All Cried Out (All Falls Down Book 2)

by Ayden K. Morgen

  "Oh," Melinda gasps.

  "He's back now, and I don't know what the fuck I'm supposed to tell her." I shake my head, not sure why I'm telling Melinda any of this. She certainly hasn't earned the right to know anything about my girl, but I can't stem the flow of words from my mouth. I'm still reeling, my mind spinning in circles over all the bullshit thrown my way today. First McKee, and now Melinda. How much more is the universe going to throw at us? How much more is Savannah supposed to take?

  "She's been through hell and back, and she's finally happy. Now I have to tell her that the guy who tormented her is here, and by all accounts, is after her. She finally feels safe, and I have to find a way to take that away from her." I glance down at my coffee and then back to Melinda. "So I'm going to be straight with you. I don't know why you're back, and I'm not even sure I care. What I do care about is Savannah. I love that girl more than anything, and she doesn't deserve for anyone else to waltz back into her life and take away even a little bit of the security she's found. I don't trust you, and until I'm sure you won't hurt her, I'll do everything in my power to keep you away from her."

  Melinda takes a deep breath and then nods. "Fair enough, Agent Corbit, but I promise you, I'm not here to hurt her or complicate her life."

  "Maybe," I say, taking another sip of coffee. "I don't know why you're here."

  "I should start at the beginning."

  I lean back in the cracked leather booth, motioning for her to get on with it.

  "When Savannah's father died, it messed me up." Melinda stares down into her coffee cup, a furrow between her brows. "We'd been together since we were kids, and I didn't know how to live without him. Yet he was gone, and here I was with a little girl who needed me. Savannah was an easy child, she never asked for much, and always looked after herself. I tried to be a good mother, but I made mistakes—a lot of them." She sighs, pieces of her hair fanning around her face. "I started abusing prescription medication after Tom died."

  I feel my eyebrows climb, but I don't say anything.

  "I don't think she even realized what was going on. She'd come home and I'd be completely checked out. She'd feed herself, do her homework, and get herself into bed. We ran through his life insurance quick. I jumped from job to job afterwards, just trying to keep a roof over our heads and groceries in the fridge. I wanted to get it together for her, but I couldn't. And then Matthew and Caitlyn offered me a position with their family. They'd move us into the guesthouse. Savannah would have stability, and people to look up to. She was so smart, so dedicated. I convinced Matthew to pay for her to attend private school with his girls." A small, wistful smile twists at Melinda's lips.

  "And it was good for a while. I stopped taking the drugs and tried to get myself together for her. But I couldn't do it. A few months before I left, I started using again. I wanted to stop, but I was so weak. Every time I looked at her, I saw how much of a screw-up I was. She finally had a chance at something better and…." Melinda shakes her head. "She adored Matthew and Caitlyn, and they felt the same, but they would have tossed me out in a heartbeat if they'd known about the drugs. I was so afraid Savannah would lose everything because of me. I could barely function without swallowing two or three Xanax at a time. Caitlyn started asking questions, started to suspect something was off. I thought Savannah would be better off without me." Melinda's eyes meet mine again, swimming in tears. "I couldn't even tell her goodbye. I just ran."

  "I don't want to be an asshole here," I say quietly, and I mean that. I don't want to be the bad guy and tell her that she was a selfish bitch, but she was. She was screwed up, so she walked away from her kid. "But you made your own choices. Savannah didn't have that opportunity. She came home one day and her mother was gone. Do you have any idea what that did to her?"

  "I know," she whispers, dabbing at her eyes again.

  "No." I shake my head. "You don't. You walked away and didn't look back, and it broke something inside of her. She didn't feel like she was worthy of love, so she fell into the arms of that son of a bitch, and he made sure she felt like less than nothing so she couldn't leave him. He tormented her for two years, and it took her almost dying to break free. She's spent months in therapy, trying to find herself." I shove my hands into my pockets, my fists tightly clenched. "It took weeks before she could have a conversation with me without apologizing over every little thing. She still flinches over loud noises, and wakes up in the middle of the night, crying. So maybe you meant well when you left her, but you destroyed her sense of self-worth when you went, and you don't get to sit here now and try to make excuses or justify what you did. Maybe you were messed up, but you were her mother. She deserved better from you."

  "I didn't know," she whispers.

  "You chose not to. You've had years to make amends with her, and you chose not to do so. You walked away and didn't look back. So why are you here now?"

  "I checked myself into rehab a few times over the years," she says. "I told myself that I'd get it together and come back for her, but it never stuck. No matter how hard I tried, I kept falling right back into the same trap. And then I met Johnny." She smiles a little, a faraway look on her face. "He helped me kick the habit for good. I've been off the pills for a little over a year."

  "Congratulations."

  "Thank you." She clears her throat. "I was living in Arizona, working at a hotel. And I looked up at the television one morning, and there she was. They were talking about her kidnapping, and the man who saved her life." Melinda eyes me seriously. "I had to see her for myself. I had to make sure that she really was okay like they were saying. But I didn't want to just waltz back into her life, so I found you. I thought-" she breaks off, hesitating.

  "You thought I'd help you."

  She nods and averts her gaze. "But you aren't what I expected, and maybe that's foolish after everything I've heard about you, but I didn't expect you to be so…."

  "So?"

  "So in love with her." She sighs heavily. "When I heard you were with Alexis Talbot before Savannah, I wasn't sure what to make of you. And then I saw you and Savannah together, and I knew you loved her. That you love her. It's in the way you look at her, and the way you touch her." She smiles at me. "She couldn't have chosen any better."

  I gaze at her for a moment and then rake a hand through my hair, sighing. "I don't know what to think here," I confess. "For all I know, you're here for what you can get out of it. I can't take that risk with her."

  Melinda nods as if she expected that answer. "I understand."

  I want to be done with this, but I can't. If she is telling the truth… telling her to get lost isn't my decision to make. It's Savannah's. Christ, why can't anything ever be easy?

  "If and when I'm satisfied that you mean her no harm, I'll talk to her."

  A bright smile spreads across Melinda's face, lighting her up exactly like Savannah. And damn if that doesn't hit me right in the gut. I throw a hand up, trying to keep from softening any further towards this woman.

  "Let's get one thing clear right now: whether she decides to see you or not is her choice, and I'm on her side. If she tells you to get lost, you get lost and you don't come back here looking for her. I won't allow anyone to force her into something she doesn't want to do."

  Melinda nods. "I understand. If she doesn't want to see me, I promise I'll back off and leave her alone." She reaches out and squeezes my arm. "Thank you for this, Agent Corbit."

  "Don't thank me yet," I mutter, draining my coffee cup and climbing to my feet. I have no idea what I'm supposed to do now. Or what I'm supposed to say to Savannah about any of this. Truth be told, I don't want to tell her any of this, not until I find out what Melinda really wants from her, and definitely not until McKee is behind bars where he belongs. Less than eight hours ago, she pleaded with me not to ask her to hide, not to make her go back to that place she existed in for so long. My girl is finally happy.

  How am I supposed to take that away from her now?

  Chapter
Six

  Lady in Red

  When I arrive in my parents' neighborhood, two San Francisco cruisers are parked at the end of the road and there isn't a reporter in sight. I nod at the officers as I make my way down the street toward the cars lined up outside of my parents' house. The homes here are stately and dignified, surrounded by tall fences and acres of rolling green grass. The place screams of exclusivity and old money.

  I love my parents, but the sheer snobbery of this neighborhood makes me grateful for the simplicity of my one bedroom apartment with Savannah. We could both easily afford a home like this, but that's never interested me, and Savannah would never even consider it. I love that about her, how having a home she chose for herself means more to her than what anyone thinks about that home.

  As much as I'd love to get her behind a gate and keep her there, especially now… I love how the little things in life make her happy. She doesn't need fancy cars or thousand dollar dinners or expensive clothing. She's happiest when we're wrapped up on the couch together in hoodies and sweats, with a pizza on the coffee table in front of us and Orange is the New Black playing on Netflix. I know part of that is because she doesn't feel like she belongs in the world I grew up in, but the other part is her. She doesn't give a shit how much money I have or who I know.

  Since I was a teenager, women have chased after me because of who I am and how much is in my bank account. If anything, Savannah fell in love with me despite those things. She looked at me and saw me, not my adopted family or a prize to be won. I've never been a notch on her bedpost or a way to the top for her, and I love that. Who wouldn't?

  Three of Chris and Demetri's security guards are stationed at the gates in tuxedos, carefully checking invitations before allowing guests to proceed onto the grounds. Floating candles line the long driveway and the sidewalk leading to the front door. It's thrown wide open, my parents standing right inside to greet guests, both looking every bit the powerhouse couple they are.

  By the time I park and make my way to the house, cars fill the driveway, crammed one against the other.

  "Jared!" My mom's face lights up when she sees me jogging up the steps toward her. She opens her arms wide and kisses me on the cheek before stepping aside so I can shake my father's hand.

  "Son," he says, pulling me into a hug.

  "Is she here already?" I ask after we exchange brief hellos. I haven't seen my girl since this morning and I'm going insane. I need to see her, touch her. Maybe then the tightness in my chest will ease a little. I intended to drive here with her, but after dropping off Melinda, I barely had time to run home to change. She opted to ride with the girls and meet me here, not wanting me to drive all the way to the other side of the city to get her.

  "She's here, and about as anxious to see you as you are to see her," my father says, watching me closely. "How did it go today?"

  "Better than expected," I murmur quietly while my mom distracts a snooping distant cousin with inane small talk. "They didn't fire me."

  "Of course they didn't," he says, clapping me on the shoulder.

  I briefly consider filling him in on exactly why they opted not to fire me today, but decide against it as another wave of guests start up the deep steps a few feet away. These people are family and friends, true enough, but they wouldn't hesitate to throw me to the sharks if it meant making themselves look good. Money and power rule in this world, and having gossip before anyone else makes one powerful, indeed.

  "We'll talk later," my father says as if reading my mind. He shoots me another look and then straightens, plastering a smile across his face as he welcomes the group clustered behind me.

  I kiss my mother on the cheek again and then make my way into the house, falling into line behind those ahead of me. Nothing has really changed since I was here last, but Mom has positioned flowers and candles are all over the place. Subdued music drifts down the hall, calming and happy at once.

  "I can't believe he works with the FBI."

  "I don't know what he sees in her."

  "Can you believe they got married at City Hall?"

  I hear the murmurs of petty gossip ahead of me as everyone makes their way down the hallway, into the kitchen, and out into the backyard, but I tune them out, refusing to listen to the ridiculous rumblings. I'm here for Chris and Demetri. Everyone else can go to hell as far as I'm concerned. I have little tolerance for any of these people, regardless of how many of them are distant cousins or old family friends.

  There are genuinely good people in this world, like my parents, and then there are those who are anything but. I've spent most of my adult life dealing with the destruction left behind by the latter, many of whom have thrown their own immediate family to the wayside just to line their pockets or one-up the competition. I know exactly what they're capable of, and far too many of them are no better than my biological father. He was an abusive prick who lived to make others miserable.

  A massive tent has been erected out back, with decorated tables situated throughout. Portable heaters keep the tent warm while elaborate candelabras overhead cast the interior in a warm, intimate light. A stage has been set up at the far end, a string quartet positioned on one side while band equipment takes up the rest of the stage. Framed photographs of Chris and Demetri are grouped on the other side. The entire set-up is elegant and intimate. My mother outdid herself.

  People move from table to table, chatting and laughing. The catering staff drifts through with trays of champagne and appetizers. I spot Chris and Demetri holding court near the stage in matching white tuxedoes, but don't attempt to approach them just yet. Well-wishers and those looking for gossip stand three deep around the two of them. Chris looks frazzled, his stance rigid. Demetri's arm around his waist is likely the only thing keeping him from telling everyone to get lost. He has less patience for most of these people than I do.

  I let my gaze rove over the crowd, seeking out my girl.

  "Jared!"

  I spin to the left as Madeline Talbot, Lexi's twelve-year-old sister, calls my name, and see her hurrying toward me with a smile on her face. She flings herself at my chest, hugging me hard around the waist.

  "Hi, sweetheart." I drop a kiss on the top of her head, and lean back to get a good look at her. She's in a lovely white dress that stops at her knees and has a little sash around the waist. Her blonde hair is pinned back, the style hiding the nasty scar across the left side of her head. Her nails are bright pink, and she's wearing lip gloss. "You look lovely, Mad," I tell her, meaning it.

  She beams at me, her blue eyes sparkling with happiness. "Kit and Savannah let me go with them to the spa today."

  "I heard." I reach out and tug one of her curls, grinning. It's nice to see her happy and laughing. God knows, she hasn't had enough of either in the last year, not with her father's murder, her accident, and then finding out that Paulson was her brother. The kid has been through hell and back.

  "Where are Kit and Savannah?" I ask, using the nickname Savannah gave Katrina when they were younger. I find myself using it more often than not these days.

  "They were inside talking to one of your great aunts." Maddi giggles. "Your aunt is funny."

  "Marjorie?" I guess.

  Maddi nods.

  I groan. Aunt Marjorie is pushing ninety, and says exactly what she's thinking at any given time, regardless of who's listening. Give her a little champagne and the woman is a menace. God only knows what she's said to Savannah.

  Before I have time to make my way back inside to rescue Savannah, I feel her presence. I don't know what it is about my girl, but as soon as she gets anywhere near me, I feel her. My heart speeds up and my entire body relaxes. It's like she's part of me, connected to me in ways I can't even begin to fathom.

  I turn toward her and my mouth falls open, my cock instantly hardening.

  "Isn't she pretty?" Maddi giggles from beside me, but I barely hear her.

  Savannah stands right inside the opening to the tent, wearing a long red gown that di
ps low between her breasts, perfectly hugging her curves. The skirt is slit almost all the way up her thighs on each side, her creamy white skin and long legs peeking out every time she shifts. Her hair is a mass of long curls cascading down her back, pinned on top with lace and feathers. She stands with her shoulders back and her head held high. Her eyes are alight with happiness, her cheeks flushed.

  Every eye in the room turns to her, but she doesn't fidget beneath the attention. She merely waits there, her eyes locked on mine. I'm speechless, completely unable to breathe as I stare at her, my gaze running up and down her body, trying to memorize her in this moment.

  I have never seen her look so radiant or so confident. She's glowing.

  No part of me wants to take away even a bit of the happiness practically shimmering in the air around her. She deserves this time to celebrate without fear, without her past hanging over her head, threatening to drown her. She deserves to live. There's no way in hell I'm letting Melinda or McKee take that chance away from her now. Until I know what Melinda wants and McKee is no longer an issue, Savannah won't know they're here. Not a word.

  I stumble toward her on shaky legs, and stop directly in front of her. My heart hammers loudly. My palms sweat. I feel like a teenager standing in front of my first date, one miles out of my league.

  "Hi, handsome," she whispers, her gaze flickering across my face.

  "Beautiful girl," I manage to choke out, the words thick on my tongue. Reaching out, I place my palm against her cheek, not breaking eye contact. "You take my breath away."

  We stare at each other for a long moment. Neither of us speaks, but a thousand words drift between us. She wears her heart on her sleeve for everyone to see, unashamed as she smiles at me. The last time we were in a room full of people together, she fled in tears, believing I planned to marry Lexi. This time, she knows I'm hers, and she is radiant in that knowledge, free of doubt, guilt, and reservation.