As we collected our purses and pushed in our chairs, a male server arrived with Hope’s meal.
Melody hefted the sturdy paper bag while giving him a quizzical stare. “What the heck did you put in there?”
“Fresh cantaloupe,” he said matter-of-factly.
“We didn’t order this.”
He briefly flicked his gaze at me. “Courtesy of Mr. Rain.”
“Um, thanks?” Her exaggerated expression implied it was heavy with fruit.
I stole another glance at the Vampire. He’d learned from a previous visit that I loved fresh cantaloupe.
Did he add that just for me? Strange. Perhaps he’s still trying to make amends for that man who grabbed my wrist. Is he going to give me cantaloupe every single time we come here? Don’t get paranoid. He knows Hope is pregnant, so it’s probably a gesture to the Packmaster.
As the girls filed up the stairs, I glanced back once more, startled to find him watching me. Atticus inclined his head in a lordly manner and resumed overseeing his establishment.
When we reached the parking lot, I caught up with Melody. “How well do you know Atticus Rain?”
She moved the bag to her right hand. “He used to work in my aunt’s bakery. Before that, he did the usual ruthless Vampire work, but he’s always been nice to me. Not to mention he’s the one who told us about this property before it was available to the public. Maybe he was lonely out here and wanted friends nearby.”
“Has he ever charmed you?”
She swatted a bug off her arm. “There wouldn’t be a reason to.”
“Unless he wanted to drink your blood and erase the memory.”
Melody cracked up laughing. “From what I’ve heard, that man hasn’t had a drink in years. Hey! I’ve got an idea. SinceMercy’s working at the bar, why don’t we swing by the Rabbit Lounge and play a few games of pool?”
“What about Hope’s dinner?”
“They’ve got a fridge. I’ll put it in there until we leave.”
Cecilia paused by Hope’s car, and the wind rustled her green skirt. “I had a wonderful time, but I’m ready to go back home.”
“Me too,” I said. “Why don’t we drop you and Robyn off? Bear can give you a ride back when his shift ends.”
Melody opened the passenger door. “Sounds like a plan.”
After parking in the garage,Cecilia shut off the engine and unbuckled her seat belt. “I got a call on the emergency hotline today.”
“Why didn’t you say anything earlier?”
“In the club? Someone might have overheard us. I can’t be too careful.”
Cecilia had established a domestic-abuse hotline that was now on display in all the local businesses. We made sure it couldn’t trace back to us. She and Hope managed it with plans to train two more packmates. To my knowledge, no one had called it yet.
“What happened?” I asked.
She played with the charms on her bracelet. “Well, the first two times were hang-up calls, and I’m not entirely sure if they were related. Tak thinks a few nosy men are calling to see if they can recognize our voices, but Lucian installed a voice changer.” She worried her lip. “Last night, a woman asked what kind of trouble you have to be in to call. When I asked about her situation, she hung up.”
I stared into the massive garage. “Is there anything you can do to find them?”
“Lucian said we could trace the number, but that feels like an invasion of privacy. We can’t force victims out of a situation if they’re not ready to ask for help. That’s what the hotline is for; it gives them someone to talk to when they have no one else. Hopefully it wasn’t anything serious. Maybe they were just curious.” When we got out of the car, she looked at the light shining from beneath the gym door. “Archer’s in there, so… I’ll catch up with you later.”
On my walk to the house, I witnessed Catcher skidding around the corner to assess the situation.
“It’s just me,” I informed him. “Little ol’ me.”
