A Heart to Rescue Read Free Page A

She had since the day she was hired, but somewhere along the way, she convinced herself that was where she belonged. Now Nate was offering her a way out, and with it came hope.
    Mel slowly nodded. She reached up on the shelf next to the door and took down her purse. “Okay. I better be getting a sweet raise with this new job .”
    Nate’s face broke out in a smile. “Guaranteed.”
    She followed him out into th e main bar area. Max looked as if he was about to spit nails. His mouth opened, but a glare from Nate closed it. At the back booth, the two Parker brothers were quiet and subdued. They didn’t even look in her direction as Nate escorted her out the door.
    Outside, a black sedan was sitting at the curb with the engine running. As soon as they emerged from the bar, the driver jumped out of the car and came around to their side . He opened the back door and gestured to them.
    A hand on the small of her back pushed her gently toward the car. Mel’s thoughts were frozen. Too much had happened in the last ten minutes. It was as if she was in some kind of dream.
    She ducked her head to get into the car, and waited until Nate settled in next to her and the driver closed the door. She turned to him.
    “ What did you say to them?”
    “It’s nothing you need to worry about. Suffice it to say, if they feel the urge to put the urge to put their hands on another server again , I will find out and come back to kick their asses.”
    It had been a long time since a man had stood up for Mel, so she had no idea how to react. On one hand , she was slightly mortified by the whole macho show, but , on the other hand, it kind of turned her on. “ Who the hell are you?” she asked.
    “You helped me today, Mel. Now I’m going to help you. Tha t’s really all you need to know for now. ”
    “That seems too simple,” Mel said suspiciously. She was sure if she blinked the car and the mysterious man beside her would disappear.
    Nate shrugged, “No ulterior motives here. I hope you don’t mind me saying so, but y ou seem to have trust issues.”
    Mel did have trust issues, but she wasn’t about to tell Nate that.
    “Where to?” the driver said as he slid into the front seat.
    Nate looked at her.
    “224 Park Place,” Mel said after a short pause.
    Nate’s eyebrows shot up, but he said nothing. Mel knew what he was thinking. Park Place was home to many of Spring City’s young, up and coming professionals. Rents were high, the condos were small, but the street was modern, chic, and exclusive. Everything that Mel used to think was important.
    Not willing to engage in any more small talk with Nate in front of the driver, Mel tried to relax into the luxurious leather. She had a lot of things to work through, not the least of which was trying to forget the stink of Bud’s breath as he closed in for the kill.
     
    As the car turned onto Park Place, Mel felt her heart start to beat faster. She didn’t know what to expect from Nate at the moment, and her mind was still reeling from the fact that she had been assaulted and allowed herself to be talked into quitting her job in the same afternoon.
    The car glided to a stop outside her condo’s building , and she felt Nate’s hand cover hers. “You okay, Mel?”
    A rush of tears to her eyes surprised her. She wiped them away and nodded. “I’m fine. Thank you for helping me. Those guys are complete morons.”
    “ You never have to see them again. Besides, I did what anyone would have done,” Nate replied.
    “Except for Max.”
    “Max didn’t seem like the type to help anyone but himself. You’re better off out of there.”
    Mel couldn’t disagree. There was a short pause, and she started to fidget. Deciding that she couldn’t delay the inevitable any longer , she reached for the door handle, but the door opened before her fingers could grasp it . The driver moved fast she though t with chagrin.
    Nate’s grasp tightened on her other hand, drawing her attention. “I still