Keepers of the Underworld

Chapter 7

Darius woke up with Melanie cradled in his arms, and his cheek pressed to the top of her head. He kissed her forehead as he thought about last night and what they had done. It was something he had wanted for centuries but had put it out of his mind because of who Melanie’s parents were. He worked for Dee and Sephi, and now he was involved with their daughter. He would not deny that worried him.

Melanie began to stir as he held her. She stretched and tightened her arm around his chest. Her eyes fluttered open as she tipped her head back and smiled at him.

“Good morning,” Darius whispered as he smiled at her.

“Good morning,” Melanie said as she took his cheeks and pulled his face down, kissing him deeply. “Thank you for last night.”

“You never need to thank me for that,” Darius softly told her as he brushed her hair from her cheek. “I should be thanking you. Not only was making love to you one of the best experiences I have ever felt, but sleeping with you in my arms was the most restful night I can remember.”

“Then come back tonight,” Melanie grinned as she ran her finger across his bare chest.

“Melanie,” Darius sighed. “I have little doubt that your father already knows what I have done…”

“No! What we did, I want us to continue doing,” Melanie insisted. “Dari, I promise I will never let anything happen to you where my parents are concerned.”

“I know, but I still worry,” Darius said, kissing her head as he glanced at the clock on the nightstand. “I’m sorry, but I have to go. I need to meet with your father about what I have found involving one of the residents of the hospice center.”

"Do you think we could have lunch together?" Melanie asked as she bit her lower lip.

"Where would you like to eat?"

"The diner? It is sentimental now. Even more than it was."

"I think I can do that. For now, we need to get up and get dressed."

"What if I don't want to?" Melanie smirked.

Darius chuckled as he kissed her forehead. "You are going to be the death of me. Come on. We both need to get up so you are not suffering alone."

"Fine," she huffed. "But only because I have something I want to do today."

"Should I be worried?" Darius teased.

Melanie laughed, "No. I need to go to the store and pick up a few groceries. Is there anything you would like in particular?"

"Whatever you get will be fine," Darius told her as they dressed.

"Is this the way you are going to be from now on? Agreeing with anything I want to avoid a fight?" Melanie grinned with a raised eyebrow.

"Of course not! We're Greek. We love to fight, and we love to love," Darius told her as he slipped his arms around her waist. "We are passionate about everything we do."

"And everyone we do?" Melanie questioned, delighted in taunting Darius a little.

"Only you," Darius whispered in her ear. "After last night, I will never want another."

"I like hearing you say that," Melanie said. "I will meet you at noon at the diner. Go meet my dad and try to keep him from taking someone's soul before it is time."

"I know you mean that as a joke, but there might be more truth to that than I wish there were."

"If things get bad, call me. I can calm him down, and if I can't, I will call Mom, and she will do it."

"I will. Now, I have to go. I have to walk back to the diner to get my car, and I hope that it wasn't towed or stolen."

"Oh, I hadn't thought of that. Let me drive you there to get your car," Melanie offered. "Do you want to have breakfast before you go?"

"I would, but I am already late."

"Then let's go. I will even let you hold my hand on the way there," Melanie giggled as she held her hand out to him.

"How could I refuse that?" Darius grinned.

-

Darius arrived at the hospice center for his meeting with Dee, with minutes to spare. He carried the file of information he had collected with him. There were clear indicators that things were not as they first appeared when it came to Travis Collins and his family. He knocked lightly on Dee's open door and was greeted with a smile.

"Darius, come in! What is it you have found so far?" Dee asked as he waved for him to enter the office and sit in the chair in front of the desk.

"A few things," Darius said as he handed the folder to Dee. "The young man, Travis, does not fit the profile of someone who would lead police on a prolonged pursuit and cause a fatal traffic crash. However, his cousin and brother most certainly were and still are quite capable of it when the incident occurred."

"Explain," Dee curtly said as he leafed through the file.

"Both men have a history of violent crimes, including assaults and fleeing from police. If they were in the vehicle with Travis, I feel either he was not the one driving, or if he was, he was doing so under duress. While his brother and cousin could be considered career criminals, Travis has never had so much as a traffic ticket," Darius told him.

"We are on the same page with that. Find out which one of them was driving. Use any means necessary to do it. Melanie might be able to help with that. She told me that it had been a while since she had given someone the nightmares they deserved. Maybe this would be a good time for her to do that," Dee said with a crooked grin.

"You might be right. The nightmares and madness she can inflict are a work of art the way she does them," Darius grinned.

Dee studied the man before him as he spoke. There was a glint in his eyes as he spoke of Melanie, that he had never seen before. He was a little upset with himself at the thought of not having noticed it before.

"Darius, I need you to answer me honestly. How long have you been in love with my daughter?"

"I'm sorry, my lord. I never intended to..." Darius said before Dee cut him off.

"Darius, how long?"

"For as long as I can remember," he admitted, embarrassed that he had allowed himself to fall in love with the daughter of the man and woman he worked for.

"Have you been with her?"

Darius shifted uncomfortably in his chair, "Only once. Last night, when I walked her home. If you do not want me to be with her, I understand. My past is not glowing. That is why you recruited me to work for you."

Dee held up his hand, causing Darius to fall silent. "Darius, I know you. I also know Melanie. She is not like her brother. She is very selective about whom she spends her nights with. I know you will treat her right no matter what you have done in the past."

"Yes, my lord. Always."

"Good. Now, take my daughter to lunch when it is time and ask if she would want to help out with this."

Darius beamed, "It would be my pleasure."