Saving Mel

by Rye Hart

  Well, it would not happen on my watch, just as I’d promised her father. Just as I would promise her. I would protect this woman and the life we were building with everything I had. I wouldn’t allow anyone to steal any more of Melanie’s future from her.

  “Melanie, look at me.”

  She turned her teary eyes toward me and I hooked my gaze with hers.

  “He is never going to touch you again. He’ll never hurt you again. While you are with me, nothing will ever happen to you. I won’t let it,” I said.

  “What if he finds me?” she asked, with a whisper.

  “He won’t. Because he’ll find me first, and my face will be the last face he ever sees.”

  I wanted to gather her into my arms and hold her close, but I felt like that was the last thing she needed. I heard Liam beginning to stir, and she went to move to get him off the couch. But I placed my hands on her shoulders and eased her back down underneath the covers before I handed her the glass of water.

  “Finish that, but slowly. I’ll take care of the kids. Just get your feet under you and come out whenever you’re ready,” he said.

  “I’m not damaged,” she said.

  “No, you’re not. But you are shaken up. And it’s completely to be expected. Take your time. We’ll be out here when you’re ready.”

  I went and checked on Liam on the couch before I got Hadley. She was a bit warmer than yesterday, which had me worried. She nuzzled into me and began to whimper, her lips rooting for something to drink. I placed her in her playpen with her favorite blanket before I set out to make her a bottle.

  “Wanna watch a movie, Liam?” I asked.

  “Yeah,” he said.

  “Which one?” I asked.

  “Aladdin?”

  I chuckled at his choice as I shook my head.

  “You know we rented Beauty and the Beast, right?” I asked.

  “But I want Aladdin,” he said.

  “Fine. Aladdin it is. Would you like a popsicle while you watch your movie?’

  “Yes, please.”

  “That was very polite. Thank you, buddy,” I said.

  I snipped off the top of the popsicle and handed it to him. Hadley was already curling up with her blanket and her bottle as she watched the movie come on. They would be back asleep before it was over, and rest was exactly what they needed.

  Which gave me more time to make sure Melanie was all right.

  I walked back into the room and I could hear her crying. She was muffling her sobs into the pillow and my heart broke for her. I couldn't imagine the nightmare she’d suffered at the hands of that asshole, and I felt the anger rise in my gut. How could a man do such a thing to any woman? I swore right then that if he came sniffing around my home, it would be the last thing he’d ever do in his miserable pathetic life.

  The thought of what he had put Melanie through made me fucking sick.

  I walked over silently and sat down on the edge of the bed. I rubbed my hand along her back, trying to get her to calm down without invading her space. She turned toward me and opened her arms, and I quickly slid underneath the covers with her.

  We lay like that for a minute, looking into each other’s eyes. My chest ached with love for this woman. This perfect, beautiful, sweet, smart woman. I knew then that no matter what, I would never let her go. If she pushed, I’d pull. If she ran, I’d chase. I would do anything to make her see that she was worthy of the love and the life that I could give her.

  She let out a shaky breath and I pushed a stray strand of hair from her forehead.

  “What are you thinking right now?” I asked her.

  “I’m thinking about running away. Far away. Packing a bag and never coming back,” she answered.

  “Okay, we can do that,” I said.

  She looked at me incredulously. “You would do that? You would uproot Liam and Hadley for me?”

  “I would. Have you not heard anything I’ve said, Melanie? I love you. That means where you go, I go.”

  She closed her eyes for a moment and when she opened them again, they were shining with unshed tears. Then she shook her head.

  “No. No, I’m not running. He should run. I did nothing wrong,” she said, some strength returning to her voice.

  “You are absolutely right,” I said to her. “You did nothing wrong. That fucking piece of shit animal is the one who should be afraid right now, not you.”

  “I just can’t believe this is happening,” she said. “I thought when I testified at his trial, it would be the last time I would ever have to see him. Except in my nightmares.”

  “It was the last time, I promise you. He won’t get near you. The article said the state and local police are both searching the mountain, and there are only so many places to hide up here. He’s going to be pretty exposed.”

  “He had to have known that coming up here. He’s unhinged, which means he probably doesn’t have an endgame beyond getting to me,” she said. “That’s what really scares me, Evan. What if he comes here? What about Liam and Hadley? I would never forgive myself if anything happened to them because of me.”

  I reached out and stroked her cheek. “Nothing is going to happen to them. And nothing is going to happen to you. I swear on my life, Melanie, if that sick son of a bitch shows up here, the barrel of my shotgun will be the last thing he sees in this world. I will send him straight to hell myself.”

  At that moment, Hadley started to whimper from the living room. I moved to get out of the bed and Melanie sat up to follow. “Stay in here as long as you need,” I told her.

  “No, I need to get up. I need to live my life. I need to stop letting him have any power over me,” she said, the spark back behind her blue eyes.

  My God, that woman was amazing.

  We both went into the living room and I sat on the couch with Liam while Melanie scooped Hadley up from her playpen.

  “She’s pretty warm today,” Melanie said with a frown. “I’m going to go give her a lukewarm bath and some Tylenol.”

  I watched as she carried the baby down the hall, cooing softly to comfort her. Liam snuggled up next to me and I draped the blanket over us both as we watched the movie. Liam started to doze at my side and I stared out the window, my senses on high alert.

  Part of me thought I should close all the curtains, but another part realized that I wouldn’t be able to see anyone coming onto my property if I did that. The best thing was probably to keep the kids close by in the center room where no one looking in would see them. The last thing I needed was to give that sick fuck psycho more targets.

  I picked Liam up and carried him to his room which was the first off the hallway. I put him in bed and checked that the one window in there was locked and the heavy blackout curtains were shut tight. Nothing and no one would be able to see in or get in. Next, I went out to the living room and grabbed Hadley’s pack and play. I moved it into Liam’s room so that when she was ready to go down, both kids would be in the same place, safe and sound.

  Melanie came out of the bathroom with Hadley in her arms and went to dress her and give her some medicine. Once she was done, the baby was already falling asleep in her arms and so she laid her down in the playpen in Liam’s room.

  The two of us went around the house, checking all windows and closing curtains into the bedrooms. I rechecked my guns and ammunition, keeping them close, but out of the reach of curious little hands.

  We tried to go about the day as normally as possible, though there was no way I was leaving the cabin to go work in my shed. I would stay close to Melanie and the kids until this mess was over, one way or another.

  I did the laundry while Melanie cleaned up. She made us a simple lunch, setting some aside that could be warmed up when the kids woke. Finally, we sat by the fire and watched a light snow fall outside.

  “How are you?” I finally asked.

  “Pissed,” she said, her arms folding across her chest.

  “Good. Pissed is good.”

  She tu
rned her blue eyes on me and my heart stuttered as it usually did. “I’m scared too. And that pisses me off even more.”

  I smiled and pulled her close to me. As long as we were together, everything would be alright.

  CHAPTER 32

  MELANIE

  Sleep was almost nonexistent. Even with Evan at my side and his guns at the ready, I couldn’t get myself to settle down. Every little sound woke me. Every time the wind howled by the window, my eyes flew open. And when I did chance to slip into a slumber-like state, I saw his face. I smelled his breath. I felt his hands. My eyes would come open and I would look around the room, reminding myself of where I was. Then I would look over at Evan sleeping next to me and I would feel safe for the moment. Until I closed my eyes and he was there again.

  When the kids woke up the next morning, I was exhausted. It took all the energy I had to pull myself out of Evan’s bed. Part of me wanted to lay back down and forget the world existed. It would be so nice just to pull the covers up over my head and pretend I was someone else for a while. Someone with no cares or worries in the world. Someone without a deranged psychopath hunting her.

  But, I knew I couldn’t. I had two children who were dependent on me now, and I couldn’t leave them again. Liam was smiling at me and seemed to be doing much better. His appetite was back and even though his nose was still stuffy, he was back to running around and yelling at the top of his lungs. His fever was gone and his body didn’t seem to hurt anymore, and it made me smile to see him bouncing in his seat at the kitchen table. He was chugging his juice and munching on an apple while I figured out what to do with breakfast, and it warmed my heart to see him feeling better.

  Hadley was still a little snotty and tired, but her fever was gone also. She was still cuddly and very tired, so I knew it would be another day of sleeping for her. I made her a bottle and laid her down in her playpen with her favorite blanket, watching her as she drank. I rubbed her back and watched her eyes flutter shut, smiling down upon the sick little girl as Liam asked for more juice.

  They were both on the mend which warmed my heart, but every time I looked over at Evan I would tense up again.

  He was keeping one eye out the window at all times, no matter what he was doing. His shotgun was locked and loaded next to him, and his face was stern. He was taking his role as protector very seriously, and I had zero doubt that he would kill to save us if it came down to that. The thought of it, though, made my stomach ache. The thought of this sweet man who’d been through so much of his own heartache, having to make the choice to end another human being’s life – even if that person didn’t deserve to live – made me sad.

  What had I done to him? What had I brought into his life. Here he was, just trying to figure out how to raise two kids, and I show up with my shitstorm of a life on his doorstep. And what if it did come down to Evan having to defend us? Would he go jail?

  The idea of losing Evan shook my body physically as well as mentally, and I tried to push the thought from my mind as he continued to stare out the window.

  “How’d you sleep?” Evan asked.

  “Do you really have to ask?”

  “Yeah. I slept about the same,” he said. “Heard you get up a few times.”

  “Nightmares,” I said. “Did you sleep out here all night?”

  “Not all night. Came back after you got up a couple of times. But some noises outside pulled me back out.”

  “So, you heard them, too?” I asked.

  “I did.”

  His body was tense and his shoulders were rolled back. He was sitting back in his chair with the butt of the shotgun between his legs. Hadley was already asleep and Liam was clamoring for another apple. The little boy was very hungry after three days of nothing but soup, and I didn’t blame him.

  If I hadn’t been so scared, I would’ve been starving.

  “The kids are doing better. I don’t think we’ll need to take them in to see a doctor.”

  “That’s good.”

  “What would you like for breakfast?” I asked.

  “Not hungry.”

  “Well, you’re going to eat something.”

  “Whatever you cook the kids is fine.”

  “Peanuh-butter toast!” Liam exclaimed.

  “I can definitely make that for you, handsome,” I said, grinning. I was trying my best not to show the kids that I was afraid. I needed to make sure that they always felt safe.

  I set out to make breakfast just before my phone rang. I lunged for it, desperate to pick it up when I saw my father’s name on the screen. I answered it and held the phone to my ear as Evan watched me closely, and tears rose to my eyes as he began to talk.

  “They got him, sweetheart. The police have him in custody.”

  “Are you serious? You’re absolutely sure? When did they find him?” I asked.

  Evan got out of his seat and walked toward me with a look of relief on his face.

  “About an hour ago. He was twenty minutes outside of Bozeman. They chased him down from the mountain and found him in a cheap motel. It’s over, baby girl,” my father said.

  Tears of happiness brewed in my eyes as I turned my back to the kids.

  “What happens now?” I asked.

  “He’ll be put into a maximum-security prison somewhere in Kansas. Tossed into a solitary hole where he’ll never see the light of day again. You won’t ever have to think about him another day in your life.”

  I sank to my knees as relief cascaded over my body. I felt Evan dip down and wrap his arms around me, and I cried with my father still on the phone. I could tell he was crying as well, his voice trembling as he continued to talk. But I wasn’t paying attention to a word he was saying anymore.

  All I was doing was rejoicing as I pressed myself into Evan’s body.

  “Thank you for letting me know, Dad. I’ll talk with you later,” I said.

  “I love you, Mel,” he said.

  “Love you, too.”

  Evan helped me off the floor and cleaned up my teary eyes, then he guided me over to the couch so I could sit.

  “Let me handle breakfast. You just sit and rest,” he said.

  Sitting and resting turned into a nap and, once I woke up, the kids were down for theirs. I slept through breakfast and lunch, and as I craned my neck over the couch I saw Evan putting away clean dishes.

  “Why didn’t you wake me up?” I asked.

  “Because you didn’t sleep well last night, and you needed the rest. You’ve been through enough,” he said.

  I watched as Evan put up the last of the dishes before he turned around and started for me. He scooped me up into his arms and pulled me close. I loved his hugs. They were always full-bodied and tight. He wrapped me up in his strength before I tilted my head up toward his. I rose onto my tiptoes to capture his lips. His kiss was warm and inviting. Soft, but needy. Our tongues danced together as our heads fell off to the side, and soon his hands began to wander my back.

  “Thank you,” I said, whispering.