The Kotahi Bay Quartet

by J. C. Hart

  "What do you think?" he asked.

  She pursed her lips as she eyed his work, then they stretched into a sunny grin. "It's perfect, Noah. You're the best." She turned this way and that, watching the little butterfly move on her chest as she did.

  Noah heard the buzzer go as someone entered the shop, but even without that he would have known the moment Melody walked into the place. She hummed with uncontrolled energy, the feel of which was the same as when he'd first met her on the bus, and yet now instead of spent energy, he could tell that she was revitalized. The Bay was good for her, though perhaps this was not good for him. It would be far too easy to tap into her power.

  "How do you want to be paid today?" Becca raised an eyebrow. "Cash or..."

  "Magic," he said. Without a word she reached out and grabbed his hand, leaning back against the table as he began to draw from her. Hers was a more gentle magic than Melody's. It sank through his skin and took the edge off his want. He took just a little, just enough. "You're a treasure, Becca. Always a pleasure doing business with you."

  She gave a soft laugh. "Ditto. Don't mind if I have a rest, do you?"

  "Not a problem." He patted her hand and released it. "I'll send Jake back with a cuppa."

  "Tea, two sugars, milk." She didn't even open her eyes as he made his way out from behind the screen.

  "Jake, mate. Could I have a minute? Hey there." He gave Melody a smile then nodded back behind the screen at Jake.

  "Sure thing, bro."

  When they were behind the screen he leaned in and whispered, "Becca's just having a little rest after her tat. Could you make her a cuppa tea? I've got to clean up for another booking soon."

  "Yeah sure, how does she have it?"

  "Milk, two sugars. Thanks Jake." He clapped him on the shoulder then headed back to the counter, pleased to have a couple of minutes to chat to Melody.

  "He wanted to show me where he worked, meet the boss and all that," she explained before he could say anything.

  "He knows we've met, right?" Melody nodded and Noah relaxed a little. "Good. Don't want him thinking I'm keeping secrets."

  "I'm hardly an important thing."

  "Oh, you never know." His eyes wandered over her body and she fidgeted, pulling her jacket close. He could see the bruises around her neck, but she obviously didn't want to talk about them. Even with Becca's magic still simmering inside him he was drawn to Melody, which meant that maybe it wasn't just her strength that drew him. There was something else there, something he wanted to explore—if he could find a way to control himself.

  Becca popped around the screen, all trim and blonde, flicking her hair back and doing the last of her shirt buttons up. "You are the best, Noah. Thanks again." She got up on tip toes and gave him a kiss on the cheek before seeming to notice Melody. "Are you getting some ink? He's the best!"

  "So you've said." Melody raised an eyebrow at him.

  "What can I say? My work speaks for itself." He gave her a wry grin. "I thought you were going to have a rest?"

  "Remembered I had an appointment." She shrugged at Noah then turned back to Melody. "Want to see it?" Before Melody could stop her Becca had unbuttoned her top to reveal the tiny monarch on her left breast.

  "Very nice," Melody said, her jaw tight. Becca gave a little wave before heading out the door. Once it had clicked shut Melody turned back to Noah.

  "Butterflies on the boob? Bit cliché, don't you think?" She arched an eyebrow.

  "There is no accounting for taste," Noah replied. "I have to give them what they want, and if that's what they want... Well, it pays the bills."

  "So what do you really like to do?" she asked, her curiosity apparent. He wasn't sure whether it was truly interest in his work, or in him, but he liked the way her eyes sparkled at him.

  "Black-work, tribal stuff, anything with a deeper meaning. Now and then the butterflies do, but not most of them." He riffled through one of the books, opening to the page with his favourites. They leaned in at the same time, almost bumping heads. Noah gave a low laugh and moved so that she could get a better look.

  "These are pretty nice," she said, though she pushed the book aside, a frown marring her forehead. He tried not to take offence.

  He caught her gaze. "A tattoo is for life. Not many things are these days."

  "You two seem to be getting along," Jake said, as he came back into the room. Obviously, he hadn't been listening to their conversation, at least not the subtext. Noah didn't feel confident that it was going well at all, and for some reason that grated him.

  "Your sister was just telling me that she doesn't think she'd ever get a tattoo."

  "Nah, she's way too straight for that," Jake said, his lips curling into a grin. "Someone might think she's not respectable if she had a tattoo."

  "Can't run away from something that's inked in your flesh, either," Noah added the jibe but Melody's look quickly turned from mildly amused to toxic. "Shit, I'm sorry, that—"

  "I'll see you later Jake." She hissed the words at her brother and within a heart-beat was gone.

  "Dick!" Jake smacked him on the arm. "Way too soon for that. She's only just come home, don't go scaring her off again."

  "Sorry man, it just slipped out." Noah dragged his hands through his hair. "I've gotta make it right. She's your sister, and I'm a jackass."

  "Damn straight you are. You've got no idea what she's been through. It's one thing for me to tease her, but you, you hardly know her!" Jake paced between the counter and the door.

  Noah had never seen him so riled up before, and he was right. Noah had no idea, though he could put together a reasonable assumption between her expended energy when he'd met her, the traces of other magic that had tainted her skin, and the bruises around her neck. "What happened, Jake? You can tell me. Maybe I can help."

  "It's her ex, man. He beat her up. That's why she's here. She's running away from him."

  "Oh. Shit."

  "No shit, Sherlock. You're such an ass sometimes." Jake thumped his hands down on the counter and let his head sink into them with a groan.

  "I'm sorry, I really am." Noah scanned the shop, looking for inspiration, but nothing jumped out. "Look, will you hang out here? Rebook the client when he shows up. I should go and fix this."

  "You should leave her alone. She'll cool off. I don't want you to make things worse."

  "I feel real bad, Jake. Please, tell me how I can help."

  Jake finally raised his head and looked at Noah as if weighing him up. "She's broke, and she's going to be staying in the caravan out back. Get her some supplies. I'll make a list of the things she likes. And don't screw this up. If she runs off again, I'm blaming you."

  "You know I can make this right, Jake. I'll use my super charm on her."

  Jake knew all about what Noah was; it was part of their arrangement. Most of the time Noah didn't need to use his magic to convince others, not since moving to Kotahi Bay, and he didn't really intend to use them on Melody, but if it helped ease Jake's mind...

  "Just don't come on too strong, okay? She's just had her heart broken, she doesn't need to be falling in love with you."

  "There are worse people to fall for," Noah said, quirking an eyebrow.

  Jake's rolled his eyes and laughed. "Go on then."

  Chapter Nine

  The caravan was a tip, a musty, mildewed tip. Luckily, she'd stopped for garbage bags. She shoved just about everything she could find into them, only setting aside a few boxes of her old stuff.

  Melody sat down on the couch and opened the first one, sifting through her old clothes to see which were still usable. Her fingers traced the beads she'd sewn onto her favourite pair of jeans. Why had she left these behind? And her favourite cardigan, just the right amount of worn to be super comfy and yet not so ratty it couldn't be worn in public. And the best dress ever, long and black and plain, and all kinds of perfect.

  Further boxes revealed a few trinkets, some jewellery and her old journal. Crap. Had her mother
bothered to read that before placing it in the box, or had she ignored it like she'd ignored all the signs of abuse over the years? The bruises, the caginess, the introversion, the lack of a boyfriend of any kind... It had all been pretty obvious.

  "What was I thinking, coming back here?" Melody whispered. "They don't want to be reminded of what happened. I don't even want to be reminded." The answer wasn't clear, but she was here now, and she was going to have to sit tight until she thought of a better plan. She'd stay and find some kind of job, save some cash so she could disappear again. It would have to do. Besides, it was nice seeing Jake. She hadn't been lying when she said she missed him, and right now he was the only thing keeping her here. Well, other than the curious feeling she got when she was around Noah, or had felt, until their last encounter.

  There was a knock and Melody froze for a moment before grabbing an old hockey stick that was lying around.

  "Who's there?" she called, edging toward the door.

  "It's Noah, I thought I'd bring you some supplies. And apologize. I was a jerk earlier."

  Melody frowned. It was like her thoughts had somehow dragged him to her door.

  "I left Jake in charge of the shop. He...ah, he kind of filled me in on the situation."

  The little shit. "He shouldn't have done that." She thumped her head against the closed door.

  "Well, it's a bit late now. Can I come in? I've got beer."

  "You should have opened with that." Melody straightened her hair and set her shoulders back before dragging the door open. "It is cold? Because if it's not, I'm closing the door again."

  Noah grinned and held a bottle towards her, the sweat from it glistening in the sunlight.

  "You're a saint," Melody uttered, taking the bottle and ushering him inside with a nod. She poked her head out the door, but no one was keeping tabs. Not that it mattered. She had to stop acting like a scared teenager. It was this place though, she couldn't seem to shake the feeling.

  "There's no fridge," Melody said. "So I hope you're going to help me drink these before they get warm."

  "Oh, there is nothing I'd like more," Noah replied, though his eyes suggested that wasn't quite the truth. He turned to look around the caravan. "You're really going to stay here?"

  "I don't have another option right now. And the less obvious I am, the better."

  "This guy, the one you're running from, is he really that bad?"

  Melody took a swig of beer and nodded, not trusting herself to say the right thing, not trusting him to really understand. Actually, not sure if she trusted him at all. And yet, he was here, with food and beer, and obviously not running from her tragic situation. That had to say something.

  "Well, I'm sure you'll figure it out," Noah said, breaking the silence. "And you've got Jake and...me, if you want? I mean, to help with stuff, or if you just need a friend."

  Melody smiled. She hadn't known what to expect from him, with his tattoos and his cheeky grin and his gallant arrival bearing gifts. "Friends are good." She nodded, licked her lips, realized that the beer was going straight to her head and if she didn't have something to eat soon, she might offer him more than friendship. "Food?"

  "Sure." He looked a little disappointed, but rummaged through the bag until he brought out a loaf of bread, some butter, and salt and vinegar chips. "I have it on the best authority that this is your favourite meal."

  "That little shit told you everything, didn't he?" Melody sighed and ran her tongue against her ragged teeth. "But he's right."

  She watched as Noah turned to the bench and laid out some bread, careful to keep it on the plastic wrap. The smell of the chips burst forth as he opened the packet and she couldn't restrain herself from reaching around him and snagging one. "Mmm, so good."

  Noah laughed and then presented her sandwich with a little bow. "Dinner is served."

  "Why thank you, kind sir," she said, mimicking his fake accent. Their hands touched when she reached for the sandwich and a shiver shot through her body, so bad that she almost dropped her food. "Thanks," she muttered again.

  "No worries. Been a while since I made food for a lady," Noah commented, keeping his eyes on her.

  "Really? The way that girl was drooling all over you at the tattoo parlour told me otherwise." She was fishing, it was obvious to them both, she was sure.

  "I tend not to date clients," he said, then smirked. "Especially ones who get butterfly tattoos on their boob." He looked her up and down. "You don't have any tattoos do you?"

  "No," she said with a shake of her head. "Never really been that keen on them. I mean, they look good on other people, just..."

  "You just haven't found anything you want to spend the rest of your life with." He looked her right in the eyes when he said that, and Melody had to work hard to keep her body under control. She was shaking inside, because it was the truth. She'd not yet found anything she was prepared to keep for the rest of her life. He barely knew her, and yet somehow he could see that too.

  Melody grabbed her beer and took a long pull before sitting back down on the couch.

  "You don't want to take this out into the sun?" Noah asked, raising an eyebrow.

  "Nope. The less I see of that house, the better." She drank again. Bitterness was beginning to rise to the surface and she was damned if she could stop it. First, knowing Jake had told this man her secrets, and now having Noah remind her that she was unshackled, unhinged...

  "I didn't realize it was that bad. I thought they'd be happier to see you. I know Jake is."

  "Who knows what's going on? Mum has spent my life so far burying her head in the sand, she's probably loved having me gone so I wasn't reminding her what a terrible mother she is."

  "Ouch. You really don't like her, huh?"

  "If she'd ever lifted a finger to protect me from that man, then maybe I would. But like I said, she just wanted to ignore it all, and then after he tried to... After he died... She could never look at me the same."

  "What..." Confusion clouded Noah's face and Melody's mouth began to move as though she could suck those words back in.

  "Nothing, just forget I said anything," she said in a rush, getting up from the couch and striding away from Noah.

  "He... What the hell? He tried something on you, didn't he?" Noah sat up, ramrod straight. "How the hell could they just go on as if nothing happened? And your brother—"

  "Don't you dare bring Jake into this," Melody said, the force of her words pushed Noah back in his seat. "He was too young and he doesn’t know a thing. As far as he's concerned, all the old man ever did was smack me around a bit, and Jake got his share of that, verbal abuse can be as bad as physical. He can never be told anything more. Never. If you tell him, I'll kill you."

  Noah took a long drink from his beer and licked the remnants from his lip. "Fine. I get it. Your family is screwed up, your brother is oblivious and you just want me to keep my mouth shut."

  "You're so smart," Melody said in her nicest voice. She gave him a grin, and then finished her beer and went to grab another.

  "Get one for me too," Noah said. "Though I'm beginning to wish I'd grabbed some vodka instead."

  "Always time for that later." Melody handed him a bottle, letting her fingers linger against his. If she didn't watch herself she was going to do something really stupid. She was fired up after their conversation and she wanted to burn Robbie, burn her father, from her brain. She needed someone to take her mind off it, and Noah seemed like a decent guy. Decent, and attractive.

  "Why are you looking at me like that?" Noah asked, running a finger up her wrist.

  Melody snatched her hand back and drank. "Just thinking, that's all."

  "So tell me, why did you come here? It doesn't make any sense that you'd come here, of all places. I mean, I get that your ex was a dick, but..."

  Melody shrugged. "I didn't know where else to go. And I missed Jake. And Robbie was more than a dick."

  "He did this to you, didn't he?" Noah reached out and ran his finger
s along the bruises on her neck. "I have no respect for a man who hurts a woman."

  "Next you'll be telling me you'll kick his ass for me."

  "I would. If you wanted me to." Noah leaned in and placed a kiss against her skin, just below her jaw line. A soft moan escaped her lips and Noah pressed his mouth firmer, raking his tongue to her ear and nipping at her lobe.

  "Oh shit. I thought we were having beer and sandwiches. Is this the regular charge for grocery delivery?" She murmured the words, her eyes closed.

  Noah's laugh rumbled across her skin. "No, this is just for fun." His hands were on her back now, one roaming towards her butt.

  "Are you sure? Because I don't mind paying this kind of fee." She slipped a hand under his shirt and pushed it up across his firm abdomen to his chest. She could feel the thump of his heart beneath her fingers. She moved to greet his lips with hers, his stubble scraping against the skin of her face. She was going to have a kissing rash, but she didn't care.

  There was a loud thump at the door, and then another. "Oi, Melody! Open up."

  "Oh shit, shit shit shit." Melody pushed back from Noah, wiping a hand across her face. It was Robbie. How had he found her so fast? How was he well enough to hunt her down? Shit.

  "Melody, are you okay?" The voice resolved itself into that of her brother, and she slumped back against the couch.

  "I'm fine! Hang on." Melody ran hands across her clothes, straightening them out and giving Noah an apologetic smile. "Don't tell him anything," she whispered.

  "I'll grab the door." A smirk was plastered on his face, and if he didn't manage to wipe it off, Jake was going to guess in a minute what they'd been up to.

  "Noah, what are you still doing here?" Jake asked as he pushed into the caravan.

  "He was doing the friendly neighbour thing and brought me some food."

  "And beer." Jake's eyes narrowed a little. "If Mum realizes you got drunk she's not going to be very happy."

  "And I care, why? Besides, I'm not drunk." Melody rolled her eyes. "She hates me anyway."

  "She doesn't hate you, she's just hurt." Jake shrugged and sat down on the couch beside her. He reached for the last beer but she snatched it up before he could grab it.