Ella entered the hospital and quickly stored her things in her locker before clocking in. For now, she would shove her insecurities aside and do her job. It was Saturday night, and she knew from experience that it was going to be a busy shift.
By 6 AM, Ella was tired, her body definitely feeling the effects of the vigorous sex followed by an intense night at work. But, she thought as she sat down in the break room for a much needed rest, it had been a good night. They had managed to save several accident victims, one overdose, and two gunshot wounds. Rarely did they go a weekend night without losing one person. She knew she would have no trouble sleeping once she got home this morning.
Allison, a co-worker and friend, peeked inside the break room with an excited grin splitting her round face. “Yo, Ella, you’re wanted upstairs. We’re clear down here.”
“Who needs me up…..” Her brow cleared as she straightened and whispered hopefully, “Melanie?”
“Just woke up, and you’re one of the first people she asked for.” Allison laughed as Ella sprang up, hugged her quick and hard, and rushed to the elevator.
“Thank you, Ali. I’ll be back.”
“Don’t worry about it. We’ve already clocked you out with Dr. Myer’s okay.”
Ella barely heard her as she rushed inside the elevator and hit the button for Melanie’s floor. Her heart threatened to jump out of her chest as she mentally urged it to rise faster. She was panting by the time she made it to Melanie’s room and crying by the time she had her arms around her friend. She barely acknowledged Mandy as she sat on the bed, asking repeatedly, “Are you all right? Tell me you’re okay, Mel.”
Melanie laughed and cried with her, hugging her back as much as she could in her weakened state. “I will if you’ll give me a chance.”
“Oh, I’m sorry.” Moving back, she glanced self consciously at Mandy who looked a little strained. She couldn’t blame her. Ella would be a little jealous if their places in Melanie’s life were reversed. “I’m so glad you’re here, Mandy.”
That simple statement seemed to be enough to appease her if her relieved smile was any thing to go by. “Me, too. After greeting me, she asked for you and her family.”
Ella looked back at Melanie’s gaunt, beloved face. “We are family. Melanie, what do you remember?” she asked, unable to hold back what she knew should wait.
“Just you, and everyone else talking to me. But nothing about what happened or why I’m here. Nobody will tell me anything.”
“The nurse said to wait for the doctor before any questioning,” Mandy warned, clearly concerned with upsetting Melanie needlessly.
“Of course. After he checks you over, we’ll go over everything. Okay, Sweetie?”
Before Melanie could answer, the door swung open and her parents and sisters came rushing into the room. Ella went out to let the nurses know she would take responsibility for so many people being in Melanie’s room at one time. Right now, they all needed to be together to reassure themselves and Melanie that everything was going to be fine.
Ella knew she should call the detectives. They were going to want to grill Melanie on her memory of that night two weeks ago. As the only survivor of one of these attacks, she was their best lead thus far. But, she waited, letting Melanie and her family have this time while they all waited for the doctor’s prognosis. It was difficult, but she continued to wait in the hall when Melanie’s doctor showed up and asked everyone to remain outside while he examined his patient.
“She looked good,” Sara, Melanie’s mother, said.
“She looked fantastic,” Ella returned, smiling.
“She always lights up when she see you, Ella.”
Ella turned to look at Mandy, wondering at the veiled hostility in her tone. She knew Mandy was insecure about Ella’s relationship with Melanie, which made things awkward and sensitive between them. She could have sworn to her until she was blue in the face that she wasn’t a threat to what she had with Melanie, but it wouldn’t have done any good. Mandy saw and believed what she wanted to. But she had never shown any anger towards her before.
“Mandy, Melanie is crazy about you, you know that,” she emphasized softly, for her ears only. “I’m no threat to you.”
Mandy sighed remorsefully. “I know, Ella, and I’m sorry. It’s just been a very tense, trying two weeks.” Grabbing her hand, she squeezed it gently and smiled. “But that’s behind us now, thank God.”
The doctor and nurse emerged from Melanie’s room at that moment and beamed reassuringly at them. “I detected no mental or physical effects from either the drug or her coma. She’ll need a few days of assisted walking until she gets her strength back. After that, I’ll release her. You can go in now, but don’t tire her.”
Relieved, Ella made to grab her cell phone to call Mac or Sam when she suddenly realized she didn’t have either of their numbers. She assumed, being cops and occasionally working undercover, that they weren’t listed in the directory. She could call the station; but, being Sunday, she doubted if either one of them was there, or no one there would give out their personal information.
Like a slap in the face, she realized just how meaningless their relationship was. If she had needed any proof that she was just a temporary intrusion in their lives and had they had any other options she wouldn’t even be that, then this qualified. Still, she would see this through, and she couldn’t regret the wonderful sexual experiences they had given her or do anything about the longing she felt when thinking about what else was to come. She would just need to make sure she didn’t end up expecting, needing, or wanting any more from her lovers.
“Doctor Furston,” she called out as he made to leave. “The police are going to need to be notified that Mel’s awake,” she reminded him, letting him worry about how to get hold of somebody.
“Already taken care of, Ella, thank you. They’ll be here shortly.”
An hour later, Ella was ready to head home and to bed. She was exhausted, emotionally drained, and physically weary. She had stayed off to the side of the room, allowing Mel’s parents, siblings, and Mandy to remain close by her side. She wanted to appease Mandy, and Mel knew she was there for her, that’s all that mattered. Occasionally, Mel would send her one of her impish grins over their heads as if to say, ‘Aren’t they being ridiculous?’But she also saw the confusion and fear in her friend’s eyes and knew she was putting on a brave front for everyone.
Before Ella could say she was leaving, a knock on the door preempted the arrival of Sam and Mac. All of a sudden, she wasn’t as tired, telling herself she could stay a few more minutes.
“Excuse us,” Sam said as they entered the crowded room. “We need to get a statement from Ms. Whitcomb. Could you all please step out for a few minutes? This won’t take long.”
Melanie looked beseechingly at Ella, and she knew she wanted her to stay, but there was nothing she could do. Her involvement with the detectives and the case was a secret. She waited until everyone else had filed out before heading towards the door.
Mac grabbed her hand as she moved by him, startling her. “Stay,” he said quietly. “She needs you.”
“You don’t mind?” she asked, surprised.
“Of course not. You’ve made yourself a part of this,” he reminded her.
She nodded and went to sit on the chair next to Melanie’s bed. “Mel, this is Detective Sam McIntyre and Detective Mac Shadetree. They’re the ones in charge of your case.”
“Ms. Whitcomb,” Sam began, “are you aware of what happened to you two weeks ago, after leaving the club, Legends?”
“Call me, Melanie, Detective, and no, I’m not. The last thing I remember was sitting down to drink a cup of tea before going to bed that night. I know I arrived home safely.”
For the next thirty minutes, they grilled her on everything she remembered since leaving home for the club. Who had she danced with or talked to? What did she have to drink, did she use the restroom, what time did she arrive, when, exactly, did she leave?
Finally, exhausted, she sighed in defeat. “I’m sorry. There just isn’t anything else I remember. I have no idea how I got from my apartment to that park. The only thing I remember since that night is hearing my family and friends talking to me, and that was only dimly.”
Each victim had been discovered in a different park, and Melanie had been no different. They had been unable to learn the significance of that, if there even was one. “Thank you, Melanie. You’ve done fine,” Mac assured her.
“As soon as we make the arrangements and your doctor gives the okay, we’re going to move you to a safe house. No one will be allowed to know where you are or to call you until this case is wrapped up. You do understand that, don’t you?” Sam asked gently.
“You think he’s going to come after her?” Ella gasped. She hadn’t had time to even consider that possibility.
“It’s possible. He might think she would have no memory of that night due to the drug, but he would have no way of knowing for sure. We are going to let it leak to the press as an added precaution to keeping him off her radar, but we still can’t take any chances.”
“Can’t I even call Ella, just once in a while?” Melanie complained, tears forming in her big brown eyes.
“We’ll see how things go in a week or two, and if we’re any closer to getting this guy. We can get a disposable phone, if need be. But not for a while.”
Mac stood to leave as Sam left two cards on the bedside table for Melanie. “If you think of anything else, call one of us. There’ll be a policeman posted at your door until you’re released.”
“Thank you. Ella, are you leaving also?”
“I can stay….”
“Actually, you can’t. We need to see you for a few minutes. In private,” Mac added, gesturing to the door.
“Mandy and everyone else can come back in, Mel. I’ll come back this evening.”
Mac and Sam didn’t say anything as they walked her out to her car. Although they didn’t touch her, just having them on either side of her, their hard bodies close, was enough to get her libido going and her desires stirring. They were both casually dressed in jeans and t-shirts, their hair sexily windblown, and she couldn’t believe how badly she wanted them. She was so pathetic, she thought as they stepped outside into the bright sunshine. She needed to get a grip on her escalating obsession and put this relationship into perspective.
Slipping on her sunglasses, she asked with seemingly indifference, “What do you need to see me about? I hope it’s short, I’ve been up all night and I’m tired.”
They had reached her car; and, before she could open the door, they had her pinned against it. “You ought to be. You had a very active night,” Mac drawled.
Ella tried, but she couldn’t prevent the longing his deep voice caused or the way their nearness made her nipples pucker and her pussy dampen. Dammit, she thought. They’re just too tempting. She tried to maintain her coolness, but she feared her voice came out as breathless as she was feeling.
“Exactly. Again, what did you want?”
“For starters, this.” Sam’s head swooped down and took her mouth in a deep, wet, hard kiss. He had no sooner pulled back than Mac took his place, kissing her with just as much intensity.
With a low moan, she latched on to them, her hands gripping them each at the waist as Sam’s mouth moved down her neck and Mac’s kept plundering her mouth. The sound of a siren approaching the emergency room entrance startled her back to awareness.
“Please,” she gasped, pulling back. “My work, remember?”
“Sorry,” Sam smiled, not sounding the least apologetic.
“It’s not our fault we can’t keep our hands off you,” Mac grumbled with a scowl.
“If you didn’t sound so disgruntled, I’d take that as a compliment,” Ella snapped, irritated but elated at the same time.
“Don’t mind him, he always sounds that way, especially when he’s horny.”
“Horny?!” she squeaked. “We just…” she looked around to make sure no one was near enough to hear them, leaving time for Mac to interrupt.
“That? That was just a teaser, a prelude to what we have in mind for you,” Mac stated.
“If the times I’ve been with each of you were only preludes to the main attraction, I may have gotten in over my head.” She looked from one handsome face to the other. “I’m not sure I can keep up with you two.”
“You won’t know until you try and see. We’ll be at you’re place Tuesday evening, about six. That’s your night off, isn’t it?” Sam asked.
“How’d you know that?”
Sam tugged her braided hair playfully. “We’re detectives, Blondie. We have our ways.”
“What are we doing Tuesday?” She didn’t really care what they were doing, she would agree to practically anything to get to be with them again.
“We’ll be doing whatever we want with you. You’ll be doing whatever we tell you. See you Tuesday.” Mac said cryptically.
With that parting shot, they both walked away, leaving her trembling with unfulfilled desire and lustful anticipation. How the hell was she supposed to get through the next few days?
Chapter Nine
Ella woke earlier than usual Tuesday afternoon, lustful anticipation having kept her awake. She hadn’t heard from Mac or Sam since Sunday, so she assumed they were still on for tonight. The past two days had been busy with work and visiting with Melanie. Melanie was still upset over having no recollection of what had happened that night or in the past two weeks. Between Ella, Mandy, and her family, they were constantly reassuring her that she would be fine and that the police would keep her safe.
The blow up from Mandy that morning had not helped matters any. Mandy’s job as a restaurant manager was demanding and had allowed for little time for her to spend with Mel since she woke up. She had just arrived when two policemen showed up at the hospital this morning to escort Melanie to her house to gather her things before taking her to the safe house. Mandy had pitched a fit, again, about not being allowed to know where she was going or given a number to reach her. Ella had tried to placate Mandy only to have her take her frustration out on her. Not in the mood for her childish insecurities, Ella told Melanie good bye and left rather abruptly. By the look on Melanie’s face, Ella wouldn’t be surprised if they split up before this whole thing was over.