Melissa's Mates (11 page)

Her eyes shot over to Melissa. “I don’t have a problem if that’s what you mean.”

“Just checking. You can call me anytime. You know that, right?”

“Enough about me. What about you? Where are you going? Why can’t you just kick these men out of your house? Call Stephen.”

“I can’t do that, Jules. I…I’m connected to them. A part of me…You know what, I have to go. My men are waiting.”

“Your men! Mel! You’re acting a lot like Ev and Sarah. They have ‘their men,’ too.”

Melissa opened the door and struggled to give Julie a smile. “I guess if it were anyone but me it wouldn’t be so bad. It would be more like a dream, I guess. They’re both really great guys. I just can’t believe what we have will last. Anyway, I’ll see you in a few weeks, Jules.”

Shutting the door, she walked to Channing’s Mercedes and got in the passenger side. Connor got in the back while Channing also climbed in. No one said a word as they drove back to her home. She absolutely hated this. The feeling of being torn seared her insides. The amount of anger she felt when Jules started ripping into her made her furious. She knew her friend felt concerned. Hell, she’d done the same to Sarah and Ev. But the need to protect her men came first. That was the part that drove her to want to leave faster. How could she already be so attached?

Pulling into the drive, she barely waited for the car to stop. Melissa raced up the steps and unlocked the door, rushing to her room. She needed to call Sarah and fast. Pulling out her phone she dialed and waited.

“Sarah!” She whispered quietly.

“Mel, is that you?”

“Yes. I need you to do me a favor. I don’t have time. I’m leaving town, and I want you to tell Hanna to take care of my clients until I get back.”

“Don’t do it, Mel. You can’t stop it. Don’t make this harder for you.”

“I love you, Sare-bear.”

Melissa hung up the phone and turned to grab her laundry basket. Connor was standing at her door. A light scream came from her mouth at the shock. How had he opened her door without her hearing? Fuck.

“I knew you were leaving.”

The pain racing through her caused her to take steps back. She clutched to her chest as tears blurred her vision. “Connor, I can’t do this.”

Channing walked around him. Their presence together made her room feel as small as a closet. They were huge, and she, well, felt smaller than ever.

“Mel, please. You haven’t even given it a chance. Did you enjoy what happened between all of us? Didn’t it feel perfect?”

“Of course it did! But it won’t last. Trust me. Everything comes to an end eventually. I don’t want to feel this way if it’s going to ever go away. I can’t take that kind of hurt.”

Connor stepped forward while she backed herself to the far wall. She felt trapped, and she hated it.

“Please, come and let me hold you. I think we need to talk. If we all got to know each other better, it would help. Don’t you think?”

“I don’t want to talk. I already know what’s going to happen.”

Damn it. She needed to leave, to run, but they were blocking the door. The windows were out of the question. Taking a two-story dive down to the ground wouldn’t get her anywhere but the hospital.

Connor walked over to her slowly. Just at seeing his large frame coming at her, she jumped to the bed to run across, but Channing was suddenly there. Melissa screamed and pitched herself backwards, right into Connor’s waiting arms.

“Okay, I see we’re going to have to do this the hard way. Channing, go find some rope.”

“Wait, what? What do you need rope for?” Melissa asked, panicked.

“Well, we can’t let you escape, and that’s exactly what you seem to be trying to do. So, I’m going to tie you to the bed. Don’t worry. Channing and I are going to take really good care of you, baby.”

Alarms shot off in her mind. Melissa wiggled in Connor’s arms, trying to break free of his hold. Suddenly, she could feel herself eased to the bed, and his weight settled on top of her. A moan came from her mouth at the smell that erupted around her. God, he smelled so good.

“I really didn’t want to have to do this to you. But, you see, there’s no way I can let you go off without me there to protect you. Do you know what I would do if something happened to you?”

Melissa shook her head slowly, no. Devon’s words about his past echoed in her mind. “Do you have to tie me up?”

“Beyond a shadow of a doubt, I know you’ll run. I don’t plan on tying you up at the moment because I know I can restrain you from leaving, but tonight, you can bet your sweet ass that the ropes will go on. I can’t risk you escaping while I try to get some sleep.”

Connor shifted between her thighs. The heat that enveloped her skin made it hard to breathe. God, how could her body betray her like this? Even knowing she still wanted to leave, she wanted him. To feel him buried inside her again would be the best thing she could think of at the moment.

A large intake of breath brought her eyes to his. The look he wore told her he knew perfectly well that she wanted him. Heat burned her cheeks, and she looked away.

“No, honey. Look at me. There’s nothing wrong with your reaction. It just shows me that we’re truly meant for one another.”

Fingers brought her face to look at him. Light kisses brushed across her forehead, eyes, chin, and then her mouth. He didn’t push, just continued to make the slightest contact until Melissa was positive she couldn’t take anymore. At the connection of their skin, sparks ignited. Pains twisted her stomach tightly with an intense need to release.

“Connor, we have to stop. Please. This isn’t going to work.”

“How can I convince you? What are you so afraid of, Melissa?”

The sound of the door opening turned his attention away from her. Relief took over. She really didn’t want to go into her reasons for knowing why things would end in disaster for them all.

“Found some rope in my trunk, but seriously, Connor, I don’t like this.”

“Thank you,” Melissa sighed. She struggled against the weight holding her down, but she didn’t make any progress.

“No, you misunderstand. I mean I don’t like the rope specifically. Maybe we can find something else that won’t hurt her skin. I’ve got a few ideas.”

Melissa gasped and shot an angry expression at Channing, who just smiled. She watched as he climbed onto the bed and lay down until he was inches from her face. Those beautiful eyes penetrated hers, and no matter how much she wanted to, she couldn’t look away. She was hypnotized by his gorgeousness. How could someone look so perfect?

“Melissa, I know why you want to run. I’ve seen your entire life. You can trust me not to tell anyone. But I need you to know, Connor and I will never put you through anything remotely similar to what you’ve had to endure in your past.”

“You can’t know that for sure.” Melissa’s breath shuttered at the realization that he saw what she’d gone through. The beatings, the hospital visits to her mother, the
suicide
of her mother. No! She wouldn’t think about it. Jerking wildly against Connor, the tears came harder. “Let go of me!”

“No, no. Just let it come. Melly, I don’t know what happened to you, but I’m so sorry for your pain. God, I can feel it, and I wish I could erase it. Please let us try.”

At the name, she went even crazier.

“Don’t call her that, Connor. Oh, shit. He didn’t know, Melissa.”

Flashes of her father blinded her. His hands were so large, were always reared back so high when he brought them down at her. She couldn’t hide; there was nowhere to go. She wanted to run away forever.
You’re worthless, Melly! You never listen to anything I say, Melly!
God she hated that name.

Wetness from Connor’s tears hit her face, ripping her from the vision she could see so clearly. Burning coated her throat, and she wasn’t even aware of when she started screaming. She grew still from her thrashing, horrified at what had just happened. “I’m so sorry. Did I hurt you?”

Connor looked at her through his bloodshot eyes. “Hurt me? Baby, I hurt
for
you. Not because of you.” He turned over, placing her between him and Channing. “God, Melissa. I had no idea of the pain you carried. We both share that, you know? Whenever you feel ready to tell me, if you ever feel ready, I’ll be here.”

“What pain do you carry?” Wiping the tears from her eyes, she studied his face while Channing pulled her against his body. She thought about pulling away, but she was too tired to fight anymore, and something about him holding her felt right.

“I was born in New Orleans where my father was Alpha. I had a pretty normal childhood. My parents were great, if not a tad bit overprotective, but what kid doesn’t think that? Anyway, I’d just gone through my change at seventeen, and things were starting to get pretty rowdy. Threats were coming in from a rival pack, but at the time, I didn’t take it too serious. I should have.” Connor took a deep breath. “Sorry, I haven’t ever said any of this out loud before.”

“Go on.” Melissa’s hand reached for his, pulling it to her chest. A look of tenderness swept across his face. He brought her fingers to his lips, and returned her hand to be placed against her heart.

“Sometime in the middle of the night, our house was attacked. I remember waking up to the sound of something crashing from downstairs. Thinking it was just one of the pack members drunk again, I went back to sleep. The next thing I knew, my mother’s screams woke me. I started to run for the door to see if she was all right, but they made it to my room first. I heard my mother screaming for me to run. Without thought, I did, and to this very day I regret it.”

“Oh, Connor. If you would have stayed, you’d be dead right now.” Melissa’s breath shuttered as she stared up into his haunted eyes. The vulnerability that she could see broke her heart. “I’m so sorry you had to go through that.”

“Yeah, me, too. You see, the remaining pack brought me back and hid me at one of their houses. They wanted me to fight the man who killed my parents, but I couldn’t face him back then. It took three years of them beating me to finally realize I wouldn’t go along with their plan. The day they let me go, I went to him. No orders from anyone. It was all me. Needless to say, he won’t ever be hurting anyone else. “

Melissa kissed his hand repeatedly. She wasn’t sure why, but the need to comfort him during his pain overpowered every thought in her head.

“Would you like to tell me about your past, Melissa?”

She looked into his eyes long and hard. He deserved to know after what he had gone through by telling her his past. Searching for the words to begin her story, she tried to calm the growing panic. To say the words out loud would open wounds she didn’t want to face. But oddly enough, she felt willing to do that for Connor.

Chapter 10

“I was seven when it all started. The beatings, that is. I’m not really sure what happened. I used to think everything was perfect. The first time is still as clear to me today as it was twenty-three years ago.

“My mom was cooking dinner and I was helping.” Melissa took a ragged breath. “She used to make desert every night. I was stirring the cake batter when my father slammed the door. I remember the sound scared me, and I jumped, dropping the bowl. Chocolate mix sprayed across the floor.”

Melissa stared in a trance, seeing everything in slow motion. The plastic bowl bounced, sending the dark color across a shiny white floor. “
Where were you earlier! I called, and you didn’t answer.”

The image of her father came rushing forward. “
Melissa, honey, go to your room.”
Her mother’s soft voice sounded so near. She knew she was speaking the words out loud, but it didn’t stop her from reliving the incident over in her head.

Melissa could see her former self trying to rush out of the room. She’d never heard her father yell that way before, and it frightened her. Just as she passed him, she felt his fingers wrapped in her hair and jerk her back. The pain was excruciating, and she remembered crying out and bursting into tears. A strong smell nearly choked her as her father’s face came inches from hers. Now, she knew it was liquor, but back then she hadn’t a clue.