Christian’s whole body was trembling like a leaf in a summer storm as he raced his motorcycle back towards home. He was surprised he could even hold on to the handle bars, and he must have broken about a hundred traffic laws, speeding the entire way, but he didn’t care.
That bad feeling in the pit of his stomach hadn’t gone away, not even after the shoot-out with Enrique was over and his father was being seen to, albeit reluctantly, by a local doctor who was friendly with the crew members and didn’t ask too many questions.
Christian had wanted to stay with his father, to make sure he got home okay after getting checked out, but the bullet he’d taken to the leg hadn’t been as severe as it had looked at first. Hub had lost some blood, and he’d needed a few stitches, which he’d groused about the entire time doc was stitching him up, but he would be up on his feet in no time.
It was all over. He could go home and hold Melody in his arms, and they could move on with their lives. He had the bag of money from Enrique stashed in the leather case on the back of his bike, and it was more than enough for them to get out of town.
But still, that god-damned bad feeling wouldn’t go away. In fact, with every single mile he drove, it just grew worse and worse until he was racing so fast the landscape was just a blur on either side.
That damned feeling only got worse when Christian pulled around the corner that led to his street, and he saw the flashing lights of police cars lighting up the sky and an ambulance parked haphazardly in his driveway.
Immediately, the worst sort of thoughts flew through his head. Something had happened to Melody. Something terrible had happened to their baby.
He couldn’t breathe. He was choking on panic as he dropped his motorcycle without a care on the curb, rushing towards the ambulance.
His heart in his throat, Christian was more terrified in that moment than he’d ever been in his entire life. In that moment, he realized that Melody was his entire life. He didn’t think he could go on living if something had happened to her.
“Melody?! Mel?” Christian called out as he rounded the side of the ambulance.
He pulled up short as he saw Craig laid out on a stretcher, being wheeled towards the back of the vehicle.
“Sorry to disappoint you, man. I’m not your lady love.” Craig said, joking even as he was being taking to the hospital.
His arms were wrapped and bandaged with gauze, and Christian’s brows furrowed. The panic was making him extra slow, and it took him longer than it should have to connect the dots.
“The ambulance isn’t for Melody?” Christian asked, still trying to make sense of it.
His hands were still shaking. Hell, his whole body was still shaking.
“Nope. It’s all for me!” Craig said with a cackle.
The EMT who was working on him rolled her eyes, even thought there was a glimmer of humor in them as well.
“Is Mel okay?”
“Okay? Damn, man! Remind me to never get on her bad side. If I hadn’t gotten in the way, she could have taken them all out herself, I’m pretty sure. Her and that little furball sidekick of hers. She’s lethal.”
Christian shook his head in confusion.
“What the hell are you talking about?”
“I’m sorry, Christian,” Craig said, and for once, his expression was serious. “Some of Enrique’s men must have followed me without me realizing. There were three of his thugs. They tried to take Melody.”
“Is she okay? Where is she? Is the baby okay?”
“Relax. They are both fine. She’s still inside.” Craig grinned again, his somber expression not lasting long, “I’m serious, Christian. You better watch yourself with her. She’s deadly with a bird cage.”
Christian was still trying to make sense of Craig’s words when the EMT waved him back.
“Come on, no more talking. I know that’s probably really hard for you. You have a hole in your arm, for Pete’s sake,” she said, shooting Craig a chastising look.
He put on a look of innocence, so out of place on him that it nearly had Christian cracking a smile. The man was incorrigible. There was no other word for it.
“Don’t worry, sweetheart. I’ve done worse to myself just walking down the street.”
She gave him another hard look, and Craig just shrugged, grinning all the while, as she rolled him up and into the ambulance before turning back to Christian.
“Here’s the hospital we’re taking him to. He’ll be fine once he gets all patched up.”
“Nothing keeps him down for long,” Christian said, taking the card.
The pretty EMT let out a little laugh.
“I can only imagine,” she said, before getting into the ambulance.
A moment later they were driving away, taking Craig to get treated and leaving Christian with way more questions than answers.
The thought of Melody had him turning and sprinting inside. He needed to see her for himself. He needed to know that she really was okay.
As soon as he walked through the doors, his gaze was drawn straight to where Melody was standing, huddled in on herself, with a glazed look dulling her normally luminous gaze.
Christian ran towards her and didn’t stop until he had his arms around her, holding her so tight against him that he could hardly breathe. But neither of them protested. Melody let out a shuddering gasp as she collapsed into his embrace, and he lost himself in the feel of her.
Her scent, the warmth of her body, how real and solid and soft she felt in his arms. And fragile. She felt so fragile that it seemed she could shatter at any moment into a million tiny pieces and slip through his fingers.
The thought made Christian hold on even tighter.
He was so lost in her that it took him a long moment to realize that police officers were surrounding them, but for the first time in his life he didn’t care. As part of the gang, it had been drilled into him to stay away from cops, and they normally made him nervous. But if they helped to keep Melody and their baby safe, he would kiss them all.
“I’m sorry to interrupt, but we just need one last statement from Mrs. Mires,” one of the officers said gently.
At first, Christian didn’t even realize his own last name. His eyes damp with moisture he fought to hold back, he turned to Melody and laid a gentle kiss on her lips.
“Are you okay to do this? You don’t have to. It’s okay now. You don’t have to do anything you don’t want to,” Christian whispered softly against her cheek.
Melody drew in a deep breath, filling herself up with a strength that he couldn’t help but marvel at. With a grim determination, she followed the officer, speaking softly as she told the cop once more what had happened, and with every damning word he felt more and more guilty until he had to look away.
It was his job to protect her, to keep her safe. And he had failed in the most spectacular way possible.
Luna, the little white kitten, rubbed comfortingly against his ankles, and Christian let out a bitter smile. He had to make this up to Melody, somehow, someway. He just didn’t even know where to start.