Free A Hero to Rescue Me (Hero's Crossing) by Marteeka Karland Page A

car, mainly a few toys and some of her baseball memorabilia. Once everything else had been emptied out, Melanie had insisted on cleaning the bare rooms before she left. Once done, she’d waved at Rick as he drove off in the big U-Haul truck, bound for her new apartment and new life. Chase had stayed with her, waiting on Abigail. The three of them would head back to Lexington as soon as the little girl got home from school.
    When she’d climbed into the shower, Chase had joined her. Startled at first, Melanie had self-consciously touched the shower cap protecting her hair, not relishing the idea of him seeing her in it. Chase, however, didn’t seem to notice it at all, concentrating instead on the rest of her, shaping her curves with those big, work-roughened hands. It hadn’t been long before Melanie could have given a damn about the stupid shower cap.
    Before they left, Abigail wanted to go to her bedroom one last time. Melanie supposed this was a more than exciting adventure to the little girl. On some level, Abigail knew this was the start of a new life, one that included Chase and a brand new town. Leaving behind her old life must have been difficult for the little girl, even if she didn’t know how to express what she was feeling. Chase, bless his soul, went with her. Even now, Melanie could here Abigail chatting about something that had happened when she was younger that had caused the peeling of the wallpaper along one corner of the room. Chase’s rumbling laughter sent a thrill through Melanie.
    A knock at the door startled her. Must be the landlord. Without hesitation, Melanie crossed to the door, opening it...to stare into the face of an obviously confused and angry Dan.
    “Just what the hell do you think you’re doing?” he demanded, barging into the apartment, backing Melanie up several steps before she stood her ground. Looking around, his face grew even more thunderous. “Where’s all your furniture?”
    “I’m leaving,” she said, crossing her arms over her chest defensively. “I got another job, but it’s away from here. Abigail and I are moving.”
    “Where?” He took a threatening step forward.
    “None of your business! You need to leave before someone gets hurt.” Melanie wanted nothing more than to run to Chase, but there was no way she was tucking her tail between her legs now. Dan was an ass. She could deal with him.
    “Just what do you think Social Services will say? You don’t have permission to leave!”
    “I don’t need permission! I’m Abigail’s legal guardian, soon to be her mother, and there’s not a damned thing you can do about it!” Melanie was rapidly passing the realm of angry to royally pissed off. The nerve of the man!
    He lunged for her, his hand shooting out to grab her neck. Instinctively, Melanie’s own hands went to his thick wrist. She had just dug her fingers under his pinky to pry his hand away from her throat when Chase entered the room with Abigail in tow.
    “Mommy!” the child shrieked. Chase stepped in front of the little girl when she would have run to Melanie.
    Dan looked startled, but didn’t let go of Melanie. Instead, he put her between Chase and him.
    Melanie glanced at Chase. Calm as ever, though there was a gleam in his eye that gave her the shivers, he pulled his cell out of his pocket, punched a few numbers, then put it on speaker.
    “9-1-1, what’s your emergency?”
    “This is Chase Carver, I’m at one, one, three South Main Street, the home of Melanie Wade. I’m about to throw a beat down on an intruder. He has Miss Wade by the throat, and her child is with us.”
    There was a pause as the operator either was dispatching police or trying to decide if Chase was for real before finally saying, “Officers are on the way.”
    “I’ll stay on the line so you can hear what actually happens. The intruder is Dan Jackson.” He paused looking Dan straight in the face as he added, “Might want to send an ambulance too.”
    “Mr.