Page 99 of Protected from Torment

It looks like Rafe is carefully choosing his words. “Melissa wasn’t feeling well. And she was upset. Crying.”

I stand so quickly, my chair shoots across the floor. “Crying?”

“Eden wanted her to call you,” Rafe explains. “Or barring that, stay at our place for a while. But Melissa was insistent that she wanted to leave.”

Pain slices into me.

Mel was upset. Crying. And she didn’t want to call me.

A beat later, the other thing Rafe said hits me. “She wasn’t feeling well? Why did Eden let her leave, then?”

Rafe gives me a warning look. “Eden didn’t do anything wrong. She asked Melissa to stay, but she couldn’t force her to.”

With an apologetic grimace, I quickly reply, “Sorry. I know she didn’t. But shit, Mel’s not feeling well, she’s upset…” Grabbing my phone, I pull up Mel’s number.

“Wait.” Rafe lifts his hand in a stop gesture. “Before you call her, let me just say something.”

“What?”

“I don’t know what’s going on between you two. But.” His expression turns earnest. “Ever since you met Melissa, you’ve been… different. Happier. And I want that for you.” Closing the distance between us, Rafe claps his hand on my shoulder. “If you care about her, figure out whatever’s upsetting her, and fix it.”

“I want to. I’m just not sure⁠—”

“You can. If you want her in your life, find a way to make it work.”

“I almost got her killed,” I blurt. “I’m not sure how to fix that.”

“But you protected her when it mattered,” he retorts. “Don’t you think I worry? Especially now that we have Amanda? But I’m not giving them up. I’m going to do whatever it takes to keep my family safe.” His gaze darkens. “I’ll do anything.”

“I have to call her,” I say. “I need to find out what’s going on. And then… Shit. I want to make it work with Mel. More than anything.”

Rafe lifts his chin at me. “Then do it.”

Feeling both worried and cautiously hopeful, I dial Mel’s number. While I wait for her to answer, I pace the office, too anxious to sit still. But four unanswered rings later, the call goes to voicemail. “Shit,” I mutter. “She’s not answering.”

Before trying again, I shoot off a text.

Hey, is everything okay? Can you call me? Please?

But a minute passes with no response. So I call again. And again.

Still nothing.

“She’s not answering,” I repeat. “Not my calls or texts.”

“Maybe she’s in the shower,” Rafe suggests. “Or she left her phone in a different room.”

Shoving my phone into my pocket, I head for the door. “I’m heading home to check on her. I’ll finish the security checks later.”

Rafe waves for me to go. “Of course. Check on Melissa.”

“Thanks,” I call over my shoulder.

“Call if you need anything,” he replies. “And Ty, it’s going to be okay.”

It’s going to be okay.

I keep telling myself that as I jog back to my cabin.