Say Goodbye to Melody

by Velvet Vaughn

  “Melody? Can you hear me?”

  Grant? He was here? In Heaven? She opened her mouth to answer but all that came out was a groan. Then she remembered the monster vehicle behind her, gaining speed until it crashed into her bumper, sending her car sailing into the air. Her sweet red Mini Cooper.

  “Are you with me, Mel?”

  “My car,” she breathed.

  Grant’s voice sharpened. “Does your chest hurt? Can you breathe?”

  “My car,” she repeated. Granted, she couldn’t tell much from her position hanging upside down by the seat belt, but the hissing and popping couldn’t be good. She needed to get out from the belt before all the blood from her body pooled in her head burst out her eyeballs. Only, she couldn’t get to it from her current position. She didn’t think anything was broken, but she felt sluggish and clumsy.

  She heard Grant talking to someone and then another voice reached her. Taylor’s husband, Dante. She might have drifted out for a moment because the next thing she knew, Kai Costa was crawling towards her.

  “Hi, Ms. Franklin.”

  “Hi, Kai, and it’s Melody.”

  “Melody, do you know what happens to a duck when it hangs upside down?”

  Despite the precarious situation, she smiled. Not only was he trying to cheer her up, but he was using her current position for fodder. What a comedian. Unfortunately, her head was painfully full of blood, so she just croaked, “No.”

  “It quacks up.”

  A burst of laughter erupted and then the next thing she knew, she was falling…only two strong hands helped her descent. She tried to insist she could crawl out on her own, but Kai slid his hands under her arms.

  “Tell me if I’m hurting you,” he said as he gently tugged her out of her damaged vehicle. He was freakishly strong for a ten-year old. Fresh air hit her face and then she was being picked up and held against a strong chest. It felt so good, she burrowed closer and closed her eyes.

  “Stay with me, Mel,” Grant ordered. “You might have a concussion.”

  “Just a teeny nap,” she mumbled but he gently shook her. She squinted up at him, trying to look grumpy. She opened her mouth to chastise him about his bossiness. Instead, what came out was, “You smell so good.”

  His mouth quirked up and the dimple winked in his cheek. She wanted to lick it. Thankfully, her mouth stayed shut this time. Normally, she’d be mortified at blurting out about his scent, but she felt a bit loopy and detached from her body. The concussion he’d mentioned, no doubt. She blinked up at him and felt her heart flip in her chest. He was so handsome, so strong. She felt safe in his arms.

  “Good.”

  She blinked owlishly. “Good, what?”

  “You said you felt safe in my arms and I’m glad.”

  Well, crapola. Apparently, she said that part out loud. “Going to sleep now.” Before she really embarrassed herself. Her eyes closed.

  “No, Melody. Stay awake. The ambulance is here.”

  Sirens wailed as if to accentuate his words. “Don’t need hospital,” she grumbled. “Just need to sleep.”

  “Melody.”

  Her eyes snapped open at the harsh command. Maybe she’d rethink the safe in his arms thing. He was being a bit high-handed. “Sleep if I want to.”

  He shook her again and she fought the urge to scream. “Keep those gorgeous blue eyes open, Mel. Good girl.”

  Gorgeous? He thought her eyes were gorgeous? That woke her up a bit. He was the most handsome man she’d ever met and he’d just complimented her. Wowza.

  The next thing she knew, she was being strapped onto a gurney and rushed to the hospital. She was too tired to be disappointed a tall, dark-haired former SEAL hadn’t made the trip with her, but she didn’t have time to dwell as she was whisked inside the hospital, poked and prodded and questioned for what seemed like hours. Why wouldn’t they let her sleep? Sadists. Finally they left her alone for a minute and she took advantage, closing her eyes.

  The curtain around her bed shifted and her lids sprang open. Grant! He’d come.

  “Hey, Melody, how are you feeling?”

  She scooted up in the bed and fought the urge to swipe at her hair. It had to look like a snarled mess. She knew her face was banged up and bandaged but she had the overwhelming need to make herself look good for him. “Better.”

  “Sorry about your car.”

  A wave of sadness hit her. She was sorry, too. She loved Pearl, but she was small. Melody needed something bigger now that she was running her own business. She’d have to go SUV shopping.

  “Those curves are tricky. It’s easy to lose control.”

  His words penetrated. He thought she had crashed on her own? She shook her head. “I didn’t lose control. Someone ran me off the road.”

  Grant snapped to attention and his gaze zeroed in on hers. “What do you mean someone ran you off the road?”

  How many ways could that be interpreted? Wasn’t she the one with the head injury? “I was hit from behind, sending me over the embankment.”

  “I thought about that when I saw your car at the bottom of the incline, but you didn’t say anything about being hit.”

  “Yeah, sorry about that. I was a little busy being concussed.” She wasn’t usually snippy. Must be the drugs they were pumping into her veins.

  “I wasn’t chastising you, Mel.”

  Mel. She always hated that nickname, but it sounded nice coming from his lips. He reached for her hand, giving it a slight squeeze. She jerked at the contact, but he didn’t notice as he dialed his cell.

  “Did you get a look at the vehicle?”

  “Big. I couldn’t tell what color because the headlights blinded me, but it towered over Pearl. That’s all I know. It came out of nowhere and rammed into me, forcing me off the road.”

  “I saw it,” he said grimly. “When I came upon the accident site, it was driving away. I assumed they either didn’t see the wreck or they didn’t want to get involved.”

  A head peeked around the curtain. “Are you up to visitors?” Taylor asked.

  “Sure.”

  Taylor rushed over and hugged her awkwardly, trying to avoid the IV tubes. “Are you sure you’re okay?”

  “Sore, bruised,” she admitted. “But I’m fine to go home.”

  “I’m so glad it wasn’t worse. I was terrified when we found out it was you in the accident.”

  “Thanks. I was pretty scared, too. Is your husband in the waiting room?”

  “Yeah, we didn’t want to leave the kids alone out there. No telling the trouble Kai could get into if left alone in a hospital. We’d find him performing open heart surgery or something.”

  They all laughed as Taylor squeezed her hand.

  “I’ll be right back,” Grant said before disappearing out the curtain.

  Taylor watched him go and then turned her attention to Melody. She felt a blush starting to creep up at her friend’s considering gaze. “So…you and Grant?”

  Melody’s eyes widened. “What? Oh, no. It’s nothing like that. I was headed to his office to sign a contract. He’s coming up with a security plan for my store. That’s all. There is no me and Grant.” As much as she might want there to be.

  Taylor made a “hum” noise that indicated she didn’t believe her, and Melody tried not to flinch.

  “He is hot.”

  “Yes,” she agreed cautiously. She had no idea where Taylor was going with this.

  “And single.”

  “Um.”

  When she didn’t play along, Taylor gave up, probably taking pity on the poor, battered, victim with tubes sticking out of her arms, her hair a tangled rat’s nest.

  “Oh, Melody, you ruined your pretty dress.”

  She glanced down at the new outfit she’d purchased just for her meeting with Grant. She’d made a special trip to a fashionable boutique down the block from her store. She normally didn’t pay so much for clothes but one look at the dress and she knew she had to have it. Sadly, it was now
smeared with blood and mud and who knew what else. Definitely ruined. She wiggled her feet. They were covered in blue hospital booties. She had no idea what happened to her shoes. They were also new…or had been.

  The curtain opened again and they both turned to see the doctor enter, a beautiful statuesque blond, followed by Grant. She felt short and frumpy compared with the gorgeous doctor. Still, Grant’s eyes landed on her and stayed. She felt another annoying blush creeping up her neck.

  “Hi, Amelia.” Taylor hugged the woman with affection. “I’m glad it’s you taking care of Melody.”

  “How do you feel, Ms. Franklin?”

  “Fine,” she lied.

  “You do have a slight concussion, but the rest of your tests are good. I’ll release you if you have someone who can stay with you tonight. Otherwise, I’m keeping you overnight for observation. You can’t be too careful with head injuries.”

  Panic struck. Her brother, her go-to call, was a continent away. Her friends were either out of town on assignment or had husbands or significant others and she didn’t want to intrude. She could call Raine or Deanna, but she hated to bother them. Still, it was better than spending the night in the hospital. She opened her mouth to answer but a deep voice beat her to the punch.

  “She’s staying with me.”

  Melody’s mouth gaped open. Grant Colton just told the doctor she was staying with him? What alternate universe had she landed in when Pearl went airborne? She must’ve breached the space time continuum.

  Before she could so much as protest, the doctor began explaining to Grant that he needed to make sure to wake her during the night and what signs to look for each time. She instructed him to call if there were any concerns. Then he was signing papers and she was released.

  Taylor helped her into the wheelchair the nurse insisted she ride in while Grant went to fetch his car. She looked up at Taylor from the chair. “What just happened?”

  Taylor chuckled. “Don’t worry, you’re in good hands with Grant. He’ll take care of you.”

  “But…I don’t even know him!” Surely Taylor could see the distress. Just the thought of meeting with him had sent her stomach into a free fall, and it hadn’t even been a date. Now they would be spending the night together. She clutched Taylor’s hand. “I’ll call one of my friends, please.” Anything but spending time with a man who made her knees weak and her heart flutter in her chest.

  “Honey, I’d let you stay at our house in a second, but I’m pretty sure Grant would nix that idea. He’s pure alpha and believe me, I know from experience when one sets their mind on something, nothing will change it. Besides, I’m on his side. I would feel much better with you safely inside the über-secure compound.”

  Melody plopped back against the chair. How was she supposed to handle being so close to the man without making a fool of herself? It was bad enough that she looked like roadkill, felt like it, too. Her defenses were at an all time low. And she had to spend the night with the most gorgeous man she’d ever laid eyes on.

  She was more than toast. She was burnt toast.

  Chapter Six

  As Grant pulled up under the covered entrance where the nurse instructed him to wait, he wondered for the hundredth time since the words came out of his mouth about offering to spend the night with Melody. What had possessed him to do so? He didn’t even know her. Sure, he wouldn’t mind getting to know her better. What red-blooded male wouldn’t? He’d thought about her often after their initial meeting in Luke’s hallway. But she was now a client…or would be as soon as the contract was signed. Plus, he’d be working with her to set up security measures on her new business. He’d basically ripped the case from Dorian, not that the other man had put up much of a fight. Dorian could tell it was important to Grant, so he’d let him run with it.

  He wanted to believe his protectiveness was because Melody was important to his new sister-in-law, and therefore, important to his family. But he was honest enough to know it was purely selfish. He wanted to spend more time with the blond beauty.

  There was something about her that fired his blood. His cells felt alive when she was around. It wasn’t that he was going through a dry spell. Abstinence had been his own choice. He’d had plenty of opportunities—outright propositions—since he returned home, but the desire wasn’t there. He loved women and he loved sex and he figured he’d get back to it soon. He’d been mourning his three teammates and then settling into a new job, a new life. Now his body was primed and ready to go. All because of one slip of a woman.

  The nurse wheeled Melody out and she looked like the proverbial deer in the headlights, or lamb being led to the slaughter with him playing the part of the big bad wolf. Great. He hadn’t meant to frighten her, but her safety was at stake. Someone had left threatening messages and then tried to run her off the road. She needed protection. He’d just tell her to pretend he was her bodyguard. And guard her body he would. Gladly.

  After shifting into park, he hopped down to help her inside. Even with the cuts and bruising around her face, she was gorgeous. She didn’t seem to realize how beautiful she was, either, which was a major turn-on. No coy looks or seductive grins. She was sweet and honest and good. Too good for someone like him who’d seen too much and done too much to ever have a clean conscience. Killing was killing, even in the name of country.

  He smiled to put her at ease. “Ready?”

  She bit her lip and glanced nervously at Taylor. “Um…”

  She better not be thinking of backing out. He’d appointed himself her protector. Before she could protest, he picked her up from the wheelchair, ignoring her surprised gasp, and plopped her in the passenger seat. After making sure she was buckled in, he turned and narrowed his eyes at Taylor’s knowing grin. He closed the door and leaned close to whisper, “She needs a bodyguard, Taylor. Nothing else.”

  Taylor sobered and nodded. She grabbed his arm and squeezed. “She does. Dante told me someone ran her off the road.”

  “Yeah, along with the threatening note and the visit from her cousin. But with this stunt, someone is taking it to another level.”

  “Dante and I will pick up her prescription and drop it off at your place.”

  “Thanks. I appreciate that. I want to get her settled in and she needs to rest…until I have to wake her up every hour.”

  She sucked in a breath. “Not fun. For either of you.”

  He grunted. “Tell me about it. I’ll check in with you guys later. And Taylor?”

  “Yes?”

  “Don’t worry. I’ll take care of her.”

  “I know you will.”

  After he climbed inside and started the engine, he glanced at Melody. A crimson blush stained her cheeks, but it was the wrinkle between her eyes that worried him.

  “Mel, are you in pain?”

  “My head hurts a little.”

  With a concussion, he knew from experience it was hurting more than a little. “We’ll be at my place soon.”

  A small hand clasped his forearm before jerking back. He felt a sizzle and wondered if she did, too. It happened every time he touched her.

  “I want to go to my house, Grant. Please…it’s important to me. I need to feel in control. Plus, I’ll sleep better in my own bed.”

  He could understand that. Besides, it wasn’t like he had a home to take her to. His apartment was nice and beautifully furnished, but it wasn’t home. “What’s your security like?”

  “Uh, a lock?”

  He laughed until he realized she wasn’t joining in. He jerked his head to her. “That’s it?” She was a woman living alone. She should have a security system, no matter how basic—a thought struck. He didn’t really know her. He did know she wasn’t married but maybe she lived with someone. “Do you have a roommate?”

  “Just Fred.”

  Disappointment punched him in the gut. She did have a boyfriend. How come he didn’t come to the hospital? “Did you call him and tell him you’re bringing a bodyguard home?”

>   “Is that what you are? My bodyguard?”

  “Damn straight. Someone sent you a threatening note and then tried to run you off the road. Until this guy is caught, you need protection. I’ll be beefing up security at your house, too. How long have you been living with Fred?” Just saying the words made his stomach sour.

  “Since college.”

  “So, you know him pretty well?” He’d still do a background check.

  “Right down to his roots.”

  “What’s Fred’s last name.”

  “Ficus.”

  There was humor in her voice and he glanced over to see her fighting a smile. “Fred Ficus?”

  She burst out laughing and then groaned and held her head. “Don’t make me laugh. It hurts my head.”

  He could be witty at times, but he saw nothing funny about this conversation. “What did I say that you thought was so humorous?”

  “Fred Ficus.”

  “What’s so funny about your boyfriend’s name?”

  She laughed again, followed by a groan. “Fred’s last name isn’t Ficus—he is a Ficus.”

  He glanced over at her again, clearly confused.

  “A genus of hundreds of species of trees, vines…”

  “A plant? You’re talking about a fu-reaking plant?” He’d been jealous of a shrub, for God’s sake.

  “Hey,” she said affronted. “He’s a tree.”

  He shook his head and chuckled as he turned onto her street. He and Fred the Ficus had something in common, apparently. The color green. Fred came by it naturally, but Grant’s was the result of the fickle fingers of jealousy.

  She sat up straight and glanced around. “How do you know where I live?” Suspicion laced her voice. “I didn’t give you the address.”

  He would not blush. Would. Not. “I looked it up to finalize the contract,” he lied, smoothly if he did say so himself. He made a mental note to amend the contract to add her address.

  “Oh. Okay. That makes sense. I don’t have my garage door opener. It was in…oh no!”

  He glanced over. “What?”

  “My purse. It was in Pearl.”

  “Pearl. You named your car Pearl?”