“Are you comfortable? Do you need anything else?” Nick asked a resting Melissa.
Melissa finally came home from the hospital and Nick was doing everything he could to make her comfortable. However, he was driving Melissa crazy, worrying about her so much.
“Nick, I’m fine thank you.”
“What about something to eat or drink?”
“Nick I’m still full from dinner, stop worrying, I’m okay.”
“I can’t help it, I love you.”
“Come here.” Nick sat down on the bed facing her. “I love you so much and I love that you want to take care of me, but I’m fine.”
“Sorry, it just that I was so close to losing you.”
“I know, but I’m here with you and I’m not going anywhere.” She stated grabbing his hand.
“Good, I love you.” He said caressing her cheek with his hand.
“I love you. There is something you can do for me.”
“What, I’ll do anything.”
“Lay with me; hold me in your arms.” Nick laid next to her and wrapped his arms around her.
“Are you tired?”
“No, I just wanted to feel your arms around me.”
“It feels so good to be able to hold you.”
“How does this feel?” She asked kissing him. Nick returned the kiss and pulled her closer.
“We should stop, you are still recovering.”
“Would you stop worrying and just kiss your fiancée?” Nick smiled and pulled her in for a kiss. With each kiss, the intense in them grew, causing Nick and Melissa to become breathless.
“Okay we really need to stop.”
“Nick, I know my body.” She stated softly as she unbuttoned his shirt. “I know what it can handle.” She pushed his shirt off his shoulders. “And what it can’t.” Her hands ran up and down his bare chest. “I want to make love with my fiancé.” Finally her hands reached the button on his pants. “Are you really going to deny me that?” Nick’s breathing increased rapidly when she touched him. He wanted to make love to her, but he was worried about her health.
“Are you sure you are okay?” He asked brushing back her hair. She captured his lips in a passionate kiss and Nick found himself returning it.
They made love throughout the night, remembering each other’s bodies. Nick watched her sleep, feeling his heart full of love, love for this woman.
“God, please help me keep her safe. I can’t lose her, she’s my life.” He stated quietly then he pulled her close to him. He kissed her neck and then closed his eyes.
“Wake up Angel.” Nick stated caressing her cheek.
“Morning.” She said slowly opening her eyes.
“Actually honey, its one in the afternoon.”
“Really, wow, why did you let me sleep that long?”
“You needed your rest. You had a long night.”
Melissa smiled at him. “It was perfect. I was with you.”
Nick grinned at her and then kissed her slowly. “Are you hungry?”
“For you, yes.” She pulled him down and captured his lips.
“Angel, you know I find you irresistible, but you should eat something.”
“Fine, dad.” Nick laughed as she sat up in the bed. “Nick did you get that prescription filled from Dr. Newman?”
“What prescription?”
“The one I’m supposed to take so I don’t have any complications from the GHB.”
Nick sighed and shook his head no. “No, I forgot, sorry Angel.”
“It’s okay Nick. I kind of kept you busy last night.”
“Yes, you did. I’ll get the prescription filled now…wait I can’t leave you alone. The gang went shopping for the day, you shouldn’t be alone.”
“Well, isn’t Darrell here?”
“Yeah, he’s checking around the house.”
“Well then I’ll be fine.”
“I don’t know Mel. I don’t like the idea of leaving you.”
“I’ll be fine, go I’ll be here waiting for you.”
“Alright, I shouldn’t be long.” Nick got up and grabbed his keys. “I love you, Angel.” He kissed her sweetly and gently.
“I love you.”
Before Nick left, he told Darrell to keep a close eye on Melissa. Darrell promised to watch over her and Nick felt more at peace as he left.
“The boyfriend just left.”
“Good, you know what to do.”
“Yes.” Then he hung up the phone as he watched Nick leave.
Melissa had changed out of her pajamas and into jeans and a lavender v-neck tee shirt. She laid back down on the bed and read a magazine, when she heard a noise in the house. She slipped on her flip flops and opened the door of the bedroom.
“Nick, is that you?” She continued down the hall as her heart raced. “Nick?”
“No, Mel its Darrell. Sorry I dropped my cell phone.”
“It’s okay Darrell.”
“Are you okay, do you need anything?”
“No, I’m fine, thanks. I’m just going to wait for Nick in the bedroom.”
“Okay, if you need anything, just yell.”
“Thanks.” Melissa entered the bedroom and shut the door. She plopped down on the bed and reached for the remote for the TV. She turned it on and flipped through the channel.
“Boring, dumb, seen it, don’t want to see it.” She turned the TV off and laid back down on the bed. It was then she heard a loud thud from downstairs. She sat up and yelled to Darrell. “Darrell is that you?” He didn’t respond. “Maybe he can’t hear me.” She slowly walked over to the door and cracked it open. “Darrell?” He still didn’t respond. “Get a grip Mel, you are safe.” She exited the room and walked down the hallway.
“Darrell, are you down there?” She reached the top of the stairs and looked down to where she saw Darrell last. “Oh my god, Darrell!” She yelled as she saw him laying on the floor with his head bleeding. Melissa slowly walked back to the bedroom and shut the door. She ran over to the phone to call for help when someone placed a rag over her mouth. She struggled to break free from the person’s grasp. As she fought with the intruder, they knocked over the phone on the night stand. No matter how hard she fought, her trespasser was too strong. She tried to scream, but the fumes from the rag made the world turn blurry. With her last bit of strength, Melissa ripped off her necklace, hoping someone would notice it, and then everything went black.
“Mel, I’m back and I brought lunch!” He yelled as he entered the house. Just then he saw a lifeless Darrell on the floor. “Darrell, Darrell, are you alright?” Nick checked for a pulse and found one. “Hang on man, I’ll call for help.” Nick grabbed his cell phone and dial 911.
“Yes, I have a man that has an injury to the head. The address is 5047 Ocean drive, the first beach house. Please hurry.” Nick closed his cell phone. “Hang on man, help is coming.” Just then Nick’s thoughts went to Melissa. “Mel, Mel, are you up there?” A horrible feeling overcame him as he ran up the stairs to the bedroom they shared. “Mel, honey, please come out! It’s Nick, Angel. You are safe.” When she didn’t come out, Nick’s fear grew. Then he noticed the knocked over phone and then he saw her necklace.
“You still have this!” He said touching the opal necklace.
“Of course I do, you got it for me. I never take it off that way I always have a piece of you no matter where you are. It makes me feel closer to you.”
“NOOO! MEL!!” Nick yelled when he knew that something had happened to her.
“Nick what in the hell is going on?” AJ asked as he entered the bedroom. “Darrell is on the floor, bleeding. Where’s Mel?”
“He has her.”
“He, you mean Adam?” Nick nodded clutching her necklace tightly.
“Did you call the police?”
“They are on their way.” He stated softly, he couldn’t believe she was gone.
The police came and Nick told them everything that happened. He even told them that he knew who took Melissa. The officers took all of his information and said they would let them know if they find anything. Darrell was taken to the hospital; he had to get stitches to close his wound. The police left after an hour, leaving the gang alone. Nick sat on the sofa, emotionless. No one knew what to say to him.
Nick could feel their eyes on him. “I know what you all are thinking. I didn’t protect her.”
“Nick, no one is thinking that.” AJ stated.
Nick stood up and glanced at them. “Well, I’m thinking that. I should have known. I shouldn’t have left her alone.”
“She wasn’t alone, Darrell was here.”
“I should have been here. I shouldn’t have left.”
“Nick, you had no idea that this was going to happen. You shouldn’t blame yourself.”
Nick stood up and walked over to AJ. “I shouldn’t blame myself! I shouldn’t blame myself! That sick freak has Mel and I don’t know what the hell he is doing to her! He could be torturing her, hurting her, killing her.” He softly said the last part.
“Nick please!” Julie cried as Jonathon held her.
“Nick you need to calm down. You’re upsetting Jules.” AJ touched Nick’s shoulder.
“Calm down! Explain to me how I’m supposed to calm down? I promised her I would protect her! I left for only a couple of minutes and look what happened!” All of his anger ran through his body as images of Melissa suffering at the hands of Adam entered his mind. “DAMN YOU ADAM!” Nick knocked the items on the coffee table besides the sofa. “DAMN YOU!” He picked up the end of the table and flung it over.
Groggily she opened her eyes, slowly everything came into focus. “Where in the hell am I?” She looked around the room. The building appeared old and run down, some kind of warehouse. There were stairs leading to a second level where there seemed to be two rooms. Pieces of rusty machinery and some crates were placed around the lower level.
She tried to move her hands, but couldn’t. “What’s going on?” She struggled to break free, and then she remembered that someone had grabbed her. “Adam.” She said to herself, she knew it was him. She glanced around, trying to see any movement. Nothing, but she knew he was here.
“Adam! I know you are the one who brought me here, so why don’t you show yourself!” She yelled.
“Well, look who is finally awake!” Adam stated coming down from the stairs.
“Let me go now!”
He snickered at her request. “It’s not going to happen, Mel. I had to do a lot of work to get you here, so there’s no way I’m letting you go.”
“What are you going to do to me?”
He walked over to her and came in close to her face. “We are going to have some fun, just you and me.” He smiled that same cocky grin. It sent chills down her spine.
Nick had retreated to his and Melissa’s bedroom after his outburst. He needed to be alone. He sat on the bed with his head in his hands, still clutching her necklace.
“I’m so sorry Mel, I couldn’t protect you.” He wiped back some tears that had escaped from his eyes. He looked at her necklace as it dangled from his right hand. “I won’t give up till I bring you back, Angel. I’ll bring you back alive or Adam will die!”
Knock…Knock.
“Nick, someone is downstairs that wants to help.” Howie stated and then headed back down. He wiped the last of his tears and followed Howie.
“Officer Garner.”
“Mr. Carter. I’m so sorry about Ms. Barnes, I came here to help.”
“Thank you. The officers that showed up earlier told me they couldn’t do anything till she has been missing for 24 hours. We need to start looking for her now.”
“I’m already ahead of you. I pulled Adam O’Neil financial records for the past month.”
“Did you find anything valuable?” Jonathon asked as the group gathered about the kitchen table.
“Not much, but Adam brought a cell phone and he has called repeatedly one number. “
“What are we waiting for, let’s call that number.” Nick said reaching for the cordless phone.
“No, Nick if we do that, we could scare off the person. And that person might have or know where Ms. Barnes is.”
“So what do we do?” Alyssa asked holding onto Howie’s arm.
“I have a friend searching the cell phone records to find a name. Once we have a name and address, we will bring him or her for questioning.”
“That’s it?” Nick asked getting frustrated.
“Yes, Nick. We have to go by the book if we want the case to stick against Adam.”
“I don’t care about the case against him, I just want Mel back.”
“We all do Nick.” Julie said placing her hand on his shoulder. Officer Garner’s cell phone rang.
“Hello? Yes and? That’s it? Okay thanks.” He placed his cell back in his pocket. “The number belongs to a clone cell, there is no way we can track it.”
“DAMN IT! What else could go wrong?”
Knock…Knock.
Jeni answered the door and saw two people standing there. “Can I help you?”
“We are looking for Nick Carter!” The tall build man said.
“Right now, isn’t a great time.”
“We want to see Nick now!” The man stated with anger.
“Please, it is very important.” The woman with dark brown asked.
“Alright, come in.” They entered the house. “Nick, there are people here to see you.”
Nick turned and saw the two people standing there. “Mr. and Mrs. Barnes.”
