A Billionaire's Heart (Erotic Romance Bundle)

by Dalia Daudelin

  There's another performance scheduled for tonight. Mel has mended the dress she wore for the first time she sang. She slides a bit of lipstick, a deep grape color, on her lips and smiles at her reflection. There's some added weight on her bones now, and her body is taking on more of a womanly shape. She beams proudly at how she looks, admiring herself and the success she and Jake have had. Her head held high, she walks to meet Jake at the diner.

  It's packed. Mary convinced her boss to have their annual dinner at the diner and to hire Mel and Jake to play for them. They will be paid $40 to play 3 songs for 4 groups of 10 people. Pat, Mary's boss, was reluctant at first, but she somehow convinced him to hire them anyway.

  $40 is a lot of money for forest-dwellers. It's more than Mary usually makes in a week, and it will add to the money they've saved towards getting a small apartment in the city. Looking through the newspaper last week, Mary found an apartment going for just $25 a month. It's small, but living there would allow Jake and Mel to look for part time jobs for after school hours.

  Mary rushes over to her son and Mel with a huge smile on her face, crushing them both in a hug. "Come on, let me introduce you to everyone."

  They follow her, shaking the hands of her many coworkers. Some live in the forest, others the two teens don't recognize. They most likely live at the edge of the city. Everyone is excited to hear Jake and Mel play. One of the last people they're introduced to is a man named Alex.

  "I am so excited to hear you play! I've heard great things about you!" he exclaims. His long hair is slightly greasy, and he smells like cologne. Mel wonders if he's a manager since no one who works with Mary could possibly afford cologne or perfume. His red face has a bit of sweat on it, and he fidgets with his tie every few seconds. Mel notices how soft his palms are as she shakes his hand. His smile is wide and toothy, reminding Mel of someone from a commercial.

  "Thanks," she answers, wanting to talk to other people. Alex follows her and sits in on her conversations, still smiling a smile that seems somehow predatory. Jake's face goes from friendly to murderous, his hands clenched to try to keep from lashing out at a gig. At one point, Mel is standing against the wall and sipping a drink, when Alex comes to chat with her again.

  "Tell me about your music! What songs are you playing? Where did you learn the lyrics?" Mel resists the urge to roll her eyes at him for asking questions that could get everyone in the diner in trouble. He keeps trying to pry information from her, and she keeps up the conversation until Pat pulls her away.

  "Time for you to start playing," he explains quickly, his voice low. He rushes Jake and Mel into the music room.

  They play perfectly for all 4 shows, though the last one was a bit awkward. Alex watched them with such weird over-exuberance that it made Mel lose some of her focus. Jake seemed to notice too, and there was an increasing chance of confrontation. After the last song, Alex practically ran up to them, shaking their hands profusely.

  "That was amazing! Truly wonderful, and you, beautiful. Your voice is like an angel's!" He shook their hands again, his eyes intend on Mel's. He then leaves the diner, mumbling something.

  Jake and Mel spent an hour after with Mary and her workmates, getting to know them. Some gave them a few dollars, and when they leave the diner that night they had $67 in their pockets and are practically bouncing with glee.

  The trailer is dark when Mel gets home. Once she turns on the light and glances at the clock, she sees that it's 2 am. Sitting on the edge of the bed, she watched her siblings sleep. The sounds of the night quiet her, and she marvels at how easy life has become. Spending less time fishing and more time with these children, helping them to grow up.

  Eyes wandering around the trailer, she knows that soon they will be leaving to find better opportunities. By the end of this school year, she hopes to have moved them to the city. A flutter in her stomach accompanies thoughts of Jake and how wonderful it will be to finally marry him. To have a huge cake, and big meals for both of their families.

  To say vows in a church and dance until their legs are sore. One day, she hopes, they will have a house in the city. And maybe, once Will is out on his own, the two will have children.

  These are the thoughts she falls asleep to, on her lumpy pillow atop her hard bed in her tiny trailer in Prison forest.

  The soft morning light wakes her slowly, stretching out on the bed. Her arm accidentally falls to the side instead of ahead of her, making her worry she'll hit one of the kids. The bed is empty, though, and the world around the trailer is quiet. No foot steps or the sound of a little boy playing in dirt, just some wind against the glass windows and through the leaves of the trees above.

  Her eyebrows furrow and her eyes open, momentarily examining the dust in the beam of light above her. As Mel sits up, panic sets in, leaping out of the bed intent on finding Brianna and Will. She throws open the door, but instead of two innocent children in front of her, there are 5 police men waiting for her.

  "Get down on the ground!" one shouts. Mel does as she is told automatically, luckily too scared to do anything but comply. Her knees hit the ground, breaking the skin on her left shin. The officer to her left uses his boot to push her down by the neck. Her face hits the ground, grinding into the sharp gravel. The officer to her right takes Mel's arms and pulls them back painfully. Her screams are met by a kick to the stomach that knocks all the wind from her. There's a sudden sharp jab in her neck, and everything fades to darkness.

  THREE

  Mel awakens in a dark room, her body sore and aching. Opening her eyes is difficult, as they are crusted over with something. When she finally pries one eye open, she finds herself in a grey room, reclining on a chair and held prisoner by straps around her forehead, wrists and legs. She struggles against her bonds, but they are too tight to budge. The room she's in seems empty.

  "Hello?" she calls out. There is no answer. She tries to remove the straps again, but ultimately all she does is cause the leather to cut into her skin. Slumping back into the chair, she gives into the confusion and fear. Tears stream down the side of her face.

  A door opens. Outside, there are voices, people discussing something but Mel can't make out any of the words. Heavy feet fall against the floor, coming nearer to the girl shaking beneath her confines. The person stops behind her, and whoever it is unbuckles the strap on her forehead, allowing her to see more of her surroundings.

  "Oh no, no..." Looking down, Mel finds her body bloody, bruised and worst of all, naked. "Where am I?!" All is silent. "Say something!"

  A faint chuckle, quick and soft. A man steps from behind her and into view. He is tall and thin, wearing a long white coat and glasses. His hair and eyes are nearly the same shade of gray. He's wearing a name tag, but he's too far from her and her one open eye is too blurry to be able to read it.

  "Poor dear," he coos, tsking as he looks her up and down. His accent is heavy, one Mel has never heard before. "I only want to help, love. Let me help you."

  There is a sharp pain in her neck, and the world around her begins to spin.

  "What did you do to me?"

  "Don't worry, my pet. Everything is going to be fine." He pets her head in an obscene attempt to comfort her. Trying to stay focused on the man, Mel is horrified to watch him transform into some sort of monster. Large teeth protrude from his gums, his hair replaced by spikes and his eyes bright red. There are what sounds like sirens going off. All of the stimulation overwhelms Mel. She closes her eyes.

  When she opens them again, bright light blinds her. She wiggles her hands, and finds them to no longer be bound. Rubbing her eyes and sitting up, there is no pain in her body anymore. On her body hangs loose, smooth silk, peach in color and decorated with lace. The grass she's sitting on is soft and healthy, and the sweet scent of the flowers populating the meadow she's in overtakes her.

  There's a giggle behind her, familiar and sweet.

  "Today is perfect, huh?" Brianna asks, her relaxed hair flowing softly with the wind. The youn
g girl looks innocent, but her thin, childish body is starting to show signs of womanhood that Mel had never noticed before. The two smile at each other, enjoying the scent of the flowers and fresh bread being carried on the cool breeze.

  "A picnic was a good idea," Mel tells her, squeezing her hand quickly. The two girls lay down in the grass again, and Mel points out the shape of a rabbit in the clouds. After a few clouds fly by, the older sister sits up again and gazes out at the field. It seems to be the size of the ocean, it's all she can see from all angles. Her brow furrows and she's suddenly self conscious, feeling eyes on her.

  "Hey, I have an idea," Brianna says, nudging her daydreaming sister. "Let's make flower crowns!"

  "Sure, sounds fun!"

  Mel tries to choose only the blue flowers, some that look like poppies, others like daisies. She admires how the blue looks against her chocolate skin. Her mom always commented how blue looked so beautiful on her, and it's been her favorite color since she could remember.

  Finishing first, Mel sits and watches Brianna choose her flowers. The red in her hair looks cute and matches her white silk dress with red lace. The scent of the flowers begins to overwhelm Mel, and her eyelids droop.

  "Are you tired?" Brianna asks, coming over to comfort her sister. "Why don't you lay down again, love? Sleep for me." The girl leads Mel to the grass and helps her to lay down, wrappings her limbs around her big sister's body protectively. A butterfly flutters over Mel and, before she finally closes her eyes to nap, it lands on her forehead. She falls into a deep and peaceful sleep.

  Again she awakens in the dark room. "This has to be a nightmare," she assures herself, refusing to believe this pain is real.

  Her naked body is freezing, laying on the cold floor of the room. Her wrists have shackles around them attached to the wall. The man isn't in the room with her.

  "Hello? Is anybody out there?" No one answers. She thinks of Jake and wonders if he's safe, or if he's being put through this same torture. Her ears ring and her head aches so bad that it brings tears to her eyes with every throb. The clanging of the chains makes her dizzy and nauseous, every sound changing the room to a different color. This synesthesia gets worse as the door scrapes open, causing her to scream and cover her ears with her hands while a rainbow dances across every surface of the room.

  The scientist walks in again, his skin green but otherwise no longer a monster. A normal man, as normal as a man can be when he's holding a naked and beaten teenager hostage. All the fear and confusion turns instantly to hatred, and as soon as he's near enough Mel spits. It lands on his shoe. The look on his now yellow face is priceless, but Mel is too weak to laugh.

  He steps forward and kneels in front of her. The name tag is finally close enough to read it: Shane Nikola Freude. Pulling her chin up, he forces her to look him in the eyes. He pulls back slightly, and spits right in her face. He stares deep into her eyes, enjoying the horror and disgust on her face. Mel opens her mouth to scream or protest, and in that second he pops a pill in her mouth and forces her to swallow it. Standing up again and stepping a few paces away, he turns to her and smiles.

  "How's my little beta bird today?" he asks, his voice bouncing softly off the walls.

  "Where is Jake?" Mel demands, trying in vain to wipe all of the saliva off of her face.

  "Oh he's fine. He'll be helping you soon enough, little one." Behind him, the door opens and in walks a woman with long blonde hair spilling over her shoulders. She's dressed in light blue scrubs and looks like a nurse. She's wheeling in some sort of table.

  "Thank you, Maria. You may go." The woman nods at Shane and glances briefly at Mel. There's guilt and pity all over her face. "You know, Melanie, you aren't the first girl I've dealt with. You're not the youngest, or the oldest. And you won't be the last." From the table, he picks up a knife, thin and sharp, and examines it. "But I think so far, you've been my favorite. And soon you'll be over the rainbow, little bird."

  On the table, he flicks on a mini jukebox. It's playing "Somewhere Over the Rainbow", sung by Judy Garland. Mel has never heard this song before, perplexed by such a sweet song in such a horrid situation. Shane picks up another knife, deciding on which one he prefers. Finally with a smirk he chooses the smaller one, and approaches Mel who is cowering against the wall, tears streaming down her face.

  Stooping in front of Mel again, he touches the knife to her cheek. "Shall we start on your face, or-"

  There are three knocks on the door. With an air of extreme impatience, Shane stands up and goes to see who would dare to interrupt him. As he turns the handle, the door explodes open, knocking the man back and unconscious. Standing in front of Mel is Brianna. The younger girl rushes forward, holding a ring of keys and a white jacket like Shane's in her hand.

  "Come on, Mel, we need to go," she commands once her sister is free and covered. Mel stays put, shaking in shock and terror. "Now, Mel!" She pulls Mel up, and the two run out the door and down a long hallway. The two run for what seems like 10 minutes, trying to reach the doors at the end of the hall.

  As they burst from those doors, they are near the forest. They stop to catch their breath, but before long Brianna is pulling her towards the forest. "We need to hide, we don't have much time." Mel follows her sister, grateful to see her and have her help. Glancing behind her, she sees Shane chasing them with two women holding guns. Before they can start shooting, the girls are in the safety of the trees.

  Their running slows as they reach the river, where they both decide to rest. They're silent for a moment, listening for their pursuers, but all is quiet. Brianna flops down and puts her feet in the cold water. Mel can't relax yet, though, waiting for someone to appear to take her away again.

  "No one's coming, Mel. Sit down and rest." Brianna says. Mel looks at the back of her baby sister's head.

  "Where's Will? And Jake?" Mel's voice quivers.

  "Will's with Mary and Nathan, they're safe," she pauses. "I don't know where Jake is."

  Mel collapses to the ground, knees too weak to hold her. "We have to go back to get him!" Brianna just shakes her head and continues to soak her feet. There's a sudden clamoring of birds in the distance that both girls turn towards, trying to see what caused it. The snap of a branch sets both girls on their feet, ready to run.

  The snapping of twigs and leaves being stepped on comes closer, and closer. Shaking, Mel moves closer to her sister. A bush rustles a bit, and from behind it a boy steps forward.

  "Jake!" Mel rushes to him, embracing him. He winces in pain. "Oh! Sorry."

  "It's fine. Where is everyone else? Are they safe?"

  "Yeah, Brianna is just over-" she looks, but Brianna is gone. Jake raises his eyebrows at her. "Maybe she went to find the others. Let's stay here and wait for them."

  "Fine by me."

  Mel helps him over to the side of the river and disappears for a few moments to pick a few apples to snack on while they wait. They eat as darkness falls. "I'm sure Brianna will be back soon," she whispers, looking away from Jake.

  "Hey," he pulls her chin so she faces him. "I was tortured. Because of you." His green eyes pierce deep into hers. She doesn't comprehend the words at first, a questioning look crossing her face. "I could have died, and now I'm on the run. Because of you! Why did you have to talk me into playing guitar a year ago? Why did you have to sing?" He shoves her away and stands up. "You ruined everyone's life, Mel."

  The tears streaming down her face are hot, but the trying day has left her with few tears at all. She rises. "How dare you, Jake."

  "Whatever, whore."

  The slap leaves Jake stunned, rubbing at the stinging red mark on his cheek. He scoffs, and sets his jaw.

  "Goodbye, Mel."

  The boy she'd loved for years, the boy she was going to make a family with, was gone in that instant. Time seemed to freeze as he burst into thousands of birds, their wings fluttering loudly and creating a gust of wind that knocks her back. She watches from the ground as the birds fly away, and she's
left alone in the forest.

  The moon is high in the sky now. The stars twinkle down on the beaten and crying girl whose entire life has come crashing down on her. She is still on the bank of the river, mosquitos biting her skin and small mammals running through the tall grass. Her tears salt the earth, killing any plants they land on.

  On her feet now, she's walking down the river. Shock has taken over, but she's cold and knows she needs to find shelter. Half a mile down from where she started, she stops at a deep part of the river. Staring into its depths, her mother's lullaby comes to her again and she knows what she must do.

  Mel spots a willow tree and removes some of the thin branches from it. Removing the belt from the doctor's robe, she finds a heavy rock and ties the belt around it. Next, she kneels and ties the other side of the belt around her neck. The vines go around her wrists, and then Mel picks up the rock. It's just heavy enough to hold her head under. She wades cautiously into the center of the river. Deep sobs wrack through her, threatening to topple her before she's ready.

  Mel closes her eyes. The rock slips from her hands as she exhales. As it hits the water, there's a snap.

  Opening her eyes, Mel finds herself on the side of the river, soaking wet. She's in the arms of Shane Nikola Freude.

  "Hello, birdy. Are you ready to come with me now?"

  "Yes."

  "Do you trust me?"

  "Completely."

  The sun awakens Melanie. Her eyes flutter softly open and a smile escapes as she stretches under her silk sheets. She looks next to her, but with a frown notices her lover is gone.

  Leaving the warmth of the bed, Melanie puts on her slippers and shuffles sleepily over to the window. There was a fresh snowfall last night, the first of the year. She leaves a puff of breath on the window and draws a small heart in it. A soft knock on the door announces her help. He ducks his head in.

  "Excuse me, miss. Your husband is on his way to see you. He wants to discuss plans for today."

  "Thank you, let him in when he gets here and then stand by the door. I want you in the room as usual." She waves the man off and opens her wardrobe. A light blue cashmere sweater with gray jeans are what she lays out on her bed before stepping into a long, hot shower. In it, she warms up her voice and practices one of her songs. If her husband is on his way here, it's likely she has a concert tonight.