Melt (Steel Brothers Saga #4)(6)

“You can accomplish anything. And it has nothing to do with Jade being by your side, although I know what you mean. Remember, you can do anything you set your mind to. Look how far you’ve come already.”

He looked at his watch. “I have to cut our session a little bit short today, Doc. I have an appointment to meet a guy. The tattoo guy I told you about.”

I nodded.

“He says he found some of his old records. I’m hoping maybe I can track down the man he did the phoenix tattoo on. I need to prove that Nico Kostas was one of my abductors.”

Talon had already decided who two of his abductors had been. Strange thing was, he’d turned out to be right about one of them—his half-uncle, Larry Wade. What were the chances he was right about the other? Slim to none. But he knew my feelings on the matter. “I wish you the best of luck. I know it’s important to you that you find them.”

I watched as he walked out the door.

Talon Steel was a handsome man, no doubt. But he didn’t make my heart flutter the way his brother Jonah did.





Chapter Three





Jonah




I finished a hard day on the back forty, and after I had taken a quick shower, I decided to go for a swim. I lived in my own ranch house that I had built a while ago, before my father passed away. Things had gotten pretty cozy in the main house. The house might be five thousand square feet, but with my father, two brothers, and my sister, it was hard to get any alone time.

God knew I needed my alone time.

It was the only time I could think about things. Things I didn’t want to talk about, that my brothers and sister would have seen on my face. I hated them asking what was wrong all the time.

I gave my golden retriever, Lucy, a quick pet, and then I dived into the cool water. I had always loved swimming. Truth be told, I preferred swimming to horseback riding. I rode with my brothers every so often, and of course I rode nearly every day taking care of the ranch, but it was really more my brothers’ thing than it was mine. I preferred being surrounded by water. Many times I’d wished I lived by the ocean instead of in the Rocky Mountains. Not that I would trade my life for anything. I loved working the ranch. Sometimes I wondered if I had been some kind of sea mammal in another life, the way I loved the water so much. Water took my weight away, not only physically but emotionally and mentally as well. The guilt that consumed me on land washed away in the water.

I did two laps of freestyle and then switched to the backstroke, looking up into the sunset. Autumn was on the way now, and the days were growing shorter. I went on to the butterfly and then to the sidestroke, and then I rested, doing a few laps of the elementary backstroke. I could swim forever. And I loved every minute of it.

When my skin got pruny, I left the water and grabbed my towel.

Melanie Carmichael popped into my mind.

I wanted to see her again. And not for therapy. But she knew all about me and my fucked-up life. She would never be interested in seeing someone like me socially. So there was really only one way to see her. I had to make another appointment for therapy.

I’d give her a call tomorrow morning and set up an appointment.

I toweled off and lay down on a chaise longue, stretching. Lucy lay down beside me. I closed my eyes. What a day.



“Hey, Joe,” Talon said. “I want to go over to the Walker ranch and look around after school.”

“What for?”

“Just want to find out what happened to Luke. It’s not sitting right with me. He doesn’t seem like the type who would run away.”

“Of course he would run away,” I said. “Those bullies are always giving him a hard time. Why would he want to stay here?”

Talon shook his head. “Like I said, it just doesn’t sit right with me. Sure, it’s harder with the bullies, but…he’s not the type to run. He takes it, you know?”

“You’d best go home. You’ll get your ass whooped if you don’t get your chores done.”

“I’ll get them done when I get home. I just want to figure this out.”

“You don’t even like the kid that much.”

“I like him fine. And I hate what the bullies do to him.”

“Best leave things alone,” I said, shaking my head. “He’ll make his way home soon enough.”

“I want you to come with me, Joe.”

I shook my head. “Heck, I’ve got major work to do this afternoon at home. And homework. I can’t do it.”

“I’m going anyway.”

“Suit yourself.”

Our youngest brother, Ryan, tugged on Talon’s hand. “I’ll go with you, Tal.”



My eyes shot open. It wasn’t the first time I’d nodded off and relived that day. It wasn’t a dream. It was a flashback to the day Talon had been taken. The day all our lives had changed.

If only I had gone with him…



“I was surprised to get your call,” Melanie said.

I let out a breath I hadn’t realized I’d been holding. I squirmed in the leather recliner. What to say? I wanted to see you again, so I made an appointment for therapy I don’t want? Nope, that wouldn’t do.

Again, silence.

“So why did you call? What would you like to talk about?”