Beep. Beep. Beep. That's all that is coming from Melody's hospital room as she lays very still on the bed. Bloom has his chin in his hand as he looks down at his body. Of course, the doctor won't let him in, but he is here. She is sleeping peacefully, and that's a relief, but he can't stop thinking about what happened. Who was that and what the hell did he do to her? She almost died, and the doctors won't tell him anything, but he knows that she would have died if he hadn't brought her to the hospital. She tightens her eyes, stirs, and blinks open. She sighs like she is just getting up from a long sleep and her eyes fall on Bloom. He drops his hand from his chin and walks closer to her. "Hey, Melody, you are okay. " He breathes in relief. " How are you feeling?""Mike?" She squints. " What happened to me?"He stops, wanting to correct her for calling him the wrong name, but then he remembers. He forgot that Duke calls him Mike and that's what she knows him as. His head was I'm
Even if Bloom wants to answer Duke's question, he can barely breathe from his throat as Duke is literally strangling him. " I can't answer you right now, boss. " Bloom manages to say. " I can't breathe, sir. "Duke contemplates if to let him go immediately or not, but he lets him go. Bloom falls to one of his knees and clutches his chest as he coughs violently, gasping for air. " You had better start talking if you don't want my arm against your throat again," he warns him. " I tried to protect her, boss. I did. " Bloom explains. " I was only being careful so as not to get her suspicious of me. "" If those are the answers you think you have for me, you had better be joking!"" She has this old friend, a man named Jace. " Bloom quickly adds to save his life " He invited her over to his house and he drugged her. "" What?" Duke squints. " I got there in time and took her away, he may have had intentions to rape her. "Duke groans and grabs him by his shoulder and pins him against
They are in front of the door for a long minute, just staring at each other. Duke is imagining what it would feel like to pull out a gun and fire it at this man's head, at close range. The delight to watch his brain splatter from his head and cover the fine wooden floor, Duke has never wanted to kill someone more badly. "Hello. " The man takes a step closer and looks into Duke's eyes. " Are you okay? I have been trying to get your attention for a while now. "Duke blinks, coming back to reality. He tries to force a smile, but it's hard, knowing what this man did to Melody. " You must be, Duke?" The man grins. " I'm Jace."He offers him a handshake, but Duke just stares at his hand, he doesn't take it. He is not trying to be mean to Jace, he just can't take his hand. He feels a hand on his shoulder, it's Melody. "Hey, Jace!"She sounds excited and happy to see him. She gets in front of Duke and takes Jace's hand as she pulls him into the house. He is grinning, looking around
Jace groans, but he doesn't move his head off the table. The pain is excruciating and he thinks that if he tries to move, it's going to be more than this. "Hello, hello. " A cheerful voice says with laughter. He lets out a painful winch as his head is lifted off the table, the stranger is holding him by his hair. The table is cracked where his face made contact with it and it's covered in drops of blood. Jace sniffs and feels his forehead, he can feel the warm thickness of blood against his finger. " Who are you?" He shivers. " What's this about?'Hardly has he gotten the words out of his mouth when a force pushes his face against the table again. The table shatters and the glass falls to the ground loudly. He is in so much pain that he can't even open his eyes. His head is aching like a hammer has been used on it. " You have got a lot of nerve to even think of asking questions. " The stranger clicks his tongue. "I'm sorry. " He mutters. He doesn't want to get hurt anymore ag
Melody chokes on her drink and Duke quickly grabs her glass of water. She is still coughing as she tries to get the water down her throat as Duke rubs her hands. Everyone is watching them, with more contempt than admiration, but at least they don't say what they feel. After she has drunk the way, she looks at her grandfather, her eyes squinting. " What did you say, Papa? You want to give him a job?" She asks. " I was talking to him, not you, Melody. " He raises his nose in disapproval. All eyes fall on Duke again. " What do you say, Duke?" He nods at him. " Do you want the job or not?"" The reason why he traveled was to get a job. " She speaks on his behalf. " We don't need your help, we don't. "" You traveled to find a job and how did that go for you?" Her father asks. " Not as I expected. " Duke rubs the back of his neck. " Exactly what I thought. " Her mother raises her shoulders like this was something she was forthcoming about. " So tell me, Duke, you can't be complet
Duke is sitting down on top of Mister Jimmy's roof with his legs dangling off the ground as he drinks from a can of energy drink, he is trying to take a break. Melody's mother, who has nothing else to do, than wander around the house. When she is coming back from her little stroll, she meets Duke dangling his legs from the rooftop. She is startled and she hurries over to where she can get a clearer picture of him. "Kid, what do you think you are doing?!" She yells in the most unfriendly voice. "Hi, Mrs. Futterman, I am just taking a break. " He smiles and waves at her, she doesn't smile back. " Are you trying to kill yourself?! Get away from there!!" She orders. He laughs, but he doesn't move an inch. It's amusing to him that she hates him so much yet she cares so much to bother about his safety. "Do you hear me, Duke?!" She shields her eyes and squints. "I do, I will be going back to work soon, you don't have to worry about me." He assures her. She murmurs something under he
Duke can't believe what he has heard, he is so shocked that he can't even move. The door knob is still in his hand, half open, but he knows that they can't hear him. He can't believe that Melody's grandfather was the instigator of that horrible thing that happened to his granddaughter. So that's just how much they hate him and want to get rid of him? To the extent that he didn't mind that Melody could get hurt? He is such a cancer that if losing him would mean losing a limb, they are ready to make that sacrifice. He can't believe that he thought this was Jace's idea from the very beginning and to think that he made him suffer for it too?".... Look, we are going to think of something else. I know this didn't work, but it could work another way. " Her grandfather says. " I am not that desperate anymore, since she is happy, I am happy too and I don't want to be the cause of her pain. " Jace refuses. " That's bold of you to think that she is happy with that pauper, he doesn't even
After fixing Jace's window and getting paid generously, Duke drives his car and returns back to the house. He got the car today because Melody is at home. She had to do some bookkeeping because it's the end of the month and she decided that the house is quieter. He stopped by a small flower shop and he was able to find the best kind of flowers for Melody. She loves flowers and chocolates and anything that would affirm his love for her and he has not stopped doing that. After walking around the store for some minutes, he and the florist settle for some colorful tulips. He hasn't gotten something like this for her and it's the best he could find in the shop. The playful blending of the color seems like God was having fun when creating them and each time he looks at them, he knows they will be perfect for his wife. He pays the florist and gets back into the car as he drives home. He has a broad smile on his face as he goes. He gets to the house and steps out of the car with the fl