Hearts on Fire 3: Tasha(13)

“Let it go to voice mail. I need more of you,” Tyler whispered, his hazel eyes looking hungry and wild as he cupped her cheek. His large, warm hand even covered her ear and neck.

She tilted her head up toward him. It was so difficult to lock gazes with his hazel eyes. She felt guilty, paranoid, and just plain stupid to have gotten herself into this predicament.

“I can’t, Tyler. I shouldn’t have let you kiss me like that.” She pulled away and looked down toward her phone. It was Melanie. If guys were watching her like the investigator said, then what if they saw Tyler kiss her? They could tell Dash and he could hurt Tyler, just as he almost hurt Lance. No, she needed to push him away, and keep him safe.

She couldn’t lead Tyler on like this. It was such bad timing, and she’d already jeopardized his life once.

“I need to take this. It’s this guy I’m seeing. I’m sorry, Tyler.” She saw the hunger drain from his eyes and get replaced with anger. Quickly she headed toward the bar as she placed the phone to her ear. She needed to say goodnight to Serefina, but as she turned she caught both Eddie and Lance staring at her. They must have seen Tyler kiss her. Her heart sunk. She had waited for this moment, dreamed of it, fantasized about it for months, hell over a year. Her life was slowly being destroyed by this monster, Dash. She had to meet the investigator, and see how she could get out of the situation she was in. Perhaps he would be able to help her get Dash away?

“Hello?” she answered the phone as she locked gazes with Serefina. Tasha waved and smiled, and Serefina slowly raised her hand but the smile didn’t reach her eyes. Her best friend would hate her for what she just did to Tyler.

“Where the hell are you? I waited at your apartment and when you didn’t show up, I headed to the club thinking you were here. He’s pissed, Tasha, and I’m in trouble now for lying to James and failing to bring you here.”

“I had to stop by the Station first to see my friend. I’m on my way out now.”

“You’d better hurry. Dash’s meeting is ending any minute and he expects you to be here and you’d better have a great excuse.”

Tasha headed out of the bar and straight to the parking lot. She wished she could have met the investigator tonight. As she unlocked her car and looked over her shoulder, she saw the headlights turn on in a sports car. The panicked feeling consumed her, but she ignored it and got into her car. As she headed out of the parking lot and down the highway, she noticed the sports car following her. She continued to drive out of Treasure Town and three towns over when finally she arrived at club Borderhouse.

She locked her door, took a deep breath, and headed inside. She needed to buy time for tomorrow. If she didn’t somewhat comply to Dash’s demand and show up here, then he could hurt her, and maybe make it so that she couldn’t even get to the appointment tomorrow with the investigator. She prayed her gut was right as she began to pull out her ID to show the bouncer, but instead he waved her right in past the crowd of waiting guests.

She didn’t like the feeling it gave her. It was like Dash spread the word that she was his woman. She looked toward the parking lot as two guys headed got out of the sports car that followed her and headed toward the side of the building. She wondered how long they had been keeping an eye on her, and whether or not they were in the Station. If they saw her and Tyler kissing, she may have just placed him in danger. She was shaking as she entered the club. Before she could glance around to try and spot Melanie, she felt the arm come around her waist from behind and a strong hand grip her wrist.

“Follow me, Tasha.” It was James and he looked pissed. With a firm hold he escorted her across the room, past the bar and crowds of people, straight to a back hallway. He knocked on the door four times and it opened. Shoving her inside, she quickly took in her surroundings. There was Melanie slumped in a chair her eye swollen, her lip bleeding and a mess.

“What did you do?” Tasha yelled.



* * * *



“What the fuck happened?” Eddie asked Tyler as he and Lance joined him by the bar. Eddie thought Tyler looked pissed even though they saw him kissing Tasha. What the heck went wrong?

“I don’t want to talk about it. It’s over. Forget about her, about what we decided.” Tyler slugged down the entire beer. He slammed it onto the bar and Eddie and Lance stared at him.

“Tells us now,” Lance stated firmly.

“It doesn’t matter.”

“It does matter. You were kissing her,” Eddie stated.

“She was kissing you back. Her hands were all over you,” Lance added.

Tyler shot him a look. “None of it matters. Just forget her.”

“Why?” Eddie demanded.

Tyler stared at them and then his expression filled with anger. “She’s seeing someone. He called while we were kissing.”

Eddie felt his heart sink and anger fill his gut. “Why the hell would she kiss Tyler if she was seeing someone?” Lance asked.

“I guess that’s something we’re going to have to ask her next time we see her,” Eddie added firmly.

Tyler looked up and stared at him. “This is what we were afraid of. We’re too late. Someone else moved in on her because we were too consumed with her age and her inexperience to go after her.”

“Now what?” Lance asked.

“Nothing. It’s over.” Tyler stood up and walked away.



* * * *



“Melanie, are you okay? Can you hear me?” Tasha asked her cousin, as she knelt down by the chair. Melanie moaned as tears rolled down her battered face.

“This is your fault, Tasha. You made her lie to me about where you were,” James said as he licked his lower lip and rubbed his palm over his fist as if he were ready to slug her. It pissed Tasha off. She stood up.

“You think you’re a man because you can hit her and scare her?”

He stepped toward her and Tasha put up her hands to defend herself in case James struck her. She felt a mix of emotions. She was angry at seeing Melanie hurt, but she was also scared of what could happen. If there was a police investigation and agents were planted around the club, wouldn’t they help Melanie and her? She was feeling desperate and suddenly defensive and got into a fighting stance despite the snug-fitting dress she wore. It hugged her curves and the move made the slit up the side expose more skin. But she didn’t care.

“James!”

Tasha jumped at the sound of Dash’s voice. He was standing in the doorway with two men behind him. She recognized them immediately as the ones driving the sports car following her.

James turned toward Dash. He smiled.

“She’s got guts, but I think she needs a lot of discipline. I can help you with that.” James looked back toward Tasha and eyed her body over. The sick bastard didn’t really give a shit about Melanie. If he did, then he wouldn’t be looking at Tasha in such a way.

“I appreciate your offer, but she’s all mine. I’ll handle it. Take Melanie out of here. Clean her up, and make sure she understands the rules. No one lies to me and gets away with it,” Dash commanded.

Tasha stood up straighter and turned toward Melanie. Seeing her battered face, her hair a mess, and her dress ripped tore at Tasha’s heart. She was filled with such hatred for this man. She prayed that the investigator could help them.

As James lifted Melanie up into his arms, Tasha listened to their exchange of words.

“Your punishment isn’t over. You know that, Melanie, don’t you, baby?”

Melanie reached up with a shaky hand and touched James’s cheek. “I know you care about me. I deserve whatever you feel necessary.”

Tasha felt the bile in her throat. It was so sick, distorted, and outrageous behavior. Melanie was a fool, and she thought she deserved to be treated like crap, beaten, and degraded?

Tasha was shaking with anger, and then Dash walked closer, crossed his arms in front of his chest and looked her over.

“Why didn’t you listen to Melanie and to my orders?”

She stood her ground, then remembered what the investigator said. Act shy, inexperienced, and fearful. Well, the fearful part was definitely easy to do. She was scared right now.

“Why?” He raised his voice and she jumped, and then took a step back as he uncrossed his arms.

She couldn’t take her eyes off of Dash. Dark hair, dark eyes, deep blue dress shirt with the first three buttons undone, and designer black dress pants.

“I had to see a friend,” she whispered. His one eyebrow rose up, and he practically snarled at her.

“Another fucking firefighter?”

Fuck, they know about Tyler. The two men behind him ratted me out and they told him about it. I have to keep Tyler, Lance, and Eddie safe.

She turned away from him.

“Tasha, look at me when I’m talking to you.”

“I can’t,” she stated.

A second later he pulled her around to face him and grabbed both her arms. He shook her so hard her neck ached. She gasped and stared up into his evil eyes.

“Who the fuck was the guy tonight? Don’t say a friend either.”

“He is a friend.”

He shook her again. “Don’t you fucking lie to me. Who is he?”

“No one. He had too much to drink, and his hug turned into a kiss. No big deal. He knows I’ve been going through a lot. I told him he can’t do that, and I said that you were calling me. He apologized and I walked out of there,” she added, trying to remember what the investigator said. But her focus wasn’t so much on herself as it was with protecting Eddie, Lance, Tyler, and Serefina.