by Brook Wilder
Christian stalked towards Amanda, and her eyes once more widened in fear. Melody hated the surge of vindictive pleasure she got from that and squashed it. No one should have to fear another person like that. Not ever the person whom she’d thought was her friend.
Christian knelt in front of Amanda, his voice low and hard as he spoke.
“Tell Enrique that Melody is mine. Tell him that he should forget about her. Forget that she ever existed because he will never get her back again. That asshole never deserved her, and he never will.”
Hub lowered his gun and Amanda scrambled backwards, back towards the highway. She slowed only a moment, looking straight at Melody with malice in her eyes. How had she never seen it before?
“Enrique won’t stop until he has you back, or until you’re dead.”
Amanda tossed the words over her shoulder. Hub moved to point the gun at her again, but Christian stopped him once more.
“Let her go. She’s nothing.”
Amanda must have heard the words because she threw a glare at Christian before disappearing. A moment later the sound of an engine filled the air. No one moved, no one spoke until it was long gone.
But even then, all Melody could hear were Amanda’s words echoing over and over in her head.
Enrique won’t stop until he has you back…or until you’re dead.
She shuddered, huddling in on herself in the middle of the Texas morning heat. So much for being strong, Melody thought forlornly.
But, deep inside herself, that kernel of anger was still there, still burning albeit dimly. She fanned the embers to life once more, forcing herself to stand tall. She would face whatever came her way head on. She was done cowering. She was done with being afraid.
Chapter 18
Melody’s resolve lasted until the moment she stepped through the kitchen door. Hub was waving his arms in the air, his voice cracking like a whip as he raged at Christian, who stood stoically with his own arms crossed.
“All I’m saying is that you should have let me shoot her!” Hub was saying, loudly.
Melody winced as his voice reverberated through the small kitchen. She was surprised to see Bianca nodding along in agreement. But Christian stood firm, facing his father down even as he continued to rail at his son for interfering.
“You can’t just go around shooting everyone that gets in your way,” Christian said, far more calmly than she felt at the moment.
“Why the hell not?” Hub shot back, “It would be one less problem for us to deal with.”
Melody gasped at his callous words and instantly regretted having made the noise, because it had drawn his attention straight towards her. She had to fight against herself, forcing herself to stay strong, as Hub turned his anger on her.
“You! You told that bitch where to find us. I know you did.”
“No, I swear…I didn’t…I wouldn’t…” Melody stuttered, then let her trembling words fade.
It didn’t matter. Hub was still talking over her as if he hadn’t even heard her answer.
“I told you. Your old life is over.”
He made a slashing motion with his thick hand and Melody swallowed hard. The gesture reminded her too much of a guillotine blade.
“You better fucking get used to it or...”
“I know,” Melody said, interrupting him, and it took more guts than she thought she had to stand up straight and look him in the eye.
“You…what?”
“I said, I know. Besides, I don’t want to go back to my old life.”
He had no idea just how true that last statement was. The further away from Enrique she was, the more she realized just how much control he’d had over her life. He had decided what she would do, what she would where, what she would eat. Where she would go, or watch, or listen to.
No, she didn’t want that life back. She didn’t know where this path would lead, but Melody knew it would be a hell of a lot better than where she had been.
“Well, with friends like that bitch, I wouldn’t either,” Hub said on a snort, and suddenly his anger was gone as quick as a blink of an eye.
Bianca leaned over and slapped him on the arm.
“Hush now, Hub. Don’t say things like that to the girl,” the old woman chastised.
Melody held her breath, waiting for Hub to erupt. But she was shocked when he didn’t swing out and hit Bianca in retaliation. Instead he actually looked…abashed.
“You’re right, Bianca. You know how my temper is,” Hub said plaintively.
All Melody could do was stare in shock.
Bianca snorted.
“Flares up like a hemorrhoid. Always at the wrong place and the wrong time.”
Hub let out a gruff chuckle that shocked Melody almost as much as the affectionate kiss he planted on Bianca’s blushing cheek. Blushing! Bianca! The two words seemed like they would never go together in a sentence, but there they were in front of her, the couple staring at each other like lovesick puppies.
Melody glanced over at Christian, but he just looked bemused. She watched as the bemused expression fell slowly towards worried, and then even further into furrow-browed concern.
“Glad we cleared that all up, but what are we going to do now?” Christian mused out loud.
Everyone turned and looked in his direction.
“Enrique will retaliate. You heard what she said.”
“I heard,” Hub sighed, letting out another growl.
Melody suddenly felt like she was back to normal. She didn’t know how to deal with the lovey-dovey Hub. She only knew him as the gruff and aggressive vice-president of a notorious biker gang. He let out another sigh but looked resolute as he continued.
“I’ll warn the crew, make sure everyone’s on high alert. Enrique isn’t going to get her back. That prick with pay for screwing over the Devil’s.”
Melody shuddered at his bleak tone, but she glanced over as Bianca gave her a reassuring pat on the shoulder.
“Don’t worry hun. You’ll be safe. Just relax. Nothing will happen to you,” the older woman said softly. “I’ll put the word around at the bar, too. Everyone will know that you are off limits. And what Enrique is planning.”
“But they know where the safe house is now,” Christian went on as if no one else had even spoken. “Melody will stay with me. It will be safer at my place than anywhere else. Bianca, maybe you should…”
“I’m not going anywhere, hun,” Bianca said firmly, interrupting Christian mid-sentence with a look on her leathery face that brooked no argument. “I’ve lived in this house for over ten years. No asshole is going to get me to run away like some scared little bunny.”
There was no more arguing after that and, within the hour, Melody was back in the truck with Christian, riding towards his house.
That ride was just as silent as before, but the tension was different. Melody was still worried, but it wasn’t the unknown threat when Bianca had called before. It was something else entirely.
She was going to Christian’s house. She would be staying with him. Alone. With her husband.
Melody clasped her hands tightly in her lap to keep them from trembling. She stared out of the window, but she didn’t see a thing as they passed. She was too lost in her own thoughts.
She tried to fight back the tight feeling in her stomach, tried to push it away, but it was like a screw inside her turned tighter and tighter with every breath she drew until she could hardly inhale at all.
By the time Christian finally parked his truck in front of a modest ranch style home on the edge of town, Melody felt like she was going to pass out, or cry, or vomit. Or all three. She threw open the passenger-side door and jumped out of the claustrophobic cabin.
In the open air, she finally felt like she could breathe again, and she leaned back against the truck, just drawing in great gulps of air, as Christian slid from the driver’s side. She heard the sound of his boots crunching on the gravel of the driveway before she saw him appear at her side.
<
br /> “I know this isn’t what you want,” he started softly, then looked away, rubbing the back of his neck with an uncertain hand. “But you’ll be safe here. I won’t let Enrique hurt you.”
But what about you? Who will make sure you don’t hurt me?
Melody wanted to scream the words at him, but they stuck in her throat, painful and raw.
She shook off the thought. No more weakness, Melody reminded herself. It was time to learn how to be strong on her own. She would just have to protect herself. And, if she was being honest, it wasn’t physical pain or abuse that she was worried about when it came to Christian. She was much more concerned that she could actually come to care about him.
She knew they would both leave. They would both go on to live their own lives. And where would that leave her? She was so tired of being dependent on others deciding her actions, derailing her emotions. No more.
Melody forced herself to straighten, pushing away from the truck, and nodded for Christian to go on. He gave her a long look but finally turned to walk inside and she followed behind him.
As soon as she walked inside, Melody was hit by a cacophony of sound. There were two voices, one belonging to Christian and the other to a man she didn’t recognize. But there were also squawks and meows and barks and…was that an oink?
Melody stared around wide-eyed, still standing in the middle of the doorway, when the other man came up to her.
“Ah, you must be the new Mrs. Mires,” the unfamiliar man said with an easy smile that instantly put her at ease. “Damn, Christian, you always get all the luck.”
His over dramatic sigh surprised a laugh out of Melody and Christian just rolled his eyes.
“Melody, this is Craig. He’s a friend of mine. He works at a local garage. And, yes, this is Melody, my, uh, wife.”
Christian stumbled a bit over the word but went on as if he hadn’t slipped up at all,
“And be nice to her.”
“I am being nice to her. As nice as I was to you, watching this zoo you call a house,” Craig said with an eye roll of his own.
“How was everything? Did anything happen while I was gone? Was everyone all right?” Christian asked rapid fire, drilling Craig with his questions.
The man took them all with a good-natured smile.
“You know, if you cared about people as much as you cared about your pets, you probably would have been married a long time ago,” Craig said, and then slid Melody a sideway smile. “No offense.”
“None taken.” Melody answered faintly.
Christian just shook his head, shooing his friend out of the door all the while.
“Thanks for keeping an eye on things.”
“Anytime man,” Craig grinned at Melody. “It was nice to meet you.”
“Nice to meet you too.”
“When you get tired of this asshole, come down and see me at the Two Wheel garage,” Craig added, his grin widening.
He winked as he joked, but Christian let out a huff of irritated breath.
“Get out of here, Craig. Stop hitting on my wife.”
Melody couldn’t hold back the chuckle at the man’s antics, but finally he was gone, getting on his own motorcycle and riding away. Then Christian was shutting the door and they were all alone.
Well, sort of.
Something cold and wet poked her hand and Melody gasped, startled. She looked down with another burst of laughter. There was the scrawniest puppy she’d ever seen, standing there staring up at her, and grinning like it was so happy to see her.
“Well, who are you, you handsome boy?” she said with another laugh, kneeling to rub the dog’s belly.
He flopped over in pure joy.
“This is Kramer. He’s a stray I found half starved to death and tied up behind a dumpster in town,” Christian said, bending down next to her to scratch the pup’s ear.
Kramer looked like he’d died and gone to heaven.
Suddenly, Christian stood, walking around the small house and, as Melody watched him, she realized that Craig was right. He did have a veritable zoo there.
He showed her the owl that had been caught in an electric fence that was still mending its broken wing. Then there was the litter of kittens he’d rescued after their mother had been killed.
She leaned down to pick up the smallest one, a little ball of pure white fluff, and snuggled her close.
“That one is Luna. She’s the runt,” he said, worry in his voice. “She’s been having a hard time. I’m not sure if she’s going to make it, honestly.”
But Melody looked down at the tiny, trembling kitten in her arms as she blinked up at her with big, blue eyes, and she knew.
“She’ll be okay. She’s a fighter.” Melody gently petted her soft, downy fur. “Aren’t you, Luna? You’re a fighter.”
Melody scratched under her chin and Luna purred happily, snuggling trustingly into her arms, and a part of her melted inside. The animal was so content and helpless in her arms it was all Melody could do not to hold her tighter and keep her safe from all the terrible things in the world.
But then Christian was moving on and Melody reluctantly put the kitten back down in the cordoned off area with her siblings before following him on.
Luckily, there weren’t any more animals waiting for her in the kitchen, but she certainly understood Craig’s comment. It was obvious that Christian cared deeply for the animals that he found and nursed back to health.
She’d just watched him, standing there in his biker attire of black leather and boots, gently scoop up an injured animal and check it over with more tenderness than she could have imagined possible.
There was a sweetness there, a kindness that her whole self cried out for just a taste of. But she remained silent, watching him, marveling at this conundrum of a man.
How could he be a ruthless gang member and so kind and gentle at the same time?
Melody shook her head to herself. There were so many facets to him, new things she was learning every day. He was far more complicated than ever Enrique had been.
Enrique had been simple. He was a dictator. He demanded absolute control, from his men and from her. But Christian was just so…different.
He moved around the kitchen with a lethal grace and she had no doubt that he knew how to use the gun that she’d seen him tuck in the glove box of his truck. But she didn’t feel an ounce of fear around him as he made them a quick meal of spaghetti. In fact, she felt the opposite.
Christian passed her a plate, hastily clearing bags of feed and dog toys off the kitchen table with a bashful apology.
“Sorry, this is all I have in the house. I don’t eat at home very often. I’ll make sure to pick up some more food for us in the morning.”
“It’s okay,” Melody said, taking a bite of the pasta. Her stomach had reminded her that she hadn’t had anything to eat since their breakfast at the diner earlier that morning. It seemed like a lifetime ago. “Maybe I could run to the grocery store tomorrow…wherever the grocery store is and…as long as it’s within walking distance.”
She let out a nervous laugh and Christian just shrugged. But his expression was all too serious.
“I think you should lay low for a while. We’re right on the edge of Enrique’s territory. He and his men are in town all the time. His place isn’t too far from here, actually.” He frowned in concern. “But he doesn’t know you’re here. As long as we keep it that way, you’ll be safe.”
Christian paused, then shot her an odd look.
“You lived with him before, right? Enrique?”
“For almost a year,” Melody answered faintly.
“You didn’t go the store for a year?”
“I…He didn’t…It’s complicated,” she finally spit out.
She didn’t want to talk about her past. She didn’t want to talk about Enrique. She sure as hell didn’t want to explain to Christian that, after the first few months of living with Enrique, she’d been all but a prisoner in his opulent house.
Luckily, Christian must have picked up on her desire to change the subject because he didn’t ask her any more questions about Enrique. Instead, as they ate, he kept the conversation light and inconsequential as they talked about living in Texas, the warm summer weather, all the things that didn’t matter but put her at ease.
But as the dinner came to an end, Melody couldn’t keep her thoughts from turning back to what had happened earlier and the scene at Bianca’s house. Amanda’s betrayal had cut her deeply, even though she’d suspected from the beginning that Enrique’s cousin would be loyal to her family above all.
