Page 51 of Legends Luke

Now wasn’t the time, he reminded himself. He was here to help her, but first, he had to be sure she would accept his help. “And if I did my computer thing, would you be okay with it?”

Melody held his gaze, and he was transfixed by the softness he saw in her eyes.

“There’s a lot we need to talk about. Actually, there’s a lot I want to say to you, starting with an apology. I wish we had time now to get into it, but I promised Sandra I would watch out for her daughter. She’s been so good to me since I came to Fire Creek, I hate to let her down. So, I’m fine with whatever it takes to find Erin and get her where she needs to be.”

Luke resisted the urge to touch a finger to her cheek. Instead, he nodded once and backed out of the parking spot. “The vehicle she’s in is registered to Blake Drummond. He’s originally from Valley, which is a short drive from here. I found two addresses on him through public records, so it’s hard to know which is the most current. One of them is close by, so we can try that first. Fire Creek isn’t large enough for us to have traffic cams to track the direction they went, so public records are the best we’ve got right now.”

“Wereyou able to find out any details about him? Does he go to Erin’s school?”

“He doesn’t go to any school. He’s twenty-four.”

Melody’s eyes widened. “Are you kidding me? Erin is sixteen. What is she doing with a boy that old? What is he doing with a girl so young? Never mind. I know the answer. I can’t believe she’s risking so much to be with him.”

“You never did something like this when you were young?”

She made some sort of noise sounding suspiciously like a grunt. Luke smiled at how adorable she looked when she was outraged.

“No. Lyric was the rebellious one. I was the responsible one. I didn’t date much, and when I did, the guy was parent-approved. I mean, I had some defiant moments, but nothing like dating an adult when I was a minor. I guess that’s the kind of thinking that makes me seem rigid sometimes.”

“I wouldn’t describe you as rigid. In this case, you’re trying to do right by people.”

Out of the corner of his eye, Luke saw Melody turn her head to stare at his profile. He waited to see how she would respond, but she was silent. He dared to take his eyes off the road to meet her gaze, and he could see unidentifiable emotions swirling in her eyes. Finally, he cleared his throat, effectively breaking the spell. Melody dropped her head to look down at her hands where they rested in her lap.

Luke forced himself to think of the issue at hand. “What else can you tell me about Erin?”

“Not a lot. Sandra said she’s been caught stealing lately. A couple of times from boutiques and once from a student at school. She thinks Erin is working out her frustrations because her mom works so much, and her dad has had to travel a lot with his job. I used to think she wanted attention and hadn’t figured out another way to get it. Now I’m wondering if she’s being influenced by this Blake guy.”

“He’s got a record himself. Assault, breaking and entering, grand theft, DUI. But he’s fallen off the radar over the last year. Either he’s cleaned up his act, or he’s figured out how not to get caught.”

“I wonder if Sandra knows about Erin’s involvement with him. Oh, this can’t be good. Do you think I could get in trouble if I drag her away from him, take her home, and lock her in her room?”

“I don't know, but I do think we need to be prepared for anything. That’s why I called Easton on my way to get you. I asked him to track my location and meet up with us.”

Melody’s eyes widened. “Is Erin in danger? We should call the police.”

Luke covered her hand with his and gave it a light squeeze. “Remember I asked you to trust me? No, I don’t think Erin’s in danger, or I would call the cops myself. But I don’t know how willing she’s going to be to leave, and if Blake has friends to back him up, it won’t be easy to get Erin out of there without help.”

She nodded. “Okay. I do trust you. Thank you for helping me. Especially when I reacted the way I did when you told me about youand your brothers. I realize now I overreacted. It’s something I do a lot, according to Lyric.”

He squeezed her hand once more then released it. “We’ll talk later, remember? Besides we’re here. Blake lives in the one-story house across the street.”

Luke had parallel-parked his truck along the curb. Melody fixed her stare out the window and pointed.

“That’s it. The car I saw Erin get into.”

Easton’s car eased behind his truck, and Luke opened his door. “Stay here. Easton and I will see if we can find Erin.”

“Oh, no!”

Melody opened the passenger door and was out before Luke could stop her. He climbed out as she rounded the front of the truck.

“Erin is my responsibility, so no way are you leaving me out of this.”

Luke reached out to grip Melody’s arm, but she deftly twisted her body and slipped out of his grasp. She was halfway across the street before he and Easton caught up to her.

“Stop. You need to slow down and let me and Easton take the lead.”

“He’s right, Melody. You can stay with us, but let us make the first contact, okay?” Easton appeared at her other side, and Luke knew his brother would help him corral her if needed to keep her out of harm’s way.

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