Chapter 4 ~ Conspire

"Ryan." She managed to choke out his name. Seconds seemed to drag on as Melinda tried to quiet the noise thundering in her head and still the pounding of her heart. Taking a steadying breath, she managed to rasp. "What are you doing here? It's the middle of the night!"


Ryan shifted his gaze from Melinda to the little girl allowing his attention to linger on her small face before sliding his eyes back to Melinda. "Is there somewhere we can talk?" His voice was flat, emotionless and dour.

"Yes, of course, let me just get Thalia settled back in bed and put something on. You can wait down there." Mel inclined her head toward the stairs that led to the lower floor of the house and started for the stairs leading up.

Thalia stood rooted to her spot, an uncharacteristically stubborn act and despite her mother's repeated pleas urging her to follow as she disappeared up the stairs. Choosing instead to stare at the large man who stood in the foyer she whispered so as not to be heard by her mother. "Are you my father?"

Several moments passed until he gently shook his head. Ryan's face softened for the briefest of moments, "I'm not your father."

Without a word, Thalia turned quickly and padded up the stairs behind her mother.


Melinda made her way downstairs and walked quietly toward Ryan. His stance was rigid and tense as he idly twirled the ice in his glass and stared out beyond the beach. She gently placed her hand on his shoulder and spoke. "I see you found the Scotch."

As Ryan turned toward her she was struck head on by the fatigue and sadness that was in his eyes. "I was a little surprised you had a bottle of Glenfidditch behind the bar. As I recall you were always a gin drinker." A brief attempt at a smile was immediately wiped away.

"And I don't recall you taking yours with ice but then a lot has changed hasn't it?"

Ryan walked away from her, leaned on the massage table as if testing its ability to support him and drew a deep breath. "I ran out on you the last time we talked. As I recall you needed my help and it turns out I need a job. Let's talk."

After building a small fire, they sat on the rug each nursing a cocktail. Ryan sat quietly listening as Melinda explained her situation in detail. "I have no way of knowing how much Damian owed Deacon or why but I am afraid to call his bluff. I have managed to appease him with some payments but he comes around more often, he intimidates the girls as well as my clients and I know he is going to try and worm his way into my business using me in the process. I worked too hard to get where I am; my days of earning a living on my back are over and I'll be damned if I let him take it."

She looked in Ryan's eyes wary of trusting him or any man for that matter but she was out of options. "You may not like what I became but I did what I had to do to survive. Damian left me with nothing, that bitch he shacked up with had enough money to fight me for years in court over support and threatened to take Thalia if I didn't let it go. I didn't have anything left except her and I couldn't let that happen, Ryan, not my baby."

She fell silent toying with the loose pile of carpet before speaking again. "Deacon threatened Thalia, he said he would...do things...I don't care what he does to me Ryan, it won't be any worse than what I've already done but not my little girl." Melinda paused, drew a shaky breath and lifted her eyes to Ryan once more. "He murdered Damian, you know how they found him. I can't let him touch my little girl. I don't know what to do Ryan and I need help."

"You need to go to the cops and let them do their job Mel. I still don't know where I come in with all this."

Frustrated, Melinda stood and paced back and forth. "I can't do that Ryan. It's too risky! He could be watching me, for all I know he could have seen you come here! There must be something you can do, get information, or find a loop hole, anything! Ryan, I'm scared, more scared than I have ever been."

"Mel..." Ryan rose and walked toward her shaking his head. He tried to comfort her but she slapped his hands away.

"I don't need comforting; I need Deacon Angelis out of my life! You're trained, Special Ops, handled counter-terrorism and all kinds of unconventional shit I probably don't want to know about. I know this from all those stories you and Damian used to tell. I know what you are capable of Ryan. I am begging you to help me somehow!"

"Melinda there is no guarantee that dealing with Angelis will end your problems. Someone far worse could come after you! Do you even know how deep this guy goes?"

"That's what I hoped you could find out Ryan. I know enough about him to know that he answers to no one. He's an evil man Ryan, sick and twisted." She was coming unglued. Melinda held her breath until she could focus and then spoke in a muted but determined voice. "You cut off its head and the snake can't bite you anymore."

Ryan moved close to her, his expression was hard and tight, "And you want me to take off his head...this could get really ugly Mel."

"Will you do it?" Melinda watched for any sign of reluctance or hesitation, prepared to push it until he agreed. He was her only hope and she knew how dark he could go. She needed that. She watched as his broad chest expanded with each deep breath he took and waited.

"I can't have a paper trail that connects us. If I do this, I'm going in deep. You know what I cost and you can tack on half again as much. I also need your assurance that...if things go south; you'll make sure my kid is taken care of financially and otherwise. I don't...have anyone else."

"Done." Melinda wanted the strength his arms would offer if they held her. She wrapped her own arms around her instead. "Thank you Ryan and please, be safe."