Exposed (Dare to Dream Book 3) Read online

  As I come out of the fog that has encompassed my mind, I find the strength to turn my head. My gaze falls on a figure sitting in the corner of my room. This figure—who I’m certain I’ve never seen before—has a tight, chiseled jaw with a dark shadow of stubble and piercing, deep-brown eyes which are focused intently on me. He nods as one corner of his mouth pulls into a tight smile.

  “Mel, that’s Mason Tanner, a friend of Sam’s,” Ryan says from the foot of my bed. I turn my head slowly to find him and my eyes take a minute to catch up. I question him silently.

  “I’ll fill you in when you’re up to it. Right now, let the nurse and doctor do their jobs.” I feel his hand touch my foot through the hospital blanket.

  “Ms. Morgan.” a big booming voice comes from the door. “It’s nice to see you’re awake. We’ve been waiting for you. I’m Dr. Barron.”

  My gaze finds him. He’s an older gentleman, mid-sixties I guess, with gray hair, glasses, and a round, cherubic face.

  “Ms. Morgan, I’ll shine a light in your eyes right now.” It hurts my eyes but Dr. Barron states he likes what he sees, whatever that means.

  “She hasn’t said a word, Doctor,” I hear Ryan say.

  “Give her some time, Mr. Pierce. She’s been through a lot. I have no doubt in my mind that she will.”

  I had been so intent on sight that the thought of speech didn’t cross my mind until now as I hear them speak about it.

  Dr. Barron continues his physical assessment. He has me squeeze his hand, move my fingers and, follow his pen with my eyes.

  “Ms. Morgan,” Lila says, “I’ll adjust your bed and sit you up a little. Okay?”

  I’m still trying to process everything around me, so I simply stare at her and hope my eyes let her know it’s okay. She smiles at me, her gaze full of empathy.

  “Mel? How do you feel?” Ryan asks, and the look of concern in his eyes hurts. I know whatever has happened has had to be difficult for him.

  I open my mouth slowly to speak, “Oookayyyy,” I don’t recognize the sound of my own voice, which frightens me.

  “Take it easy, Ms. Morgan.”

  My gaze find Lila’s and she smiles reassuringly at me. “You’re doing fine. Take your time.”

  “Water?” I ask slowly.

  Ryan is immediately at my side with a cup of ice water.

  “Let me help you,” he says as he tips the cup to my lips. I take a slow, tiny sip. The feel of the cool liquid in my mouth is delicious.

  He sets the cup down and takes the seat next to my hospital bed. The mysterious man in the corner—Mason, I think Ryan said—remains silent.

  “Melinda, I’ll be back tomorrow morning to check on you. The team will run some tests today now that you’re awake. I don’t want you doing too much. You’ll be fine, young lady.”

  “Thank you, Dr. Barron,” Ryan says and stands to shake his hand.

  I watch Dr. Barron and Lila walk out of my hospital room.

  Without wasting any time, Ryan swings around and his eyes narrow in on me. “Now that they’re gone, I want to know what the hell you were doing in the park that late at night, Mel. That’s not like you. Why were you there?”

  Mason

  I sit up in my chair to hear her answer. She hesitates before responding.

  “I needed some air,” she says shakily, still unsteady.

  “You could have gotten air on your balcony.”

  Ryan isn’t holding back and I’m glad. She’s hiding something, I can sense it.

  She pauses before speaking, “I went for a run, Ry. With everything going on, I needed to clear my head.”

  “Yeah, we haven’t even talked about that prick. Jesus, Melinda. You scared us to death. Mom is flipping out and you’re lucky I talked dad out of coming.”

  I see her flinch at his words.

  “I’m sorry,” she says softly.

  “It’s okay, but don’t do anything like that again. The detectives will want to question you now that you’re awake. Mr. Tanner wants to question you before they do, when you’re up for it.”

  Her gaze glides to me and sizes me up. She’s wary of my presence, I can see it in her eyes.

  “Why is he here?” she asks Ryan instead of me.

  “Sam sent him. He’s an attorney and also a P.I. Sam wanted the best on this case, so you got Mr. Tanner. Apparently, he’s the best. You should be grateful.”

  She doesn’t look grateful when her focus shifts back to me. She looks pissed off, if that’s even possible with the black eyes she has. From the glint in her eyes, I can see she’s mad, but I also see something else. Fear.

  I nod my head before I speak. “We’ll go over everything when you’re ready. The sooner the better, though, because those detectives will be in here as soon as they get wind that you’re awake.”

  She shoots daggers at me through her swollen eyes, but it’s nothing I haven’t experienced before. The only difference is they’re usually from the prick who’s done the beating. Once they realize they’ve been discovered, they get defensive, want to strangle me with their own bare hands if they could, and then concede to a settlement because they don’t want the information leaked.

  Only a few women have stepped forward and come out with the truth about their abuser. Many take the settlement and remain quiet, which pisses me off even more.

  “Ms. Morgan, I understand you’re scared, but I’m here to help,” I say as nicely as I can through gritted teeth.

  “I don’t want you here,” she snaps.

  “Mel!” Ryan protests. “You don’t have a choice in the matter. Between Sam, Mason, and me, we’ll get to the bottom of this.”

  She exhales a frustrated breath.

  “I want to go home.”

  “That needs to be determined by the doctor. As soon as he gives the okay, we’ll get you out of here. Mason will stick around for a while, little sis, so get used to it.”

  She turns her head and glares at me as if I’m the enemy. I don’t give a rip about it because I’m here to do a job. Sam wants her safe and he wants me to get to the bottom of who did this to her. We both agree this wasn’t a normal mugging in the park. There’s something Melinda Morgan isn’t telling us and I will find out exactly what that is.

  Chapter Three

  Melinda

  I hate the sight of Mason Tanner. Even looking at him puts the fear of God into me. Something tells me he won’t stop until he finds out the truth. I can’t afford for that to happen. No one can know why I was in the park and what happened. I need to play it off as a random mugging, a case of being in the wrong place at the wrong time.

  “I really don’t remember much,” I say and hope I sound convincing.

  “Was there more than one attacker?” he asks.

  “I…I think so.” I decide not to lie about this because I have a feeling Mr. Tanner will know the truth by my bruises.

  “How many?” he asks, his jaw tight.

  “Two. One from behind and one in front.”

  “Can you tell me what exactly happened once you were in that tunnel.”

  And here goes the lying. “I went out for run because of a current situation in my life. I needed to clear my head. If you don’t much read the tabloids, my brother can fill you in.”

  Ryan let’s out a harumph, clearly pissed off at Nathanial.

  “I didn’t think much of running through the tunnel as I was on auto pilot. A man walked toward me from the other end and my skin prickled when I saw he was dressed all in black. I stopped running because I felt a sudden rush of fear course through my body. As he got closer to me, I stepped back. I saw him nod, and that’s when I was yanked back by my pony tail.”

  “Son of a bitch,” Ryan says under his breath.

  “Go on,” Mason urges gently.

  “I struggled to get out of his grip.” I feel the tears welling in my eyes as I recall the attack. “That’s when the man in front of me got close. He punched me, and I felt a shooting pain go through my cheek. I…
I struggled and tried to scream but the man behind me covered my mouth. The other man punched me again and all I remember is my legs collapsing beneath me. The next thing I know, I wake up here. How long have I been here?” I shiver, unable to control the trembling.

  “Three days,” Ryan answers.

  “Three days! You mean I’ve been unconscious for three days?”

  “With a little help, Mel. Your body was traumatized. You needed rest and to heal.”

  “Ms. Morgan, were you carrying anything with you? Did they take anything?” Mason eyes me quizzically.

  “No. I didn’t have anything on me,” I lie and hope he doesn’t have some sixth sense where he can see right through me.

  “Nothing at all? Not even your phone?” He stares at me in silence, waiting.

  My eyes flash with recollection and I pause for a long moment without responding.

  “Maybe she’s had enough for now,” Ryan suggests.

  “No, I’m fine,” I manage finally. “I want to get this over with so I can be done.”

  I turn my attention back to Mason. I really do not like this guy. He’s already a royal pain in my ass.

  “I actually had my apple watch on,” I say, which isn’t a lie. “Wasn’t it on me when they found me?” I ask innocently.

  Mason turns to look at Ryan, his eyebrow lifting in a questioning way.

  “I haven’t heard anything about it. Maybe the detectives have it.”

  “Perhaps,” Mason replies while he rubs the stubble on his chin. A sudden urge to smack him bubbles up within me. I don’t know what he’s thinking, and I don’t like it. I have a feeling he’ll be more trouble for me than good.

  “I’m tired. I’d like to rest.”

  “Let’s let her rest.” Ryan motions to Mason, “coffee?”

  “Sure,” he says and follows him out the door.

  I’m fucked, is all I can think. I have to find a way to get rid of him. He makes me uneasy because he seems like the type of guy who won’t quit until he gets to the bottom of this. Fear knots inside me. I can’t have anyone find out what really happened. This nightmare is over. I paid the ransom, and they’ll leave me alone. Isn’t that how blackmail works? You do as they ask and they leave you alone? A quick and disturbing thought runs through my mind. What if this is only the beginning?

  Mason

  I don’t let on that I know she’s lying. I’m not stupid. I’ve been around far too long to not know when a woman lies. Hell, I lived with the best of the best for a while and even then, I could see right through her. I’m not sure why it didn’t stop me from marrying her, but that’s an entirely different story that I don’t want to dig into.

  I sip my coffee and watch Ryan pace back and forth as he speaks to his wife. He’s a nice enough guy and I know he’s worried sick about his sister. I know how he feels. I am fiercely protective of my little brother. I would have killed my father before I let him lay a hand on him. Good thing I didn’t have to. I shake my head to distance myself from the memories that try to seep in. I won’t go there right now. My phone vibrates in my pocket and I have a feeling I know who it is.

  “What’s up?” I answer and don’t even bother to say hello.

  “How is she?”

  “She’ll be okay.”

  “Did she tell you what happened?”

  “She did, except I don’t believe her.”

  “I don’t either. Melinda plays it too safe to run in Central Park at that hour,” Sam says.

  “From what you and her brother tell me, I would agree. Now, I have to get to the bottom of what happened.”

  “Whatever it takes, Mason. You have unlimited resources at your disposal. Melinda is like a sister to me, so whatever it takes to figure this out and make sure she’s safe.”

  “Understood. I guess that means I’m in this godforsaken city for a while.”

  Sam chuckles. “The change will be good for you, my friend. You were turning into an old man, set in his ways. Think of it as an adventure.”

  “I don’t know who’s worse, you or Gabe,” I huff.

  “Gabe is much worse,” he responds, a laugh still in his voice. “He’s sick of you using his home as a boarding house, so this was his way of getting you out.”

  “Fuck off.”

  “Ah, yes, the proverbial fuck off Gabe told me about. It seems your vocabulary has taken a nose dive since you went all P.I. on us.”

  I roll my eyes and clench my jaw because I know they’re both right. I’ve slipped into the P.I. world comfortably, easily leaving the stiffness of practicing law.

  “Make sure she doesn’t get hurt again, Mase.”

  “Don’t worry, I’ve got this covered. Give my love to that gorgeous wife of yours. I’m still not sure how you managed to get her to marry you.” I laugh, amused by my own reply.

  “Neither do I, my friend. I’m merely glad she did,” he responds in all seriousness.

  I smile at the thought of my friend, the most notorious bachelor in the Tampa Bay area, having finally found the love of his life. The changes in him have been remarkable. Love looks good on him.

  “I’ll be in touch,” I say before I push the end button on my phone.

  “What’s the plan of attack?” Ryan asks before I can even put my phone in my pocket.

  “First things first, I want to see how she answers the detectives’ questions. They’ll be in tomorrow morning. Then I want to head to her office to check things out there to see if I can find any indication of why she was in that park so late.”

  “Something doesn’t sit right with me. I know my little sister. She’s careful and cautious. She doesn’t do anything without thinking it through very carefully. Listen, I have to head back home tomorrow or the next day. I need to get back to the restaurant for one of the biggest events of the season. Can you handle this for about a week without me?”

  “No problem.” I nod my head.

  “You’ll keep her safe?”

  “You have my word.”

  Melinda

  The detectives are coming in this morning, Ryan’s leaving, and I get to go home later this afternoon. There’s a lot going on. After a thorough examination, the doctor gave me the okay under strict orders to not overdo it and no work for a few weeks until I heal. Not that anyone would want me for a shoot right now with the way I look. I’m a hot mess. I stand in front of the mirror in the bathroom and study my reflection. The swelling is subsiding, but I look terrible. My body is so sore from the beating and my arm is still in the sling. I need a shower but now isn’t the time. I’ll have wait until I get home so Em can help me. Being one-handed will make things a little more difficult for me.

  “Ms. Morgan?” The door to my room opens slowly.

  “Come in,” I respond and brace myself for the interrogation.

  I jump when I step out of the bathroom and see Mason seated in the corner chair. I eye him warily, not happy that he’s here.

  “Ms. Morgan, I’m Detective Hudson and this is my partner Detective Reynolds.”

  “Hi,” I say flatly and don’t even bother to hide my annoyance.

  “I understand your frustration, Ms. Morgan, but we do have a job to do.”

  “I apologize. I simply don’t feel my best, as you can clearly see.” My laugh is sarcastic. I can feel Mason watching me and it puts me even further on edge.

  “We’ll be out of your way as soon as we can. Can you tell me what you remember from that night, Ms. Morgan?”

  I crawl back into my hospital bed and pull the covers over my lap.

  “Honestly, not very much. I went for a run, and the next thing I know I wake up in a hospital.”

  “When you approached the tunnel, did you see anyone or anything that would have given you pause?”

  “I had my headphones on and was really focused on running. When I got to the middle of the tunnel, a man approached me from the other end. He wore all black.” Fear grips my chest, but I refuse to let the detectives see it. I stick my chin out to s
teady myself.

  “Go on.”

  “He approached and I felt someone pull me back by my pony tail. The man in front of me approached and punched me in the face. I don’t remember anything after that.” Tears betray me as they fill my eyes. I do everything in my power to not let them spill over.

  “Would you be able to tell us the height of the assailant who hit you? Eye color? Race? Anything?”

  “He was taller than me. I do remember that.”

  I see Mason lean forward in his chair.

  “How tall are you Ms. Morgan?”

  “I’m five feet ten.”

  “Would you say the assailant was six foot?”

  “Yes, that seems about right.”

  “Eye color?”

  “Green. I remember he had piercing green eyes. Other than that, I don’t have anything else for you.”

  I see Mason’s eyebrow raise out of the corner of my eye. I want to turn and tell him to shove it, but I bite my tongue and keep my focus on the detectives.

  “If you think of anything else, Ms. Morgan, please give us a call.” He slides his card onto the tray next to my bed.

  “I will. Thank you for your time, detectives. Oh, wait, do you happen to have my apple watch?”

  They look at each other and both of them shake their heads.

  “Were you wearing it that night Ms. Morgan?”

  “Yes. I thought maybe you had it.”

  “It’s not something we’d have. Perhaps the hospital removed it when you came in through emergency?”

  “I’ll ask.” I smile innocently as they retreat through the door.

  I turn my head rapidly toward Mason and snap at him, “What?”

  “Did those memories just come to you or were they something you purposely omitted?”

  I glare at him and pause before I respond. “They just came to me,” I lie.

  “This will work a lot better if you don’t lie to me, Ms. Morgan. I don’t want to be here anymore than you want me here. So we need to tolerate one another. If you’re honest, I can be out of your hair a lot quicker.”