Minutes afterwards, Kate turned right onto Actors Colony Road, as Melissa started throwing a few glances around her. Unfortunately, she could not find the estate they had all seen in Helena’s crystal ball. She was about to voice her conclusion, that they were in the wrong place, when deafening, beat music caused the floor of the car to vibrate beneath their feet, and the windows to rattle. Turning her gaze to the downhill slope of the road ahead of them, she discovered the origin, as Dean pulled his truck over behind them. There were people going in and out of the last house, at the end of the road, and two, black limousines, on either side of the road.
“Follow the noise,” Melissa suggested, tossing a quick glance down at the small crowd outside the gate.
“Gladly,” Kate whispered, taking her foot off the brake. The torment of her ears intensified, as the car rolled slowly down the road. Melissa gritted her teeth, enduring the agony, at the same time wondering why humans could find any pleasure in playing this meaningless music so loud. Still, as they closed in on the mansion, the discovery of a major problem filled the air with the scent of her fear. The reason was because the estate was located at the end of a dead-end street. There was only one way in and one way out of Actors Colony Road. Whoever attempted to open fire at a limousine would have to sneak up on her, Kate and Dean. They could all easily get caught in the crossfire. Melissa and her friend turned to one another, almost simultaneously.
“How do you want to play this?” Kate asked, her voice a whisper of anxiety.
“Dean will want to start beating people up. You’ll probably start throwing them in the pool, or up against the fence. It’s not that I don’t appreciate your powers, but I think I’m going to prefer a subtler approach. Stop the car. Turn both vehicles around. We might have to leave this place in a hurry,” Melissa urged, her face as hard as stone.
“Ok,” Kate nodded in agreement. “What’s your plan?”
“I’m going to claim my prize,” Melissa declared, a sly smile forming on her lips, as she winked down at her. Reaching for the handle, she opened the door. She squeezed her eyes shut, as she stepped out of the car. The music was wreaking havoc on her ears, testing their limits. But, this horrible torture was not going to deter her. She would find Joe, and take him out of there. This was a matter of pride for her.
Melissa straightened her red shirt, and looked down at herself. Her smile widened to a grin, as the moonlight reflected off the smooth skin of her legs. The pink skirt she wore was guaranteed to draw some attention. She wasn’t planning on seducing anybody, but she knew that flashing her assets to hungry, human eyes could be of assistance.
Two, giggling blondes were leaving the gate behind them, as she strolled towards the estate. Melissa tried to sweep the interior, but, the two, large men in black suits in front of the gate prevented her from doing so.
“Evening, ma’am,” the one on the right said, lifting a piece of paper up to his chest. “May I have your name, please?”
“I’m Joe Stanton’s fiancée,” Melissa claimed, putting her right hand on her hip, as she hid her other one behind her back. “He’s your boss’s lawyer. I don’t think I’m on that list. Do you really want to bother him?”
“She’s just a girl,” the man’s colleague interjected. “Let her in.”
“Enjoy your night, ma’am.” He smiled down at her, taking a step to the left.
“Thank you,” she nodded, passing by him. Nothing could have prepared her for the scene of chaos that greeted her. The building itself was in the middle of the plot. There were dozens, maybe hundreds of people dancing around in the yard, laughing hard, pointing at one another. A handful of them were in the pool with their clothes still on, just a few feet across from her and to the right. Just like she had predicted, Melissa could feel many pairs of eyes on her, as she made her way towards the pool. Nonetheless, she would not address this issue. Her own gaze was fixed on her prize; nothing could distract her. Joe was sitting on a lounge chair, enjoying his drink, as he talked to a blonde girl in a violet bikini, on the left side of the pool. Melissa did not say anything. Instead, she chose to drag her gaze away from him, and stare at the blonde, in an attempt to grab her attention, as her confident footsteps led her closer to them. She raised her eyebrow in annoyance, as her eyes and the stranger’s eyes met. Joe’s face fell in total disbelief, as he whipped his head right.
“Melissa!” He gasped in surprise as his glass slipped through his fingers and almost out of his hand. “What are you doing here?”
“Looking for you?” Melissa said, her voice dripping with irony, as she beckoned him towards her.
“How did you find this place? How did you even get in here?” Joe spoke too fast, halting before her, as a wave of fear spread over his face.
“First, you tell me where the hell you’ve been all day,” Melissa grumbled, feeling her blood boiling in her veins, as she furrowed her brow. “I get no phone call, no text, nothing?”
“I always keep my cell phone off during appointments,” he said, his voice just louder than a whisper. “The meetings ended a lot later than I expected. I tried to call you, on my way out of the firm’s building. I dropped the phone on the stairs. This is what’s left of it.” He continued, pulling out a small, plastic object out of the pocket of his jacket. An aching sense of regret flooded through her, as she recognized a sim card bracket. Melissa pressed her lips together, gazing deep into his eyes, as a tall, chuckling brunette approached him from behind.
“Joe, honey, you’ve been avoiding me all night,” she complained, putting her right hand on his shoulder, her mouth barely an inch away from his ear. The stranger’s fingertips turned white, as she squeezed him. Melissa felt her adrenaline shooting up into the ozone layer. A red gleam spread across her eyes, as her inner wolf rumbled within her, aching to take control. This level of intimacy with her prize was not allowed. A ferocious snarl rose up in her throat, rattling her teeth, as she reached both of her hands towards him. A voice echoed within her, growing louder, commanding her to take action:
“Mine.”
Melissa could not ignore it. She would not. Jerking Joe to the left, she took a large step towards her rival, as her gaze shot down to meet the brunette’s.
“Leave. Now,” she growled, letting her beast peer out of her eyes, as she glared at the stranger.
“Oh, my God!” she squeaked, her brows popping up, as she opened her mouth wide. “You…”
Joe didn’t give the brunette time to finish her sentence. A light push on her side knocked her off balance. The woman’s scream filled the air, just before her body fell into the pool with a splash. A few drops of water landed on Melissa’s face and her hair, as her eyes glinted with amusement.
“I’m sorry you had to see this, but I had to sober Ms. Lane up somehow!” Joe pitched his voice louder, looking around him at the baffled people who stared down at the brunette.
“Thank you,” Melissa gave a satisfied nod, as her lips curled into a sweet smile.
“Thank you?” Joe whispered, his face twisting in anger, as he leaned closer. “What the hell got into you? You were about to bite her head off, for God’s sake!”
“I don’t like it when other women touch you like that, especially in public. That’s what got into me,” she emphasized, her smile fleeing, as her face stiffened. “Now, pay attention. In about ten minutes from now, you are going to leave this party in a limo, with a couple of old men, and six women. You’ll never make it back to New York,” she paused, and leaned over towards him to whisper in his ear. “They’ll kill you.”
“What?” He shrieked, surprise written all over his face. “What are you talking about? How do you even know all this?”
“I’ll tell you later,” Melissa raised her tone slightly, maintaining eye contact with him. “Right now, I want you to trust me. You need to stay away from that car. Come with me. Where did you park your car?”
“The owner drove me here. I still have to warn them,” Joe said, throwing quick, furtiv
e glances around him, as panic crept into his voice.
“What are you going to say to them?” She wondered, narrowing her brows in confusion. “Don’t get in that limo, because my girlfriend says someone’s going to attack you? If even one of those people makes it out of that car alive, who do you think they’re going to accuse first?”
“Me,” he murmured, clenching his jaw, as he settled his gaze on her.
“Let’s get the hell out of here,” Melissa suggested, offering her hand, as he took a deep breath. Joe placed his glass on the tray of an oncoming waiter, sweeping his surroundings, as he slipped his own hand into her palm. Her heart rate slowed. He was aware now, not yet out of harm’s way, but with every step towards that gate, salvation was getting closer. Melissa smiled to herself. He had trusted her, without needing a shred of proof.
“This place looks like every man’s dream,” she remarked. “Half-naked girls are everywhere. Why is that?”
“Howard Mercer, the guy throwing the party is a porn producer,” He informed her as he clutched her hand. “He’s celebrating the release of his latest feature. His company is one of my firm’s best clients. ‘Pink Dreams’ grosses billions of dollars every year. They are ranked 4th in the industry.”
“Porn?” Melissa snorted in amusement, flashing him a bright-eyed look. “The girl you threw into the pool works in porn?”
“Yeah,” Joe replied, as they crossed the gate. “Susan Lane signed a contract with ‘Pink Dreams’ recently. She wanted my opinion on her decision to ditch her former employers.”
“Your world is a lot more complicated than I thought,” she confessed, smiling up at him. “These things didn’t even cross my mind.”
“My world is a cesspool,” he corrected her, his voice filled with annoyance. “I have to deal with scum, every damn day. Believe it or not, Mercer is one of the better people I socialize with. He’s actually quite nice. He pays everyone on time, and he doesn’t abuse his girls in any way, like most of the others do.”
“Get in the car,” Melissa urged, tossing a quick glance down at Kate’s Ford. “You can talk to me about him all you want after we leave this place.”
Joe reached down to open the rear left door, as she moved around the vehicle. A mere look at the clock on the dashboard told her it was 1:58am. Melissa tore her gaze away from it, and returned her attention to the uphill road in front of them as she swung the front passenger side door open.
“Please, drive us out of here, Kate,” she requested, seating herself, as Dean drove off in his truck. Nodding assent, her friend turned the key in the ignition. Melissa heaved a long sight of relief, as the engine roared into life. Her plan had worked to perfection. Joe was nowhere near the gate. He was safe, thanks to her. “Remember the witch you ran into yesterday?”
“Yeah,” he nodded, rolling his window down. “My throat’s still a little sore.”
“She’s got the ability to look into someone’s near future. She showed us your future, and told us where you were,” Melissa explained, glancing up at him over her shoulder, as she turned over onto her left side.
“I can’t say I’m surprised,” Joe muttered, scratching his chin. “That woman nearly choked me to death without even touching me.”
“Those people who we saw do the shooting must be retarded or suicidal,” Kate interjected, as Dean’s truck rolled to a halt at the intersection. “I mean, who would open fire at a limo, in front of hundreds of people, and at the end of a dead-end street?”
Melissa would not venture a guess. After all, she wasn’t interested in finding the ones responsible for this brutal murder. She had only one thought: how to get back to Paxton as soon as possible. Tired by the long drive, she considered asking Joe about an alternative route. Still, before she could address him, the deafening sound of a powerful, revving engine, along with the odor of burnt rubber grabbed her attention. In a split second, a flash-red Porsche swerved into the opposite lane, its rear bumper missing Kate’s front fender by no more than a couple of inches.
“Someone very skilled and very-well financed,” Joe concluded, swirling his head around to look at the luxury car. None of them spoke another word. Dean’s truck remained glued to its spot. In a few seconds, the tires of the Porsche screeched, as it came to an abrupt halt. Joe slowly turned his head around, raising his hands to cover his face, as the crackling noise of numerous bullets tore through the night.
“Holy God,” Joe whispered, slipping both hands up into his hair, as Kate flashed her high beams to Dean. Her mate took the hint, and restarted his truck. He turned left and out of Actors Colony Road, as she followed behind him.
“I guess you ought to thank Helena,” Melissa uttered, turning to face him. “I’m sorry.”
“Damn!” Joe cried, banging both fists down on the seat. “Take me back there! I need to see who is hurt.”
“Not a chance in hell, counselor,” Kate groaned, tightening her grip on the steering wheel as she stared at him in the rearview mirror. “It’s going to be a mess out there.”
“Then, I need to ask you a favor,” Joe sighed, leaning forward. “The police will want to know what happened. They’ll interview everyone at the party, including the ones who left earlier than me. It’s standard procedure. I got the Porsche’s license plate. Please, take me to New York. I need to enter my statement to the police.”
“He’s right,” Kate voiced her opinion, casting a sideways glance at her friend. “The cops are going to be looking for him.”
“And after that?” Melissa inquired of him, while her voice lowered as she gazed into his eyes. “What will you do? When will I see you again?”
“Tomorrow,” his response was sharp, as if he had been anticipating her question. “I’m taking a personal day. I’ll meet you up on Acheron River at seven.”
“Excuse me, counselor, but do you want to get out of that contract?” Kate asked him, her voice filled with frustration.
“Well, yeah,” Joe gave a quick nod. “What does that have to do with anything?”
“Then, you need to tell Helena more about it, work with her, and you can’t do that while you’re driving back and forth from Paxton.” Kate concluded. “I suggest you take more than just one day off.”
“I hear you,” he said on an exhale. “I need to clear this with my boss first, though. I’ll talk to him, first thing in the morning.”
An intense desire to hug her friend rose within Melissa. Kate had done what she had hesitated to do. She was planning to suggest this to Joe, but she had not decided on “when” yet. Now, she had saved her that trouble. The next four hours in the car would not be spent in insecurity, but in calmness and good spirits. Joe’s innocence had been established, keeping Melissa’s hope burning.
Chapter Fifteen
Melissa went to bed in the early morning, utterly exhausted and barely able to keep her eyes open. This time, her fatigue was so profound that not even an issue as major as Joe’s could keep her attentive and awake. The last thing that popped into her mind was her triumph over the security for that mansion in North Haven, and the fear that she had instigated upon her – supposed – rival. Melissa might have not been intending to terrorize anybody that night, but she was too stressed to hold on to her temper. Her goal had been to rescue Joe, and Susan Lane was getting in the way. It didn’t matter to her how she got rid of her; just that she did. Despite the fact that she had achieved her goal, Melissa knew she had to be more careful from now on. In her anxiety, she had almost yielded control to her wolf, in front of hundreds of strangers. She could not allow that to happen again.
Hours later, as she was still lost in the sweet oblivion of sleep, two male voices faded in to her dark cocoon, causing her eyes to shoot open. Richness and depth characterized them both. One was slightly higher than the other. Melissa couldn’t believe her ears. It was Joe, accompanied by Raul, the single one of her brothers who had been infuriated by Joe’s presence. She was still too drowsy to make out what they were saying; yet, they did
n’t sound at all like they were arguing. On the contrary, their roaring laughter resounded through the walls of her cabin, stunning her even further. Melissa rolled out of bed, at the same time wondering if this was real or just a figment of her imagination. The voices instantly became louder, as she pulled her bedroom door open. No. This wasn’t a fantasy. Raul and Joe were at her kitchen table. Her Alpha was holding a piece of paper before him, studying it, as her boyfriend rummaged through a stack of papers.
“It’s a miracle,” Raul smirked, as his gaze shot up to meet hers. “She’s awake.”
“I have two questions. One: What time is it? Two: Are you guys kidding me?” Melissa asked, curiosity written all over her face, as her brother rose from his seat.
“5:50p.m. and no, we’re not kidding you,” he retorted, attempting to use a serious tone, as she started down the stairs. “Joe came to me, saying that he means well. I asked for some proof. He showed me some of his writing. We talked for a while. He and I have a few things in common.”
“It’s true,” Joe agreed, setting the papers back down on the stack, as the corners of his lips curved into a gentle smile. “I hope we didn’t wake you.”
“I’ve been sleeping for almost twelve hours, Joe.” Melissa’s voice came out drowsy, with a pinch of playfulness, as she stepped off the landing. “I’m glad you woke me up.”
“Helena will be up in grandpa’s sanctuary tonight, if you need her,” Raul stated, as his sister brushed past him. “I’ll see you later.”
“I thought our date was at seven. It’s not even six yet,” Melissa continued as she seated herself beside Joe.
“I had a long, crazy day,” Joe sighed, leaning closer to her. “I gave my statement to the police, which lasted two hours, and then went straight to work. I tried to talk to my boss about the shooting, but he wouldn’t let me. He thought I’d seen the whole thing. He gave me the rest of the week off. He even offered to pay for counseling. I went back to my place, got some sleep, packed a bag, and here I am. Before I took off, I read online that the police had found the shooters. They’re members of a local gang, hired by a rival studio to take out the girls in that limo.”
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