Page 31 of Love Me Darkly
“Oh, God,” she whimpered, closing her eyes. “Oh, God. No … no.”
He narrowed his eyes and catalogued every nuance of her reaction. Was that guilt he detected swirling with the fear in her eyes? Or something else?
“I knew it,” she whispered, shaking her head. “I knew something wasn’t right about you.”
Mateo snorted. “And I know there isn’t something right about you. Who are you, really?”
She jutted out her chin in a way that made Mateo want to bite it, before consuming her mouth. “Melody Johnson.”
“Bullshit.”
Grunting in frustration, she stomped one foot. “Look, I can’t do this anymore. Tell me what you want and then get out.”
“I want the truth, Melody. Suede, Wilson, and Morrison. How do you know them?”
She crossed her arms over her chest. “They hang out at the club at least three nights a week. I’m almost always on VIP, so they know me by name. That’s all.”
Mateo snapped his credentials closed and shoved them back into his pocket. “So, a pimp, a dirty cop, and a shipping magnate walk into a bar?—”
“What my customers do outside the club is none of my business.”
“And what about what goes on inside the club? Incriminating conversations? Back-room dealings?”
She backed away from him, clearing the bathroom door. “I don’t know what you have on these guys, but I can promise you it’s only the tip of the iceberg. You have no idea what you’re getting yourself into.”
Was that a threat? There was no underlying menace in her words, but he couldn’t ignore the gravity in her tone. There was also the fact that she looked downright terrified. Mateo followed her out of the bathroom, taking a forward step for each of her backward ones. He tracked her into the living room until she came against the coffee table, arms wheeling as she went off balance. Mateo grasped her by the waist to steady her, but found himself unable to let go once his hands had made contact. She was so fragile in his hold, slender and trembling. His suspicion that she was in some kind of trouble reached its peak. A person with dirty hands would be defensive, answering his questions with questions and dissembling.
Melody did none of those things. She only looked at him with wide eyes and said, “If they even suspect you’re on to them, it’s already too late.”
Mateo tightened his hold and pulled her closer. “How would you know that?”
She bit her lip and cast her eyes down. “I can’t tell you.”
Mateo heaved a sigh, possessed with the urge to shake her. “Why not?”
“Because I have to look out for myself. It’s the only way I know to stay alive.”
Mateo’s eyebrows snapped together, and he searched for her eyes, for the truth. He had thought coming here would show him what he could not see. For sure, he had confirmed what he’d known all along. Melody wasn’t who she claimed to be. But that was as far as his visit to the apartment had taken him. There was nothing else; not unless he could get her to open up to him.
“If you tell me what you know, I can protect you.”
She laughed, the sound dry and humorless. Her hands came up to his chest, pushing as if to create some distance between them. Mateo refused to let go, molding her so tight against him he could feel her heartbeat. It hammered as fast and wild as his, pounding against her ribs.
“You aren’t the first man to promise me protection,” she snarled. “You aren’t even the first one with a badge. In the end, no man has ever given me anything without taking from me in return, and I always come out on the shit end when it’s all over.”
Something deep within him reacted viscerally to the vulnerability in her gaze. He still wanted to shake her, but when he was finished he wanted to pull her against his body and hold her tight. It was the headiest, most ridiculous thing he’d ever felt. He wasn’t certain how to feel about it.
“You underestimate the amount of pull I have with the bureau. I could have you in witness protection with a phone call.”
“Thanks, but I think I’ll take my chances.”
“With Suede, Wilson, and Morrison?’
She shook her head slowly, a warning in her gaze. “If you think that’s as deep as it goes, then I know you can’t protect me.”
Mateo growled his frustration. “This is the only warning you’re going to get. I’m coming for anyone involved the operation. My search on you hasn’t turned up anything … yet. But it will. And if I find out you’ve had anything to do with the trafficking, the drugs, the murders, I will take you down, too.”
Instead of continuing to fight him, Melody inched closer, putting her face nearly against his. There was a challenge lighting up her eyes, taunting him.
