Page 26 of Deadly Desires

“What happened? I have no recollection past my girlfriends and I bar hopping.”

“Well, to put it bluntly, you were attacked, Miss Harper. Quite brutally if I might add. You had the date rape drug in your system, and from what I have been told, some people leaving the bar heard someone moaning, in apparent pain, in the alley. The good samaritans entered the alley to see what it may be, and that’s when they found your body.

“Now, I want to be very honest with you, Miss Harper. We had to do a rape kit on you. According to witnesses, it was very obvious that you had been sexually assaulted.”

Is this what shock feels like? A ringing in my ears, all other sounds slowly being drowned out, while my vision, or what little I have, starts tunneling and soon there’s nothing at all.

I vaguely feel someone shaking my shoulder and saying my name, but it feels so far away.

“Miss Harper, can you hear me? Miss Harper! Stephanie, please fetch our recovery kit, and bring her an apple juice as quickly as you can. Now, please.”

Everything comes back at warp speed and it all feels too loud. Memories come rushing back to me, and I wince, remembering the most brutal parts. This can’t be happening… I can’t… What if I’m pregnant? Oh my god… I’m slowly falling apart at the seams. I feel so incredibly dirty, like I need a hundred showers and to scrub myself clean a thousand times.

I close my eyes and try to stop the panicking. Just as I’m coming back to myself, I hear a gasp in the doorway and in walks my dad. That’s when the tears let loose. I’ve always been a daddy’s girl and this time is no different. My dad rushes over and gives me a kiss on the head.

“Hi, pumpkin, you had us scared there for a bit, didn’t ya?”

“Dad, I’m so sorry…”

“What in the hell are you apologizing for, Melody? None of this is your fault.”

“Yeah but if I wasn’t out with the girls, or maybe if I hadn’t left my drink unattended… maybe things would have been different…” I trail off knowing I sound ridiculous but also not wanting to come under my dad’s scrutiny.

“Pumpkin, the police officer probably hasn’t been by yet, but there’s a good chance that even if you weren’t drinking, that something would have happened. They think this guy had been following you for more than a few hours. I don’t know all the details, but apparently your car was broken into earlier that night. They lifted a partial print from your door handle that matched a partial print from your handbag at the scene of the attack.”

“I’m not saying it’s right, but I just thank god he didn’t kill you… that you’re still here with us.”

I understand what he’s trying to say, but in reality, a part of me did die that night. I feel it now in my very soul. A part of myself that I may never get back. I had been saving myself for mine and Brian’s wedding night, now that’s been taken from me, too. Oh god, what is Brian going to think?

“Dad, does Brian know what happened?”

“He was here when the police filled us in, yes, but honey… He came by the first night, but since then we haven’t seen him. He mentioned something about being busy with training… I’m sorry, pumpkin.”

My dad visits for a while longer, but leaves once the police officer shows up to ask me some questions. I tell them all I know, which isn’t much honestly. The officer elaborates on the events of that night, stating someone probably put the date rape drug in my water, but they don’t think it was my attacker.

They let me know that my attacker scraped and cleaned my nails before he left, washing away any trace of him I might have been able to get from the damage I inflicted on his arms. Great, that means I crossed paths with two people that night who came with horrible intentions.

Chapter 17.5

Unknown

Present Day

Imay have gone a little overboard with my knife tonight, but I think the message was received loud and clear. I was going to have so much fun with Mel tonight, but that was quickly ruined when I entered her house to find her nowhere in sight. Mel has been a homebody for this entire past year, why is she suddenly changing her routine?

Mel did show up later with the guy that’s been following her. That had my vision turning red again. To ease my anger, I went out and found another woman, one who looked just enough like Mel. I took everything she had to give, imaging it was Mel the entire time. Eventually though, I saw through my own delusions and was disgusted. It was always the same, no one ever compared to Mel. I choked the life out of the little slut before dumping her body in the river that runs through the city.

Maybe another day, Mel. Maybe another day.

Eighteen

Jaxon

Present Day

Ilie awake and watch Melody sleep. Her eyebrows are furrowed like she’s thinking really hard, and every now and then she lets out a little mewl. Thinking she must be having a bad dream, I rub soothing circles on her arm. I could lie here forever if it meant she was the one I was holding.

Even her smell, vanilla and berries, is strong enough to peek through my body wash from our shower and has me addicted. I don’t think I could ever get too much of my little sparrow. I breathe in her scent and hold it in, squeezing her to me just a little tighter. This is where Melody belongs. Here in my arms.

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