robin’s pull, and then just the hint of a smile touched the corner of her mouth. A fiery spark lit her eyes before she struck. Like a crocodile lunging out of the water, she attacked, lightning fast. Her fist shot out of nowhere, catching Robin in the groin. He let out a surprised gasp and Kellan lunged, grabbing the guy’s wrist and attempting to wrestle the gun away from him. They fell back together, slamming against the armchair. The entire chair tipped sideways and they fell over the top of it, grunting and fighting for control of the gun.

  Robin’s fist rocketed toward Kellan, catching his chin. It hurt like fire but didn’t loosen Kellan’s relentless grip on the gun.

  He heard a scream behind him but didn’t have a chance to look as Robin rose to attack him again. With a grunt, he swung his elbow, driving it into the side of Robin’s face. Momentarily stunned, the man fell backward, giving Kellan a chance to quickly scan the living room. Rae and John were scrapping on the floor by the door while Melina rushed across to them, a fire poker clutched in her hand.

  Kellan was shoved ba
ck as Robin regained his momentum. His head cracked against the hard wooden floor and he fought stars, his grip on Robin’s wrist failing him. The hard muzzle pressed against his forehead and Kellan stilled, staring up at the man who’d taken so much from him already.

  And then he heard it.

  The sweet sound of sirens screaming toward his parents’ house.

  Robin flinched, his eyes rounding with fear as he jumped to his feet.

  But he had nowhere to go.

  As he leaped over Kellan and made a break for the back door, Kellan scrambled up and grabbed the guy’s ankle. It was like watching a great redwood being felled in the forest. The man landed with a crash, the gun spinning out of his grasp and twirling across the wooden floor.

  Footsteps thundered up the front path and through the door. Blaine already had his weapon raised with Courtney right beside him.

  “Stay down,” she ordered, stepping farther into the room, while Blaine quickly secured John.

  Robin lay trembling on the floor while Kellan grabbed the weapon.

  “Hands behind your head.” Courtney quickly cuffed the giant man before reading him his rights.

  Another siren wailed as backup arrived, and Kellan felt his shredded insides finally crumble. Turning, he spotted his daughter in a heap on the floor. Tears were streaming down her face as Melina sat beside her, cradling her head against her shoulder.

  Kellan’s legs barely made the distance and he flopped to the ground beside them, gathering both women in his arms and dragging them close.

  Rae’s tears soaked into his shirt while Melina clung to his shoulder and softly whispered, “I love you. I love you.”

  He wanted to say it back, but speaking was beyond him.

  He’d tell her one day. Hell, he’d tell her every day as soon as he could find his voice again.

  Resting his cheek against the side of her head, he closed his eyes and felt it—every sensation of the moment. Rae’s cheek against his chest, her thin arm cautiously wrapping around his waist. Melina’s sweet smell and lullaby voice in his ear.

  In that moment, he had everything he needed, and he wasn’t about to let it go.

  51

  Thursday, October 11th

  10:30am

  Melina was struggling to hide her grin as she watched Rae skirt her office, picking up and touching everything like she was a curious toddler.

  The girl was jittery—that was plain to see.

  She had every right to be. She’d gone through some monumental changes in the last week, and it’d been an emotional ride.

  There were still plenty more changes to come too, and that was why Kellan asked if he could drop Rae off at Melina’s office for an hour or so. Kind of like a check-in. Rae needed someone to talk to that wasn’t him.

  Melina still felt that an outside therapist would be best. With the speed she and Kellan were moving, Melina would be in Rae’s life on a more permanent basis, and the girl needed a neutral party to offload to. She’d already called Abigail Fletcher, who was the best therapist around. She worked with a lot of teens, and Melina was confident she’d be the perfect match for Rae.

  “So.” Melina threaded her fingers together. “You want to take a seat?”

  “Not really.” Rae’s nose wrinkled, like she knew it was the wrong thing to say.

  Melina smiled at her. “That’s cool. Would you rather go for a walk?”

  Rae shook her head, so Melina just nodded and rested her hip against the edge of her desk.

  “So, what’s making you so nervous?”

  Rae shrugged, then gave her a sheepish grin. “I don’t know. I guess I’m just not that good at talking about stuff. You know, emotional stuff.”

  Melina chuckled. “Well, you’re most definitely Kellan’s daughter, then.”

  Rae snickered and put down the pen she’d been fiddling with. “I know… Dad… man, that still feels weird calling him that.”

  “Well, you don’t have to if you’re not comfortable. I mean, I know your fingerprints have confirmed that you’re Kellan’s daughter, but I’m sure he won’t mind if you’d prefer to call him Kellan.”

  “I know.” Rae’s shoulders slumped. “To be honest, I want to call him Dad, but I just haven’t used that word in a really long time. I didn’t need proof that he was my father. With everything Robin said and what I remember, it’s a sure thing. I mean it feels right.”

  “Well, he’s certainly very happy that he’s found you.”

  Rae’s smile was small and short-lived.

  Melina rested her hands on the edge of her desk and leaned forward. “How are you finding living with him?”

  “It’s good. I’m in my old room again.” She plunked into the chair opposite Melina and tucked her hands under her legs. “It’s so quiet. I’m not used to having a room to myself.”

  “You miss your friends?”

  Rae bobbed her head, her eyes filling with tears. “I’m worried about them. Not all of them minded being taken, you know? JJ and Cricket, they…” Her expression crumpled with distress.

  Melina moved to the chair beside Rae’s and took a seat. “I know. It’s okay. Child services are investigating each and every home. They’ll all be safe at the end of the day.”

  “What if they’re not?”

  “I’ll make sure they are.” Melina kept her gaze steady. She didn’t think she’d truly be able to express how determined she was to take care of these kids. They were all going to need therapy and although only Rae was within her area, she was making sure she had her finger on the pulse of each child.

  Rae seemed slightly appeased by this and leaned back in the chair. “So, Dad said he thinks I should see a therapist.”

  “I agree.” Melina nodded.

  “Is that going to be you?”

  Melina shook her head with a smile. “I don’t want to take on that role in your life. And there are people far better qualified than I am. I think it’s best that you have someone not linked to your home to talk to. A safe place where you can unload whatever you’re thinking or feeling.”

  Rae nodded. “Dad wants me to get a tutor too. Catch me up so I can start school when I’m ready.”

  “High school.” Melina smiled. “How do you feel about that?”

  “Petrified,” Rae squeaked.

  “You don’t have to start until you’re ready. Nothing about this new life of yours should make you feel threatened, or like you can’t handle it. You just take things slow, one step at time, and your dad…and I…will be there to help you every step of the way.”

  “What about my mom?” Rae bit the edge of her lip, and Melina wondered if that was a real concern for Rae.

  She’d finally come home, but it was incomplete. There was a gaping hole where Carrie should be standing.

  Melina swallowed and tried to sound upbeat…hopeful, in spite of the way she was feeling. That low-lying fear that Carrie might return and everything would change nibbled at her heart. “Your dad’s trying to track her down. After she left, they lost touch. Her parents are no longer alive and she was an only child, so finding connections is hard. Your dad has contacted her old friends, but apparently Carrie cut herself off from everyone when…” Melina’s voice trailed off and she forced a smile. She didn’t want Rae to feel like she was to blame for the fact that her mother cut and run. “She’s most likely remarried, possibly has a different last name and lives in a different part of the country or not in this country at all. Your dad has no idea where she is. It might take some time, but he won’t stop looking. You can count on that.”

  Rae blinked and looked away from her. “It still feels weird.”

  “What does, honey?”

  “I’ve wanted to be a part of a normal family for so long, and now I’ve got this chance, but I don’t feel normal. So it’s like I won’t fit anyway. I’m learning that a whole bunch of stuff I thought was wrong is actually right. It’s so confusing trying to figure it all out, and it just makes me realize that…I’m not norm
al. Maybe I never can be.”

  Rising from her chair, Melina crouched down beside the girl. Taking her hands, she gently rubbed her thumb down Rae’s fingers and said, “Normal means different things to different people. Right now, your normal is going to be living with a father who loves you and has your best interests at heart. It’s going to be learning about this world in a whole new light and making up your own mind about what you think is right and wrong. That’s going to be your normal for a while, and that’s okay.”

  Rae’s lips quivered with a smile before she whispered, “And what about you? Where do you fit in?”

  “Well…” Melina gazed down at their joined hands, her heart warming with a sensation she hadn’t really felt before. Glancing back up, she smiled at Kellan’s daughter and told her the truth. “I love your dad, so I’m going to keep doing that. And when you’re ready, I’ll probably sleep over at the house, have breakfast with you guys. If that works out, I might start having dinner there too. And I can be whatever you need me to be—a friend, an aunt, someone you can talk to.”

  After a silent pause that seemed to stretch forever, Rae’s fingers slowly curled around Melina’s and she breathed out the words, “I’d like that.”

  Impulsively, Melina rose and planted a kiss on the side of Rae’s face. It wasn’t going to be hard to fall in love with this beautiful girl. In fact, Melina was pretty sure she already had.

  Epilogue

  Thursday, November 22nd

  7:30pm

  The noise in the house was ridiculous. Kellan wasn’t used to his place being so crowded. He shouldn’t have suggested the Thanksgiving party, but the second the idea had left his lips, Melina had been all over it. Her enthusiasm rubbed off on Rae, and the two ladies in his life got busy planning.

  He couldn’t hide a grin as he carried two empty beer bottles out to the recycling bin—an excuse to catch his breath.

  They’d invited everyone in Aspen Falls that Kellan was grateful to have in his life.