My Forbidden Mentor (34 page)

“Sweetheart, we’ll tell Robert the news later, together. Right now I need to see him alone.” His focus switched to the doctor. “Dr. Marlow, I realize we didn’t finish, but if you could continue with Melissa I would appreciate it. I shall return shortly.” John figured since the doctor hadn’t finished it would give him plenty of time to investigate Robert’s request and be back before he left.

“That’s fine. I’ve got time, Lord Blackburn.” Dr. Marlow informed John.

Something was wrong, she could tell, but she decided to trust John’s judgment and stay with the doctor.

John hated excluding Melissa, much less leaving her essentially alone, but Robert had made a point of him coming alone. It didn’t make sense and Robert had best have a damn good reason why.

It was a strange sensation but as John strode through the hotel lobby a familiar scent caught his attention. It wasn’t light and flowery like Melissa’s but smelled heavier, French-like. He disregarded the sensation, leaving the hotel and making his way through the crowd toward the track.

While John scanned the racetrack three times over with Robert nowhere to be found, Robert had followed Vanessa discreetly around the hotel, missing John’s leaving completely.

Robert was watching every move Vanessa made and so far she had gone back and forth between the lobby and her room, unsatisfied about this and that. When she went to her room for the fifth time Robert decided to wait in the lobby as he had grown tired of striding the stairs after her. Thankfully her room was on the opposite side of the hotel from their rooms. As Robert scanned one side of the lobby he didn’t see the server striding at a rushed pace right for him. When he turned around all he saw was a close up of the server’s widened eyes and then a tide of milk coming for his face. The server landed on the carpeted floor with the tray next to him, and Robert, who stood above him, held an expression of disbelief as he looked upon his own coat dripping with milk.

John was fuming. Was this some kind of blasted joke Robert was playing? He would definitely pay he thought as he reentered the hotel. The heavy perfumed scent still lingered in the air of the lobby but John dismissed his suspicions again as he approached the stairs, anxious to check on his fragile fiancé. Before he got to the first step though he heard his name being called out by a familiar voice.

“John. Over here.” He followed the voice to find Robert’s relieved features. Changing his direction, he strode toward Robert with the full intention and purpose of biting his head off about his harassing maneuver this morning.

“There you are,” John said as he was reaching Robert. Robert motioned him over toward a private corner of the lobby, the waiter following him with a towel. John was oblivious of Robert’s situation as anger took him over. “What the hell is the meaning behind this?” John asked with the note in hand.

Robert interrupted him. “John, I don’t have time for trivial talk.”

John became perturbed. After all, it was Robert who had caused the chaos this morning. John watched the waiter with impatience, his angered features clearly expressing his desire for privacy. It wasn’t until the poor waiter left that John noticed something had happened to Robert. “What the hell happened to you?”

“Nice of you to notice,” Robert replied, pausing as he looked toward the lobby, watching both stairways. He explained as his concentration stayed on everybody passing through. “That bloody idiot of a waiter ran into me. He didn’t pay attention to where he was going.”

John began laughing. “I’m sure it wasn’t on purpose.” His laughter was cut short when he noticed Robert acting intent and focused. “Who are you looking for?”

Robert, frustrated from getting diverted, answered with shortness. “Guess?”

John’s bewilderment faded as another whiff of that same familiar perfume drifted by his nostrils. “Vanessa,” John said knowingly.

Robert took a moment to reply. He thought he saw a blond head bop by but he was mistaken. “Yes, Vanessa. She’s just arrived. I’ve been keeping an eye on her. Luckily, her room is on the other side of the hotel from ours.”

This bitch is deadly serious, John thought, which confirmed the urgency of Robert’s message. “If this is what your message was about why did you want me to meet you at the track?” John asked out of curiosity.

Robert turned to face John. Robert wished he could have gotten a message off to John but he hadn’t dared lose sight of Vanessa. “I didn’t send you a message John. I would have but I didn’t want to lose the bitch.”

Every one of John’s nerves flared with new intensity, as Vanessa’s plan hit him all at once. If that note was a deterrent and if Robert lost sight of her, like when the waiter bumped into him, oh Lord, Melissa! He hoped the doctor still accompanied her and he prayed to God that Vanessa hadn’t gotten to her yet.

John started for the stairway to his room, telling Robert over his shoulder, “I’ve got to check on Melissa. She could be alone,” and he trailed off because he could no longer talk. His mind was rattled with the fear of not knowing how far Vanessa would go, what extreme measures she would pursue in her obsessive, jealous, maddening mind. Robert stayed close behind.

It had been less than five minutes since the doctor had left. Melissa had assured him that she would be fine, not wanting to keep him from his busy schedule, and she figured John would be back soon enough. Turning away from the door, elation consumed her. So many things had been cleared up in the last twenty-four hours and everything was magical. The man she loved also loved her. They were to be married. They were to have a child, a child they had created out of passion and love. Life couldn’t be much better.

There was a knock at the door and a charming voice on the other side of the door claimed to be room service.

Melissa’s trusting nature was now leading her down a corridor with Vanessa at her left side holding a concealed knife to her ribs. Melissa silently screamed for John while Vanessa told her on the way to the stairs that she planned to take her to her room across the way. Her plans included tying her up and keeping her there until she was ready to dispose of her. She promised Melissa one last time to see John, which would be while he and Vanessa made love in front of her, and then the real torture would begin.

Every time Melissa struggled Vanessa dug in deeper with the blade. When they reached the top of the stairs Melissa knew something had to be done before they got to Vanessa’s room. She wasn’t about to be hidden away from John so Vanessa could indulge in her warped fantasies.

Approaching the first step, Vanessa insisted, “Now smile pretty Miss Howard, so it seems that we are the closest of friends.” When Melissa didn’t respond, Vanessa was harsh. “Do it,” she told her as she smiled herself, piercing at Melissa’s clothing with the sharp tip of the blade to let her know that she was serious.

Melissa’s lips curved with slight intent, trying to stay calm enough to perform a beneficial maneuver.

Vanessa leaned into Melissa, smiling sweetly as they approached the third step, and whispered a warning. “Don’t try to be courageous Miss Howard or you will regret it. Your lover isn’t here to save you.” Her laughter dripped with venom. “I’ve sent him off on an errand, a very urgent errand.”

Melissa had had enough and she decided there was still a chance. They were almost halfway down the stairwell when she decided to put a crimp in Vanessa’s plans. John may not be here to save her but she would damn well try to save herself and the child she carried. Melissa’s strength was returning, her confidence bolstering. Melissa took a chance with a knife at her side but it was a chance she needed to take.

Without warning Melissa turned her body, stretching out her left leg in order to trip Vanessa. She didn’t succeed as Vanessa regained her balance by grasping the wooden rail on her left, and it was Melissa who fell in the process, landing on her back and upside down in the middle of the stairway. Her head tipped against the edge of a carpeted step as she struggled with Vanessa, trying to get herself into an upright position, but Vanessa kept pushing at her and she could feel herself slipping downward one step at a time. Reaching for any kind of leverage seemed impossible until Vanessa lifted to better position herself. Melissa pushed and strained for the railing, determined to grasp the wooden spindle at her level. While her arm stretched out Vanessa managed to slice at her forearm, warning her verbally to behave or she’d take more drastic actions. Melissa ignored her, grunting in exertion, and she was able to grab the bottom of the spindle.

John came hurdling up the stairs towards them, taking two steps at a time with Robert right behind him. Vanessa looked up and in desperation tried again to pry Melissa’s fingers from the wooden spindle, holding the knife in her other hand at Melissa’s throat.

John yelled out, “Vanessa, no! She’s pregnant!” he warned, displaying evident fear in his eyes. All he could think about was getting Vanessa away from Melissa.

The knowledge of Melissa’s pregnancy stunned Vanessa beyond belief, and as she turned to face John he closed in on them. Melissa watched the evil pouring out of Vanessa as both of her hands gripped the knife handle, lifting it high above Melissa’s head. Vanessa shifted her focus back to Melissa, aiming the blade right for her stomach. Melissa began shaking uncontrollably. I have to save my baby she thought as her right hand joined her left on the spindle and she tried sliding herself out of the way.

But in a flash John had Vanessa pinned down, her arms above her head, and he applied enough pressure on her wrists to release the dreadful knife. “Let go, Vanessa,” John demanded. His strength overpowered her, making her hands grow weak and the knife come free. John slid the knife away so she wouldn’t be tempted to reach for it, and a glare of disgust filled John’s features as Vanessa stared up at him.

“Let me go, you ungrateful bastard,” she yelled in his face.

All John saw in her face was pure hatred. She had turned crazy, and her craziness was jeopardizing the lives of his future wife and child. His grip on her arms squeezed harder as his words seared between clenched teeth. “You’re insane, bitch.”

Robert asked Melissa if she was all right and looked over her cut. Seeing it was superficial he took Vanessa out of John’s hands. “John let me have her.”

John took Melissa in his arms. “It’s over sweetheart,” he whispered, reassuring her. Then he noticed the slash on her forearm. Seeing the bleeding was light he whipped out a handkerchief from his trouser pocket. Wrapping it around her arm, he kept it snug to slow the bleeding. He lifted Melissa into his arms and she hung onto him for dear life as he strode up the stairs back to their room. Once inside his foot kicked the door shut so he wouldn’t disturb Melissa’s position. Sitting on the bed, he held her for a long while.

Curled on his lap, her arms still wound tight around his neck, she buried her face in his shoulder and went from violently shaking to lightly trembling.

In a shaky whisper her feelings flooded and began streaming out. “I almost lost you and our baby.” Tears fell from her eyes as she continued on, “I can’t live without you John. I almost lost our child. Will you ever forgive me?”

Her words stabbed him like a knife in his belly. Her pain was his pain and he wouldn’t have her believing it was her fault. His trembling words reached her ear. “Stop blaming yourself. It wasn’t your fault. Don’t dwell on what could have happened. You and the baby are safe now.” John’s lips touched her cheek. He couldn’t live without her either.

She kissed along his neck that was saturated from her tears and revealed lingering thoughts of her gratefulness. “If you hadn’t come John I don’t know what would have happened. I, I just froze when she held the knife.” She kissed him again to ensure that he was real, that the nightmare was over, and that she could finally believe they were alive and sound.

John let out an unsteady breath. “I don’t want to think about what could have happened. We need to return home and forget about all this madness.”

She smiled against his neck. He truly was all she wanted, more than anything. She lifted her golden head away from his shoulder and her weary eyes fastened to his. “As long as I’m with you, I’ll go anywhere.”

Words couldn’t describe his feelings at that moment. His head bent towards hers, his lips reaching for her swollen ones. His mouth experienced the sweetness of her mouth and the salty wetness from her tears. He turned her short intakes of breath into groans and he groaned in unison.

John’s hands slid up her back to undo the buttons on her dress and Melissa’s hands began shoving John’s coat off his shoulders with reckless need. When a knock at the door sounded, they both stopped, their lips parted, and John rested his forehead against hers.

“Should we ignore them?” he asked, his hands in the process of slipping the sleeves of her dress off her arms.

She smiled while pulling his coat back over his shoulders. “It could be Robert. We shouldn’t make him wait,” she said, placing a light kiss on his lips.

John wasn’t convinced. “What if it isn’t Robert?” he asked out of desperation.

“John,” Melissa started to say when another knock sounded, and this time a voice spoke.

“Are you two in there? It’s Robert.” John began buttoning her dress, muttering under his breath, “Damn it all.”

“One moment Robert,” Melissa told him as she helped John before sliding off his lap and sitting next to him. John lifted from the bed to open the door for Robert. Taking his position upon the bed once again, his glare told Robert the obvious.