Page 47 of The Hitch
"That isn't what I meant, sir. I meant theothersupplies. The kind that goes into her arm and makes her less… volatile."
Oh. Right. "Unnecessary. She has been very compliant."
I'd never admit it to Roman, let alone anyone else on this earth, but I completely forgot about the sedatives. It was like a switch had been flipped. She went from fighting me at every turn, baring her teeth like a trapped animal, to… acceptance. I feel myself smile at the memory of her running through the house. Chasing her. Capturing her. Making hermine.
My cock stirs in my pants, and I stare up at the ceiling, tracing the patterns in the drop ceiling tiles. She's not even around to take care of this erection. I need it to go away.
"Compliant is not a word I'd ever thought you'd use for her, sir." Roman gently coughs and averts his gaze.
"Honestly? Me neither. But she's full of surprises."
I drift through the days on a cloud of… not love, but something close to it. Melody begs for my cock almost daily, and I'm overjoyed to give it to her. She even cracked Helena's professional shell—those women will be the death of me. I still trust her to take care of my wife. But it makes me… happy… to see their blossoming friendship.
It becomes a routine. I go to work with Roman, while Melody and Helena stayed at the house—or gallivanted around the city—but were always back home in time to greet me at the door. I'd never admit it to anyone, but my heart leaps in my chest every time Melody's thousand-watt smile graces me every evening.
Until today. Today, she barely looks up from the book she's reading on the couch when I enter the house. Her lip is bloodied and raw, like she's been chewing it nervously. I slump into thecouch cushions next to her and nuzzle her with a kiss to the cheek.
"Someone's watching the house," she whispers.
"Of course they are, love. That's what I pay Roman and his team for," I chuckle.
"No. Someone else. Helena didn't know them. We stayed here all day, and so did that car—I don't know what it is, but it's small and black. It's a few houses down. Dark tint. I'm…" She pauses. "I'm scared."
Rage floods through my veins like lava. "Did no one think to fucking tell me?" I whip my head around to Roman, who looks stunned.
"I messaged Roman," Helena offers. "I didn't hear back, I assumed… I don't know. I apologize, sir."
"Well?" I snap at Roman. His fingers are a blur as he swipes and taps on his phone screen, shaking his head.
"Nothing. There's nothing. Not in the encrypted channels, not in the regular messaging apps, nothing." He snaps his head up and stares at me. "Someone's intercepting our signals. They've jammed the lines. Fuck, they're probably in our systemsright now."
"Fuck. Fuck!" I rake my hands down my face and turn to Melody. "Get in the basement. Donotcome out until I say it's safe. Helena goes with you."
Melody looks stunned, her eyes wide with fear, but she nods and follows Helena to the back of the pantry. I only breathe a sigh of relief—however brief—when I hear the steel door shut with aclunk.
"Seraph. It has to be. No one else has this level of resources at their disposal." I curse under my breath. Roman nods and holds out his hand. I toss my phone to him and he catches it, quickly powering it off along with his own.
I race to the storage closet behind the stairs and pull out a sledgehammer, handing it over to Roman. Silently, he drops the devices onto the floor.
"Wait," I command. "Back door. Concrete."
He nods, and we sprint through the house to the kitchen, just outside the pantry. A thick, sturdy ledge of concrete leads to the minuscule backyard. I don't dare go outside—not yet—but Roman does and drops the phones again. Without hesitation, he brings the sledgehammer down. And again. And again. He doesn't stop until our phones are nothing but shattered glass and twisted metal.
"Was Marie here today?" He huffs out, leaning on the handle of the sledgehammer.
I shake my head. It's her day off. "She'll be back tomorrow."
"We need to ask her some questions." His glare is unnerving. My stomach twists, and I grimace. Marie has been my housekeeper for years. She worked for my parents, and I can't imagine her betraying me. Not like this.
"We'll talk to her tomorrow," I assure him.
"Unless she doesn't show up."
"If she doesn't show up, then we have our mole, don't we?" I rub my eyes and stifle a groan. "What about the computers?"
As soon as the words exit my mouth, Roman takes off towards the stairs, up to my home office. I follow silently, thoughts racing through my mind. Would Marie do this? Would Marie really betray me? She's a quiet woman. Dependable, or so I thought. Melody loves her fruit salads. Fuck, Melody. I can't imagine how scared she is right now, but I can't go to her. Not yet. We need to secure the house, everything.
Roman is already at my desk, having unlocked my computer. The only person on earth—other than me—who knows my passwords. He holds a copy of my encryption key. He gives me a sideways glance when he discovers the GPS tracking softwareand the camera feeds from Melody's old apartment. "You still need these?"
