Page 25 of Melt for Me (The Last Snow of the Season 1)

Chapter Sixteen

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Jag

My heart is still beating too fast. When I got the first call from Milly, and no one answered I went crazy. I knew I shouldn't have left her. I shouldn't have walked away. Not from Milly. Thank God, she only lives fifteen minutes away from my house. I must have broken every speeding law getting there too. I gave her a day and that is all I can give her. She's coming home with me.

I could hear someone tossing her place as soon as I got here. Without thinking I broke through the front door ready for blood. By the time I got in, the person was gone and all I was worried about was finding Milly. I found her in a bedroom hiding. She had tears streaming down her cheeks and looked white as a ghost. It broke my heart. And made me want to commit murder.

She's slouching against Rani when Mark and I come back in. "You can't stay here. You have to come stay with me."

"My mom?" Milly's voice seems panicky.

"Rani why don't you call Milly's mom and tell her what's happened. See if she has somewhere else to stay for a couple of days until we get some better security on the building and for the apartment."

Before Rani can give me a nod, Milly is speaking, "I should be the one calling. I don't want her to think I'm hurt or anything."

"You need to spend that time packing."

This time I'm agreeing with Rani. "She's right. You need to start packing a bag."

Her gaze holds mine for a second before finally nodding.

"I'll tell her you're going to be with me, Milly. So she won't worry about you."

"Actually, she'll be staying with me." Both girls stop what they are doing to look at me. Milly stops reaching for a duffel bag in her closet and Rani halts right where she is halfway between the bed and the door.

"What now?"

"You can tell her she will be staying with me."

"Let's see, I can tell her mom she's staying with her best friend who would rather die than let something happen to her and has a police detective for a fiancé or I can tell her she can go with some guy she just met days ago. Which one do you think will put her heart at rest?"

"Probably the guy who's willing to kill for her and has the gun to do it. Not to mention she will be sleeping with a police detective and not just around one."

"What?"

I walk over to Milly and help her take the bag down. "I missed you last night. I don't want to go another night missing you. Come home with me, so I can keep you safe."

"I can't just come home with you." She looks over at where Rani is standing. "I don't know you."

"But you trust me and some part of you must know that because you wouldn't have been anywhere near me at that cabin if you didn't." I drop my voice and move closer to her, "You would have never let me touch your sweet body if you didn't trust who I was. Let me make sure you're safe. If you don't want to come home with me, I'll just have to stay at Charlie's if you go with Rani. You know that's where she's going to go."

She shoots a look at Rani who looks slightly guilty.

"You want me to stay with you at Charlie's?"

"Well," she looks like she might not want to answer, "Charlie doesn't want me out of his sight until this whole murder thing is taken care of. He says my mom and dad's house isn't the most 'secure'." She uses her fingers to highlight the word secure letting me and Milly know this is an exact quote from Charlie himself.

"I can't stay with you and Charlie. It...I'll just be a third wheel. I'll be in your way."

"Stay with me. Let me keep you safe. You don't even have to sleep in the same room with me just as long as you're under my roof so I can protect you."

"How can we be sure this is even related to the murder? This could just be a stupid coincidence."

This time both me and Rani give her an unbelievable look.

"You won't push for something...?"

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