by Anna Brooks
Slowly, she nods. “Yes.”
“He hurt you?”
“No. Just scare—”
“What are you doing? Stop! Let him go!” Out of nowhere, a woman charges at me, pounding on my back, and before I know it, Mellie is throwing herself at her.
“Don’t hit him!” Mellie screams. If it were any other situation, my woman defending my honor would be a turn-on. She pushes the woman off me, and I finally release this bastard, tossing him face first into the cheap linoleum. I need to hold Mellie so she doesn’t hurt herself.
My arms open the moment I stand up. “Come here.” Mellie rushes to me, and I wrap her up, keeping my eye on the other two people. The woman is on her hands and knees, helping the guy off the ground.
“What the hell?” she screams at me. “Who are you? What is going on?” She supports the man as he tries to stand, and when he’s finally upright, I realize I recognize him.
“You’re the fucker who was chasing her.”
“There was a bug.” He shakes his head and coughs. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.” He points at the woman next to him. “This is my friend Polly, and I’m Richard.”
Mellie squeezes me tighter. “I thought the same thing,” she whispers.
“Mellie, I already told you I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Richard states, and even through his gasps for breath, I hear the threat in his voice.
She shivers, and I hold her a little tighter. “Come on, let’s go.” I’ll find out after we leave what happened and why she’s here.
“I need my phone.” She walks a few steps away to get it off the counter but doesn’t let go of my hand. I’d handcuff myself to her if it would make her feel better.
We walk toward the front door with Polly staring us down the entire way. “Don’t come back here, Mellie.”
“She won’t be back. But Richard here isn’t getting any more warnings from me.” I stop at the threshold of the house and direct my attention at him. “You so much as look at her again, and I swear on all that is holy you will regret it. You get me?”
His face remains impassive, but his fingers flex open and closed. Yeah. He knows I’m onto him. Sleazy bastard. I walk out after Mellie and lead her to my truck. “What the fuck is that?” I wipe some shit off my arm.
“Probably fly guts.” Her soft voice confuses me.
“What?”
“He was smooshing it between his fingers.”
“That’s disturbing. And gross.” I have a shit ton of questions, but the first one I need to know is, “Does Jay know where you are?”
She bites her lip. “I left him a note and snuck out the back door.”
I can’t even lecture her on how dangerous that was, because before we’re even out of the driveway, my phone rings. Jay’s name flashes on the screen, so I answer it via Bluetooth.
“She’s with me.”
“What the fuck!” he screams. Not a shout, or a yell, but a like goddamned megaphone. “Is she okay?”
“I’m fine.” She speaks up before I can answer.
“Mel. Shit. What the hell? You’d better start talking. Now!”
I’m interested to see what she has to say, too. With an urgency to get out of this place, I pull onto the road to head home. I need to get her away from here and somewhere safe. Something’s not adding up, and I don’t like being unprepared or uninformed.
“I, um, I wanted to come and get Mouse, and you’ve been busy, so I just flew up here and—”
“You got on a fucking plane with a clinically insane man after you? Are you fucking stupid?”
“Watch yourself, Jay.” I’m pissed at her, too, and he doesn’t even know what just happened with the neighbor… Even so, nobody talks to her like that.
“Shit, shit,” he chants, then his voice is muffled before he clears his throat. “Sorry, Mellie. You know I don’t mean that. I’m just worried about you.”
“I know.” She sniffs and wipes a tear from her face. “I shouldn’t have done it.”
I place my hand on her thigh and squeeze it gently to offer support then glance over to find her staring at my hand.
She sets her palm on the top of my hand and continues to talk. “I missed Mouse so much, and I just... I couldn’t go another day alone.”
Some loud sound from Jay’s end echoes throughout the cabin of my truck. “I’ve gotta run. You got her, Smith?”
“Yeah. I’ve got her.”
Chapter 11
Mellie
I can’t find it in myself to care about Jay right now. He’s worried and stressed, and I know I’m partly to blame. He’s busy. I get it. But if he’s going to drag me away from the person who’s saved me in more than one way and on more than one occasion, the least he could do is notice I’m missing a little earlier than seven hours later.
My hand on Smith’s soothes me. His fingers gently kneading my thigh comfort me. And pulling up to his house makes me smile. I’ve missed my cat, I’ve missed his place... I’ve missed him. When he pulls into the garage and closes the big door, he waits until it’s all the way down before he faces me.
A small illumination comes from a light somewhere in the garage, and though I can’t see the fine details of his handsome face, I notice the relief in it. He reaches out for me and threads a hand through my hair. I undo my seat belt and scoot closer to him. He copies my movements until we’re inches apart. I crawl over him so I’m straddling him, and when he opens his mouth to say something, I take the opportunity to slide my tongue against his. I immediately feel his bulge harden beneath me and can’t help but rub against it.
This is what I’ve been missing, too. How being with him this way made every other thing go away. No memories, no threats, no insecurity. Only passion and a connection I always dreamed about.
His hands are all over me now. Gently cupping my face, sliding down to my thighs where he roughly grabs them and pushes himself against me. He growls into my mouth, and I moan into his. His fingertips trace under my shirt and tease my nipples. Just when I think he’s going to do more, he pushes me away, panting. “God, I want you so much... but we need to talk.”
Begrudgingly, I nod and try to hide the smile on my face. “I... I know, but…”
After gently sliding out from under me, he holds out his hand to help me down from the truck. “Let’s go see Mouse. I need a fuckin’ beer, and you need to tell me what’s going on in that pretty head of yours. Because if we’re not on the same page…” He trails off and shakes his head.
I close the door behind me and lean up on my tiptoes to press a kiss to his cheek. “I’m pretty sure we are,” I whisper. I make my way around him and enter the kitchen to find a waiting Mouse talking at me. I bend down and pick her up. “Mousie! I missed you.” She purrs, and I hold her like she’s my lifeline. I rock back and forth with her, just as if she were a real baby.
After several minutes, I set her down and head to the living room where I saw Smith go with a beer. I sit next to him on the couch and tuck my legs beneath me. I surprisingly don’t feel awkward anymore. The whole incident with the neighbor still has me freaked out, but the liberation I feel right now is unparalleled. He wants me. He said it. Out loud. To me.
He takes a swallow of his beer, sets the bottle on the table, and turns to face me. His fingers tuck some stray hair behind my ear, tracing a path down the side of my face and over my lips before he finally drops his hand. “I’ve never—”
“Police. Open up, Porter.” A banging on the door booms through the house, and I jump.
Smith’s eyebrows draw together, and he gets up. “Stay here.”
When I hear the door open, I can’t control my curiosity, and I get up to see what’s going on. Smith’s back is to me, but he’s shaking his head. I get closer just as a police officer steps in. He pulls out a pair of handcuffs as Smith puts his hands behind his back.
“What’s going on?”
“I’m being arrested for assault.” He says it so casually, I�
�m afraid I misunderstood him.
“You’re what?” I make my way to him just as the officer locks the metal rings on Smith’s wrists.
“Listen to me, Mellie. Do not leave this house. No matter what. You hear me?”
“Yes.”
“Do you remember the security code?”
He told me a while ago, but I remember the numbers. “Yes.”
“Use it when they take me out of here. Don’t leave and don’t answer the door for anyone. If you get scared, don’t hesitate to call the police.”
“Why are they arresting you? You didn’t do anything.”
Smith leans closer and whispers, “Guns are in my nightstand, under the towels in the bathrooms, and in the silverware drawer, just in case.” Then he kisses my cheek. “I know somebody who will bail me out in less than an hour. I’ll be back soon, okay?”
“You shouldn’t be getting arrested. You were protecting me!”
“Shh, it’s okay. Just do what I said.”
The police officer begins to Mirandize him, and I lose it. He can’t leave me. I just got him back. I grab Smith’s arm and try to pull him away. “No! You can’t take him!”
“Baby, stop.” Smith tries to reason with me, just as another police officer steps inside. “Don’t you fucking touch her, Sanders.” His abrasive tone causes me to freeze.
I turn to see the man in question walking toward me. “I won’t hurt her.”
“You won’t put a goddamn finger on her,” Smith argues. “Look at me, Mellie.”
I take my eyes off the cop, who’s backing away from me, and do what Smith says.
“Trust me, all right? I’ll be back soon.”
After that little display of power, I can only agree. I nod, and he kisses my forehead, leaving his lips to linger for a brief but noticeable moment. “Okay. But please hurry.”
“I will. I promise.”
I bite my lip and watch them walk out. After I lock the door, I set the alarm. When your brother is a police officer, you learn real fast about guns. I know how to use one but don’t feel comfortable because I’m always so freaking on edge. I’m afraid I’ll shoot the wrong person.
Mouse is at my feet, and I pick her up before heading upstairs to Smith’s room. Once inside, I sit on his bed and decompress for a second. Jay can help me; he’d know what to do. He’s deep in a case, but I dial him anyway. When he doesn’t answer, I scroll through my contacts and realize I have nobody else to call.
I literally have no friends. Mary is just an acquaintance, and aside from her and Brandon, the only other numbers in my phone are for the Chinese place and the electric company so I can call and pay my bill over the phone.
I’m not sure what it is about that realization that hits me so hard, but it’s definitely an epiphany. Being with Smith, even in the short time I’ve known him, has changed me for the better. It’s given me a confidence boost I didn’t realize I needed. It’s been a weird and scary and stressful time since I got the house. Unanswered questions. Fearful moments. Unexpected revelations.
My mind plays on a loop, and I can’t get out of my head the way Richard... or Dale, or whatever the hell his name is, looked. Was I overreacting? He didn’t hurt me. Didn’t threaten me. Just freaked me out. Then I remember why I was there in the first place and the woman who was waiting for Smith. I wonder how he found me. If he went looking for me or just saw me. I know Jay did not call him, so what gives?
The events of the past couple of months finally catch up to me, and I curl into the fetal position. The moment I close my eyes I fall asleep from mental exhaustion.
Smith
My knees bounce on the way to the station, and when we arrive, Sanders opens the back door for me. “Who’s the girl?”
“None of your business.”
He laughs and walks me inside, understanding that I clearly don’t want to make small talk. I get a few strange looks from people I know, while the others just say hi. Not only did I graduate from the police academy here, but I served on the force for a few years before I got transferred to Chicago. Plus, my father’s business is a staple in this community, so as much as I try to keep to myself, I can’t go anywhere without knowing someone.
Sanders puts me in a holding cell and takes the cuffs off me. “I’ll call Gerald and see what I can do about getting these charges dropped.”
I laugh humorlessly, knowing I probably won’t even be in here for an hour. “You do that.”
About forty minutes later, Gerald Nelson, my dad’s best friend, who also happens to be the mayor, gives me a chin lift in acknowledgment while he waits for my release. He and I walk out wordlessly, and when we get to the curb, his limo is waiting. I get in first, and he sits across from me.
The driver sits and buckles then asks where we’re going. “My place, Emilio. Thanks,” I tell him.
Gerald presses a button, and when the partition closes all the way, he laughs. “Boy, I haven’t seen you in four months, and this is how it has to be?”
“Sorry,” I apologize genuinely. “I’ve been busy.”
“Me too. Being the mayor puts a damper on my social life.” I chuckle again, but he doesn’t laugh. “Care to tell me what happened?”
When I raise my head, everything just comes out. Mellie’s house, her abuser, the neighbor. I vent to him about everything I apparently was holding in, and don’t even realize we’ve been sitting in my driveway. He steps out of the limo, and I follow him to my front porch step where he hands me a cigar.
“You don’t have to do everything on your own all the time, you know?”
“Yeah.”
He exhales and twists the Cuban in his fingers. “Tell me about this Richard person.”
“He’s either got multiple personalities or is a psychopath. Or both. I know who I saw.”
“Is it safe for you to be working at the house next door?”
“Yes. I’m not worried about me.” I crack my neck and puff on the cigar for a minute. “She’ll never be alone. But it still doesn’t make me feel better, because the guy’s certifiable.”
“I’ll look into him.”
“Appreciate it.”
“What are you going to do?”
“Flip it and make sure to stay far away so I don’t kill the son of a bitch.”
“No, Smith.” He waits for me to look at him then nods toward the house. “What are you going to do?”
I don’t do feelings. I stay far away from emotions. I refuse to get involved with people. He knows this. He’s tried. If anyone was there for me after my family’s death, he was. He was a witness to the self-destruction I bestowed upon myself the weeks and months after. He pulled, but I pushed harder.
Nine months later, I came to my senses, and after my intense grieving, I contacted him. Now, I see him a couple of times a year and sometimes around town. My father would be pissed at me for kicking him out of my life. They were best friends. According to my mom, when she first met them, she thought they were gay. Bromance wasn’t a term back then, but apparently, they had one in the day.
“I don’t want to love anyone,” I confess.
“You love her?”
Yes. “I don’t know.”
“What do you know?”
I shrug. “She’s not even mine, but I know I don’t want to lose her.”
“I see.” He puts out his cigar and stands. “If you don’t take the risk, son, you do realize you’ve already lost her, right?”
“Yeah.”
He squeezes my shoulder and walks to his limo, stopping before he gets in. “I’ll touch base with what I find on Richard.”
“Thanks.”
I watch his car until the taillights fade and I twirl the now unlit cigar. Before I got arrested tonight, I was about to tell her how I felt. The fact we have to be on the same page hasn’t changed, because if she doesn’t feel the way I do, I don’t think I can have her in my house anymore. I tortured myself when she was here, knowing I may have had a chance, but I’ll be damned
if I do it knowing the outcome isn’t what I’ve been dreaming about.
A raindrop lands on my hand, and I look up at the dark sky. A flash of vertical lightning illuminates the clouds, giving off an eerie purple tint. I can’t be out here. After making my way inside, I reset the alarm and toe off my shoes before doing a walkthrough of the house. I make sure the windows are all locked behind the curtains, that the door leading to the garage is secured, and that my Glock is still accessible.
I begin to head upstairs and a jolt of lightning shakes the house. I grip the railing and wait for the tremors to stop in the house and in my legs. Once upstairs, I open the guest room door but find her bed empty. My stomach drops, and I rush to my room, practically colliding with the closed door. I never close my door. Assuming and fucking praying she’s in here, I quietly turn the handle and release the breath I was holding when I see her.
Her soft hair rests on the pillow, and she’s pulled the covers so high I can barely see her face. When I step closer, Mouse looks at me from beside her, yawns, then falls back asleep. If it wouldn’t be so creepy, I’d just stand here and watch Mellie sleep. Soak up the beauty of her. But she already has two motherfuckers who’d love to take my place, and if I’m going to protect her from them, I need to be alert.
The house rattles again from an explosive clap of thunder outside. I guess I’ll have to survive on energy drinks and adrenaline tomorrow, because I won’t be getting any sleep tonight. Silently, I undress down to my boxers and slide under the covers next to her. I’m not questioning why she’s in here or if this is the right thing to do. Sometimes going with your gut is the only way, and my gut is telling me I need to be in this bed with her.
When a lightning strike flashes outside, I close my eyes and try my best to block out the storm brewing. The thought of losing Mellie terrifies the absolute piss out of me. But before her, the only thing I was scared of was storms. My house is secluded and safe; no way could a tree ever fall on my roof and kill me the same way it did my family.