Devil May Cry Chronicles
Zade stepped out of the hospital room and let the door click shut behind him. His shoulders were tight and his jaw set. The sound of her voice still echoes in his head.
That woman, lying there, acting weak but spitting sarcasm like she had nothing to lose.
Marcus fell into step beside him, watching cautiously. "You look like you're about to kill someone,Boss."
"I might," Zade muttered.
"Can I suggest not that patient you almost flattened with your car?" Marcus asked lightly.
Zade cut him a glare that could have gutted steel. "You think this is funny?"
"Not funny," Marcus said quickly, though his mouth twitched. "Just unusual. Most people beg to be in your good graces. She's the first person I've ever seen who seems happier throwing knives at you."
"She's not throwing knives," Zade growled. "She's hiding something."
Marcus shrugged. "Maybe she's just pissed you dented her with a sports car."
Zade stopped walking and turned fully,his height casting a shadow over his right hand man. *I don't miss meetings,Marcus. I don't take risks and I don't believe in coincidence. A woman with no name and no past steps in front of my car and now I'm supposed to think she's just unlucky? No." His voice dropped lower. "She's here for a reason."
Marcus nodded, though his eyes gleamed with mischief. "Well,whoever sent her must have a death wish. She nearly hit her head off in there. I almost respect her."
"Well Respect her less and dig faster," Zade snapped at him.
Marcus smirked. "Already working on it. But if you want to dig faster,maybe don't assign half the team to teach down your missing cufflinks from last week.."
Zade's phone rang, cutting him off. He pulled it from his pocket. The name flashing across the screen made his eyes narrow at it.
It was Aaron.
He swiped to answer. "You're late," his brother's voice came sharp and accusing. "The meeting started an hour ago. Where the hell are you?"
"I was delayed," Zade said flatly.
"Delayed by what? There's not a single thing more important than this deal."
"I ran someone over," Zade said,his tone was cold and matter-of-fact.
Silence on the other end,then a sharp laugh. "You did what?"
Zade voice didn't change. "She stepped in front of the car and I bought her here."
"Christ,Zade. Since when do you play babysitter?"
"I'm not." He glanced back at the closed door down the hall. "She's not just anyone. I'll explain later."
Aaron's voice hardened. "You'd better. The others are asking questions."
The line went dead.
Zade slipped the phone back into his pocket. His pulse was steady but his mind wasn't. He hated loose ends and that woman was the biggest loose end he'd seen in years.
He turned to Marcus. "Find something. I don't care how deep you have to dig. If she's a ghost, I want to know who buried her."
Marcus raised both hands. "Fine, fine. But Boss…just saying…you sound obsessed already."
Zade's eyes sharpened. "Obsession keeps me alive. Now move."
Marcus shut his mouth and followed,but the smirk on his face didn't fade.
The knock came just before the door pushed open. A nurse wheeled in a tray,the scent of spices rising immediately. Melanie's stomach tightened at the sight of steaming food…Chinese friend rice,grilled chicken,lobster that burned her nose even before she lifted the lid.
Behind the nurse,Zade entered without a word,his tall frame filling the room. The nurse set the tray across her lap,smiled nervously and slipped out
Melanie lowered her head and picked up the spoon, letting the warmth hit her. She took a bite, savoring it more than she wanted him to see,then glance at him. "Why are you still here?"
Zade didn't move. His gaze stayed fixed on her.
"You don't have to babysit me" she said quietly. She took another bite,her eyes on the tray. "You almost killed me,sure,but you don't owe me anything."
Silence. His expression didn't shift
Melanie swallowed and kept going. "You can go. When the doctor says can I leave, I'll find my own way."
Zade's voice cut in at last. "With no memory?"
She set the spoon down and lifted her eyes to him. I have hands,I have two walking feet. I'll be just fine."
His gaze sharpened. "The city is dangerous."
Melanie let out a short laugh,bitter around the edges. "As long as men like you aren't close to me,I'll be fine."
Something flickered in his eyes. "Men like me?"
"Yes," she said steadily. "Men like you. I heard the nurses talking, about you. About your family. About who you are "
For the first time,his jaw flexed in irritation. He stepped closer,his eyes narrowing. "And what exactly did you hear?"
Before she could answer,the door opened again and the doctor stepped in with a clipboard.
"She's stable," the doctor said briskly. "She can be discharged tommorrow morning."
Zade gave one short nod. "I'll be back then."
Melanie lowered her gaze to the tray. "You don't have to," she murmured,not looking at him.
He stood still,staring at for several long seconds. The air between them grew heavy. Then,without a word,he turned and walked out,shutting the door softly behind him.
Melanie's hand trembled slightly as she set the spoon down. Her chest tightened. She didn't know what he was planning and that scared her more than his questions.
Her thoughts went immediately to get daughter, Kimberly. "Please,let her be safe,let her be fine with Aunt Clara." She clasped her hands together under the blanket, whispering silent prayers. "I'll come back for you. I promise."
Zade didn't head straight to the elevators. He stopped at the far end of the corridor,his hands sliding into this pocket with a hardened expression
Her words replayed in his mind. "As long as men like you aren't close to me,I'll be fine."
He clenched his jaw tightly. Most people flinched in his presence,most begged,bargained or stay silent. But she…she looked him in the eye and called him dangerous like it was a matter of fact written in stone.
And then she had the never to say she had heard about his family.
That wasn't something he could ignore.
Marcus approached him quietly. "Boss?"
Zade didn't look at him right away. "She knows who we are."
Marcus frowned. "She said that?"
"She said she overheard the nurses. But she was too comfortable saying it." Zade's eyes narrowed. "That kind of boldness doesn't come from eavesdropping. She's not ordinary."
Marcus hesitated. "You think she was planted?"
"I don't think," Zade said. "I know she's not what she claims."
Marcus lifted his brows. "Then why not walk away? Leave her here,let her disappear back into whatever hole she crawled from."
Zade finally turned to him,his gaze sharp. "Because if I walk away now,I'll never know the truth and I don't like not knowing. I hate to let unknowns walk around breathing."
Marcus let out a low whistle. "She really got under your skin."
"Watch yourself," Zade warned.
"Just saying," Marcus muttered,though a faint smirk tugged at his mouth. "You've had senators sweating in front of you,cartel bosses shaking…but one battered woman in a hospital bed is what's got you pacing a corridor at midnight. I'll have to write that down."
Zade's glare shut him up fast
Zade exhaled slowly,forcing some calm and control back into his voice. "Prepare the house. She's coming with me tomorrow."
Marcus blinked at him surprised. "You're serious."
"I want her where I can see her."
Marcus scratched the back of his neck. "And if she's bait?"
"Then I'll cut the line myself." Zade's gaze lingered on the door to her room one last time. "Either way,she won't slip past me."