Melody gagged, trying desperately to get away from Enrique, as the sound of the motorcycles filling the air got closer and closer. She could still hear his awful words in her head. She could feel his touch like a brand. Could taste his kiss, and it made bile rise in the back of her throat.
“Let me go!”
She swallowed down the scream of panic as she tried to free herself. She couldn’t stand another minute of touching the monster. But as she struggled to break free, Enrique turned on her with a snarl of rage.
“Shut the fuck up, Melody!”
His face twisted in that expression that she knew all too well, the one that showed the true monster he had hidden underneath, but at least he wasn’t focused on Christian anymore. If she could just stall him for a little longer…
“Just let me go, Enrique,” Melody pleaded, casting a wide-eyed look over the top of Enrique’s shoulder, her voice breathless and terrified as his gaze narrowed on her.
“You made me a promise,” he said, sounding more like a petulant boy who hadn’t gotten his way, only his temper-tantrums were downright deadly.
“Let them go then,” Melody said quickly, trying to keep her thoughts straight. But her mind was in chaos, “That was the deal, right? You haven’t held up your end of the bargain.”
Enrique pulled back his hand and slapped her so fast that she didn’t even have time to brace herself against the blow. Melody stumbled to the ground as pain radiated across her cheek.
“I’m making a new deal now.”
His eyes were black. Solid black. There was no humanity left in them anymore.
Melody could hardly breathe through the fear that choked her, clogging her throat. She couldn’t scream as he leaned close enough for her to feel his hot, fetid breath on her throbbing cheek.
“How about you all die. Starting with that whining boyfriend of yours.”
Enrique snarled the words and started to raise the gun. Melody could see the intention form in his eyes, and before the thought could even process she was moving. Her hand closed over his, still clutching the gun, and she kept it pointed at herself, holding his attention focused on her.
She knew it was useless to try reasoning with him, but she had to try.
“Please, Enrique. You don’t have to do this. You can just let us go.”
“I own you, bitch. You do what I say, when I say it.”
He swung his arm back to slap her again, but a hard voice cut through the air, stopping him.
“I wouldn’t do that if I were you.”
Enrique spun around, his eyes widening in rage. On either side of the palatial mansion there were lines of Devil’s Martyrs, led by the crew’s president, Bones. Melody could see Hub staring cold-faced just behind him.
If you value your head still being attached to your body, you won’t lay another hand on that girl,” Hub said, his tone almost casual.
But there was nothing casual about the look in his eye, or the gun that he had leveled in Enrique’s direction.
Bones looked around at the scene spread out in front of him, taking it all in with a glance. He was obviously the leader, and he looked nearly bored as he threw one leg over his bike, got to his feet, and started sauntering towards them.
Enrique’s eyes suddenly widened with a wild look, swinging the gun to point it at the Devil’s Martyrs. But he didn’t know where to aim. They were spread out in a half circle, completely surrounding them. And they all had weapons that were pointed straight at Enrique.
Finally, Enrique settled his rage on the leader of the gang, Bones.
“Don’t take another step closer!”
Bones slowed, holding up his hands. He was the only one not carrying a gun. Not that the solid, very large man needed on. It was obvious that Bones was a weapon in and of himself. And he looked nonplussed at having a gun pointed at him, giving Enrique another bored look.
“I’m getting tired of playing these little games with you, son,” Bones said with an intentionally patronizing tone. “Time to let the others go.”
Melody flinched as rage twisted Enrique’s face. It was exactly the right thing to say to totally set the man off.
She tried to send a warning look towards the president of the crew, but he didn’t acknowledge it or turn his bored gaze away from Enrique. She just prayed that he knew what he was doing.
“You just made a big fucking mistake, asshole!” Enrique snarled, spittle flying wildly with every word. “A big fucking mistake! Do you have any idea who I am? What I can do to you?”
Suddenly, Bones was moving, taking several more decisive steps forward despite the gun still levelled in his direction.
“Oh, I know exactly who you are. You are nothing but a spoiled, self-centered child, throwing a temper tantrum because you didn’t get what you want.”
Bones growled the words, and the animalistic sound had the hair on the back of Melody’s neck standing up on end.
“Now I’m going to ask you one more time, since I’m feeling real nice and patient. But after that...” Bones said, ignoring Enrique’s splutters of outrage. “Let them go now, or I will destroy everything you own.”
That was Bones being nice? Melody wondered to herself in silence. The last thing she wanted was to draw Enrique’s attention back towards her. His face had gone a shade of crimson at the other man’s words, and his eyes somehow even darker, even more savage.
Enrique opened his mouth, but Bones cut him off before he could speak.
“Now, before you go on and decide to do something stupid, I want to remind you that we have the place completely surrounded. The rest of your men have already been detained, and there are at multiple guns aimed at your head. And those are only the ones you can see.”
Enrique shuddered at the hard threat in the other man’s voice. It was obviously nothing but the truth, and Enrique looked hastily around the property, his eyes widening on the shadows of the tree-lines and bushes that could all be hiding more shooters.
“My men…”
“Will be unharmed as long as you cooperate. If you don’t…”
Bones shrugged as if to say the ball was in Enrique’s court, and the man was obviously starting to sweat under the pressure. Melody knew he didn’t give a shit about his men, or anyone else for that matter. But he cared dearly for his own skin, and Enrique would do anything to protect himself.
“Let them go,” Enrique growled, his voice gravelly with rage.
“But, boss…”
“I said let them go!”
Enrique screamed the words, and his men jumped to obey his command. They could see how close the man was to losing his mind, but Melody knew that he already had, a long time ago. Any inkling of sanity was just another mask. The man was insane.
Melody watched Hub race forward to catch Bianca and quickly carry her back across the line of armed men to safety, holding each other tight in their arms. Amanda joined them, looking uncomfortable at betraying her family, but it was too late for doubts now.
Christian, now released, took several stumbling steps towards her, barely able to walk or force his swollen eyes open. But she could still make out the light of love in his bright blue gaze.
“Mel…”
“Go, Christian.” Melody pleaded, “Go to your father. Get yourself safe.”
“Not without you,” Christian said, slurring his words as he lurched towards her with one hand outstretched.
But suddenly Enrique dragged her close in front of her, the gun pointed at her temple.
He was using her body as a shield, protecting himself with her life, with her child’s life.
Anger shot through her, drowning out the fear. She was so tired of being afraid of him.
“You are nothing but a coward,” Melody hissed, temper making her voice shrill and hard like a shard of glass, and she used it to cut at him. “A coward and a fool. You really think you’re getting out of this alive now? The only chance you have is letting me go.”
“Stop talking.”
“If you let me go now, they might spare your life. Maybe. It’s a pretty big maybe. They don’t like you very much at the moment.”
“Shut the fuck up!” Enrique shouted.
Melody could hear the tremble in his voice. Good. She wanted him afraid. She wanted him shaken.
“It’s your choice now, Enrique. If you want to live, you know what you have to do. If you hurt me, you’re dead.”
Melody forced absolute certainty into her voice, praying that his narcissism wouldn’t let him put himself in danger. That his self-preservation would outweigh his need to hurt and torture her.
“If I let her go, you let me go! Deal?!”
Enrique shouted the words, still hiding behind her body, the gun still jabbed against the side of her head.
Melody flicked her gaze to where Christian stood, helpless and agonizing over her. She tried to tell him with her eyes that she was okay, that everything was going to be okay, but his gaze was still worried.
“That already was the deal, you idiot,” Bones said, actually yawning as he spoke. “Let them go. Then we’ll all leave and pretend this never happened.”
“I don’t believe you.”
“You don’t have much of a choice,” Bones voice hardened. “I’m getting tired of this. Let her go. Now!”
Melody felt Enrique tense behind her, and she closed her eyes, dread fluttering inside her, as Enrique’s words whispered harshly against her ear.
“Whatever happens now, you’re still mine. I will always own you.”
He slid his hand around her body, groping her hard enough to bruise. Melody cried out at the pain. But before she could react, Enrique shoved her hard at Christian, sending them both toppling backwards in a tangle of arms and legs.
With a scream of rage, Enrique turned and charged in the opposite direction, trying to flee.
“Uh-uh. I don’t think so,” Craig said, stepping out of the shadows in front of Enrique and pulling him up short with a gun of his own pressed hard against the man’s chest.
“Drop the gun,” Craig said, grinning sardonically at Enrique. “You didn’t think you were going to get away that easy, did you?”
Melody watched Enrique’s lip start to quiver as he dropped to his knees in the ground, crying and sniveling as he pleaded for mercy, pleaded with them to spare his life.