17. Melody
MELODY
Emily opens the door. She takes one look at me and turns around. “Come in, I want to make sure the cut is healing okay.”
I look back. Rebel is behind me alongside Hero, one of Emily’s men. He nods. Ow. I wasn’t sure what kind of welcome I was expecting, but I feel like she deserves a face-to-face apology. The men stay by the front door as Emily leads me into the house.
Nobody else seems to be home. That makes sense. They probably don’t trust me around the kids.
But we aren’t alone. Sitting at her kitchen table is a long-haired blonde woman who doesn’t look like she’s slept in days. Her blue eyes are ringed with red, with purple bags underneath. She looks like she’s been crying, but when I come in, her eyes turn razor-sharp.
“So this is the girl I’ve heard so much about.”
Emily sighs. “Harper, this is Melody. Melody, meet Harper. She’s Lightning’s old lady.”
I think I knew from the moment I saw her, but hearing it confirmed makes me want to crawl right back out the door and hide. But I don’t.
“Hi,” I say quietly. “Thank you for agreeing to see me.”
Harper looks at Emily. “She’s so young.”
“I told you, but she’s older than I was. Sit down, Melody.” Emily gestures to one of the chairs.
I sit like it’s the last free spot in a game of life or death musical chairs. If there’s any chance of making Emily not hate me, I’ll take it.
She has a comb and some cotton swabs on the table. I stay still while Emily gently checks the cut on my scalp. “It’s looking pretty good. Did you wash your hair? Try to keep it dry as much as possible.”
I nod.
“I want…” I swallow and try again. “I want to apologize. I had no idea you were with the Screaming Eagles when we met. Trust me, I would’ve probably run the other way if I had. You were so nice to me, and I need you to know, even if you can’t forgive me, I’ll always be thankful for what you did.”
Harper snorts at that.
I want to defend myself. I honestly had nothing to do with whatever happened between Red and Lightning, and I didn’t know about the gun until after I was already here.
At the same time, if I were her, I probably wouldn’t like me either. “You don’t have to believe me, but I really am sorry, Harper.”
“Here.” Emily hands me a glass of water. “Are they feeding you? These guys mean well most of the time, but they aren’t always the best at remembering stuff like their captives need to eat.”
Harper snorts again, but this time it sounds more like she’s trying not to laugh.
“I’m fine, thanks. Rebel brought me lunch.”
“Okay.” Emily sits next to Harper. She looks at me for so long that I start to squirm, but eventually speaks. “I was eighteen when King, Hero, and Wild Child kidnapped me from my bedroom at home and held me prisoner here for days.”
“What? How… I don’t understand. You live with them. You have kids with them!”
She laughs. “I do, and I have no regrets. It’s a long story, but my father was a horrible man and was putting the club in danger.
All of the women here have stories of their own, but more than anyone, I feel like I probably understand how you’re feeling right now.
It wasn’t easy at first. Well, falling for them was easier than it should’ve been maybe, but it wasn’t straightforward.
What I want you to know is that I am angry at you, but maybe not for all the reasons you think.
I’m angry because this time I’m on the other side and I don’t like that you withheld information that could put me and my family in danger.
The thing is, I’ve been where you are, and I know you can’t be trusted. ”
I open my mouth to defend myself and she holds up a hand.
“No, hear me out. If your father calls you tonight and begs you for something, can you promise me you’d say no? What if he tells you he’ll be killed if you can’t sneak him the gun, or do him a little favor and you can’t tell us? What would you say?”
“I’d—I don’t know.” It kills me to admit it, but she’s right.
“And that’s why you’re still dangerous,” Harper says. “It doesn’t matter that you mean well. We have to assume that your loyalties are divided until you prove otherwise.” She might be exhausted, but her voice is sharp as steel.
I have to remember that no matter how normal they look right now, they live here. Their lives are a part of the MC. It takes a strong person to choose this life.
“I understand, and I’ll do my best not to make things any worse than they already are. I know we’ve never met, but I hope Lightning recovers quickly.”
She nods. “He will.”
Emily reaches out and squeezes her hand. “It’s true. He’s getting stronger all the time. We just have to wait for it to be safe to bring him out of sedation.”
“This timing sucks,” Harper says with a deep sigh.
“If you know anything, Melody, please don’t hold back.
I know it’s not easy, but I found out I was pregnant last week.
I was waiting a little to tell everyone, but now I wish I’d just done it, because I don’t want to say anything until we’re all together again. ”
Oh my God. I can’t even imagine. Emily looks like she already knows, because she’s holding both of Harper’s hands now and there are tears in her eyes.
“Please don’t say anything,” Harper asks.
“I would never,” I promise.
“I don’t know how much that means, but Emily seems to think you’re worth giving a second chance.”
“If she sticks around and proves herself,” Emily clarifies.
“I agreed to let you come over here and apologize because I know that none of this is easy for you, and you could’ve just hidden in their rooms until this is over.
When I first got here, I didn’t have anyone but the guys to protect me.
I’ve done what I can to make sure the newer old ladies have a support network. ”
“Oh, I’m not—”
Emily waves a hand dismissively. “Maybe yes, maybe no, but you’re a young woman alone in the compound and it’s important to me that you know we might not be happy with what you’ve done, but you’re not alone.”
I dash away a tear that snuck out of the corner of my eye. “Thank you. My mom raised me mostly on her own, and she died last year. Dad is the only one I have left.”
Harper groans. “Oh, for Christ’s sake. Does she have to be a younger version of us?” She narrows her eyes at me. “It’s making it hard to hate you as much as I want to.”
“Thanks?”
“Everything okay?” Hero comes in from the living room with Rebel right behind him.
“As okay as it can be for the moment,” Emily answers for us.
“Good,” Rebel says. “Because Riptide and Outlaw are back.”