I took a breath. “What happened, Melody?”
She looked at me, then got up and brought over a file. She handed it to me, and as I opened it, I saw the first headline.
Fuck.
“You looked this stuff up?”
“No, I wouldn’t have done that!” Her eyes went wide.
I needed to tone down my temper.
“Then how did you get these?” I waved the papers in the air.
“Derek gave them to me. He wanted to warn me about dating you.”
“Is that so?” I stood and went to pour myself a double.
“I told him whatever it was in those articles had no effect on our relationship. It was mostly about your father.”
“You read these?” I yelled. “All through dinner, you had these and never said a word?”
“I’m saying it now! I didn’t want to ruin dinner.”
I laughed. “You wanted to enjoy dinner before doing... what exactly? Accusing me of my father’s misdeeds?” I threw down the folder.
“Ben, calm down.”
“You tell me you saw your ex-boyfriend, who gave you a bunch of articles that don’t show my father or my family in a good light, and you think it wouldn’t upset me? Why the hell would you even see that asshole?”
“He came to see me sing, actually,” I growled. “He stopped me on the corner.”
I went and stood by the window. I needed to calm down. The man had been stalking her, and she seemed unaware of the severity.
“Ben, I told myself there had to be an explanation.”
“Melody, my father is an attorney. He is one of the most powerful ones in the industry. Of course, there will be things written about him.”
“But your name is in them, as well.”
“Ahh, that’s what this is about.” I grabbed the file and looked over the articles. “This one, I helped my father because his client was made aware of the merger.” I pulled out another one. “This one, my sister Gianna requested my help because it pertained to the financial sector. They accused my father of bribing radio stations for an artist, who wasn’t his artist, but hers.”
I can’t believe I am defending my father right now.
“This one—”
“Stop, please... stop.”
“You are the one who brought this to me, Melody, don’t you want the explanations? Or would you rather have your boyfriend’s accusations be true?”
“You know damn well he isn’t my boyfriend.” She stood, placing her hands on her hips.
“Do I? He is everywhere you seem to be, and you apparently haven’t made it clear enough that he’s an ex.”
If the saying “if looks could kill” had any validity, I would have been tortured before killed.
“I didn’t ask for any of this! He came here to New York on his own after we broke up; I have never led him on. And how dare you! You are the one who doesn’t want to talk about your family. You are the one who becomes mute anytime I mention them.”
“I told you my dad and I have a complicated relationship, and now, you have the proof why that is.”
We stared at the other, breathing heavily.
“I better go,” she said suddenly, heading toward the door.
I walked behind her and grabbed her by the arm.
“Stop, please. I didn’t mean to lose my temper.”
Her brown eyes were full of tears, and it gutted me to have caused them. I wrapped my arms around her.
“Why do you think I tried to keep him away from you? He may be king of the industry, but he is one who thinks he is above the law. My dad can talk his way out of anything, legal or not.” I pulled back to look at her. “A few of his clients weren’t always on the right side of the law when he first started. He made his way up by making charges disappear. He’s still making things disappear.”
The criminals only became bigger fish in the ocean.
“Melody, I help my dad because of my sister.”
She nodded her head.
“I should have mentioned that earlier.”
“I wish you had, Ben.” Her voice was soft.
“Knowing all of this has been in the back of your mind... I am glad you decided to share it with me.”
She was complicated to read at that moment, even when she mustered up a grin.
“Ben, I truly need to go. I haven’t been home for a while, and Genesis is going through a lot.”
“Melody...”
“I’m fine. I need to check on my friend.”
I stared into her eyes. “I will call you tomorrow. Wait for Scott, he will take you home.”
I kissed her frantically, unaware of the raw emotions she stirred inside me. I felt it was a volatile moment, one I was afraid to let go unresolved. I deepened the kiss until I felt her melt in my arms. I needed to make sure we were all right before I watched her walk away.
I placed the call.
“Sir?”
“Melody is on her way down. I need you to get as much information regarding her ex-boyfriend Derek as possible, then I need you to find him tonight.”
“Will do.”
I poured another drink while I waited.
“Your contact is sure this is the place?”
“From what was sent over about Ms. Dumas, and what she mentioned in the car as I drove her home, this is the guy.”
Scott was good at his job, and his connections made it easier to get the answers I needed. He wasn’t one who lent an ear unless it was necessary. I was sure Melody would find it uncharacteristic of him if he did, but she had cried all the way home. He knew with the right probing, she would ramble on about what happened.
The thought of me causing her pain was agonizing to hear as he divulged the information and only fueled the fire inside me as I stared at the home.
“I’ll be right back.”
Placing the baseball cap on my head and zipping up my leather jacket, I walked to the door and knocked three times.
A lankly, disheveled guy came to the door.
“Is Derek here?”
He yelled back Derek’s name, announcing someone was at the door.
When Derek’s eyes met mine as he approached, he hesitated for a moment, then looked behind him.
“You can’t be surprised? Are you going to let me in, or would you like to talk outside?”
He glanced behind him before announcing he would be back in two minutes.
The moment he stepped out, I grabbed him by the collar and pushed him up against the brick by the door.
“I warned you if you ever came near Melody again, you would have to deal with me.”
He tried to wiggle his way out, throwing a few punches at my head. I heard the car door slam and looked back at Scott heading our way. I shook my head at him, and he stopped.
If Scott got hold of him, he would end up in the emergency room.
Derek’s jabs were light, his effort as pathetic as him.
I threw him to the ground.
“If you ever go near Melody again, you will wind up in the hospital… or worse. She is getting a restraining order against you. You have been warned.”
He scrambled up, falling once, before getting to his feet.
“You are the one she will be getting a restraining order against. You and your family can’t scare me.”