Page 65 of Captive Heart

Sara had been choked, but her lover had only been convicted of manslaughter, claiming it was the result of a tragic accident during a breath play scene, which had gone disastrously wrong.

Her autopsy had shown a number of welts and bruises but nothing truly outside of the scope of the lifestyle they were living. Nothing like the systematic violence and abuse that Melody had endured during her incarceration, which even she had accepted as just a characteristic of the slave union she was trapped in.

The depth of Micah’s feelings toward Melody had him looking at his past relationship in a completely different light.

Was it possible that he'd just never wanted to accept the truth? Preferring to wallow in the perceived guilt that he could have changed what he considered to be her coercion, rather than face the facts and accept that Sara simply didn't want him anymore?

It was that mind-blowing comprehension that had Micah reaching for the whisky glass.

Before the liquid made it to his lips, however, he slapped it down again, the force with which he did so causing the amber liquid to slosh slightly, dribbling down the side of the glass and onto his desk. He swore and grabbed a tissue from the holder then blotted up the mess.

What the hell was he thinking? He needed to go find Melody and explain himself to her first.

He knew she'd been confused by his withdrawal today and his refusal to share her bed last night. It wasn't fair to leave her hanging the way he had, because of his own personal crisis of conscience.

If he was seriously considering a meaningful relationship with the woman—and he was—then, at the very least, they needed to start out with honesty between them.

Micah cursed himself. Melody had been through enough at the hands of heartless men who had used her for their own selfish ends. The very last thing he wanted was to appear as if he was one of them, casting her aside as soon as he'd taken his fill, when, in reality, nothing could be further from the truth.

He was indebted to her, he realised with a start. This thing between them, which had started with his own lofty thoughts of liberating her and possibly doing something to redeem himself in the process, had been his deliverance.

How short-sighted he had been. After all was said and done, Melody had been the one who had saved him, made him see the truth for what it really was. She had brought about an epiphany in his own closed mind. How could he have been so blind?

Easily, of course. While he might rate his psychological prowess above that of the layman, when it came to studying oneself, it was nigh on impossible. Emotions inevitably got in the way of clear thinking. Hadn't he postulated that very thing when he realised how he’d gotten things wrong with Melody, because he was far too close to the situation?

He knew better, but in the end, he’d known nothing at all, and it had taken Melody to show him the way.

And now, here he was, repaying her by behaving like a sulky, sullen kid who'd had his lollipop taken away. Shame washed through him. He’d always considered himself better than that, more in tune with the workings of his own mind. Level headed and rational, that was what he always strove to be, but this…

Micah shook his head and gave a wry laugh. This just proved he was human after all, didn't it? That he was just as much a casualty of the whims and quirks of fate as the next man. As much a victim of his own emotions as anybody else, and that wasn't a bad thing. In fact, it was wonderfully, reassuringly normal.

It was time to stop berating himself, learn from his mistakes, and know when to take action. And that time was right now. No more sitting here brooding over Sara, and no more beating himself over the head for not being superman.

And most importantly, no more letting Melody down. It was time to tell her the truth…about why he'd been behaving like an idiot, and exactly how he wanted to pursue their relationship.

She deserved a bit of stability in her life, and Micah wanted to be able to give it to her.

He strode purposefully out of the room and headed for the staff room. When he didn't find Melody there, he wandered over to the boudoir. It was only when he couldn't find her there, either, that he felt a trickle of trepidation crawl down his spine.

He popped back to his office and flicked on the security monitors to see where she might be in the vast building. He didn't want to waste time, running around searching for her in this huge place.

Scrutinising each screen, Micah finally found what he was looking for.

Well, almost.

The camera in the bar showed signs someone had been working down there, and Micah realised Melody must have busied herself replenishing the stock, even though there was no sign of her right now. Nevertheless, he quickly made his way downstairs to find her, not even stopping to turn the security screens off.

Jogging downstairs with a spring in his step, he felt a new lightness in his heart which he was prepared to embrace.

He called out to Melody when he reached the ground floor, his voice ringing out through the cavernous, empty nightclub. There was no reply, so he headed back to check the stock room, frowning when he didn't find her there.

Back at the bar, he took in the half empty bottle of water and the pile of broken-down boxes and swung his gaze to the emergency exit which was often used for easy access to the recycling area. The door was ajar, and Micah picked up what was left of the stock boxes, realising she must have gone out with a load already.

He’d crossed the dance floor and almost reached the door when he heard a shrill, terrified scream, which was abruptly cut short, making his blood run cold. Dropping everything, Micah sprinted for the door, reaching it in time to see a car speeding off, kicking up the gravel from the parking area in its haste.

It was too far away to get the number plate, but he noted the make, model, colour, and the direction it took off in. His gut instinct was to give chase, but that would take too long. He wasn't wearing shoes, and his car keys were still upstairs.

Heart pounding and pulse racing, Micah looked around in case he was mistaken in his assumptions. "Melody?" he called out with a despairing kind of hope.

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