Page 38 of Deadly Desires

Terrified for what he has in store, I try to fight out of his grasp, my body going into survival mode. I manage to escape his hands, but there’s nowhere for me to go; I’m still chained to the floor.

Trying to get as far away from him as possible, I back myself into the corner of the room, adrenaline rushing through my body.

He stalks towards me and grabs me by the arm. “Fuck you, Melody. You should be grateful for everything I do for you. I tend to your wounds and bring you water, and this is the treatment I get?” He is certifiably insane… He thinks he’s doing me favors? I wouldn’t have all these wounds on my body if it weren’t for him. I know something is coming but I have no idea what.

Before I can even blink, he grabs me by the throat and slams me against the wall. I have flashbacks to the night of my attack, and I fight with desperation. He fumbles with his belt and I attempt to hit and kick him wherever I can. Anything to stop what I know is coming.

In my feeble attempt to fight him off, my nails bite into his skin, and I’m struggling to hold him off. His grip tightens on my neck and my vision starts to darken around the edges. No, no, not this again. Please god, no. I’m sobbing but desperately trying to fight him off. It won’t be enough though. It wasn’t enough the first time, and it won’t be enough now. He undoes his belt and the zipper of his jeans. Grabbing his dick he attempts to line up with my entrance, but I’m twisting and turning, hoping to god I can avoid him. In one last desperate attempt to get him to stop, I rip his mask right off his face.

He’s staring at me in shock at first, but his face slowly distorts into anger.

“You stupid little bitch…” He punches me in the face and I hear the snap in my nose, followed by blood trickling into my mouth. My head snaps back and hits the concrete wall. I’m seeing stars as my body slumps to the ground.

“Surprised to see me, Melody?”

All I can do is look up at him with disgust in my eyes. I would have never expected it to be him. I wouldn’t have even imagined he was capable of doing the things he’s done to me.

The shock is finally catching up with my body, all of the energy completely drained from my very soul.

Once again, my vision darkens until there is nothing more.

Twenty-Eight

Jaxon

It’s three in the morning and we’re all still awake. Refusing to give up, we read through everything we have for the tenth time. James called Kayden earlier, so now he’s here as well, looking over everything on Franklin’s laptop.

“We should probably get some rest,” says Franklin, yawning and stretching his arms.

“We won’t be any help to Melody if we don’t rest and go at this again in a few hours with fresh minds.”

I slam my file down on the table. “Melody might not have a few more hours, Franklin. We have to keep looking.”

James puts a hand on my shoulder. “Franklin is right, Jax. We have to be at our very best, and we can’t do that if we’re running on no sleep.”

Shrugging his hand off my shoulder, I tell them to go ahead without me. There is no way I am sleeping without Melody at my side.

Kayden is the only one that stays behind with me. I don’t know why that is, maybe because he’s used to club hours and staying up ‘til 6 A.M. Whatever the reason, I’m grateful for it. Kayden has always been more of a loner and rarely comes to our family dinners or spends time with any of us on holidays. However, I feel like he knows how important Melody is to me, and I’m really just grateful for any help we can get right now.

Kayden sets down his file and moves back over to Franklin’s laptop to watch the video recording of the masked attacker. His distorted voice comes through the speakers and I turn back to my file, combing through everything for the twentieth time. I’m so desperate, I feel tears building in my eyes. I’m exhausted and still hurting from the car accident, but I can’t stop. I need Melody back in my arms, safe and sound where she belongs.

“Where is 305?”

“What?”

Kayden turns to me fully. “I said, where is 305? He mentions in the video, ‘I smell you all around me, much like in 305.’ What is that supposed to mean?”

“I don’t know, play it again.”

I don’t understand how we missed this… but what does it mean?

I rush up the stairs to Franklin’s second floor and burst into his room.

“Wha—” Before Franklin can even get a word out, I’m turning on the light and telling him to get up. James comes in a second later, looking between the two of us.

“I think Kayden found something.”

After bringing my brother and Franklin downstairs, Kayden played the clip over again for them.

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