Chapter 16 #2
Devon left and she prayed that Jordan and Tate would wake up. They had to wake up.
“You’re going to call the others and tell them to stop following my money, and then…then you’re going to get me more.”
“Ten million isn’t enough?” she asked as Devon reached the door with the rope.
“Not even close, it’s just the down payment,” he stated as he and Devon began to tie Jordan and Tate’s wrists and ankles together.
He turned back to her and sneered. “You’re going to earn me the rest, one client at a time. You’re made for it after all, like mother like daughter, right?”
“Kev, no,” Devon said. “We can’t take her.”
“I’ll take whatever I want Dev, now bring the van around and load her up; we’re going to see how well she handles a crowd.”
“No, you touch her and I’ll go to the cops myself Kev.”
“You’re willing to trade your freedom for her?” Kevin asked pointing the gun at her. “Stupid move brother,” he said crossing the room and clocking him with the butt of the gun.
Mel screamed as Devon fell to the floor and blood trickled down the side of his head. On the floor, Jordan and Tate were both coming around and she saw them struggle against the bonds that held them tightly.
“If it isn’t the first two samplers of the wonderful Melinda,” Kevin said as they got to their knees. “Tell me gentlemen, is she as good in bed as she is to look at? I have several who’ll pay nicely to control her.”
“Let her go you son of a bitch,” Tate shouted at him.
“Touch her and I’ll kill you,” Jordan added.
“Must be even better.” Kevin laughed. “I think I’ll keep her. You two on the other hand…”
“You’re not taking her anywhere,” Tate said as his eyes blazed with anger.
“I am but since I’m not a horrible person I’ll make you a deal. Mel can save one of you.”
“What?” She gasped looking at him in horror. “No, I’ll go just don’t hurt them.”
“Mel no,” Jordan said shaking his head at her.
“Well I can’t have both of them running around trying to find us.
So you can choose which one of them lives,” Kevin stated with a grin.
“Time to see who means more to you,” he added walking behind them pointing the gun at each one as he asked, “will you save Tate or Jordan? Clock’s ticking Mel, time to choose. ”
Mel felt her heart breaking as she looked between the two men she loved. She shook her head and looked away, closing her eyes. “No.”
“Yes,” Kevin said laughing as he came around and forced her to look at him. He waved the gun in front of her face smirking. “Which one will you save? Choose or I’ll kill them both.”
Mel looked back at Tate and Jordan, and the tears stream down her face. She shook her head no, knowing there was no way she could make a choice. They were both too ingrained within her life for her to lose one.
“Mel, baby,” Jordan said pulling her gaze to him, seeing the distress that she was under, and he wanted to make it easier for her. “It’s okay.”
“No, I can’t,” she cried shaking her head again as she tried to catch her breath.
“Mel, it’s okay,” he told her again.
“Time’s a wasting, choose now Mel, or I kill them both and then you…money or no money,” Kevin said aiming the gun at her heart and pulling back the hammer.
“Mel, save Jordan,” Tate stated pulling her gaze to him. “You love him; you’ll never be able to live without him.”
“I can’t live without you either, Tate,” she sobbed.
“Mel-Mel, you can,” Tate replied evenly. “You’ve just never had to try. If you lose Jordan you’re never going to smile again, and I can’t live with that.”
“No, choose Tate,” Jordan countered. “I won’t watch you mourn for him and blame me that he’s not around any longer.”
“No. Jordan, I love you,” she said catching his gaze through the haze of her tears.
“It’s okay baby, you’ll find someone else to love,” he replied as his heart broke that she wouldn’t choose him instantly. “You’ll never find another Tate.”
“No. I can’t, I won’t choose,” she stated.
“Mel, I promised you that I’d lay down my life to protect you,” Tate stated. “I’m not going to break that promise now. Choose Jordan honey, don’t make this into another incident like with Brent.”
That stopped her shaking. It didn’t make sense, and she stared at Tate trying to figure it out.
She saw the light reflect off the cuff of his studded bracelet and then she saw the fraying of the ropes.
She shook her head pulling from the depths of her reserved strength to draw it out, hopefully long enough for him to get free.
“No, I should have never let you make that promise. We were just kids Tate. I can’t do any of this without you. ”
“Then choose him,” Jordan said gently. “Mel, baby, I will always be with you, always.”
“No, if you’re not here…no,” she cried letting the tears fall as she looked away, unable to handle the thought of him not being with her.
Kevin grabbed her chin and brought her back to see the choice she had. “Last chance Melinda. Your husband or your Tate, which one would you rather have out there trying to find you while I let every man who wants a chance and has the money to afford you have you?”
“No,” she said catching sight of Tate’s free hands as they went to the rope on his ankles and quickly undid the knot before moving closer to Jordan to get his.
“It won’t matter which one of them is out there because if you kill one you might as well kill me because the first chance I get I’ll do it myself.
So there’s your answer Kevin. Kill me because you won’t get a chance at selling me to anyone. ”
Kevin straightened and glanced back at the two who quickly moved apart as he did. “Seems she can’t even begin to choose, what does that really say about you two?”
“I did choose,” Mel said bringing him back to her. “You kill either of them and I’ll kill myself. I won’t live in a world they’re both not part of, here for me. You wouldn’t get it because you’re a sick son of a bitch.”
“Mel, chose Jordan,” Tate stated and she knew they were both nearly free. “I took a hockey stick to a thug for you. I’ll take a bullet now.”
“NO!” Mel cried. “Kill me,” she added as Kevin turned to look at the two, needing his attention back on her.
“Last chance princess or else you all die,” he said.
“We’ll be together then,” she countered.
“Alright, I think I’ll start with you, make them suffer more watching you die right in front of them,” he laughed aiming the gun at her heart again. “Anything you’d like to say before I end you?”
“Two things. One, Jordan,” she said catching his gaze around Kevin. “I’ll love you forever.”
“Aw how sweet,” Kevin sneered. “Final words.”
“Two, I hope you enjoy hell.” When he took a step towards her, his eyes dark, she added, “Oh yeah and three, you might want to remember to tie the legs next time.”
Mel kicked out, catching him in the groin and her breath caught as Tate jumped him from behind and Jordan grabbed for the gun.
It went off into the ceiling, and she ducked as plaster fell all around her.
She couldn’t breathe as she watched them struggle and when Tate hit his head against the table and fell to the floor, she screamed in absolute fear.
Kevin punched Jordan in the gut, and he stumbled backwards allowing Kevin time to raise the gun towards Mel.
She saw the barrel level with her head and knew it was the end.
“I love you,” she said to Jordan as she closed her eyes drawing in a shaky breath.
“No!” Jordan shouted trying to get between him and Mel, but he wasn’t fast enough, and he shouted in horror at the sound of the gun going off. “Mel!”
Mel opened her eyes wondering why it didn’t hurt and saw Kevin crumple to the floor. She whipped her head to the other side of the room and saw Devon drop his hand, the gun sliding from it as his eyes closed again.
“Mel, baby,” Jordan said racing towards her.
“Check Tate,” she told him shaking her head watching Kevin closely.
“I’m fine Mel,” Tate groaned getting up slowly and crossing over to Kevin. He reached down and picked up the gun.
“Don’t you all ever watch horror movies?” he stated. “You never leave a weapon with the homicidal maniac.”
Jordan dropped down beside her and silently sent prayers of thanks to anyone listening.
“Baby,” he said cradling her face in his hands.
She saw movement in the doorway and gasped before she recognized them as the police.
“Nice move there boys,” Captain Riley stated holding up the phone. “Should have told us where you were going when the place turned up empty.”
“Wasn’t time,” Tate said handing the gun over and taking the knife the officer brought out seeing the ropes. He hurried back to Mel’s side as two officers came into the room and cleared the gun away from Devon before checking on his vitals and the other checked on Kevin.
Mel cried as the rope fell from her arm and she used it to hug Tate as he passed the knife to Jordan to undo the other rope. The officer who’d checked on Kevin took the knife as he finished with it and then Jordan gently lifted her from the chair carrying her outside to the waiting medics.
“I’m okay,” she told him as he sat her down on the gurney.
“Mel, baby,” he said letting out the terror he’d felt since finding her gone. “Please, just let them make sure for me, please, I can’t breathe at the thought of losing you now.”
She nodded watching as another set pushed Devon out of the house and into the waiting ambulance.
“We’ve got room for one,” the medic stated as they lifted her in.
“Go Jordan,” Tate said. “I’ll be right behind you in the car.”
Jordan nodded hugging Tate. “Thank you.”
“She’s my girl too but she loves you in a completely different way,” Tate told him before running over to the car. “Think I can get away with breaking the speed limit Captain?”
“I think we can overlook it this time,” he agreed making a quick phone call to Ford. “She’s safe, they’re headed to the hospital to check her out.”
He heard Ford relay the message and hung up smiling as the sounds of relieved cries overwhelmed his hearing.
Jordan rested his forehead against Mel’s as he held her hand refusing to let her go.
He wanted to tell her how much he loved her, but he couldn’t do it in front of the medic sitting with them.
They were ushered into an empty room off the ER, and he glared at the doctor who suggested he wait outside.
The door opened and Tate came in ignoring the statements from the doctor and nurses that he couldn’t be there.
“They’re not going to leave her,” Caleb cautioned his colleagues from the door. “I’ll take it from here,”
“Won’t argue about that,” the ER doctor stated shaking his head in disbelief at them all.
“Truth time Mel,” Caleb said as he cleared the room of the excess nurses, keeping only one he knew wouldn’t talk to anyone outside the family.
“No,” she stated knowing the biggest question they had seeing the tears in her clothes.
“Thank god,” Jordan whispered against her temple before cursing when she winced. “I’m sorry baby.”
“Why don’t you let me take a look at that?” Caleb offered moving around his brother-in-law. He pushed her hair back from the side of her face and held in his own curse. “How’d this happen?”
“Kevin hit me with the gun when Devon…” She paused, closing her eyes against the pain that shot through her head as he lightly manipulated the area around it. “When Devon wouldn’t let him…”
“Got it,” Caleb said not wanting to cause her any more pain.
“I’m going to order a CT. You really think anyone in this family will let you get away with not doing it Mel?
” he asked when she tried to argue. “Any pain in your arms, numbness in your hands or fingers?” he continued checking on the bruising from the ropes.
“Not since Devon loosened them last night,” she admitted.
“Okay, we’ll get you checked out and then home as soon as we can,” Caleb said before hugging her. “It’s good to have you back honey.”
“Thanks Caleb,” she stated as he and the nurse left leaving her with her two favorite people.
Tate helped her as she tried to sit up more and then pulled her into a full hug and she felt the tears break free again. “Mel-Mel, you’re safe. Kevin’s dead, he can’t ever hurt you again.”
She shook her head and pulled back to stare at them both.
“How could you all do that?” she asked them, wiping the tears away. “How could you begin to tell me to choose between you? You do know that there’s no way I could ever do that, right?”
“Mel, at first I knew you couldn’t and I didn’t want you to hurt yourself trying to do it,” Jordan told her. “I would never choose to leave you.”
“I didn’t know if the studs would cut the rope or not and I wasn’t going to let you get hurt,” Tate added.
“Mel, I meant it when I said I’d lay down my life for you.
You’re my best friend; I wouldn’t be who I am without you.
I wouldn’t be where I am without you, but if it came down to it, if there were no other way, you’d choose Jordan and I’m okay with that. ”
Mel shook her head before hugging him again. “I love you Tate. Thank you, for so much.”
“I love you too honey,” he said kissing her cheek as the nurse came back in to take her upstairs for the CT scan.
Jordan held her hand the entire way up and when he let go she was more worried than ever that she’d lose him.