Read Online Retaliation: An Alpha Billionaire Romance by Lauren Landish - Free Book Online
Authors: Lauren Landish
Ads: Link
at the wisdom of his words. I'm sure it's been years since anyone but him has given words of encouragement to Melissa when she's struggling. Still, Melissa can't get it out, and I slide forward, taking her hands. “Melissa, I understand,” I whisper, my own eyes burning when she looks up, haunted and tearing up. “I wasn't there, but I understand. It took me years to come to grips with Peter's evil.”
“I walked in on her,” Melissa says, her eyes boring into mine, the horror clear on her face. I may be holding hands with a thirty-year-old woman, but the person behind the eyes is still seven years old, reliving the incident again. “She had bought some drugs somewhere, I don't know where. When I opened the door, she had the syringe in her elbow already, pushing the plunger. I was only seven, but I knew she wasn't supposed to be doing that. I ran over, and I tried to pull it out, but she faded so fast. She saw me and gave me a smile, and the last thing she said to me was 'I'm sorry, Mellie.' And then she was gone.”
The tears take over and I embrace Melissa, letting her cry on my shoulder. I thought I'd been through horror and terror, but my pain is nothing compared to what Melissa went through. At least I have more evidence to support my theory that my mother Aiko didn't actually kill herself. Still, for years I thought that my mother had, and I can at least somewhat understand. And at least I didn't have to literally watch my mother's death, or see her body after it had plunged the ten stories to the Osaka sidewalk. Still, I hold her and whisper in her ear, knowing I'm the only person who might be able to connect with her on this. “Melissa, it's okay to feel the way you do. I promise you though, you've gained a sister through this, plus a brother. I promise you that much. And I promise you one more thing.”
“What?” she sniffles, raising her head enough to look me in the eyes.
“That Peter DeLaCoeur will pay for his crimes. Let me tell you a bit more of why he wants us dead. You mind if this takes a while?”
Melissa smiles and shakes her head, trying to be brave. “We have space. This house has four bedrooms. Would you maybe like to stay for the evening?”
I look at Carson, whose own eyes flare with both hope and hesitation. I can understand. Without considering anyone else, I nod. “I'd love to.”
“Ahem,” Jackson interrupts, interrupting the look I'm giving Carson. “Melissa, if you don't mind, I'd like to stay, too.”
“It would be safer,” Nathan says somberly, trying to justify the decision I made without considering the others, although after seeing the way he's been looking at Melissa, I doubt he was being completely altruistic. “Peter knows Andrea lives in town. I am sure he has the resources to track down your footprint to the Baton Rouge area, Jackson. Here... there is no connection. What do you say, Katrina?”
“I'd say it's safest for Andrea. Oh, and Andrea, too.”
I roll my eyes and give Katrina a look. “How long have you been waiting to pull that one out?”
“About as long as you've been waiting for it,” Katrina replies with a smile. The tension's been building for awhile now, but the casual way Katrina jokes around helps lighten the mood. It’s good to see her this way. “What do you say, Carson? Think you can help us crash for a while?”
I look at Carson, and I can't help that I want him to say yes. Carson's eyes flash silver and sexy as he sees my face, and he nods. “Of course. Like 'Lissa said, we've got lots of space.”
Nathan gets up, and smiles. “Good. Well, I would like to add one more thing to security then. Think Maverick can stay here? I am going to go on a shopping trip. I am sure you didn’t plan for this many people to stay at the farm, even for a night. It will give me a chance to try and lay some groundwork to throw off Peter at the same time.”
Katrina, who seems to be comfortable as our little group commander, nods. “Do it. Got any
“I walked in on her,” Melissa says, her eyes boring into mine, the horror clear on her face. I may be holding hands with a thirty-year-old woman, but the person behind the eyes is still seven years old, reliving the incident again. “She had bought some drugs somewhere, I don't know where. When I opened the door, she had the syringe in her elbow already, pushing the plunger. I was only seven, but I knew she wasn't supposed to be doing that. I ran over, and I tried to pull it out, but she faded so fast. She saw me and gave me a smile, and the last thing she said to me was 'I'm sorry, Mellie.' And then she was gone.”
The tears take over and I embrace Melissa, letting her cry on my shoulder. I thought I'd been through horror and terror, but my pain is nothing compared to what Melissa went through. At least I have more evidence to support my theory that my mother Aiko didn't actually kill herself. Still, for years I thought that my mother had, and I can at least somewhat understand. And at least I didn't have to literally watch my mother's death, or see her body after it had plunged the ten stories to the Osaka sidewalk. Still, I hold her and whisper in her ear, knowing I'm the only person who might be able to connect with her on this. “Melissa, it's okay to feel the way you do. I promise you though, you've gained a sister through this, plus a brother. I promise you that much. And I promise you one more thing.”
“What?” she sniffles, raising her head enough to look me in the eyes.
“That Peter DeLaCoeur will pay for his crimes. Let me tell you a bit more of why he wants us dead. You mind if this takes a while?”
Melissa smiles and shakes her head, trying to be brave. “We have space. This house has four bedrooms. Would you maybe like to stay for the evening?”
I look at Carson, whose own eyes flare with both hope and hesitation. I can understand. Without considering anyone else, I nod. “I'd love to.”
“Ahem,” Jackson interrupts, interrupting the look I'm giving Carson. “Melissa, if you don't mind, I'd like to stay, too.”
“It would be safer,” Nathan says somberly, trying to justify the decision I made without considering the others, although after seeing the way he's been looking at Melissa, I doubt he was being completely altruistic. “Peter knows Andrea lives in town. I am sure he has the resources to track down your footprint to the Baton Rouge area, Jackson. Here... there is no connection. What do you say, Katrina?”
“I'd say it's safest for Andrea. Oh, and Andrea, too.”
I roll my eyes and give Katrina a look. “How long have you been waiting to pull that one out?”
“About as long as you've been waiting for it,” Katrina replies with a smile. The tension's been building for awhile now, but the casual way Katrina jokes around helps lighten the mood. It’s good to see her this way. “What do you say, Carson? Think you can help us crash for a while?”
I look at Carson, and I can't help that I want him to say yes. Carson's eyes flash silver and sexy as he sees my face, and he nods. “Of course. Like 'Lissa said, we've got lots of space.”
Nathan gets up, and smiles. “Good. Well, I would like to add one more thing to security then. Think Maverick can stay here? I am going to go on a shopping trip. I am sure you didn’t plan for this many people to stay at the farm, even for a night. It will give me a chance to try and lay some groundwork to throw off Peter at the same time.”
Katrina, who seems to be comfortable as our little group commander, nods. “Do it. Got any
Similar Books
