send me a 🤝 + a number for your muse to touch mine . not accepting
39. because i am running out of time.
It was with a relieved sigh that Melissa closed the door to the one of the rooms, stepping into the hallway and back into Rude’s watchful and concerned gaze. The kidnapped girl, Elena, had been returned to her care, mostly unharmed – only a few rope burns on her wrists which would be gone over the next few days. The madame had made sure she had bathed, eaten something and then gave her something for a good night of sleep – Shiva knew she would need some assistance to sleep in the next few days.
Pulling the silk robe around her body a bit tighter out of habit, Melissa motioned to the end of the hallway and Rude followed, none of them making any noise despite the girl probably being unable to hear anything – and then she let the Turk into her own room, making sure they were both out of sight and earshot of everyone else before she allowed herself to sink to the floor with overflowing relief.
Now, it wouldn’t have to do – she couldn’t fall apart in front of her staff, but Rude had seen her at her worst – her still bandaged hand was proof of that. The Turk took a few steps back, lowering herself to her level so he could examine her properly with a worried gaze, but Melissa tranquilized him with a genuine smile. “It’s all right. I’m just… Beyond relieved this nightmare has ended.”
He nodded, offering her a hand – and the woman took it, pulling herself back up and looking up to the Turk. He had apparently single-handedly resolved the hostage situation in less than 24 hours, with no visible wounds to show for it – there were some stains on his jacket upon close inspection, but he appeared unperturbed – probably not his blood, then, which made Melissa’s guilt lessen a bit.
Odin knew the extent of the danger Rude had exposed himself to for a bad call on her part – asking for nothing in return.
“How can I repay you?” she asked, both hands going up to his face – digits went up, trailing over his skin until they found the glasses – but she didn’t dare removing them. Not that Melissa wasn’t curious or hadn’t seen him without that accessory a few times – but she respected the reason for him to wear it indoors. But then the Turk himself removed the pair, folding it and tucking it safely in one of his jacket pockets.
“You don’t need to repay me,” he said in an even tone, his voice a bit lower than normal – and only then Melissa realized she had almost whispered herself. There were few distractions around them this time – no music, no chatter from the patrons, no food – and even if they were downstairs during a normal night shift, the madame doubted she would be drawn to anything else but him, “I did it because it was the right thing to do.”
“Doesn’t change the fact I feel indebted to you,” to Rude in particular this time, not the Turks – he had taken his personal time and interest on this matter, and Melissa knew it, “And no self-respecting queen can allow a good deed to go unrewarded. People would talk,” she added with a smile, and he chuckled in response. Melissa then stood on the tip of her toes, her fingers gently bringing him down a few inches to meet her halfway…
…But before they were close enough for a kiss, the distinctive buzzing of a phone interrupted them. Both needed a moment to first identify the source of the noise and then Melissa was the first one to pull away with a chuckle of her own, Rude then proceeding to retrieve his mobile from a different pocket and taking a couple of steps away for a bit of privacy to talk.
His conversation, however, as short – a couple of questions answered and a promise to be somewhere else within a few minutes, what suggested work. Well, when one lived as a Turk, the madame supposed, there was hardly off-duty time given the times they were going through.
“Melissa,” he said while turning around, his hands smoothly storing the mobile away while picking up his shades and putting them on once more – full-on traditional Rude attire was back in place. He walked over to her and then gloved fingers raised the woman’s face very gingerly, ensuring eye contact for a while, “I am sorry for this, but I’m afraid I must go. Work calls,” he added, although he hardly needed to explain himself – and the woman nodded, having assumed as much already.
His thumb slid over to the right, caressing her cheek softly – and then Melissa used her own hands to pry his digits away, giving them a soft squeeze in a wordless incentive before stepping away and opening the door to the hallway.
“I understand. Thank you for everything, Rude,” she said when he went past her, but he stopped and gave her what felt like a particularly piercing look, even if it was partially mitigated by the sunglasses.
And with that, he turned around and made for the stairs at the opposite end of the hallway, leaving the inn with determined and quick steps – and Melissa allowed herself a moment to rest against her open door, the feelings from that night all terribly mixed with each other and leaving a bittersweet taste in her mouth.