Need You Now (Love in Unknown) - By Taylor M. Lunsford Page 0,96

you could ever hold a man like Caine? You’re certainly not beautiful enough for him. He’s always preferred tall, skinny blondes with much better taste in clothes.”

“Caine and I have always been friends. He’s a sweet, understanding guy. I couldn’t say no when he asked me out.” Keep the crazy girl calm. That’s what she needed to do. She’d got the sense the Portia was high-strung when they met at Fortune Hill, but she’d strayed into Fatal Attraction territory. Mel swallowed compulsively. Please, Gage. Please realize that I haven't called you yet. Come check on me.

Portia’s eyes narrowed. “Well, he’s mine now. So just stay away from him.”

“Did he tell you we were together?” Trying to be discreet, she glanced around the room, searching for anything she could use as a weapon. The most dangerous thing she could see was the reflex hammer she’d left out this afternoon after Teddy Allen’s follow-up appointment for his arm. Maybe Blondie was short enough on brains that the hammer would scramble what little she had left long enough for Mel to get back to her phone.

“He said that his heart belonged to another. Didn’t take much to realize he meant you. I saw that silly blog and all the entries talking about how y’all are such a perfect couple. Please.” She kept the gun trained on Mel’s chest. “He told me about you when he first said he wanted to take a break. Said he needed to get you out of his head before he could even think about getting married.”

Take a break. Right. The more time she spent with this woman, the more Mel began to think that this woman had some serious problems. “What are you going to do with that gun, Portia? We’re both intelligent, well-educated women. I’m sure we can talk about this without violence.”

“You’re obviously not as smart as everyone thinks you are,” Portia said. “I thought you would get the hint after I wrecked this place. Then, I thought, no, I need to make more of a statement. So I had my boys go after your car. The phone calls were just for fun, to be honest. But you still had the gall to go out with my man. To fuck him like the low class slut you are. Even after I left you a message on that ridiculous golf cart of his. You just can’t get it through your ugly little head.”

“What message is that?”

Portia rolled her eyes. “Caine Maddox is mine. You don’t belong. You never will. And I will make you take your fat ass out of the picture, even if I have to kill you to do it.”

Chapter 19

Caine glanced at the big grandfather clock in the corner of his office. Ten p.m. Jesus. He needed to get home. Home. Fortune Hill felt so empty without Mel around. He still half expected to see one of her books in the living room or one of her hair ties in the bathroom. In the middle of back up his stuff, his phone rang.

“Gage, what’s up?” He stuffed another file into his briefcase to look over when the insomnia hit at three in the morning. He’d become resigned to the fact that he couldn’t sleep through the night and did his best to be productive instead of lying awake.

“Have you heard from Mel?” Gage’s voice was taut and worried.

Caine frowned. “No. She still isn’t talking to me. Why?”

“She’s been working late every night since she dumped you.” The faint sound of sirens screamed in the background. “I make her call me when she’s walking to the car and she promised to never stay later than ten. She should have called by now, but she hasn’t. I’m on my way over right now, but I’m still five minutes out.”

A sense of unease crept up and down Caine’s spine. He dropped the briefcase and took off out of the office at a fast jog. His heart began to pound. Dread coursed through his veins faster than a shot of whisky. He had to be wrong. Had to be. If he wasn’t… “I’m on my way over there. Portia’s in town. She came here earlier this afternoon, trying to convince me to take her back. Seemed pretty pissed when I wouldn’t.”

“You don’t think she’d go after Mel, do you?” Gage’s tires screeched, obviously going too fast around a curve.

“Wouldn’t put it past her. All that hair dye’s done a number on her head.” Caine burst through the doors