Michael looked to William, hoping he would say that Charlie would be okay, as usual. He swallowed hard, his throat suddenly thick when the vampire did not.
“I’ll make sure the room is ready, and secured, Charlie.” William slipped out of the jeep and into the house without another word.
CHAPTER SEVEN
Sun peeked through the clouds heating the granite rock, warming Melinda’s skin as she lay on her stomach. Riley leaned alongside her, gently stroking her back with his fingers.
Neither spoke, but simply basked in the peaceful bliss that surrounded them. Melinda’s life seemed miles away. She didn’t want to return to it, ever.
She let out a low moan, feeling as though she were so relaxed she might melt into the granite and disappear. She could practically feel the grin on Riley’s face as he stopped stroking her skin and lay down next to her. She rolled onto her side and draped a leg over him, sleep wanting to claim her again.
They’d already napped, awakened, and taken a swim to cool down. Only the water hadn’t cooled them in the least. Melinda got overheated and craved a second round, and Riley was all too eager to oblige.
She could not get enough of him. Or his hands. His lips. His body, which he used to perfection rocking her insides and her outsides.
Round two’s finish left them both with a sex hangover and they curled up next to each other. He pulled her draped leg across him, gluing her to his body. Her motorcycle man was too easy to fall asleep next to. Or on top of. Or tangled with.
Had it really only been a day? Not even a full day… she’d spent it hanging out naked in the middle of the quarry, without a care, or concern. With a guy she’d just met. It was so not like her. But he made her feel unlike anything she’d ever experienced before.
Except for in her dreams.
She liked real. It was much more satisfying than dreams.
Sleep reeled her in, at first, her mind a blissful empty space.
And then quite suddenly she found herself awake, and no longer in the quarry.
She was fully dressed and standing in the middle of a forest clearing. She spun around, unfamiliar with her surroundings.
“What happened? Where am I?”
She realized a prophetic dream had found her. She pouted and huffed.
“Can’t I have one day off?”
Her eyes widened, a firefly sized golden glow stealing her attention. It floated through the trees toward her.
Melinda didn’t feel like she was dreaming. She didn’t look on like a stalker sneaking a peek into someone’s horrible demise. This was more like participating in the dream. “I am actually dreaming, right?”
She was surprised when a voice replied to her question. “Yes, Melinda. You are.”
Melinda gasped, the golden glow growing larger, taking on the shape of a person. The glow faded, leaving behind a woman... to say she was stunning would be an understatement. She dressed in white, which accentuated her smooth dark skin still bathed in a halo of the golden glow, casting serious eyes and a sympathetic bright smile at Melinda.
“Are you talking to me?” she asked, astonished.
The woman nodded yes.
“I’ve never talked to anyone in my dreams before. I see things. People… but I never interact with them. I only watch like a silent observer.”
“I had no choice but reach out to you in this manner, Melinda. But believe me when I say, your gifts will continue to grow with time, experience, and acceptance.”
“Acceptance?”
“Yes. Something you are finally doing.”
“Who are you?”
“My name is Nina. And although I do know a lot about you, I’m here to help you save Charlie.”
Shit. Charlie… the pit in Melinda’s gut opened wide. Guilt consuming it. She hadn’t even thought of him all afternoon. Too wrapped up in her own little world of pleasures.
Nina smiled, her grin turning into a majestic laugh.
“What?”
“Don’t feel guilty about how you spent your day, Melinda. It happened exactly as it was meant to. It opened you up, let your natural instincts take over, and allowed me to approach you in this manner.”
“Wait a minute, you’re a…” Melinda lost her breath, realizing what Nina was. “I can’t believe it!” She shook her head in disbelief. “Wait a minute though. Are you saying everything I did today was simply for this one moment to happen?”
“Yes, and no.”
“I don’t understand.”
“Getting to this moment could have happened many different ways. The path was chosen by you. You were in control of your actions. But one way or another, you would have ended up right here, right now.”
“Oh. Okay.” Melinda still wasn’t sure she understood, but at least she’d actually had free will when seducing Riley. She glanced at Nina suspiciously. Had she been watching them? Did her kind do that sort of thing? Surely, that was against the rules…
“Melinda, will you follow me?” Nina asked her, with a welcoming smile. “There’s something I need to show you.”
She followed the woman and what seemed like a blink later, Melinda’s eyes popped open, this time for real. She sat up with a start, taking in her surroundings.
“Right, lying naked in the quarry,” she mumbled under her breath.
She looked down at Riley. This is going to get awkward fast… everything had been so perfect. And she was about to drive a stake into that perfection. She started searching for any sign of her underclothes, most likely lost to the waters in the quarry.
Riley stirred, waking. He sat up, leaning on his arms. “Everything okay?”
“Yeah, fine. Just a, um, weird dream.”
He looked skeptical. “You seem panicked all of a sudden.”
“You’re kind of freakishly perceptive,” she told him. Reminds me of Michael a little… She proceeded with her search. “Damn, still in the water.” She saw her bright pinks bra and panties floating far away.
“You want me to jump in and grab’em for you?”
“No time. I, um,” she sucked in nervously, “hate to bring an abrupt end to a really, really incredible day, but I…” What did she tell him? She needed an excuse to leave in such haste.
“What’s going on?” He grabbed her shoulder gently. Her heart was thudding so hard he felt it against his palm. “Did I do something wrong?”
“Oh God, no, Riley. It’s so not that at all.”
Relief washed over him.
“I just kind of, sort of, have a job I have to get to.” She tugged at her lip with her teeth, hoping he wouldn’t question further.
“Oh, okay. No problem. I can have you back in town pretty fast.”
“Sorry.”
“Don’t be sorry. Jobs are jobs. You gotta do it.” He grinned, tossing a glance around the quarry. “This couldn’t last forever. Reality had to come slicing back in at some point.” He didn’t sound any more thrilled than she felt.
“Yeah, exactly,” she agreed with a sigh. He helped her up, and they started the arduous climb to the top of the quarry. If she thought just lying around naked with him was exposed, it was nothing compared to the granite steps. And thank God they were cut like actual steps, or the journey to the top would have reached new levels of awkwardness.
At the top, Melinda peeked over the edge, just to be sure they were still alone, and that their outer clothes were where they had left them. They were strewn about on the ground, just at the cliffs edge.
“Thank fucking God.” She scurried to get dressed.
“Yeah, that would have been a pretty uncomfortable ride back into town,” he conceded.
Riley tossed a helmet to her and they hopped onto the bike. “Where should I take you?”
“Harboring the Book,” she told him, wrapping her arms around his waist. “The bookstore in town,” she explained when his face went blank. She got the distinct impression that he’d never opened a book before. She rolled her eyes, bemused by his expression. “
I’ll show you where it is.”
“To the bookstore it is then.” He kick-started the engine and tossed her a quick smile. “Your wish is my command,” he called out, speeding them off toward town.
##
“The sun’s going down, we still don’t know where Melinda is, and we are no closer to finding the alpha werewolf,” blasted Michael in frustration as they stood in the kitchen and hour later.
William glanced at Charlie. He was sitting at the kitchen counter, staring out the window watching what little sun remained near the base of the trees.
The Mack phone line rang loudly. Michael grabbed it. “Hey, Mack.”
“We got a problem,” she told him. “Get down to the morgue. Bring Charlie. We found another body. This one definitely died today, and I’m pretty sure by the wolf.”
Michael just groaned, shaking his head. “Okay, Mack. We’ll be right down. Hey… any Melinda sightings?”
“You still haven’t found her?”
“No. Emily searched through town but no one’s seen her.”
“She’s gonna have to be on her own for now, Michael. I hate to say it, but we got bigger problems.”
“See you in a minute.” Michael disconnected.
“What happened?” asked Charlie.
William answered. “No sign of Melinda and they found another body.”
Charlie sat with his elbows on the counter, resting his forehead on his hands.
“Just this morning, everything was going so well,” he mumbled. “We found out Dad might still be alive. Melinda was in the best mood I’ve ever seen her in. You and Emily were walking around so happy it was making everyone else around you giddy, and I was…” he let the sentence dangle. He stood up and faced Michael and William. “How is it that in less than a day, everything can go so fucking wrong? It’s like everything is just falling to pieces again. We haven’t even had time to sit down and make a plan of action as to how we’re going to track Dad!”
“I don’t know, Charlie. I don’t know,” said Michael. He was just glad he knew that Emily was safe and sound at her bookstore. She’d gone there to catch up on some work after searching unsuccessfully for Melinda. “Let’s just focus on one thing at a time, okay? Mack needs our help. There’s still time before you need to lock yourself up. C’mon.”
“Yeah, you’re right, Michael. Let’s go.”
“Coming William?” Michael asked as they headed for the door.
“I’ll leave this one to you. There are a few things I want to check into.”
They left him to do his research and walked down the cobblestone street heading to the morgue.
It was a tense walk, with no words passing between the brothers.
##
Melinda and Riley pulled up in front of the bookstore. The sun was already on its way down and she hoped that even though it was her day off, Emily would be inside.
She got off the bike and handed Riley the helmet, turning to walk into the store. She had spent the very long ride back into town hoping that everything this woman named Nina had told her was true, and that she could save Charlie. Of course it’s true… look at the source!
She stopped and spun back around. “Oh, God… sorry. Brain elsewhere.” She stepped back over to Riley, still sitting on his bike. He slipped off his helmet.
“I can see that.” His eyes danced in amusement.
“I really have to hurry, but, um,” she bit her lip. She dreaded this part. The moment of truth. A one day stand, or would she see him again? She steeled herself for whichever outcome, telling herself it didn’t matter.
Riley got off his two-wheeled metal machine and removed his helmet, hanging it on the back of the seat. “I plan on being around later, if that’s what you’re wondering.”
A look of relief spread across Melinda’s face.
“You were afraid today might have been a one-time thing, weren’t you?” he teased.
“The things you said… I loved every single word. But I thought maybe you were just saying them to...” she paused, hoping she wasn’t offending him. “I mean, it’s like you said every single thing I wanted to hear. Needed to hear. It was too perfect.”
“That is something I’ve never been called in my entire life.”
She blushed.
“I meant every word I said, Melinda. I don’t know if I’ve ever been more honest about anything.” He gave his head a confounded shake. “You make me say such crazy things… I really don’t normally say this kind of stuff. I think you’ve bewitched me.”
She choked back a cough. She hadn’t. But would he still find her as desirable once he discovered she really was a witch? Until then, she’d just consider herself lucky, and him, utterly perfect.
“So, you do want to see me again, right?” Riley looked unsure.
Melinda answered by kissing him. He beamed, kissing her back, each touch of his lips relaying a message that he couldn’t wait to see her again, and didn’t want her to go. Each press, each tug, each pull brought her right back to the quarry.
I should stop him. She didn’t.
There was a serious job she needed to do. A brother that needed saving.
Instead, hormones took over and she grabbed the back of his head, urging him not to stop. His mouth assaulted hers, his tongue tasting every nook and corner.
Tourists walking by shot them dirty looks.
Melinda forced herself to pull away. Reminding herself they were standing on a sidewalk. Words wouldn’t form, her breaths uneven and needy.
“God damn. I didn’t think that could get any better…” Riley held her tight, unwilling to let go. They ignored the stares of the passersby. “Just imagine what they would’ve said if they’d seen us a few hours ago.” He cast a devilish grin and released her, striding back to his motorcycle.
“I guess I’ll see you later,” Melinda said, a bit dazed. “Well, damn, I can’t tonight. Tonight is… bad,” she explained, disappointed she’d have to wait to see him again.
Riley glanced up at the sunset, now turning the sky deep reds and yellows.
“Tonight’s a bad night for me too. How about tomorrow? Say a late morning coffee at that café across the street? The Wicked Muddy. And maybe after, I’ll take you for another ride... on the bike,” he winked.
Melinda’s heart couldn’t help but skip a beat at the thought of seeing Riley again.
“I’ll take your speechlessness as a yes.” He wore a confident smirk. “God, I love your smile. It’s so… kissable.” He shook his head. “There I go again. Just can’t keep my inner voice quiet today.”
Melinda skipped over and kissed him one more time. She couldn’t help it. “Tomorrow,” she whispered, pulling back.
“Tomorrow seems weeks away.” He shrugged, disbelieving what he’d just said again. “I’ll see you tomorrow, Melinda.” He almost looked pained over leaving her.
It sent a new surge of flutters raging through her. She’d never had that kind of effect on a guy before. She watched him speed away until he was out of sight, wishing she could have just gone with him.
“Ugh! Screw you and your sudden unbridled want want want!” she berated her uncontrolled hormones, loudly.
A young man walking by lifted his brow as if ready to take her challenge.
She gulped, eyes wide, her words choking in her throat.
Brother to save! Get a move on…
Was every guy on the Isle suddenly too hot for their own damn good? And suddenly interested in her? She turned and scurried into the bookstore.
“Emily!” she shouted expectantly.
Emily, upon hearing Melinda, popped out from behind a bookshelf.
Wonderful, loveable, predictable Emily…
“You’re okay,” she declared, rushing to hug Melinda.
“Um, yeah. I’m fine. Kind of great actually. Why?”
“Your brothers have been worried sick!” Emily explained. “Me too for that matter.”
“Oh. Well. I did leave in a bit of a huff t
his morning. I was mad a Charlie but I’m over it now. They could’ve called me on my cell.”
“Which you dropped in the kitchen,” Emily informed her.
“Oh, dang. Sorry,” she squeaked. And like I would have answered…
“Well, at least you’re okay.”
“Yeah, I am…” she shook her head. “I am more than okay. But I’ll explain about that later. Charlie on the other hand, is not okay.” Melinda dragged Emily into a small office, shutting the door behind them. “But he will be okay if this plan goes right. Which it will.”
“What’s going on?” Emily was thrown off by Melinda’s energetic confidence.
Melinda gulped hard, clasping her hands together, smiling forcefully. All her teeth were showing and her shoulders lifted in a you’re not gonna like what I have say, manner.
“Melinda... what’s going on?” Emily’s tone turned suspicious.
“Emily, my dearest Emily... how do you feel about being captured by a werewolf?”
CHAPTER EIGHT
Mack met the brothers at the door and motioned for them to come in. Her new deputy threw them an odd look, but said nothing. Mack took them into a temporary holding cell.
“Exam room’s already full,” she explained, turning to Charlie. “I need to know if you can I.D. this body. This woman was a tourist. But I think you might have known her.”
“What do you mean?” asked Charlie, confused. “I don’t really know any tourists.” Well, he knew a couple but few very well.
Mack sucked in a breath and upon exhaling explained, “This woman was still alive when she was found. Her throat was cut open, but she mumbled out two names before she died. Charlie. Howard.”
Who could it be? He rarely got friendly enough with any tourists for them to know him by name. Never mind to have his name someone’s final words…
He gazed down at the body. A sliver of dark skin not covered by the sheet.
Charlie tried to speak but stammered incoherently. He lunged forward tearing off the sheet. Nina’s lifeless and bloodied body lay on the table.
“It can’t be…” How could this happen? He grasped the side of the table to keep from falling over. How could this have happened? To her… to Nina. She’s too strong for this. Protected by her ring. His chest squeezed, his heart corkscrewed into a knot, air impossible to get enough of.
Alpha Knows Best (Wicked Good Witches Book 2) Page 9