Chapter 34: Thirty-Four

She couldn’t believe in what was going on. No. Her worst nightmare was coming to life and sooner than she expected. Melina was right, as much as she would like to give Henry a chance. He was a threat to their lives. She fought so hard to build a haven for both of them. What for? Everything was disintegrating in front of her eyes.

“Are you certain, Darryl? Did you search around the house?”

“Yes, boss. She was playing on the terrace, not so long ago.”

The conversation voice filtered into Melina’s vague thoughts, and she sprinted into action. “Giagiá, where did you see her last? Where are the cats?” She asked, grabbing the old lady by the hand and pulling them out of Henry’s house.

“Just like he said, Melina. She was on the terrace, where she always stays. The little gate is open and I haven’t seen the cats.”

“Do you think she got out? The cats would have diverted her from the gate, they would never let her cross it.”

Melina heard the heavy footsteps from Henry and his man, coming not so far behind them. She was doing her best to hold herself in one piece. She was praying the girl was holed up somewhere playing with the cats. Never in her life has her chest felt so painful and constricted, as if she was about to have a stroke. Evangeline had to be somewhere and all of this was just a freaking joke, nothing else. She had to believe that, or she would collapse.

Once they were on the premises of her house, she called for Eve and the cats, but the entire place was silent. Usually the little girl would come running, open arms to her, but not today. Her heart fell into her stomach. She didn’t wait for anyone, going straight to the terrace and to the little gate. A low, struggling meow filled the air and Melina muffled a scream, running as fast as her legs could take her. Fallen half body behind a bush near the short wall was Socks, and a little far ahead of him was Lina.

“OH GOD!!! No. No. No. Please! Don’t let it be!” She pulled the little body to her, checking Socks. He was barely breathing, his gums were white, he had vomited all over himself and by the way his pupils got dilated it was all the signs of poisoning. Tears flooded her eyes and a deep, dark anger spread to her soul. Who could do such an atrocity to harmless creatures? Melina had to keep her calm. She didn’t have time to explode as she needed a sane mind to save her little girl and the cats. “Stay with me, big guy. I’m gonna make you better. Stay strong.” She pleaded and petted him, then dashed to Lina. The same signs of poisoning.

God wasn’t on his side, Henry thought with bitterness. Maybe he had done so much shit in his life that the Lord above just abandoned him to his own luck. There were two of his most skilled guys on the property. He didn’t get how his daughter could go missing!

Melina was his worry for the moment. She was holding herself strong. Fury and concern stamped her face. But the accusation in those chocolaty eyes every time she glanced at him was the same as a spear crossing his chest, tearing a hole in him. Disappointment settled in and his face turned into granite as he stared at her. Henry turned on his heels, hands into a fist on his sides as he yelled.

“Darryl, you and Josh search the house again and go to the streets. Eli stays with Mrs. Elissa. I will take Melina to the clinic with the cats, then I’ll join you.” He barked the orders, his movements functional and precise. He had a grim twist to his mouth as he walked to the cat, getting him in his arms and turning to Melina. “Come, let’s get my truck.” He marched away from her.

“Giagiá…” Melina whined, showing her first sign of distress.

“He’s in charge. Let him find our little girl while you save Eve’s furry friends, child. I’ll be here for you when all this ends. Now go.” Giagiá kissed Melina with a teary face. Her granddaughter nodded and followed behind Henry with a limp Lina nestled in her chest.

They got into the car, both cats in the back seat. A turmoil was going on in Melina's mind. Eve wasn’t on the streets. Someone had her little girl, someone using them to get back at Henry. The only thing crowding her thoughts was the fact that shit wouldn’t be happening if he hadn’t found them. She was Greek, and thinking about it now, leaving for Greece was too obvious.

He must have seen something on her face, because after she stared at him while checking the cats by the wall, those pools of honey had lost their warmth and were glassy, cold, sending chills to Melina's spine. She had never seen his eyes lose their fire. The brief trip to the clinic was made in deafening, awkward silence and peeking at him. His posture was hard and never once he glanced at her, keeping his eyes on the road.

Thank Lord, it was a Sunday and there was no one at the clinic, only Karissa and a few patients admitted for further treatments. Her eyes were the size of saucers when she saw Melina rushing inside with the two cats.

“What happened, Melina?!”

“Come, I don’t have time to explain. They got poisoned and we’re losing them. Come with me!” They dashed into the treatment room. She put Socks on the table, and once Henry settled Lina down, she said, “Go and get my daughter back, or I’ll never forgive you, Henry!” She gritted out, her tone dripping with contempt. Melina dismissed him, going back to the cats. He was there for a few minutes as if frozen in place, then she heard his hard footsteps marching out of the clinic as her heart sank even more in her chest.

***

Henry came out of the clinic with a humorless smile on his lips, and with deadly eyes on his face. When did things go so wrong? Melina dared to hold him accountable for their daughter’s disappearance. She came to him last night to give him a chance, and at first opportunity she treated him like a cold-blooded monster. Maybe it was time for her to really meet the monster behind the man. Shaking his head, he pulled his phone from his pocket and punched in a contact.

“Yes, boss.” A dark, booming voice answered.

“Rick, book tickets for the entire crew. I need you here. Someone is using Melina to get at me. And the bastard just messed with my daughter. I want you here as soon as tomorrow night. I don’t care how you do it.” He sneered into the phone. It wasn’t the guy's fault, but he couldn’t help himself.

“We’ll be there!”

It was the only response before they disconnected. Vacation time was over, he thought as he headed to the car. He had to find his little princess and if she came back with a scratch in her delicate body, he would move heaven and hell, but the asshole who dared to put his hands on his daughter got himself a terribly painful and slow death. Close to the car, he punched Darryl on the phone.

“Where are you, Darryl?” he barked on the phone.

“Boss, we’re by Perissa beach. We got info from some tourists. They saw a brunette with a distressed child a while ago.”

“But they can be mother and daughter. How do you know it could be them?”

“The child was calling for her mother, boss.” Darryl became silent. Then he was talking to Josh. “Boss, I think we found them. Better you come down here, we have a bit of a problem.”

“Don’t approach them, but don’t let them get out of your sight. I’ll be the one dealing with the situation. Send me your location on my phone.” He disconnected and jumped behind the wheel. It was a chilly fall day, but the sun was bright in the sky. He put his shades on and maneuvered the car, following Darryl’s directions.

He didn’t know what he felt at that moment. Relief was one of them. They found his baby girl, and it seemed she was fine. But rage took over his mind, and he was too eager to put his hands on this woman and make her suffer. His mind wandered back to Melina and the recrimination in her face. She looked at him with such acrimony that she managed to wake up the beast in him.

It didn’t matter if he wasn’t guilty about the terrible things that happened in their life. Melina had already passed her sentence on him a long time ago, and it hurt, because since her kidnapping to the day she fled, his life was to watch over her like a hawk, so Franco didn’t get his hands on her again. Then he did nothing else but search the corners of this world to find her. What a pleasant surprise when he found her. The little minx wasn’t as innocent as he thought. The little liar hid the fact they had a daughter together.

A beautiful, intelligent little girl, full of life and impossible not to fall in love with. Melina was in for a rude awakening, but before, he was going to take care of whoever threatened them. He parked the car, and Josh was waiting for him on the sidewalk. Stepping out of the car, even in simple faded jeans and a black t-shirt, he exuded power.

“They are by a table under a beach umbrella, Hank.” Josh led the way.

He walked with sure steps, wearing death on his face. People turned heads to stare at him. He knew it wasn’t because of his good looks, but the way he carried himself with the confidence of a tiger, once more in the mobster's skin he once was. Getting close, an animated conversation was taking place and Eve had her face stuffed with ice cream. But what took him aback was the brunette beside his blabbering daughter.

“What a pleasant surprise, finding you here at the beach in the company of my daughter, Gabriella!” His tone was hard and cold as steel and shooting at the woman with his eyes.