Beautifully Decadent (Beautifully Damaged Book 3) (35 page)

“Ah, bonding over a felony. That’s adorable.”

I laughed; my mom was a goof. I guess that’s where I got it. The thought warmed me.

“I’m in love with him.”

“I can tell.” Mom’s voice was very soft. “I want to meet him.”

“I’d like that, but not yet. We’ve only just started and having you and Harold driving up in your RV would be weird.”

“All right. We’ll wait a little bit.” Her voice turned questioning. “Are you really okay with the way things were left with your dad?”

“Yeah, I’ve finally reached my limit with him. He wants to be in my life, he needs to make the effort.”

“Fair enough. We’ll talk soon. Love you, Avery.”

“Love you.”

Stepping in the café near Clover, the line wasn’t as crazy as usual. I understood why the place was always packed. The coffee was great, but it was the sandwiches that were inspired; my favorite, the roasted turkey, goat cheese, avocado and lime on twelve-grain bread. Yum.

Rafe’s dad was coming to dinner tomorrow night, Rafe had called earlier asking if I’d join them. His first dinner with his father in his home was a big deal and he wanted to share it with me. I wouldn’t miss it for anything.

While I stood in line, I noticed Melody just off to the side of it. I’m pretty sure I made some type of animal noise, since several people in the line were giving me strange looks. It wasn’t a surprise to see her at this eatery—it was a very popular lunch spot—but the idea of interacting with her on any level was taking away my appetite.

It was while I stared at her wishing she’d vanish into thin air—where was that fairy godmother when you needed her—I noticed the man next to her. It was the manner in which he stood with her that gained my full attention. He was completely in her space and though she was very pretty and likely had people in her space often, she didn’t look happy to have him there. Concerned, despite myself, I wondered if I should get closer to assess the situation.

As I debated on my course of action, I kept my focus on her on the off chance she’d see me and signal if she needed help. But as I watched, she never glanced over. I was beginning to think he was her new love interest, a thought I could wholeheartedly get behind, and she was just pulling her usual shenanigans when he grabbed her by the upper arm hard enough she not only winced in pain, but cried out. Several men in line started toward her because it was clear now, whatever was happening was happening without her consent. The man leaned in, said something that had her flinch, before he made his leave of her. When I got my first good look at him, my breath caught because despite being older, he was beautiful. He moved through the tables with grace; his suit exquisitely hung from his frame—a build that would make men twenty years younger jealous. And even as handsome as he was, his eyes were vacant. A chill went through me when he passed by me because he gave off some seriously dark energy.

Turning back to Melody, she was staring right at me, but instead of the malevolence I was usually treated to, she looked rattled.

Despite myself, I joined her. “Are you okay?”

“No.” She wasn’t just rattled; she was actually shaking.

“Who was that?”

“Not a good man.”

“I could see that in the way he grabbed you. How do you know him?”

She didn’t answer. Her silence not so much from fear now—she was bouncing back from the encounter—but intentional as she worked the angles. I shouldn’t have gotten out of line.

“I need to talk to Rafe. He’ll know what to do.”

Despite the fact that I didn’t like the woman, her scheming even less, that man hadn’t been playing. Whether she knew it or not, she was in trouble.

“Melody, who was that man?”

Gone was the frightened woman, to be replaced with the bitch I had come to know. “It’s none of your business. This is between Rafe and me.”

Rafe? How the hell had that scene been about Rafe? It was pointless, me asking that, but I did anyway.

Her reply, “You’re still here?”

I had never wanted to punch someone as badly as I wanted to punch her. Moving closer to her, there was no question what emotion fueled my next words. “Listen clearly you stupid bitch. I don’t know what the hell kind of game you’re playing, but I do know that man who just left gave off some seriously dangerous energy. You might not realize this because what you got in looks you seriously lack in brains, but that man meant business.”

Maybe she wasn’t as dumb as she looked because that got through. Fear shadowed her expression. Her next words did not at all clarify the situation. “I did something.”

“What do you mean?”

“I didn’t think it was a big deal, I was mad…”

Warning lit down my spine. “What wasn’t a big deal?”

For a second I thought she was going to share, but instead she only further confused me. “That man is seriously unhinged. I need to warn Rafe.”

“That man has an interest in Rafe?”

“Yeah.”

Before I could press her for more, she walked around me. “I have to go.”

And then she was gone. I just stood there like an idiot and watched her walk away because there was enough truth in what she said, and how she acted, that had me worried.

Reaching for my phone, I called Rafe.

“Hey babe, what’s up?”

“I just saw Melody. Something is up with her. There was a man. He looked like a very bad man. He manhandled her, right in the café with plenty of witnesses. He didn’t seem to care in the least. When I pressed her about it, she mentioned he was interested in you.”

“Goddamn it.”

“She’s going to try to spin it, but whatever is going on, the man looked dangerous.”

“I’ll take care of it. Are you okay?”

“Yeah, just concerned for you.”

His voice warmed, I hadn’t realized how cold it had turned. “Don’t worry about me, but I like that you are.”

“What are you going to do?”

“Talk to her. If I’m going to be late, I’ll call.”

“Okay. Be careful.”

“Later, babe.”

Returning to work, my thoughts were on Rafe and how for the first time since I started my job, I wanted my shift over because I was worried…downright scared.

Dialing Melody, I didn’t even let her speak.

“Are you home yet?”

“Rafe, I’m so glad you called.”

“Cut the shit. Are you home?”

“Almost.”

“I’m on my way.”

A half an hour later, Melody opened her door for me. A big smile on her face like this was a social call.

“Who was the man Avery saw you with?”

“Nice greeting.”

Even now, she was still playing her games. I didn’t hide my fury when I got right up into her face. “Who the fuck was the man?”

She pulled a hand through her hair. I had never seen her do that. She was nervous, or scared, under the makeup and practiced look she so carefully put together. Good.

“I was mad at you, wanted to hurt you like you had me.”

“What did you do?”

“That man, he approached me a few weeks ago, knew about us—more to the point us breaking up—and asked me to help with providing him information on you.”

I didn’t like where this was going. “Come again?”

“I shared your schedule with him.”

“My schedule?”

“Yeah, your schedule, that of Avery’s and your alarm codes.”

Rage, sharp and potent, slammed into me. Avery wasn’t just on his radar; he’d likely been tracking her. “That’s why you wanted the codes from Avery?”

“He wanted into your house. You have something he wants. My job was to tell him when you weren’t home so his guy could get in.”

Despite the fury at having my home invaded at the hand of someone I once cared for, apprehension straightened my spine too. “Are you telling me someone has been in my home?”

“Yeah, but only twice.”

Even as rage had my hands curling into fists, my stomach dropped. Thank God Loki had taken to staying in the carriage house, but he’d have sensed them. He would have known someone was trespassing and wouldn’t have been able to do a damn thing about it.

“Why did the man seek you out today?”

“You changed the alarm codes, he wanted the new codes and I wasn’t getting them fast enough.”

Son of a bitch. “What are they looking for?”

“A disc, like an old compact disc or something.”

“And why the hell does this man think I have this disc?”

“It has something to do with your dad. He didn’t go into detail.”

Even suspecting this linked to Dad, it still rocked me. Someone was still interested in the robbery, enough that they were willing to commit a felony. Searching my place for something of Dad’s made sense with him in prison, I’d be the one who had his stuff. A disc—that was likely what Lucas had been after. It certainly would fit in a security box, and compact discs were the popular storage method for electronic data in the early 90s—definitely not a coincidence. “What’s supposed to be on it?”

“I’ve no idea.”

There was a sour taste in my mouth at how blinded I had been by a pretty face. “You invaded my privacy, put Avery and me at risk and all because you were pissed that I ended us and not you? And you claim to love me. You don’t know shit about love.”

It was likely just another of her games, but those words seemed to have hit home. Her eyes grew bright, but I didn’t give a shit. “If these people are the same people I think they are, they have a tendency to kill those who come back empty-handed.”

She paled; even under her makeup I saw that. At least her head was no longer up her ass. “You should be scared. Go to the police. Tell them what you know. I’ll take you if you want.”

“You would do that? Why?”

“Because people have died in whatever shit you’ve gotten yourself caught up in. And I might not like you, but I don’t want to see you dead.”

Her fear was easy to see now. She was playing with the big boys and had no idea just how dangerous a game she was playing. This afternoon gave her a taste and she clearly didn’t like it. “I can’t tell them much.”

“Tell them what you told me, but we need to report it because these people have killed before. And since they haven’t gotten what they seek, they’re likely to do so again.”

She visibly shook at that announcement. “Okay, I’ll go.”

“Let’s do it now.”

She wanted to object, but it seemed Melody was smarter than that. “Okay.”

“And after, you might want to leave town for a while.”

Yeah, she was definitely getting it because she didn’t put up much of a fight. “That’s probably a good idea.”