“That’s why we think this has to do with you, Mr. Dupree,” Detective Morelli explained.
“Why is that?” Trevor asked.
“The message on the wall said, Trevor is mine.”
“Fuck!” Trevor shouted, and his panicked eyes landed on me. “Melina’s car was vandalized, and we assumed it was one of my exes trying to scare her off.”
“Why don’t you come with me, Ms. Blackwood?” Detective Anson urged. “We’ll try to sort this out, and then we can discuss any protection you might need.”
“She’s going to come after Melina.” Trevor sounded utterly terrified.
I squeezed his bicep, offering him a shaky smile. “It’s going to be okay,” I assured him, hoping I was right.
Chapter Fifty
Trevor
I figured I must have looked pretty bad when I walked into the office if Sage’s reaction was any indication. She immediately stood and walked around her desk to greet me. “Are you okay, Trevor?”
Her concern was touching, and it made me realize that Sage was more than just a good assistant. I needed to talk to Dylan about doing something to show her how much we appreciated her, especially after she’d stepped up and worked extra hours recently. I hadn’t heard a single complaint from her pack, meaning she was also keeping up with her responsibilities on that end.
“We really should pay you more,” I remarked.
“Just because I’m worried about you?” she asked, but she didn’t give me time to answer before her concerned eyes landed on me again. “Are you okay? Is it problems with the demon you moved in with you? I know it’s been about two weeks.”
Her implication was clear; about this time in a relationship, things were usually coming to an end. I was surprised she’d mentioned Melina since I didn’t recall mentioning her living with me. I figured I must have brought it up when I’d discussed the change to the office hours a couple of weeks ago.
“I had a rough night,” I admitted. “Not because of Melina,” I quickly added. “Well, I guess some of my stress has to do with Melina, but not like you think.”
“Do you want to talk about it?” she offered, placing a hand on my forearm.
I wanted to tell her no, but she was my assistant, and she needed to know a little about what was going on. “One of my exes was murdered,” I began.
Sage looked down at her hand on my forearm, and I saw her jaw muscle clench, like she was trying to fight back some emotion. “That’s terrible, Trevor,” she remarked quietly. “Do they have any idea who the killer is? Which of your exes was it?”
“It was Lindsey,” I explained. “I don’t know if you remember her or not. I’m not sure if the police have any suspects yet.” For all I knew, I might be a suspect since we’d dated. The police had asked a lot of questions about my whereabouts and who was with me, so it appeared I was a suspect. Allie was right about me being a fool for thinking I could represent myself. I should have had Dylan with me when I talked to the police. I’d had a confrontation with Lindsey right before she disappeared. Melina had, too, making me worry she might be a suspect. They might even think one of us had painted the message on Lindsey’s wall to make it look like one of my exes was involved.
“I remember Lindsey,” Sage said. “She came in here several times after you broke up, demanding to see you.”
“Yeah, she was a little unstable,” I added, feeling like an ass for talking bad about her now. “Anyway, I don’t have too many details, but we have reason to believe Melina might be in danger, and that’s got me tied up in knots.”
Sage was quiet for a short time before speaking again. Her hand on my arm tightened in an almost painful squeeze before she released it. “Can I make a suggestion?”
“Sure,” I replied.
“I’m assuming you think the witch’s death has something to do with you. Am I right?”
“Yes,” I admitted.
“Maybe it would be a good idea if you stopped seeing Melina,” she began. “You don’t exactly have a history of remaining interested in a witch once you’ve been together for more than a couple of weeks, and you’re already at that point with her. Don’t you think it would be smart to get her out of your home before something horrible happens?”
“No,” I replied automatically. “Ending things with Melina is not an option. I’m going to be working from home, so I can keep her safe.” From the standpoint of magic alone, Melina was much more powerful than I was, but I figured it would be best to have two people around, and I could at least say I was physically stronger than her.
I briefly thought I saw a flash of anger in Sage’s eyes, but I must have been mistaken, because, just like that, it was gone and all I saw was concern. “Tell me what you need.”
“Thank you, Sage,” I replied. “I don’t know what we’d do without you. In case I haven’t said it lately, you are incredible.”
A surprising blush stained her cheeks as she returned to her seat behind her desk. “I’d better let you get to work.”
“I’m going to meet with Dylan so we can make the arrangements for me to work from home,” I told her.
“Is the demon alone?” Sage asked, and I almost snapped at her for referring to Melina as the demon, before realizing she probably didn’t mean to be rude. I’d noticed that werewolves had a tendency to point out what other members of the preternatural community were.
“No, she made arrangements to have people come by,” I assured Sage.
“Hopefully, they’re people who can protect her,” Sage said.
“Her father and Demetrius Talbot are among the people who will be stopping by, so I’m sure she’ll be fine.”
Chapter Fifty-One
The Lover
It had taken them long enough to find the witch’s body. Zahrel had been angry with me for leaving it in the witch’s house, claiming we should hide it to protect ourselves, but I was tired of hiding in the shadows. I wanted Trevor to know what I’d done. I wanted him to worry that he’d be responsible for his demon whore’s death. I also wanted the demon whore to be afraid, knowing she was the prey.
I let out a regretful sigh, once again lamenting my bargain with Zahrel, which prevented me from killing Melina Blackwood. Zahrel didn’t think I was powerful enough to kill her, but I desperately wanted to try. I’d dreamt of her tortured screams last night. Being imprisoned with Zahrel would be a kind of torture, but sadly, I wouldn’t be able to watch. Perhaps, I should amend my agreement with Zahrel so I could see her suffer before he took her to his prison.
I smiled, knowing that soon, the demon bitch would have another problem to deal with. I couldn’t wait for her to find my next victim. This one, Zahrel had agreed to leave in a more obvious location. It was difficult waiting an entire week for my next kill.
Snatching the flower off the table where I’d dropped it, I began to pluck the delicate petals, focusing on what was important—Trevor.
“He loves me.”
“He loves me not.”
This time when I made it to the last petal, I smiled as I pulled it off the once pretty flower.
“He loves me,” I said with a smile. “You may not realize it yet, but soon, we’ll be together forever. Soon, you’ll understand the true depths of my love for you.”
Chapter Fifty-Two
Melina
The week since we’d learned of Lindsey’s death had been busy, but for the most part, it had been uneventful. The police still had no leads, and Trevor was still worried about me going into work alone. I’d convinced him that there was no way to get around it most nights. He didn’t like it at all, so we’d compromised, and Trevor was driving me to and from work. While he’d prefer to stay with me each night I worked, I’d convinced him that we shouldn’t leave Mr. Whiskers with a sitter too often. My poor familiar was already stressed due to the tension in the house. The network had hired extra security, and no one was supposed to be alone at the studio, including me.
At work, we were trying to film the rem
ainder of the season, and we needed to write Lindsey’s character out. We’d also decided that we should have a special episode dedicated to our two actresses who’d been murdered. Had everything gone as planned, we would only have one more week of filming left for this season. Instead, we were left with at least two weeks, possibly three.
“Where the hell is Malik?” Claude demanded, pulling me from my thoughts.
I’d been wondering the same thing for the last hour as the crew set up to film tonight’s scenes. While Malik had many issues—more issues than I’d ever imagined one vampire could possess—he was the most reliable member of our cast, and he was almost always here when we were setting up. To the best of my knowledge, he’d never been late for a shoot, and he was the only actor who never complained about last minute rehearsals.
“Something must be wrong,” I muttered to myself. “Has anyone seen Charlie?” I figured if anyone would know where Malik was, it would be Charlie.
“I’ll radio him,” a crew member volunteered.
A few minutes later, Charlie walked into the room, looking tired and sad.
“Are you okay, Charlie?” I asked.
“Sure,” he replied with a forced smile. “What did you need?”
“You wouldn’t happen to know where Malik is, would you?” I asked.
Charlie took a deep breath and let it out while running his fingers through his hair. “He didn’t come home last night. We argued, and I left, figuring we’d talk when he wasn’t so upset. You know how it is when Mal’s in a mood.” It was impossible to miss the fondness in his voice.
“Where did you see him last?” I asked, even more worried now that I knew Malik hadn’t gone home last night.
“In his dressing room,” Charlie replied. “I was repairing the lighting on one of the sets when he came by to visit me. After our argument, I told him I was heading home, and I’d see him when he was ready to talk.”
I nodded. “I’ll see if he left any clue as to where he could be. He’s not even answering his phone.”
“I’m worried about him,” Charlie admitted. “This isn’t like Mal. No matter how pissed he is at me, he’d never blow off filming.”
I agreed but said nothing as I headed toward Malik’s dressing room.
I knocked first. I’d made the mistake of walking into a vampire’s dressing room, assuming it was empty, once before, and I preferred to avoid making that mistake again. Vampires were arrogant and tended to believe everyone lusted after them. With their slender adolescent bodies, they didn’t do much for me, and I’d prefer to avoid seeing another one naked.
“Malik!” I called out, but got no reply. When I opened the door, a sense of dread washed over me, and I suddenly knew why Malik hadn’t come into work that day. There, in the middle of the floor, was a pile of ashes. Lying beside that pile was a wooden stake with the words you’re next bitch, painted on it.
With shaky hands, I pulled my phone from my pocket. I should call the police. That was definitely the first call I should make after finding out that another actor had been murdered. Instead, I called Trevor, because I needed him with me, and I was too upset to fight that need.
“Hey, honey,” he answered, sounding a little less stressed than he had earlier. “Do you miss me already?”
“Another actor’s been killed,” I said quietly.
“Where are you?” he asked.
“At the studio,” I replied.
“I know, honey. Where at the studio? Are you alone?” he pushed.
I nodded before remembering he couldn’t see me. “I’m alone. I just found him.”
“Okay, honey,” he began in a calm, soothing tone. “I need you to go where there are people, and have someone call the police. I’ll be there in an hour.”
I could already hear him moving at a slow jog, and I knew he was heading toward his car.
“Can you do that for me, honey?” he coaxed when I didn’t respond.
“Yeah, I can do that,” I assured him. “I’ll let you go.”
“No,” he said quickly. “Stay on the phone with me until you’re not alone. Then I’ll let you go so I can find someone to stay with Mr. Whiskers.”
“Okay,” I agreed, walking toward the set where they were waiting to start filming. “I’m near where they should be filming.”
“Good,” he began. “I’ll be there soon, honey.”
When Trevor ended the call, I looked over to find Charlie watching me from across the room, his face ashen. I guess my expression was telling. I struggled to pull myself together.
“Did you find him?” Claude shouted from the set.
“We need to call the police,” I said in a hollow voice. The guttural cry that came from the back of Charlie’s throat cut through the air, and he dropped to his knees. Cat was at his side first, wrapping her arms around Charlie as he sobbed.
Chapter Fifty-Three
Trevor
The drive to the studio was one of the most stressful trips of my entire life. I’d never heard Melina sound that vulnerable, and I wanted to kill whoever had made her feel that way. I was desperate to get to her and cursing the long drive. I’d busied myself at the beginning with calling Julia to go over to my house to stay with Mr. Whiskers. Julia had kept me on the phone much longer than she needed to for something as simple as agreeing to condor-sit, and I suspected it was because she was worried about me.
After finally getting off the phone with Julia, I drove through the transport tube before calling Dylan.
“Hello,” Dylan answered in a distracted tone.
I could hear Sam’s loud purring through the phone, so I suspected Dylan was home alone with Allie’s new familiar. That kitten was incredibly needy.
“Hey, Dylan,” I began and then hesitated because I wasn’t sure what the hell I wanted him to do for me.
“Trev?” he asked, immediately sounding focused and alert. “What’s wrong?”
I took a deep breath before beginning. “There’s been another murder. Another actor from Night High. Fuck, Dylan. I have no clue how I’m supposed to keep Melina safe. I’m terrified that something is going to happen to her, and I hate that I can’t be there for her all the time.”
“You really love her, don’t you?” he asked.
“She’s my witch,” I said simply. “I know it’s hard to believe, considering how many witches I’ve been involved with, but it’s true. Melina is it for me.”
Dylan chuckled. “I believe you, my friend. You’ve never said any witch was the one before now. Yeah, you’ve been fascinated and even claimed they might be the one. Might is the operative word. Even when you were first chasing after Mel, you never once indicated that she was your witch, just that she drove you crazy and you had to have her.”
After considering what he’d said, I realized Dylan was right. While I’d been the type to jump in with both feet, I’d never once been convinced any other woman was the witch I’d spend the rest of my life with. Melina was it for me, and that made all of this even harder. “It’s my fault.”
“What’s your fault?” Dylan asked.
“Melina being in danger,” I explained. “It’s also my fault two people are dead. If I hadn’t been such a selfish ass, one of my crazy ex-witches wouldn’t be out killing people.”
“I love you like a brother, but you can be a real dumbass at times, Trevor.” Dylan sounded exasperated. “I understand why you’re beating yourself up about this, but you have to know this may not have anything to do with you.”
“Then what else could it be?” I demanded.
“It could be a crazy fan,” Dylan pointed out. “There might be someone who worked on the show with a vendetta. It might even be one of the witches who are upset over the way the show portrays witches.”
“Or, it could be one of my exes,” I insisted. “That’s the most likely scenario. In fact, all the evidence points to that conclusion.”
“You’re right,” Dylan admitted. “It probably is one of them. Hell, it might e
ven be one of the clingy ones you were an asshole to near the end. That doesn’t mean it’s your fault they went off the deep end and started killing people. Getting your heart broken doesn’t give you the right to go on a killing spree.”
Dylan did his best to keep me on the phone as I made my way toward Melina. I could only assume he was as worried about my state of mind as Julia.
I was almost at the security gate to the studio lot when a thought occurred to me. “Can you help me find someone to guard Melina? The network added extra security, but I’d feel better if someone was watching her more closely. I’d offer to take time off from work so I wouldn’t have to leave her alone, but we both know how she’d react to that suggestion.”
Dylan chuckled. “Do you honestly think she’s going to react any better to you hiring a bodyguard for her?”
I thought before answering. “Yeah, I think she’ll be fine with it. Melina can be stubborn, but she’s smart. When it comes to magic, I don’t know many people more powerful than my witch, but it might be a good idea to have someone with some brute strength if it’s needed.”
“I have an idea,” Dylan began. “This will help you, and it will also make Allie happy. Do you trust me to send you someone capable of taking care of your witch?”
“Of course,” I assured him.
“Good. I’ll talk to the guy I have in mind and see if he’s willing to take the job.”
“Thanks, Dylan,” I told him. “I owe you one.”
“Any time,” Dylan said before ending the call.
I made it past security at the gate faster than I’d expected, considering the recent murder. Then again, they were used to seeing me. To say the studio was a mess would be a huge understatement. The shade police were there, but all I got was a nod from Detective Anson as I passed him, which was a relief since I needed to get to my witch.
When I finally spotted her, I was amazed at what I saw. While I knew she was upset about the actor’s death, she was comforting the other cast and crew. I stood there, watching her, unsure if I should walk over and risk breaking her focus on remaining calm. When her eyes landed on me, she excused herself and hurried over to me, wrapping her arms around my waist, and burying her face in my chest.
Shamelessly Spellbound (Spells That Bind Book 2) Page 20