The Beautiful Thief (Stolen Hearts #2)(44)

“We need to get out of here.”

“If Ben calls the cops, there are going to be roadblocks,” said Adam.

Melody was torn between being happy that Adam realized that and frustrated that it was a fact. “There are less than ten roads in and out of this place.” Which meant every one would be covered by an intense police presence.

“Let them cover the roads. We can walk out of here. The farm lands will make it easy. Grab whatever you can carry and let’s go.”

Adam seemed ready and willing to take on the world. Melody bit her bottom lip and ran a hand through her hair. He should be running fast and far away. She was officially toxic and instead he was going to wander across the farm fields of Indiana to get her to safety?

No. He wasn’t going to put his life on the line for her. Maybe if she was out of options she’d let herself rely on him, let herself put him at risk. But she wasn’t alone.

It was time for her to admit that she was totally unprepared for the war she’d taken on and call in the backup. She brought her phone to her ear.

“What are you doing?” he asked.

“I’m doing what I should’ve done from the beginning. I’m calling Toni.”



Adam wanted to punch something. Preferably a person, but a wall or door would’ve helped.

“Who’s Toni?” asked Willa.

“Toni is her sister,” he managed in a semi-calm voice.

“Oh,” said Willa, a little surprised. “Why is everyone so upset that she’s being called?”

“Hey,” said Melody, signaling that someone had answered the phone.

Adam might have to be okay with her making the call, but he didn’t need to be kept in the dark. He reached out, taking the phone from Mel’s hand and put it on speaker. “Where are you?”

“Where am I? Who the hell is this?”

“It’s Adam,” said Mel, in her calming voice. “Have you seen the news?”

“You mean have I seen your pretty mug flashed all over the big screen? Yeah. I saw it. What are we doing about it?”

“I’m in Huntsville.”

There was a pause over the line.

“Her ex knows she’s here, so we have to assume that the cops know she’s here. We’re at a motel and I paid cash. We should be safe for the moment, but who knows how long? I can get her out on foot but we have another problem.”

Toni let out a bitter laugh. “Another problem? Great. Because we didn’t have enough.”

Adam let Mel explain about Willa because he didn’t even know where to start with that one.

“Jadon Belli’s daughter is here. She’s on the run from her father and came to me for protection.”

Well, that made it sound much less crazy than it actually was.

“Willa Belli?” said Toni. Obviously she was familiar with the family tree.

“Hello,” said Willa softly. The first soft thing he’d ever heard her say. Good; he needed her to be afraid right now.

“Belli and Sterling worked—”

“I know their relationship,” said Toni sharply. “Okay. We have to take one thing at a time. I’m at O’Hare right now so I can be there in a few hours, but I took precautions after my flight was delayed.”

“Precautions?” asked Melody.

“Scott is meeting me now, but I sent someone out to Huntsville just in case you went back home.”

“Who did you send?”





“Who is James Weston?” asked Willa.

“I don’t know,” said Adam for the tenth time as he looked around the parking lot to see whether anyone who looked like they could be a mercenary showed up.

“I thought Melody was going to help me. I came here for Melody.”

“That was before Melody became America’s most wanted criminal. Now she needs to take care of herself. Weston will take care of you.”

“I don’t know anything about him.”

“You didn’t know anything about Melody either.”

“I knew she didn’t like Jadon. I knew she saved my life. That’s something.”

And now the crazy person was starting to make sense. Damn it. “If Melody stays around to help you, she’s going to end up dead. Got it?”

“Her sister doesn’t like you.”

“Don’t make me gag you.”

“It’s not like you don’t know. Why doesn’t Toni like you?”

“Because I helped to kill their mother.”

“Oh.” Finally that seemed to shut her up.

Adam glanced at his phone but there was no word from Melody. Toni should be getting to town soon. The longer they waited, the more police presence there was, the bigger the roadblocks would get. Damn it, they should’ve made a run for it when they first heard the news. When they first had a chance.

Now Willa was going to get out of this town no problem. But Melody was still here. She trusted Toni to get her out but wouldn’t listen to a damn thing he said. Fuck, she was worse than a guy.

Sleeping with her had been a mistake. Ever since, she seemed to be doing her best to remind him to keep a healthy distance. Maybe it was time for him to take the hint. He never should’ve come out here with her anyway. He’d known it back in Louisiana. He’d known it in Chicago. He hadn’t done a damn thing to help her. Sure, they found Forbes, but he was still alive and tickin’, so what good did that do anyone?