Visiting Mellie

I hope that everyone has had a great new year so far. I wanted to have this chapter posted in January but work has been hectic and trying to start my own business isn't easy either. As always, I will finish this story, and I won't leave you guys hanging. Only death can keep me from finishing. Thank y'all for reading, reviewing, alerting, and making this story a favorite. Enjoy!

Jake and I sat in the car and looked at Andrew's home. It was massive. I've never seen a house that big in my life. It was almost as big as that eyesore that God King Bill Compton lives in, but it was nicer. It wasn't gaudy. It wasn't sterile. It looked like a home. There were bicycles in the front yard. There was a club house off in the clearing that was lavender with white shutters. There were dolls and building blocks on the front porch of the club house. Two little, yellow rocking chairs sat neatly on either side of the front door. The club house made the main house look even more fascinating. As I said, it looked like a home. It was lived in and it was beautiful if you want to know the truth about it. Pointing at the house, Jake asked, "How much do you think something like this costs per month … $2000, $3000?" He shrugged his shoulders. "Maybe more?"

I chuckled. "Probably more. More than I'd want to pay but what do I know? I'm a cheapskate," I assured him. "No wonder he had to take the job with Quinn. There's no way he made enough money to pay for this house on his salary. His military benefits couldn't possibly put him in a home like this. He was into more than he told me." He had to have worked in the supe world a lot longer than he let on. There's no way he bought this place with his pay. "It's not possible for the one job with Quinn to pay for a home like this," I repeated. "Look at that place."

Again, the house was huge. It was three stories. There had to be at least eight bedrooms and more than three baths. The windows on each floor were huge. They were from floor to ceiling. The yard was perfectly manicured. There were roses of every color in the flower bed. There were tulips and chrysanthemums. Little bushes lined the cobblestoned driveway. There were balconies on the second floor that were adorned with wrought iron furniture. Plants were sitting on the railings. They drooped lazily over the banisters as they bathed in the sun. I couldn't wait to see the inside of the home. I could only imagine what the inside looked like.

Giving me the side eye, Jake agreed. "I'm pretty sure you're right about that, Miss. Stackhouse." He nudged me with his elbow. "Look at the cars. A Lexus and a Porsche. Matching Land Rovers." He shook his head no. "That guy was into some dirty shit. I think he fed you and Eric a line of bullshit. He's worked with the vampires long before Quinn came along. I can guarantee it."

Nodding, I said, "I think so too. Maybe that's what Thalia found out during her investigation into Quinn and Andy's relationship. Maybe he was working with that crooked vampire that no one seems to like. Eric mentioned Victor Madden last night. He could've been working for him. Maybe that's how Quinn knew to contact him."

Jake nodded. "Yeah," he agreed. "That's possible. Victor is an asshole but from what I've heard, he pays well. Look at this house." He shook his head. "Though, the money is good, I don't see how or why anyone would work for Madden." He shook his head. "It never ends well for those that do."

"What do you mean?" I asked.

"Victor is sneaky," he answered. "He's a snake. He is loyal to no one. He's always the innocent one, and someone has pulled him into something that he had nothing to do with." He chuckled. "We've lost pack members because they needed the extra money and decided to work for Victor. One of the many reasons why the Colonel doesn't allow any of us to work for him."

Still looking at the house, I admitted, "I was thinking of working for Victor when I first met Pam but only because she was acting weirdly, and I didn't trust her. She said the same thing you did … that's he's an a-hole."

"He is. Steer clear of him, Sookie. He's garbage," Jake confirmed. He stared sullenly at the house. "I guess we have to do this."

Glancing at Jake, I asked, "Yeah. We do." I shrugged my shoulders. "It's the job. Do you remember the signals?"

Jake nodded. "I do. One foot tap for the truth. Two foot taps for lies. I won't forget it." The atmosphere in the car suddenly got serious. "I'm sorry about your dad, and I only bring this up because of what we have to do." He shifted in his seat to face me head on. "You know that he has his children, and they've lost their dad. Can you do this objectively without letting your feelings dictate what happens?"

"I can," I assured him. "I'm sad, and I miss him … my dad, I mean. He had his faults, but he is a good man. He's not like Andrew." I closed my eyes briefly. "He wasn't like Andrew. I know that he has children and a wife … Andrew, I mean. I know that they will be sad that he's gone, but it's best that he's gone. His choices put his family in danger." I then thought about my family and how my choices have put them in danger. My dad is dead because he's my dad and the rest of my family is in hiding. "It's best that he's gone. Keeping his distance should've been something he considered when he started working with the vampires."

That's what I should've done. I should've taken my own advice and maybe my dad would still be alive. My grandparents and my brother wouldn't have to be hiding out to keep me safe. If I'd not been so determined to make my own path …

"Hey," Jake said as he placed his hand on my arm. "You okay?"

Smiling, I assured him that I was. "I'm just realizing what this life is. I'm basically Andrew without the lies and deceit." I shrugged my shoulders and sighed. "This is my life now, and I accept that. I could walk away, but what would that prove?" I shrugged my shoulders. "Nothing at all. I'm in this life and I don't want to change it. I like it. And knowing that is what keeps me doing my job. Knowing that his family will be devastated won't stop me. I can hold it together. You don't have to worry about me. I'm stronger than most people realize."

"I know," he said. "I have nothing but faith in you. I just want to make sure that you're going to be okay."

I patted the back of Jake's hand. "Thanks. I'll be fine." I then looked down and inhaled deeply. "Thank you, Jake."

"Anytime," he whispered.

"Ready?" I asked as I grabbed the attaché case from the backseat.

Using his head to point at the bag, he asked, "You got everything?"

I patted it and nodded. "Everything we're going to need."

He pointed at the case and said, "Thalia will have my ass if we don't follow her rules to the letter." He chuckled. "She tries to be scary, but she's a big, old kitten."

"A dangerous lion," I said.

"Right," Jake said as he laughed. He was soon, again, nudging me with his elbow. "Hey, can I ask you something else?"

"Sure," I said.

"How did you not get all the info from Andrew? How was he able to mislead you?" he asked. "I would think that everything that Thalia found out, you would've been able to get from his head."

"Because he was telling the truth," I answered. "Everything he said was true. He just lied by omission. He was able to answer my questions based on the way they were asked. He answered his way around them."

"Hmm," he said. "If you don't mind me saying, you're an awesome person, Sookie Stackhouse."

"From one awesome person to another, thank you," I replied. "Let's be awesome and get this over. I'm starving."

Jake slapped his steering wheel and said, "Okay." He turned off his beat up Chevy and opened the door. "Let's see what we can find out to bring our girl home. Andrew has a lot to answer for, I think."

Opening up my door, I said, "Let's go."

Just as Jake and I reached the front porch, the elaborate front doors opened. A woman that looked to have had absolutely no sleep opened the door. She also looked to have been crying. She quickly wiped at her face. "May I help you?"

Jake offered the woman his hand in greeting. "I'm Jake Purefoy and this here is my associate, Sookie Stackhouse. We've come to talk to you about your husband."

Before Jake and I arrived, we decided that he would do the introductions. I would only get involved when things seemed to be taking a wrong turn, such as lying by Mellie Carey. Oh, and telling her that her husband is now dead. Jake doesn't know but if it's necessary, I'll be jumping in on the conversation every now and again. Knowing me, I'll be jumping in as often as possible.

When Jake said that we were there to talk to her about her husband, I could see the exact moment Mellie's heart broke. She dropped to her knees and sobbed. She already knew. When she didn't get his late night call, she knew. He'd told her that if she doesn't hear from him within two hours of his shift, he wouldn't be coming back home. She knew.

Jake looked at me as he helped the woman up from the floor. I led the way to the first room I saw. It was an elaborately decorated living room, and it was gorgeous. The art. The furniture. The décor. The signs of a family were everywhere. It takes me back to when we first got here. Jake's and my conversation about money. There's no way that Andrew could afford this home on a retirement check from the military. Andrew was dirty. He was real dirty.

Jake helped the woman sit on the couch. He sat in the chair across from us as I sat next to Mellie. "Do you need something to drink?" I asked as I draped my arm over her shoulder.

She shook her head no as she rested it on my shoulder. Her pain was flowing through me and it was excruciating. She loves her husband. She wondered how she was going to get through this life without him. She wondered what she was going to tell their children. Their two girls.

"Here," Jake said as he removed a handkerchief from his pocket. "It's clean. My … ahem … woman puts a clean one in my pocket every morning." The fact that he was blushing because he has a girlfriend … or a wife, was refreshing; especially in the world we live in.

"Thank you," Mellie said as she took the handkerchief from Jake. She sighed as she dabbed at her eyes. She briefly closed them as she inhaled deeply. She was steadying herself for the inevitable. She finally looked at me and asked, "Is he dead?"

Jake looked at me as I looked at Mellie. I took her hand in mine. "He is. He died last night."

Mellie dropped her head and sobbed. Jake got up from the couch and walked out of the room. I was left alone with the grieving widow. I didn't know what to do or to say, though I knew how she felt. I wanted to share my grief with her, but I declined. She was going to get through this. She didn't need to hear about what happened to me. She didn't need my pity. The only thing she needed to do was tell me what her husband was into and how long he'd been doing it. I tightened my grip on her hand. "He told me to tell you that the key to the safe deposit box at your bank is in the gun cabinet. The password is Mellie. He said that you'd be well taken care of with what's in the box."

She raised her head and looked up at the ceiling. She smiled. "He is always thinking of me and the girls. He loves us so much. There's nothing he wouldn't do for us." She looked at me and said, "What am I supposed to do now that he's gone? He is the love of my life." She nodded. "He is. He makes me laugh. He makes me feel so good about myself. There are times when he looks at me and I feel like I'm the only woman in the world. Have you ever had that? Have you …?" She shook her head no. "You're so young. You're too young to have met the love of your life. How old are you … eighteen … nineteen?"

"Thanks for the compliment," I said. "But I'm twenty-five, and it's possible that I have met the love of my life. You never know."

She glanced at me and asked, "It's wonderful, isn't it?"

"It is," I answered.

Just as I said that, Jake returned with a glass of water. "Here you go, Ms. Carey." He returned to his seat. He soon cleared his throat as he rested his elbows on his knees. "You have a beautiful home." He cleared his throat. "It must be expensive."

Here we go.

Mellie chuckled. "It is." She briefly looked at her hands. "I couldn't believe it when Andrew bought it. It was more than I thought we could afford, but Andy told me not to worry about it. He said that his only real job in this world was to take care of his family. He handled the business end, and I took care of the family and the house. He used to say that the finances were his business."

I tapped my foot twice. She knew that they could afford it. She just never believed he would buy it.

"Does your woman friend want a house like this?" Mellie asked.

Jake laughed. "I'm sure she does, but I can't afford something like this on my salary."

The tears began to flow over Mellie's cheeks again.

Jake shifted in his seat. He asked, "Is there anyone that we can call for you? A friend or a family member maybe?"

Mellie shook her head no. "I will take care of that when my girls get home from school." She squeezed her eyes closed. "What am I going to tell my girls?" She sobbed as she imagined telling her children that their daddy is never coming back home. An image of my dad popped into my mind. I placed my hand to my chest because I knew what those girls were going to have to face.

"Sookie," Jake said.

I looked at him and smiled. "I can be here when you tell them … if you don't want to be alone. I don't mind." I squeezed her hand in support. "Just say the word, and I'm here."

Mellie sighed. "I'll call my sister. She'll be here with me. Thank you, Ms. Stackhouse."

"No problem," I assured her. "Is your sister close by?"

Nodding, Mellie said, "She is." She then frowned. "I haven't heard from her in a couple days. She normally calls me at least once day. We've never gone more than two days with speaking." She looked at her watch. "Maybe she's gone off with one of her many male friends. Who knows with her. I guess I'll call her later."

Jake cleared his throat before giving his attention to Mellie. "May we ask you a few questions about your husband and his business dealings?"

Because I was holding her hand, I knew that she was going to lie. She didn't want his good name to be destroyed because he made stupid and careless decisions. She knew that everything he'd done, he did it for his family. Under different circumstances, she knows that her husband is … was a great man. There was no way she was going to allow those mistakes destroy the good parts of her husband. She was thinking that she would cover for him for as long as she could. I couldn't let that happen. We needed the truth so I stopped that idea before it even got off the ground. "How long was your husband working with the vampires?"

Mellie took a swallow of water before speaking. "He's been working with the vampires since getting out of the military."

"Is that how he made his money?" Jake asked.

I knew that she was going to lie before she opened her mouth. "Yes," she answered. "He was a bodyguard for some very important vampires. A friend of his got him in the business. They were in the Navy together. I don't know how we'd make it without his military benefits." I could almost taste her lies.

"Roger?" Jake asked.

Mellie nodded slowly. "How do you know Roger?" Her brow furrowed. "Is he … is he dead too?"

"He is," he answered.

"I'm not surprised," she said. "Roger was an asshole. He was just nasty for fun. He would do things to people that weren't normal. He has a record as long as our arms combined." She shifted in her seat as she looked Jake in the eyes. "He was kicked out of the Navy because he stalked a young lady to the point of suicide … so, they say." She leaned forward and whispered, "I think he killed her. She turned him away, and he didn't like it. She'd gone to the cops on him. Filed restraining orders. Nothing worked. He was always watching her. After she moved away, he said that he was over her. He claimed to have lost contact." She shook her head no. 'He was lying. I heard him telling Andy that he'd found her and wanted to tell her that he was sorry. Andy talked him out going to see her. He and another friend took Roger out to the country for a fishing trip.

"Supposedly, when they returned, Roger was told that the woman had committed suicide because of mental health issues. I told Andy that Roger did it. He didn't agree with me. He assured me that Roger with him the entire weekend. It bothered me that they were friends. I never liked that Roger used to hang around here. He was always sticking close to Andy." She sighed. "He was always around. I guess because they served together, Andy felt obligated to have him in his life." She shook her head. "I never liked Roger. I think that brother code or something was why he was still around."

That explains Quinn.

As Jake and Mellie talked, I took in my surroundings. This house was a home. There were sneakers in the corner of the elaborate living room. There were little figurines sitting in the dirt of the potted plants. On the coffee table, there was an iPad with glittery stickers decorating the back of it. There were bottles of pastel colored fingernail polish on the little table by the TV. On the fireplace, there were pictures. Pictures of weddings, birthday parties, and cookouts. There was laughter and joy. There was fun to be had by all. Everyone looked happy and seemed to be having the time of their lives. I got up from the couch and stared closely at each picture. And I'm glad I did. Things weren't exactly as they seemed. I took a picture from the mantle of the fireplace and stared at it.

Jake looked at me.

"It's true," I whispered.

"What did you say?" Jake asked.

"The reason he's still around," I answered as I continued studying the picture. There were too many familiar faces. I didn't like it. "In the armed forces, you're brothers and sisters for life."

Mellie interrupted with a question. "Do you know?"

"Know what?" Jake asked.

"How it happened," she whispered. "Do you know how my husband died?"

Jake said my name. "Sookie."

I turned to look at Jake and Mellie. I smiled as I walked back to seat next to the lady of the house … the picture still in my hand. I looked at Mellie. "I can only say he's gone. I don't know how it happened. I do know that he was killed because he helped kill six innocent men while a woman was kidnapped from her home. Before she was kidnapped, he and his associates killed vampires and humans that were friends to the lady that was kidnapped from her home."

Jake cleared his throat as he was surprised at my blunt answers. Thinking, he asked, 'What are you doing?'

I glanced at him briefly. I guess I did take a left turn, but it's okay. He'd see soon enough what was going on. "Your husband claimed to not have a choice in what he had to do or what he'd done. He said that you and your children were being threatened by someone." Staring pensively at her, I asked, "Did you ever notice anyone following you … the girls? Did you ever feel threatened around certain people?"

Mellie looked surprised. She rapidly began to shake her head no. "No! No one was ever following us," she said. "We have great relationships with everyone that's a part of our lives. I've never felt threatened. Neither have our girls. I don't understand what you mean and where this is going."

I briefly glanced down at the picture I was holding. "Are you sure?"

"Yes," she said. "We were never in any danger. When my husband began working with the vampires, he always had us watched during the day and especially at night." A slight smile appeared on her face. "He did everything in his power to keep us safe."

I showed her the picture. "This man here, how do you know Quinn? How? What is he to you and your family?"

She took the picture from me and looked at it. A beaming smile appeared on her face. "Yeah, I know him. I've known him for over fifteen years. It's Andy's best friend. John Quinn. They served together. They met during that time. After they'd served their country, Andy and Quinn opened a business together. A construction business." She removed a business card from the coffee table. "A&J Construction," she said proudly as she handed the card to Jake.

"Established 2002," Jake read as his interrupted Mellie's shame. "May I see the picture?" Jake asked her. I think Jake noticed the familiar faces too. I know that one face stood out a little too much for Jake. What the fuck? He thought.

Mellie handed Jake the picure

I slightly nodded at him. To Mellie, I asked, "When you and the girls would visit family, why would Quinn send pictures of you to your husband?"

Mellie smiled at the comment. "Quinn would be our bodyguard until Andy arrived. He would take pictures of us so that Andy would know that we were ok. As I said, he was always keeping us safe. They worked perfectly together. Andy was also part owner at Extreme(ly Elegant) Events. That's Quinn's own personal business, but my Andy could see the potential in the business. He even travelled to many places around the country with Quinn to set up these extravagant parties … he and that Roger. He could see the success in the business after that first party." Her smile broadened. "He saw dollar signs, and he trusted Quinn. He was so business savvy … he and Quinn. They made money hand over fists."

Frowning, I asked, "Why did you say that Jake was only getting military benefits and working with vampires on the side? Why would you lie?"

"I don't know," Mellie answered. The pride and happiness oozing slowly from her face. "People are always thinking that Andy does underhanded things. Very few people trust him, and I was just trying to protect his memory ... his name." She looked down at her hands. "I'm sorry for lying."

Jake accepted her apology. "It's okay. We get it."

I don't like it.

I don't trust it.

"So, Quinn was never following you or kidnapping the children from school?" I asked.

Mellie laughed outright. "No! Are you serious? Quinn would never do anything to cause harm to our children. He's their godfather, for Pity's sake. He's always picking them up from school or taking them out for ice cream." She shook her head and said again, "Quinn would never do anything to hurt our family. Why would you say a thing like that?"

Jake decided to speak up this time. "Because Quinn has killed many people for money. He's killed entire families for money. He's done unspeakable things to wives while their husbands watched for money. He's never been what one would call a kind stranger when it comes to children. He did it all for money. Quinn, your husband's best friend, he is not a good person. He is a hired killer."

Mellie was no longer smiling but was still shaking her head no. "Quinn would never do that." She looked at me and repeated her statement. "Quinn wouldn't hurt anyone. He's not like that. You just have to get to know him, and you'll see. He's a really good person."

"No, he's not," I confirmed. "He tried to rape me."

Jake's eyes were on me, but he remained silent. I continued to look at Mellie. She was in shock. "That's not Quinn. He would never do anything to hurt anyone."

I shared the details of what happened to me when Quinn attacked me behind Merlotte's. I told her that Quinn wanted to hurt me because I turned him down. "He told me that it was too late for me to compromise with him. He said that I had something he wanted to take and it was my virginity." I shifted in my seat as I continued. "When I denied him, he beat me in my face … blacked my eye and busted my lips."

"And you didn't tell me?" Jake asked angrily.

"It was handled," I promised.

"Eric?" Jake said.

"He took care of what needed to be taken care of," I assured him.

Jake knew what that meant and that's all he needed to know. Until we find out who got Barry the Telepath into the pack meeting, we must be careful.

Mellie said, "Quinn would never do that. He's a good man." She looked from me to Jake. "He's dating my sister. They were in a very stable relationship. She would've seen him for what he is." She raised her hands in the stop motion. "You are wrong. Quinn picks my children up from school. My sister has taken pictures of him walking the kids from school, and they're safe with him. He knows our mother. He would go home with us to Virginia for our family dinners. He's friends with my brother. Andy introduced him to my family. He's a part of our family." She refused to believe what we were saying. "That's not Quinn. I don't believe any of what you're saying."

The information that Jake was provided through Thalia, was about to be made public. I opened the case and removed the file about Quinn. As I held it, I said to Mellie, "You don't know Quinn. You knew what he wanted you to know." I opened the file and took out the three sheets that had the list of cities that Quinn travelled. "Will you read this over … the list of cities? Will you compare them to the dates your husband went out of town?"

Mellie got up and left the room.

Jake and I stared at each other without speaking. Jake shrugged his shoulders. I looked at the doorway. "Where'd she go?" I whispered.

"Maybe she had to pee," Jake answered.

Just as Jake said that, Mellie reentered the room with a stack of desk calendars. Jake took the calendars from her and as he held them, she cleared the coffee table of all its glory in one fell swoop … iPad and all. Jake placed the calendars on the coffee table. She took the paper from my hand and without saying a word, she sat cross-legged on the floor by my feet. She was soon flipping through pages and comparing the list of dates. Jake and I watched her as she flipped through the pages. Her mind was frazzled and it was sad. Her thoughts were heartbreaking. She was devastated to know that her husband wasn't the man she believed him to be. He was a liar and he was a murderer. She wished she'd known that before she'd had children with him. She wished she'd listened to her father when he begged her to leave him. Her father knew that Andy was up to no good and was no good. She'd never felt like a bigger fool until that very moment. Andy was no different than that fucking creep Roger. She sighed as she placed the paper on the table by the calendars. "Every trip he'd taken coincides with the trips Quinn had taken." Tears rolled slowly over her cheeks as she looked at me. "What happened on those trips?"

With the file in hand, I asked, "Are you sure you want to see this?"

She said nothing.

I tightened my grip on the file. "If you can't handle it, you don't have to do this." I placed my hand on hers. "I know how hard it is to realize that someone isn't who you thought they were. You question everything about them and everything about your relationship, but you should know this. He loved you," I assured her. "I could tell. When it came down to it, you were his last thought. Your face was the last face in his mind. He may have misled us about a lot of things, but he loved you and his children."

She didn't believe me. She didn't believe that a liar could love anyone but himself. They can't be trusted. They are lacking in empathy. They feel nothing for anyone and that includes their families … if they have them. She needed to know the truth about her husband.

"Please," she whispered as she looked at the file.

"Let me," Jake said as he held his out hand. "Let me give it to her."

I knew what he was doing. He was trying to lessen my guilt. The guilt that I was surely going to feel because I would be the one that's about to destroy this woman. He was letting me know that he could do it. He said it. I can do this, Sookie. Look at that woman. She's broken. You don't have to break her anymore. I'll do it.

And I handed Jake the file.

It was painful to watch Mellie open that folder. The looks on her face as she looked at the pictures and read the files; I've never seen anything like it. I've never seen one person go through that many emotions in what felt like seconds. She finally looked up at me and Jake. "I didn't know him," she whispered. She dropped her head and sobbed.

"I'm sorry," I whispered.

"Me too," Jake said.

"So, am I," she said. "The safe deposit box … what's in it?" she asked me.

I reached into the attaché case and pulled out the bank book and gave her three envelopes. They were thick and were filled with cash from what Jake and I could gather. "These are for you. They were found in an office uptown. An office your husband worked out of." I tried handing her the items, but she wouldn't take them. I glanced at Jake before speaking. "This is from your husband." I tried putting them in her hands, but she jerked away from me.

"I don't want that," she whispered. "What am I supposed to do with that? Get that away from me."

Jake frowned. "But you need it. You have daughters and a home that you have to take care of and pay for." Raising his hand, he said, "I mean no disrespect, but you're a housewife. You can't pay for this home. You have to support your children. You have to take it."

She shook her head no. "This is blood money," she whispered. Suddenly, anger filled her eyes and her voice. She stood over me and pointed at the envelopes of cash. "I need it?! I need blood money!? Do you and Ms. Stackhouse expect me to take care of my children with that money? Is that what you fucking think?"

Jake and I didn't speak and that in turn gave her our answers.

Mellie began to shake her head no. "I can't do that. My husband killed people for that fucking money! I would die before I took that money." She sat back down. "I can never do that. Nothing good would ever come from us taking that money. Keep it. Donate it. Burn it. Do whatever you want with it but get it out of my house. You don't know this, Mr. Purefoy, but I come from a wealthy family. My grandfather left me and my sister a trust fund. My children and I can live off that very comfortably. With no worries." She was sullen once again. "I don't know what to tell my children. I don't know what to say. We didn't know him. He's not the man I believed him to be. What do I tell my children?"

"Not the truth," I said as I placed the money on the coffee table. "You don't have to tell them what he did. You don't have to tell them anything about his work. Let them keep their memories. It's okay," I assured her. "Daddies are flawed and make mistakes every day. They try to protect us … keep us safe. They do the best they can just like the rest of us. Just like you're going to have to do for your girls. It's going to be up to you to keep them safe. Andy couldn't do it. He thought that he was doing what's best for his family, but he wasn't doing that. He was wrong, and I don't feel bad in saying that he got what he deserved."

Mellie dropped her head at the harshness of my words.

I scooted closer to her. "Mellie, you can do this. As you said, you don't need his money. You don't need him. You don't have to burden your children with who he really was."

"She's right," Jake said. "Since meeting you, you've shown a plethora of emotions and not once have you completely broken down. You can go through your life without telling your daughters what their father was." He reached out and gripped her hands. "You're a mother. Mothers can do anything."

Smiling, Mellie said, "We can, can't we?"

"You can," Jake assured her.

She nodded. She slapped her hands on her thighs. "I can."

Jake glanced at me. "You can also move away with your children but you're going to need that money. You can't use the money in your bank account. No credit cards. No debit cards. Nothing that's attached to your name."

Mellie's eyes widened. "Why would we have to move?" She barely spoke above a whisper.

Jake released Mellie's hand. Pointing towards the door, he said, "It's obvious that your husband had dealings with some bad people. When they discover that he's no longer around, they could come for you and your children. The things that your husband did … the people he worked with are not good people. They will kill you or worse. They will do everything in their power to keep their secrets secret."

I could only guess what the worse could be, and I didn't like those guesses. Mellie has children. Girls. I don't know much about vampires and children but from what I've learned, children are not off limits. They're no different than the rest of us. Look at the things that Quinn did to women … to men … to children.

"You can't stay here," Jake warned her.

Mellie nodded her head in agreement. "Yeah," she said. "Yeah. We have to get out of here." Her eyes then lit up. "We can go stay with my mother. We can move to Virginia."

Jake shook his head no. "You need to contact your family immediately. Have them come here. Tell them that you, Andy and the kids have to go out of town for a while. Tell them that Andy has to get special medical care for a medical issue that has arisen. Tell them that he's going away on extended business, and you and the children are going with him. Whatever you do, don't tell them the truth. Not yet."

"Why?" I asked.

He talked to me but looked at Mellie. "They will have your family's homes watched. They will have their phones bugged. All of this will take place once they discover Andy is dead. You, your children and your family will be in danger. They will do whatever than can to get to you."

Mellie frowned. "If I do that, are you saying that I can't have anymore contact with my family? Is that what you're saying? I have to cut my family off because of what Andy did … because of his business dealings?"

"Yes," I whispered. "You'll be keeping them safe." I glanced at Jake as I talked to Mellie. "I'm in your position, Mellie. My family is in hiding because of my work. I can't have any contact with them until this entire situation with Quinn has been taken care of." I then did what I said I wouldn't do. "My father was murdered by the people that employed your husband." I began to shake my head. "Don't risk it, Mellie. It's not worth it. You don't want to lose your loved ones. Take your daughters and run until it's safe."

Mellie jumped up from the couch. She snatched the envelopes of money from coffee table. I guess she's going to need the money after all. "I'm going to the bank and withdraw the money from Andy's accounts … the safe deposit box. We'll leave the country. We can leave the country. We'll leave tonight." She nodded her head as she settled in on the idea of leaving. "I'm going to tell my mom …"

Jake shook his head no. "You can't tell anyone. You can't forget that. No one."

"But she's my mom," Mellie said. "She's going to want to know if we're safe."

"I'm sorry. If you want her dead, go ahead and tell her. See what happens." Jake was up front and matter-of-fact with his words.

I was suddenly excited. I jumped up from the couch and said, "You can keep in contact with your family. You don't have to cut all contact with them. You don't have to lose your family."

Jake frowned but the frown was soon gone. "Burner phones."

"Burner phones," I repeated.

Jake and I let Mellie know what she could do to keep her family updated with her and the children's whereabouts. She was told to never tell them where she and her children were. I wrote my number on the back of the envelop and handed it to Mellie. "Call me once you get settled in. Don't tell me where you are. I don't want to know," I assured her. "Once things have been settled here, I will call you to let you know when you can come back home."

Mellie threw her arms around my neck. "Thank you, Ms. Stackhouse! Thank you so much. You have been so kind to me." She looked at Jake. "You both have."

Jake stood and shoved his hands in his pocket. "It's okay. I'm just sorry that we had to meet under these circumstances."

What about his body? Mellie thought.

"Once things have been settled … the investigation into your husband's dealings, you'll get his body back," I assured her.

Mellie quickly stepped away from me. "I didn't say that out loud."

"You didn't have to," I said as I stood next to Jake. I pointed at the paper with my number on it. "Once you have the meeting with your family and buy the burner phones, call me. I'll buy a burner phone too, and I'll give you that number. We'll keep in contact once a week."

"Okay." Mellie said as she nodded. She walked me and Jake to the door. Just as she opened the door, an elderly woman was standing on the porch, posed to begin knocking. "Mom!" She threw her arms around her mom's neck and cried.

Mellie's mom stroked her back as she eyed me and Jake suspiciously. "What's wrong? What have you done to my daughter?"

"Nothing," Mellie answered as she released her mom from her hug. "These are my friends, Julie and Michael. They came by for a visit. With Andy being out of town, I get lonely at times, so they came by for a visit."

"Andy's out of town again?" her mom asked. She shook her head. "I told you to leave that man alone. He means you no good." She looked at me. "Does your husband leave you alone at all times?"

I smiled as I shook my head. I grabbed Jake's hand. "No. We're usually traveling together."

Her mom patted Jake on the shoulder. "You're a good man."

Jake puffed his chest out. "Thanks, ma'am."

Mellie rolled her eyes. "They have to go and we need to talk." She shook my and Jake's hand. "I'll be talking with you soon, Julie."

"Okay," I answered. "I hope that you ladies have a great day."

Mellie nodded as she guided her mom inside and closed the door.

As Jake and I walked to his car, he asked, "Will she do as we've told her to?"

I nodded. "She will. She wants to live. She has no intentions of putting her daughters at risk." I then asked, "What do you think about that picture?"

Jake frowned. "I was waiting for you to bring that up. Something had to have happened to make him work for a vampire like Victor Madden. He would never do that. The Colonel wouldn't allow it. He would lose his standing in the pack."

"I guess there's only one way to find out."

"Yeah," Jake said. "I just hope that Alcide has a good enough reason for what he's done."