Destiny Revealed (There's Always Tomorrow Book 2)
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Authors: M.D. Saperstein
Destiny Revealed
There’s Always Tomorrow 2
By:
M.D. Saperstein
Copyright
© 2015 by M.D. Saperstein
This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales or persons, living or dead is purely coincidental.
Except for the original material written by the author(s), all songs, song titles, and lyrics mentioned in this novel are the property of the respective songwriters and copyright holders.
All rights reserved. The unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this copyrighted work is illegal. This book or any portion thereof may not be reproduced, scanned, distributed, or used in any manner whatsoever, via the Internet, electronic, or print, without the express written permission of the authors, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.
For more information, or information regarding subsidiary rights, please contact the author:
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Edited by: Megan Hershenson
Cover Design by: Jena Brignola with Bibliophile Productions
Printed in the United States of America
First Printing, November 2015
ISBN: 978-151869683
1
Vance Summers is still reeling from waking up from a gunshot wound and losing what he thought was his reality, as well as the love of his life. After months of healing and mourning, he is ready to move on with his life and get back to work as a Los Angeles police officer. Even though he’s surrounded by friends and family, he can’t get past his subconscious thoughts, and what he truly believes is his destiny.
Melina Higgins is used to living in the spotlight. But trying to privately navigate a bad break up and abusive relationship is nearly impossible. Add a stalker who is getting progressively more daring into the mix, and her life is slowly turning into a nightmare. So when Officer Vance Summers walks into her life, he seems like a dream come true. Their connection is immediate and undeniable. It’s almost as if she’s known him forever.
Vance and Melina’s destiny has been disrupted once before. Could this be a second chance for their true destiny to be revealed?
*Warning* This book is intended for mature readers over the age of 18. Destiny Revealed is the conclusion to Destiny Disrupted. Although it can be read as a standalone, you will have a better understanding of the characters if you start with Destiny Disrupted. And, yes, this book has a HEA.
Vance has Tripp drive him through an In-N-Out Burger to pick up some food on their way home from the hospital. Not only was the hospital food vile, but In-N-Out has been stuck in his brain for weeks. In fact, a lot has been etched in there that he can’t explain. They pick up their take out order and head home, where all of his best friends are waiting for him.
Vance hobbles in through the front door and heads straight to the living room. He is so relieved to be out of the freaking hospital. After being in that small sterile room for over a month, he wanted out. Of course, they kept him in a few extra days because his blood pressure was high and they needed him to relax. But who the hell can relax in a hospital when there is always someone walking in and out of his room taking his blood pressure. That damn beeping machine will be ingrained in his brain for the rest of his life…along with a brown-haired, green-eyed beauty…who he apparently completely fabricated.
All of the guys are home to greet him and he makes his way around the room hugging and fist bumping each one. The sense of nostalgia is overwhelming, and after a few minutes, he is completely drained and needs to take a load off. He scarfs down his burger then lies back, trying to relax as he watches his best friends laughing, joking around, and talking animatedly with each other. He realizes how thankful he is to still be here with them.
Vance isn’t permitted to go back to work for another month, and even then, he will only be on desk duty. All of the guys have to go back to work, leaving Vance alone with his thoughts day in and day out. He’s still unable to decipher what his true reality is, what he dreamed up, and which he actually prefers to believe in. Some days he decides that he’s going to tell one of them about his thoughts, but he talks himself out of it each time. Almost as if he doesn’t tell anyone, he can quietly accept that it really happened, and that he has found the love of his life.
Dayne and Ryder are outside working on their Harleys and Tripp is in the kitchen whipping them up a quick dinner. Vance is staring unseeingly at the TV. It’s been playing nonstop for the past three days. Background noise. That’s all it is. After being stuck in the hospital with only three stations, he doesn’t even move to change the channel. A popular gossip show starts up and the headline catches Vance’s attention:
Supermodel Melina Higgins caught out canoodling with her Navy Seal boy toy, Damien Saunders!
Vance chokes on his water.
Today is Officer Vance Summers’ first day back on the job after being out for almost two months and then on desk duty for another month. He was stuck there until the department shrink cleared him to hit the streets. After being shot at a bank robbery gone wrong, and surviving a medically induced coma, he wasn’t at all surprised that the higher ups made him take it slow out of the gate.
Vance is sitting in his police cruiser with his partner and best friend, Michael DiAngelo, chatting about nothing and everything. Vance made the decision that he will not be telling anyone about his little dream issue. He didn’t enjoy spending all of that time with the shrink as it was. If he divulges what’s in his head, they may try to have him committed!
Vance and Mike are on their usual patrol around Los Angeles. Vance doesn’t want to jinx anything by saying it’s been a slow night, but when they don’t take many calls, the shift seems to go on forever. And this one has felt like a lifetime.
Both Vance and Mike have been on the force for 8 years, since they were 19. Actually, they grew up together, along with their three other best friends and roommates: Tripp Saunders, Dayne Propers, and Ryder Townsend. The five of them have been inseparable since preschool and now live all together in a six-bedroom beachfront townhouse. They are more than just best friends, though. They are family. They are brothers.
Vance is in the driver’s seat today; it’s his turn to drive. He and Mike like to switch it up each week, and the last time they were out patrolling - three months ago - Mike was behind the wheel. A call comes in over dispatch. It’s a domestic. Vance and Mike both groan. None of the officers enjoy going on domestic calls because they are so unpredictable. When emotions are involved, and they’re running high, people do things they wouldn’t normally do. Stupid shit. But Vance and Mike are right down the street from the address dispatch had rattled off, so they take the call. Mike turns on the lights, but leaves the sirens off, as they speed down the block and turn the corner. Up about a hundred yards is an older woman frantically waving her arms at them. Vance pulls up and slams the car into park. Both he and Mike rush out of the car and over to the woman.
“Oh thank god! He's gonna kill her!” the woman cries.
“Who's gonna kill who, ma’am?” Mike asks calmly.
“He’s beating her up in there. I couldn't stop him!” The older woman points to the house behind her, sobbing, tears streaming down her face.
Vance and Mike waste no more time. They run into the gigantic house in search of the couple. They hear a woman screaming for help and a man yelling and cursing at her. It sounds like it’s coming from the kitchen, so that's where they head.
Vance and Mike draw their weapons as they enter the kitchen. The fury that Vance feels when his eyes sweep over the scene before him is something he's never felt before. He recognizes the woman and his stomach sinks. It’s Melina. But not
his
Melina. It’s Melina Higgins, the supermodel for the world-renowned lingerie store. The man, Damien, Vance knows instantly. As much as he wishes that he doesn’t know him, there’s no mistaking the physical similarities Damien holds to his brother, Tripp. Vance’s best friend, Tripp. Vance has to fight back the bile rising in his throat.
Shit. Vance only found out that Damien was back in town from watching the gossip shows while on bed rest. Because of those shows, he was also made aware that Damien and Melina had a turbulent engagement, and an acrimonious break up. Tripp is not going to be pleased when he finds out about the shit load of trouble his little brother is getting himself into.
Melina is around the far side of a large wooden table, clutching her bleeding forearm to her chest. She is sobbing. Her long dark hair is a tangled mess around her head, and black mascara tracks are staining her beautiful face. Damien is on the other side of the table, across from her, holding a knife. His face is red with anger, and his eyes appear a little wild, making him look almost crazed. Chairs are strewn all over the place, windows are cracked and smashed, and the whole kitchen is just an utter disaster.
“Don't fucking move, asshole!” Vance shouts, his Glock 45 trained on Damien’s head. He’s maybe being a little extra forceful than necessary, but his line between reality and his damn dream are wreaking havoc on his emotions.
Melina sags in relief against the table when she sees them.
Damien looks around chaotically, oblivious as to what is happening. He seems confused as to where the voice is coming from. He finally settles on Vance then glances at Mike, recognition dawning in his eyes. Defeated, he drops the knife, which clatters onto the table. He then raises his hands and laces them behind his head. Vance glances at Mike who gives him a nod. Vance exhales in relief.
“I'm coming, sweetheart.” Vance reassures her as he rushes over to her side.
Vance holsters his weapon and pulls a pair of latex gloves out of his pocket, slipping them on as he skirts the table toward Melina. He uses the radio on his shoulder to call for an ambulance. Up righting the chair next to Melina, he gently helps her sit down.
“Ms. Higgins, my name is Officer Summers. I'm gonna put pressure on your arm to try and slow the bleeding, okay?” Vance says softly to Melina. Fucking déjà vu is screwing with his head.
Melina nods, her whole body shaking. Vance can feel her watching him with her wide green eyes as he looks at the gash on her forearm. He wraps his gloved hand around it then holds it up to help slow the blood flow. Melina winces.
“Sorry, wanna tell me what happened?” Vance asks with a glance in Mike's direction.
Mike has Damien on the ground, handcuffed behind his back.
“He was trying to kill me.” Melina breathes shakily, her eyes wide and full of unshed tears.
Shit, she's in shock.
“Mike, you alright over there?” Vance asks.
“Fuckface isn't going anywhere, bro,” Mike answers.
“Good...Ms. Higgins, can you look at me?” Vance murmurs softly. Using his other gloved hand, he brushes some of her tangled hair off her face.
Bright green eyes lock onto his. The raw fear in them tears at Vance's heart. All he can see is the woman he fell head over heels in love with. Only, this isn’t really her. It’s so fucked up.
“You're okay now,” Vance soothes.
Melina just stares at him. Before Vance can say anything else, the paramedics come rushing in. They take over for Vance, putting pressure on her arm with gauze, as they check over the rest of her and put her on a gurney. Vance walks out with them when they take her to the ambulance. As soon as they step out the front door, flashes from the tons of cameras perched in waiting start going off. Vance squints and shields his eyes from the attack. Poor Melina drops her face into her hands. Even more flashes go off when Mike brings Damien out and shoves him into the back of a cruiser.
The ambulance takes Melina to the hospital while Damien gets transported back to the station. Vance and Mike also head to the station to write their reports. It’s the end of their shift, anyway, so they will probably just shower, change, and go home once their reports are complete. Oh, and Vance needs to call Tripp before he either reads about what just went down with his brother, or sees it on TV. He’s not looking forward to that conversation. How does he tell his best friend that he just arrested his little brother?
“Ugh. Shit, what a day,” Vance groans and plops down onto the couch.
Mike grunts in agreement and drops down next to Vance. Mike turns on the TV and the first thing that comes up is the news coverage of Melina's beating. Vance and Mike are also shown coming out of Melina's house with her and Damien. Vance is hoping that the judge will deny bail and Damien won't be released, but that’s not likely. Vance also hopes that Damien will stay away from him and Melina. But that’s probably even less likely.
A few days later, Vance is hanging out before his shift starts at his buddy’s, Tripp Saunders’, desk in the station. Tripp is a homicide detective at the same precinct as Vance and Mike, and their departments share the floor. Vance is lounging in the chair next to Tripp's desk while Tripp is reviewing a file on a murder he’s been investigating.
“Yo, Summers! Someone here to see you,” comes Sgt. Carmen's voice from behind him.
Vance shoots a questioning look at Tripp, who shrugs, before looking over his shoulder. Sgt. Carmen steps to the side and smiles wide as Melina Higgins thanks him.
Vance jumps out of his chair, watching Melina as she walks up to him. She looks absolutely stunning, nothing like the battered woman from a few days ago. Other than her forearm being wrapped, you would have never known what she had just gone through. She is wearing a pretty pink maxi dress that comes down to her ankles, a denim vest, and silver flip flops. Her hair is down and flowing around her in soft waves, no longer a tattered mess. Her eyes are a bright green, surrounded by long dark lashes. And she is smiling her perfectly straight-toothed smile, which shows off the cute dimples on her cheeks.
“Officer Summers, hi,” Melina says sweetly and holds out her hand.
Vance shakes her hand and tries to find his voice. “Ms. Higgins,” is all he’s able to say.
“Please, call me Melina.” She smiles softly.
Vance nods.
“I hope I didn't catch you at a bad time,” Melina states, frowning slightly.
Vance shakes his head. “No, I have about fifteen minutes before my shift starts.”
“Oh great!” Melina chirps and glances around.
Vance also looks around to find that the whole station is watching them.
Nosey-ass motherfuckers!
Vance scowls at all of them before turning back to Melina. “How about we go somewhere a bit more private?” he asks then ushers her into an empty conference room and shuts the door.
As soon as he turns away from the door, Melina flings herself into his arms. She wraps them tightly around his neck, her body pressed against his. Vance is so shocked that he doesn't even react right away. He’s afraid to touch her, afraid how his body will react. Eventually, he puts his hands on her tiny hips and takes a deep breath, willing himself to calm the fuck down.
“I don't know how to thank you for what you did; you saved my life,” Melina croaks, her voice sounding as if she’s on the verge of crying.
“Just doing my job ma’am...uh, Melina,” Vance mutters, totally embarrassed. Shit like this never happens to him, or anyone else in the department for that matter. And now she is here, in his arms, and all he can think about is wanting to kiss her and take her against the door. Hard.
Vance shakes his head to try to clear his errant thoughts…past and present.
“I was so out of it at the time that I didn't get to say thank you, so I just had to come by and make sure I told you,” Melina says softly.
“You’re...welcome,” Vance replies unsurely then gives her an awkward pat on the back. His life is a total mindfuck and her hot little body smashed against his isn’t helping him ground himself to reality.
Melina finally lets him go and takes a step back. Her big, bright, green eyes blink up at him as she nervously picks at her nails.
“How's your arm?” Vance asks, trying to change the direction of the conversation.
Melina looks down at her bandaged arm then back up at him. Even though she’s tall for a woman at 5'8”, she’s still has to bend her neck to look at all 6’4” of him.
“It’s itchy,” she says, her nose wrinkling, making her look so friggin’ cute.
“That's good, means it's healing,” Vance says with a soft smile.
Melina nods but it seems as though her mind is on something else. Her eyes search his. Vance wants to look away but he can't. Her face is so beautiful. Her big doe eyes, her cute little nose, those full lush lips that he wants so badly to kiss again. Shit, he means kiss for the first time.
“I have this charity event next month that I still need a date for. Would you come with me?” Melina boldly asks.
Vance's mouth drops open in shock. Holy shit, Melina is asking him out. What does he do? His mind is whirling. He has to keep reminding himself that this is Melina Higgins from a domestic call. Melina Higgins the supermodel. Not
his
Melina. Then it dawns on him that he’s just a police officer, and she’s a freaking supermodel!
Vance flounders for a second before speaking. “Melina...I...why me?” Vance stutters, dumbfounded.