Final Curtain

Nate's POV

I woke up to a loud buzzing in my ears.

Urgh.

I shifted and my body sunk deeper into a soft place. A bed?

The last thing I remembered from last night was Aric driving us home, with a very questionable amount of alcohol in his bloodstream. I didn't remember coming inside, definitely didn't remember climbing up the stairs, falling on the bed and...

I peeked one eye open.

There was a blanket covering me.

Yeah, I didn't remember any of that.

The sound of a door opening floated from somewhere in the house. I craned my neck—a gigantic splitting headache made me bury my face into the pillow. Shouldn't have drunk a whole bottle of bourbon.

Voices echoed from downstairs. They were soft whispers, I couldn't make out anything. Not sure I wanted to, my head was on the verge of exploding.

"Shit..." I whispered grabbing hold of my hair.

I was going to smash that iPhone.

Palming down my jeans, I found the blasting thing in my right pocket. Pulling out I only saw green and red, not thinking, I slid my thumb over green.

"Someone better be dying a horrible death..."

Static cackled on the other end before a laugh rang out. God damn, I thought pulling it away.

"Someone's cranky this morning," my eyes popped and I sat up in a flash. "Didn't Melissa satisfy you last night?"

My teeth gritted.

"Nolan,"

There was a pause and I swear I knew the son of a bitch was smirking,

"Sorry to disturb your little reunion but there's another job I need you and brother dearest for."

Another job? Why the hell did this guy think I'd do anything else now that Mel was home safe and... and without memories of me? Reality stabbed me in the back.

"Screw you, you bastard! I'm not doing anything for you." Unless he wanted me to strangle him. That I would do willingly.

"Now, now. Do you really want to risk Melissa's freedom?"

Her... freedom?

"What are you talking about?" I rubbed a temple.

"Ah," he mocked. "Did she forget to tell you guys about the incriminating evidence I have—against all of you?"

It was a mystery how I managed not to smash the phone. I dropped several F-bombs that would've caused Mel to blush—if she were here—as Nolan gave me a teasing little story about having Drew's effing body in a freezer, the bullets that killed her still inside her and the weapon used to shoot her. Which had only two sets of prints.

The crazy bat's and Mel's.

"Of course," he kept going. "I have more things. Against you, against our dear brother. His were actually hard to get. Aric is very good at covering his tracks, just like our Dad. Yours? The Hive must really hate you. The only easier way I could've gotten your contracts was if they'd e-mailed them."

I scrunched my eyes ignoring the pinching in my temples. My damn, stupid parents. They'd kept their hopes about me returning to the fold. They hadn't deleted my files in time, and now... I could barely stop the flare of anger pulsing every cell of my being.

"So, you see, Nathaniel, I have your life—your lives—in the palm of my hand." I fisted a hand in my hair. No, no, no... Nolan's voice became lower next, more crushing than anything because he could control her life—Mel's. "When I call you to meet with me, you'll come crawling. When I order you to do something, you'll do it with a fun-fucking-tastic smile on your face. If I want you to act like a dancing chicken, you'll dance. And you better pray—pray that I have use for you guys for a long time, or your precious little girlfriend will be wearing an orange jumpsuit and watching the sun through iron bars. You and Aric? Well," he chuckled. "You're a lawyer, right? What's the penalty for killing someone—scratch that. Several someone's?"

Death.

The penalty was death.

A brief pang of silence crawled by.

"Nattie? Still there?" Shivers crept all over me. Damn nickname. "Do you understand?"

"I understand."

"What was that?"

Mocking me. The wuss was mocking me. "I understand what you said. Okay?" I grunted.

"Good. About that job? I want you and Aric tonight at eleven o'clock, docks, warehouse thirteen. Don't be late." Then the bastard hung up on me. Like I used to do with one-night stands that just couldn't take a hint.

There was no time for hangovers or headaches, I slipped on my clothes from yesterday and made quick work of morning hygiene before bonding down the steps into the kitchen where no one was talking. Instead, soft moans fluttered from the stove. Anna was sitting on it, obviously the beakers were off, and Aric's fingers were wrapped on her curvy hips. My brother pushed himself closer, her legs dragged him in by locking behind his back—

I opened the fridge door and closed it. Hard enough to make Anna's eyes pop open. I leaned on its side, arms folded.

"There are other people in this house. You could be a bit more respectful and slobber over each other inside a bedroom."

Anna's hands showed up on my brother's biceps as Aric turned to look at me, looking ten shades of pissed. Things were about to get much worse.

"Don't you have manners, mate?"

"I'm sorry, I would've knocked but there's no door."

Aric coursed a hand through his hair, strands flopped back into emerald eyes. It didn't look like he had a hangover. Male pride stung at the thought of another guy—my brother—handling alcohol better than me.

"Hop off, kitty-cat. Fun's over." He said backing up, giving Anna space to slide her feet onto the floor. I pretended not to notice how she gravitated towards his side, anyway, or how Aric rounded her waist.

It was all so... domestic.

Last time I checked, there was nothing domestic about their relationship. Then again, I'd never paid attention to their fun-time.

It suddenly hit me.

"You're here?" I glared at her. "You can't be here! Melissa is..." I stopped. Hope bubbling, if Anna was here... "Did she remember? Something...?" Anything?

Anna drew a sigh, shaking her head. I felt an arrow pierce my chest. How stupid of me, thinking something would work out at this point.

"Then why are you here? You left her alone—?"

"Relax," Anna eased Aric's arm away, walking a step towards me. "She's not alone. Not really. I called Reed, I figured it couldn't hurt to have someone who knew her parents better than me be stay with her." She explained, sitting on a stool. Anna looked between us. "I told her everything last night. Well, no, not everything. I left out the part where she killed someone. And... the part where Vincent..." her eyes went downcast as she whispered, "The part where Vincent raped her Mom."

"You didn't tell her she was my sister?"

"I did. I just let her think her Mom and your Dad had meaningless night together. She took it surprisingly well. She took... everything well."

"Everything?"

"Huh," Aric mumbled reading Anna's face. "Nate..."

"Anna?" I asked. I needed to know. I needed to know about her, I needed to know she still felt something for me. That deep down, her feelings for me surpassed deaths and traumas. "Just tell me."

Forest eyes swung to me. I could read them loud and clear. I'd seen that same feeling in cops eyes when Mom vanished. Pity.

"She doesn't remember you being kind, Nate. All she knows is that you're the guy who took her, who lied and hurt her. I told her everything about you—about both of you together, everything I knew, I told her, but... I'm not even sure she believes me." Good God. Anna was looking at me like she was seeing a kicked puppy. "I'm sorry."

More things to process. Things I didn't know how to deal with, things I couldn't change with a fingers snap. So, for now, I'd focus on what I could understand. Threats and blackmail.

"Nolan called me."

"What?" Aric's barked.

I nodded, "Bastard called saying he had another job for us."

Anna snorted.

"Another job? With what leverage? Mel's safe back home."

Aric looked impassive as I told them my colorful conversation with Aric and Mel's half-brother. I got to watch my brother stiffen, turn an angry red, all in the space of five minutes. Anna's hand covered her mouth as she stared at me, disbelief painting her expression.

"That sneaky block!" Aric whirled around, smacking a hand down on the kitchen's island. "You should've killed him! You should've made sure he was dead." A finger pointed at me.

My lips curled in a snarl.

"Melissa and I were busy saving your freezing asses!" I exploded. "Why didn't you take him out instead of being caught?"

"Chicago was crawling with Order members and I couldn't leave Anna." Her eyes jumped to Aric's, wide, like she never expected him to say it out loud—to me. "At least I didn't walk into Drew's trap and got myself 'napped."

"Shut up," I got all up-close-and-personal with him. My fingers twitching.

Aric was inches taller than me which meant he had to look down at me—the tinniest bit—and I was ready to rip him apart.

"You have no idea what Nolan is capable of, you git." He spat, shoving me back. I swung back a step. My hands curled into fists. Oh, it was on.

Just as I snapped my arm back, Anna wiggled between the little space Aric had put between us. The girl was crazy. I was five seconds from losing my shit and she was acting as a human barrier? Anna could kick some ass, but surely not mine.

"Stop!" She pressed a hand deep into Aric's chest, but kept her eyes focused on mine. I'd never seen them so serious and mature. "It doesn't matter who could've killed Nolan. You didn't—we didn't. It's all our fault. Mel got taken because we weren't careful, because we failed as a team. You were supposed to protect her at the beginning, sure, but Reed brought me because after your time together you just weren't the same." I opened my mouth. She shook her head, "You know it's true and I'm not saying this so you'll feel bad, I'm being honest, Nate. It's normal for people's judgments to cloud because of their feelings. I was the same. Mel was—is—my friend. Tried as I might, I couldn't treat her like a nobody. And you couldn't either," Anna tentatively turned her head to Aric, pinning his eyes. "You liked her, Aric. Despite everything, you began to see her for what she is, a sister. And then..." she hesitated. "Us getting involved only jumbled things."

Who the hell was this chick? Where was the tough, detached, practical girl? Had Aliens swooped down, probed her—maybe reprogrammed her server?

"We're all to blame for what happened, for what's happening. We got distracted by each other." She sighed sorrowfully. "But what's done is done. We can only focus on the present and try to fix it. No more should've, could've, would've."

A beat of silence flaunted the kitchen.

Aric slowly tore his gaze from his—girlfriend?—moving it towards mine. My brown eyes were absolutely glued to the back of Anna's dark head. Still shocked she was acting as the voice of reason. Normally that was Aric.

"You're right, luv." He whispered bending his mouth to her cheek, pressing a lingering kiss. "You're right. We shouldn't be fighting or throwing blame around, we need to focus on how to solve the problem."

Anna gave him a pat on the chest, "Yes, you should. And you," my spine stood straight like someone had impaled me with an iron rod. "You're going to fix things with Melissa."

Ha. Unrealistic Anna had returned. Thank you Lord.

I turned on my heel opening the refrigerator, this time actually looking for something to eat. My stomach was grumbling.

"Fix? There's nothing to fix." I mumbled, moving around leftovers from Chinese takeout. I brought it five inches close to my nose before wanting to puke. Yuck. I put it back, making a mental note to throw it out later. "It's not like I can wave my magic wand and bam! She remembers!"

I closed the refrigerator, moving to the kitchen island where a bowl of fruit sat. I plucked a banana.

Anna frowned at me.

"Don't be a smartass. Maybe she doesn't have her memories now, but who knows? If she spends some time with you..." she shrugged one shoulder. "Maybe they'll return."

Yeah. Or maybe she'd never remember me and would end up married to some lucky bastard who could give her the world, what she deserved. A guy who didn't have a screwed up past, screwed up family, who didn't kill people for money.

Deep down in my selfish heart, I knew she deserved that kind of guy. A person with whom she could build a family with. Grow old with.

Not me.

Yet... Melissa's light was a drug. I could no longer function without her in my life. Right? Right.

"What if she doesn't?" I challenged, peeling the last yellow cover. "What do you suppose I do, hmm?" I took a bite.

Anna stared me dead in the eye, hands on her hips. I perked an eyebrow her way, chewing breakfast.

"She fell in love with you once," she started. "If her memories don't come back, make her fall for you again."

Well, shit.

That sounded fine and dandy. The only thing Anna didn't know—what no one, including me, knew was how Melissa had fallen for me in the first place.

***

Mel's POV

Reed was... normal looking.

Handsome for his age, I guess. Brown hair with silver hairs peeking here and there, a nice body built, not enough to look threatening. His almond eyes had been plastered on my ocean ones, wavering between plights and sympathy.

In the last hour, he'd cued me in on why my parents had left me here, keeping me at distance, blah, blah. Told me about clues and the map. Told me about our first meeting and how I'd truly thought Nathaniel had murdered my parents.

He told me things Anna had spent all night drilling into my skull.

Brought memories out? Nope.

So now, we were mutually staring. It was getting on a creepy level, though.

"I don't need a babysitter. Losing my memories doesn't make me an invalid."

Reed's mouth twisted in a wry line.

"I know. Anna's just being cautious." Right. My assassin bestie. "About your memories..."

I let out a massive sigh, throwing my arms up in suffocating frustration.

"I. Am. Fine." I drew each word, exhaling. "Look," I tilted my head to see Reed. "I know stuff happened. Bad stuff. I know I should probably be shocked—which, I am, believe me—but maybe I'm shocked by the wrong things?"

Like being in love with certain dishonorable people. Yeah. That.

Reed nodded curtly, then, he sat closer to edge of the arm chair. His face took on a business-like turn. Anna mentioned Reed was a...

"What do you do?" I might've forgotten.

He sent a little smile, "An Informant. Clients contact me and I direct them to the best Assassin." So he was in charge of contracts. "Melissa?" I snapped from my thoughts. "I've actually been wanting to sit down and have a talk with you for a while now, but you were always busy and then..."

"I got kiddy-napped?"

Reed blinked at my bluntness. It wasn't like I remembered anything. Except it must've been bad—it had obliterated six months of memories.

He cleared his voice, "Yes, that."

"Okay. What did you want to talk about?"

He reached for a brown envelope he'd dropped since arriving. My eyes followed his fingers as he opened the thin thing, dragging out white papers with loads of computer writing. I caught the words 'bank' and 'account'.

My stomach made a downward dive.

"Your parents—your Mother in particular—spent quite a lot of time with me, we were good friends. She talked about you, sometimes it felt like I knew you. Elena was always so proud. I remember once she returned to California and gushed about you learning how to spell your name." I blinked, my heart getting all heavy, my chest heating. "You were three years old, I think," he said smiling softly. "She loved you a lot, Melissa. She worried, too. No matter how many precautions... Her and George wanted to make sure you had something—if anything happened to them."

He handed over the papers. I took them after seconds. The papers felt rock-heavy in my hand. They were...

"Your parents' knew their line of work was risky. They didn't want you to be left with nothing, so, they created a safety account. Just in case."

I swallowed as my eyes landed on the sum of money.

Holy hawk babies.

Those were lots of zeros. I didn't think I knew how to read that many.

I lifted my eyes to Reed and, with all the seriousness I could muster, I asked, "Die they kill presidents? Pope's?" The forty-year old laughed, shaking his head. "I can assure you those weren't their targets."

Then who had they been?

Dang.

"Anyway," he sobered from the laughing feast. "Now you don't have to worry about paying College. I know money was running short on your account and Nate's parents—" he stopped.

My eyes had gone huge, round, like lollipops. There it was. His name was everywhere, in everywhere conversation. It just kept lurking like an evil demon that wouldn't stay banished.

"Melissa,"

"What?" I said, still dazed, looking off into space.

"The papers."

I looked down. I was crushing the papers in a tight grip, tighter than ever. Not bothering with apologies, I lowered them onto the coffee table. I tucked a piece of russet hair back.

"Melissa—"

"Don't say anything about how I'm supposed to be in love with him. I don't feel a thing. Besides fear and hate, that is." I met his eyes feeling an unbelievable strength pumping my veins. "Maybe it's better if I decide for myself what I want?"

Silently, my parent's friend agreed.

I smiled brightly, then, glad we were past the N theme conversation.

Reed only stayed a little longer, claiming he was leaving for California late in the afternoon. Apparently he'd stayed in New York this long so he could give the account information. I thanked him for it at the door, smiling a little. It would be awkward if I hugged him, wouldn't it?

Yep.

So, I didn't.

"I hope you find what you're looking for, Melissa, and whatever that is, I pray it'll make you happy. That was all your Mother ever wanted. You happy."

I wished she'd told me that herself. Hearing it from a stranger—a person I couldn't place—wasn't nearly as touching.

"I think I will," I said suddenly. "Be happy, I mean."

Reed bid goodbye one last time before the elevator arrived. Then he was gone. I stood there, door open, for a minute. The doormat had changed. It used to be rectangular. Now it was circular. Supposedly, here was where I wrestled with my kidnapper, but lost.

Standing there, I couldn't remember a thing.

A shiver danced down my skin, causing my head to snap upward. My eyes caught a blond girl leaving Anna's apartment—right. I had a new neighbor. Who knew me and I knew her.

At least, I used to.

She smiled at me. I forced a friendly smile, waving like a dork.

She pushed the call button on the elevator. I knew it wouldn't come so soon and slamming the door in her face didn't seem polite, especially when she made her way over. Darn.

"Hey," she bid.

"Hi. How's it going?" Oh. God. I couldn't remember this girl's name. I didn't know her freaking name. I... I...

Anna and I should make memory cards for stuff like this. My palms were sweating!

"It's been okay. How about you? I haven't seen you in a while. Saw your boyfriend yesterday, though. Did you two fight? Because he was in a mood..." I think my mouth was wide open, 'cause she stopped talking. Quickly, she flayed her hands in front of her. "OMG. This is so nosy. I'm sorry, it's just like, I'm trying to be nice. Back in Canada I was great friends with my neighbors? I was always helping them and stuff... Oh. And now I'm babbling."

Ha! She was from Canada. I frowned at my mind. Right, now my name-problem's solved. I'm going to call her Canada. What a stupid thing to be happy about, I scolded myself.

"It's fine, really. Don't beat yourself up for being yourself." I tried being as nice as possible without running inside scared. Remember her damn name!

Her lips—full lips, painted blood red—pressed together as she heaved a thankful breath.

"Sorry, really. But..." she looked over a shoulder. The elevator was almost arriving. "Is everything okay? You two just seemed like such a nice couple and yesterday he seemed very..."

"Murderous?" I suggested grumpily without thinking.

The bleached blond giggled.

"Actually, yeah. He looked like he wanted to hit something." Her mouth quickly smacked together.

Just what I needed. Even the neighbor whose name I couldn't recall knew me and that... guy were—had been—together. And see? Yesterday he'd scared the poor girl. Like he'd scared me. She even agreed he'd wanted to hit something. Would've he... have hit her?

I clenched my teeth.

Now, I could say we had a spat. But as the memory of me being thrown onto a car's hood surface—I tried not to flinch and appear sane—I only felt my blood boil like oil.

"Things were never going to work. I broke up with him." And then I slammed the door shut, heart beating fast.

My hand stayed at the knob as I slid down, wrapping one arm around my mid-section. I ended up sitting on the floor, eyes surveying my apartment. It had things I didn't know, things not mine.

Reed said he wanted me to find what made me happy. Well, the first step had been taken. Cutting such a horrible person from my life was underway.

Second step?

Quit College.