~*~*~
“Dude, your phone’s vibrating,” Ryan said as he came out of the kitchen with it in his hand.
Tyler glanced away from the game he was playing with one of the guys who’d come back to his place after the basketball game. “Here, play for me.”
He swapped the controller for the phone and shifted on the couch to make room for Ryan while he looked at the display on his phone.
Six missed calls.
Three from Marcus. Four from Alex. Plus a text from him.
What on earth was going on?
Call me as soon as you get this.
A knot formed in the pit of Tyler’s stomach as he pushed up from the couch and went into his bedroom where it was quieter. Had something happened to Melanie?
Oh, please no.
He tapped the screen to call Alex and lifted the phone to his ear as he dragged a hand through his hair.
Alex didn’t even bother with pleasantries when he answered the phone. “We need you to come to the hospital. Justin’s been attacked, and Alana was abducted.”
“Is Melanie okay?” Justin was her friend so it stood to reason she’d be upset by something like this.
Alex didn’t respond right away then all he said was, “Just get here.”
Tyler got the information on the hospital where they were and then hung up. He was still wearing his basketball stuff which included the prosthetics he used when he played. Trying to keep his thoughts from going to the worst possible scenarios, he sat down on his bed and took the time to swap his prosthetics then changed into a pair of jeans and a clean T-shirt.
Ryan looked at him as he walked out of the bedroom. “Everything okay.”
“Nope. Justin’s in the hospital. Alana’s been abducted and though Alex didn’t say anything specifically, it seems Melanie’s not doing too well. They want me at the hospital.”
“Do you want me to come with you?” Ryan set his controller down on the coffee table and got to his feet.
“We’re out of here,” one of his friends said. “We’ll let you guys deal with this.”
“Sorry,” Tyler said with a shrug.
“No worries.” The guy clapped him on the shoulder. “We’ll be praying.”
Within a couple of minutes, it was just him and Ryan left. “Meet you out front.”
Tyler thought about telling him not to bother, but honestly, he wouldn’t mind the company. He had no idea what he was walking into, so company sounded good. He grabbed his keys and a jacket and walked out his front door. Ryan came out his front door a few seconds later. And when he suggested he be the one to drive, Tyler didn’t argue.
Once at the hospital, they followed Alex’s directions to the waiting room. Tyler immediately looked for Melanie. His heart clenched when he saw her huddled on a seat in the corner. She had her legs pulled up with her arms wrapped around them. Adrianne sat beside her, worry on her face.
Tyler didn’t care if they needed him there for something else, he walked across the room to where Melanie sat and sank onto the seat next to her. She didn’t lift her head from where it rested on her knees so the first thing Tyler noticed was that her hair looked…different. It was unstyled which—given the text she’d sent earlier about going to bed—wasn’t a surprise, but about a half inch or more of the hair at her roots was a surprisingly light color. It looked almost like the color of Adrianne’s and stood in stark contrast to the rest of her dark brown hair.
“Melanie?”
At the sound of his voice, she lifted her head and Tyler stared at her, trying to figure out what was going on. Her face was drawn and pale, and she had dark circles under her eyes. Her bright blue eyes. The sight knocked him back, robbing him of thought and words.
What on earth was going on? Was this a dream where he was in an alternate universe or something?
Tyler looked around the room and then met Adrianne’s gaze. She glanced at Melanie and then back to him, comprehension dawning.
“She didn’t tell you?”
“Um…I’m guessing…no?”
Adrianne’s lips tightened as she gazed at Melanie, who had laid her head back down. “I’m sorry, Tyler. I thought she would have told you.”
Told him what?
He was lost. Totally and completely lost. Melanie didn’t look like…Melanie. She also appeared to be out of it—like she was in a daze or something. It was like she wasn’t the same person he’d just held in his arms and kissed the day before.
Taking a deep breath, he returned his gaze to Melanie. Appearance aside, her demeanor was also shaking him up a bit. Except for that one time in his office when she’d told him what Jenni had said to her, he’d never seen her so…shattered. Had the attack on Justin done this to her?
Tyler knew they were close, but had he underestimated exactly how close? A sick feeling gripped his stomach. Had there been something between the two of them at one time? It shouldn’t matter—after all, he had a past relationship—but the image of Melanie and Justin standing together in that hallway flashed in high definition in his brain right then.
Okay. First and foremost, she was his friend. Clearly, she needed some help so he would help her and sort everything out afterward. And pray to God there was a reasonable explanation for this left turn he’d taken into weirdville.
“Should I take her home?” Tyler asked Adrianne. Part of him wanted to scoop her up and hold her close, but the woman sitting beside him curled in on herself wasn’t the woman he’d held in his arms just the day before.
Adrianne looked back at Melanie as if waiting for her to give some sign of what she wanted. But there was nothing, just large blue eyes framed by long dark lashes that stared vacantly at the room they were in. Concern flooded the older sister’s face as she reached out to brush her fingers through Melanie’s hair.
“I think maybe you should.”
Grasping onto the plan of action offered by Adrianne, Tyler nodded then looked to where Ryan stood beside him, his friend’s expression a weird mixture of contemplation and confusion.
Ryan nodded. “You take care of Melanie. I can get myself back home.”
Tyler got to his feet, trying to figure out how to do this. Could she walk or was he going to have to carry her?
“Tyler’s going to take Melanie home.” Adrianne’s words drew his attention from his predicament and he saw that Alex had joined them. The man stood with his hands on his hips staring down at Melanie.
“Did you need me for something else here?” Tyler asked Alex, remembering that something had happened with a Black Thorpe employee and it wasn’t just about the state Melanie was currently in.
Alex shook his head as he dragged a hand through his hair. “No. Take her home. Just keep your phone close in case we need you for something.”
“C’mon, Lanie,” Adrianne said as she helped Melanie get to her feet. “I’ll walk down with you.”
By the time he and Adrianne had Melanie upright, more people had come into the waiting room. Tyler saw Ryan standing with Eric while Than and Trent were talking with Marcus. Several women were grouped around Justin’s sister. It warmed him to see the support they offered each other. They were more than just co-workers. They were family.
Adrianne came with him and Melanie. Once they got to his car and Melanie was secured in the front seat, Adrianne gave him instructions on how to get into the house.
“Text me when you get to the gate. I’ll open it remotely and then will disarm the house so you can get in.”
“I’ll just stay there until one of you guys get home. Is that okay?”
Adrianne nodded. “Alex won’t leave until Justin is out of surgery for sure, and he figures it’s only a matter of time before the cops show up to ask more questions. Top priority is finding Alana. Justin is going to go ballistic when he wakes up from surgery and she’s not around.”
Tyler could only imagine. He looked in the car window to where Melanie sat. He knew that if he were in Justin’s shoes and Melanie had been abduct
ed he would have reacted the very same way. “Can you let me know any updates? I’m sure Melanie will want to know how Justin is and anything about Alana too.”
Adrianne nodded. She stared at Melanie for a long moment then lifted her gaze to his. Though there were lights in the parking lot, Adrianne’s face was still shadowed as she looked up at him.
“You’re good for Melanie, Tyler. I haven’t seen her this happy in…years. Please give her a second chance.”
A second chance? Had she seen something in him that had led her to believe that he was going to end things with Melanie? While he hadn’t actually thought those thoughts exactly, he was confused, and it wasn’t a feeling he liked.
He gave a quick nod but didn’t say anything. She seemed to understand that words on that particular subject were beyond him at that point. As he pulled out of the parking lot a few minutes later, Tyler had to admit that he was not sure where things were going to go with Melanie. Everything about tonight had completely thrown him off balance. He didn’t even know where to begin to process everything.
So, instead of focusing on the confusing part, he took the time as he drove to the Thorpe home to pray for Justin and Alana and their families. If he remembered correctly, Alana had a young son who would no doubt be terrified to have both his mom and soon-to-be stepdad gone.
When he reached the gate of the home, Tyler stopped the car and texted Adrianne. It was barely a moment later when the gates began to open. As he drove toward the house, he looked in the rear view mirror and saw them close. He parked by the steps leading to the front door. Hopefully, Adrianne would have already disarmed and unlocked the door. He saw lights come on inside and realized she controlled more than the security of the home.
Slipping his arm around Melanie’s waist, he helped her up the steps to the front door. The door opened at his touch and they were soon inside the large home. Tyler hesitated, not sure where to take Melanie, but then he recalled their last time there together and made his way to the pool room.
The warmth of the room enveloped them as they walked through the door, and the sound of the waterfall was immediately soothing. He had her sit down on the curved seat, but instead of leaning back against the cushions, she grabbed a loose pillow and laid down with her head on it. She curled up on her side and closed her eyes.
Tyler carefully removed her shoes and set them on the floor before taking a seat opposite her. He took his shoes off as well and propped his feet up on the table like they had done the last time they were there. As he took in her sleeping form, his thoughts kept going to that moment when she’d looked up at him earlier and he’d seen her eyes.
It wouldn’t be bothering him so much if he hadn’t asked her specifically about the difference in her appearance from Adrianne and Alex. It had nothing to do with her looking like another side of the family and everything to do with her making the choice to color her hair and wear contacts to hide her blue eyes.
She had intentionally misled him.
Trust was paramount in a relationship. Honesty, too. It wasn’t fair to either of them if she was keeping secrets that could affect the future of their relationship. Not that he cared about the color of her hair or eyes, but between that revelation and what Adrianne had said, he had to wonder what else she was keeping from him.
He watched her sleep, her hands curled up under her chin. She looked so vulnerable, not at all like the weapon-toting, self-defense pro he’d come to realize she was. It was like there was a whole other side to her that she hadn’t even hinted at having.
With a sigh, Tyler dropped his head back against the cushions, his phone clutched in his hand. He felt like he needed to brace himself for things to go horribly wrong. But even as the thought entered his head, Tyler gave himself a mental shake. Right then, there were more important things going on.
The situation with Melanie was confusing and potentially hurtful, but she was safe and alive. And so was he. Justin, on the other hand, was injured seriously enough to warrant immediate surgery. And Alana…who knew what was happening with her. If this was an escalation from previous attacks on BlackThorpe, she was definitely at risk.
For now, he needed to keep focused on that and deal with the situation with Melanie when the other things had been resolved.
CHAPTER TWENTY
MELANIE GROANED as she came awake. She straightened her legs and winced at the stiffness in her limbs. It felt like she’d slept a solid twelve hours without even moving. As the fog of sleep gradually left her brain, a few things registered.
She had no blanket. She wasn’t in her bed. And the sound of running water was making her need to use the bathroom.
Opening her eyes, she pushed herself to a sitting position. What was she doing in the pool room? That was definitely not where she remembered going to sleep the night before. She looked down at herself, staring when she saw sweatshirt and jeans instead of her pajamas.
What was going on? Spotting her purse on the table, Melanie grabbed it and searched for her phone. The screen was blank. No calls. No texts. And the clock said it was 11:18.
Gripping her phone in one hand and her purse in the other, Melanie got to her feet and left the room. She heard noise in the kitchen and headed in that direction hoping to get some answers. Things were coming back to her, but she really hoped that it was all a bad dream. It had to be.
She found Alex standing with his hands braced on the counter, staring at the coffee maker. Sunlight was coming through the window so she knew it had to be morning and not night and if that was the case, they should have both been in church.
“Alex?”
Her brother looked over his shoulder at her before straightening. One look at his face told her that the memories were real, not her imagination or a dream.
“Justin?”
Alex pushed away from the counter and came to where she stood. He pulled her into a tight hug, causing her anxiety to spike. “He’s going to be okay. They were able to remove the bullets and stop the internal bleeding. He’s going to be in the hospital for a few days, though.”
Melanie pushed back so she could see his face. “Alana?”
With a sigh, Alex released her and returned to the coffee pot. “We have no word on her yet. The police have been gathering what evidence they can, but there is no sign of her or her abductor.”
She moved to the counter and laid her purse and phone on it. “Is this connected to the other attacks on BlackThorpe?”
Alex shrugged. “We can’t discount that theory.”
Melanie gripped the edge of the counter as some of the feelings from the previous night because to rise within her again. She took a moment to draw a couple of deep breaths in. Last night, the combination of her tiredness and the sleeping pills she’d taken along with the phone call from Jenni earlier in the day had left her defenseless against the news about Justin and Alana. Those fears were still there, but she was trying her best to keep them under control.
“Tyler brought you home last night and stayed with you until Adrianne and I got back.”
Melanie’s eyes slid shut briefly. This morning, that concerned her most of all. He’d taken care of her, but she’d heard and seen enough to know that he was bothered by the things he’d discovered about her the night before. “Why did you call him?”
Alex leaned a hip against the counter and crossed his arms. “When we got to the hospital and I saw the state you were in, I knew you needed him. Of course, I didn’t realize you hadn’t told him about your hair and eyes. You’ve been friends for so long I just assumed he knew.” He paused, his brows drawing together. “Why haven’t you told him? I mean, if you’re in a relationship that’s heading towards something serious, he was going to find out eventually. When were you planning to tell him?”
Melanie lifted her thumb and bit her nail, anxiety gnawing at her gut. “Soon. I guess. I don’t know. I just didn’t want to talk about that or my past.”
“Well, I think you’re going to need to do some repairing o
f your relationship with him. He needs to know everything.”
Everything? She couldn’t help but wince a bit at that. What if it changed how he felt about her? If he was upset because he realized she colored her hair and wore colored contacts, she could only imagine what he’d think when she revealed the rest.
“I’m going to go to my room,” Melanie said as she picked up her purse and phone. “Let me know if anything develops with Justin and Alana, please.”
Alex stared at her for a moment before nodding. “Talk to him, Melanie. He deserves to know the truth.”
“I will.” Melanie walked up the stairs to her room, her heart heavy. So many emotions were pulling at her, demanding her attention, but all she wanted to do was pull the covers over her head and go back to sleep.
Once in her room, she pulled off the clothes she’d slept in and grabbed her workout clothes. Sleep wouldn’t be her escape because she’d slept off the pills, and now her mind would just whirl with everything going on. She might as well benefit from her restlessness.
As she reached for the button to turn on the treadmill, Melanie froze. Why was she doing this anymore? Her very reason for the exercise, food, and weapons training had been proven all for naught. Justin was stronger than she was and even more experienced with weapons and self-defense, yet he lay wounded in a hospital bed. He’d been unable to protect himself or Alana.
She grasped the handles of the treadmill as once again a trembling overtook her. It felt like she’d been cut adrift. The very foundation on which she’d built her life since that horrible time fourteen years ago had been shattered. As panic crept in, she suddenly had a clear understanding of why Jenni felt the way she did. She reached up and gripped handfuls of her hair. That was all she had left of her protection.
Her hair and her eyes. They would have to protect her now that everything else was gone. She couldn’t let go of that. What if Tyler wanted her to? What if he didn’t understand? What if he would only continue their relationship if she went back to her normal appearance?
A Matter of Trust: A Christian Romance (BlackThorpe Security Book 3) Page 24
