A Flame Divine ♕

XXXI. G H O S T S

Carmen smiled at him and put her hand on his cheek. "Your future wife?" she whispered, her eyes searching his. "Did you mean that?"

"I do mean it. I'm not with you just to pass the time," he said. "I want to spend all my time with you, Carmen."

Carmen bit her lip and lifted herself to her tiptoes to press her lips to his. "Good," she murmured against his mouth. I love you, Merrik," she said, wrapping her arms around his neck. She leaned back to look at him and said with a grin, "I hope I didn't embarrass you by telling her off... but she was begging for it."

Merrik chuckled. "No, love. You made me proud. I don't ever want you to let someone walk all over you," he said, nuzzling his nose across hers.

She grinned and her heart fluttered. It had been so long since she'd made anyone proud. She glanced over Merrik's shoulder at Everly, who was waving her over enthusiastically. No doubt she had seen everything and wanted the details on what had just happened.

"Everly wants me. I'll be right back, okay?" she asked.

Merrik nodded. "I need to talk to Stellan anyway. Don't stay gone long, though," he said, kissing her swiftly.

She smiled. "I won't." She ran over to Everly and pulled her to her feet, dragging her out to the empty balcony.

As soon as they got outside, Everly hissed, "Spill the tea, sis! What the hell just happened?"

Carmen beamed and told her the entire story, ending with Merrik's confession that he had considered marriage.

"Oh. My. God!" Everly exclaimed, grabbing her hands and jumping up and down. "That's amazing!"

Carmen laughed as Everly spun her around. "I know! I was so shocked to hear him say it, I mean we've only—"

"Wow, what a fucking slut you are. I always knew it was true, you little bitch," a deep voice said from the shadows.

Carmen's heart stopped. No... it can't be...

Everly's eyebrows scrunched up as she squinted into the darkness. "Excuse you? Do you know who you're talking to?"

The man laughed darkly, and the hair on the back of Carmen's neck rose. She could feel her heart galloping, on alert.

"Oh, yes. I know exactly who I'm talking to. Isn't that right, Carmen?" The man stepped into the light and there was nothing Carmen could do to prepare herself for the pressure that gripped her chest when she saw his face.

"F-Frank," Carmen stuttered. She heard Everly gasp and felt the girl grip her arm.

"Come now, don't act like you're not happy to see me." His smile glinted sinisterly in the lamplight. "I'm here to take you home."

Carmen shook her head. "I'm not going with you, Frank," she hissed, unable to keep the tremble from her voice.

Frank sneered at her and took one more step. "Yes you are, you little bitch," he said with disdain. "You don't belong here."

Snarling, Everly leaned forward and spat, "You really need to get out of here before Merrik and Stellan come out. Your face will be pressed against this concrete floor so fast..."

"Everly, stop," Carmen warned. Her heart was beating out of her chest; she couldn't believe that Frank was here of all places. Suddenly she was torn from her thoughts as Frank grabbed her wrist. "You can shut the fuck up," he said to Everly, dragging Carmen toward the door.

"Let go of her, you fucking asshole!" Everly shouted, stepping forward, but Carmen could tell she didn't know what to do.

Please, Merrik, Carmen thought, tears filling her eyes.

She tugged her wrist back to her chest, but his grip was strong. It also really pissed him off. With his other hand, he gripped her upper arm, yanking her toward him.

"You thought you could just leave," he spat in her face. "You will never escape from me. No one else would want such a broken, useless thing."

Carmen heard Everly growl behind her and she looked over her shoulder, trying to tell Everly with her eyes to keep her mouth shut. She didn't want Frank taking his anger out on Everly. Carmen was used to this; she'd rather take the brunt of it. Merrik, please hurry, she thought.

"You're right, Frank," she hedged. "I'm sure Merrik doesn't really want me. He'll use me for whatever he needs, and then let me go. Maybe I should go back with you," she lied, hating the words as they left her lips.

"What the hell, Car?!" Everly cried.

Carmen closed her eyes, a tear slipping down her cheek. Her muscles gave up their fight as she submitted like she always had. She was broken. Useless.

Then Carmen remembered the words Merrik had murmured earlier. Never let someone walk all over you.

Carmen was not the same girl that Frank knew. No, she was much more than a doormat for the scumbag. She was a woman with likes and dislikes, hopes and dreams, and a life of her own. She no longer bowed to anyone.

She leaned into Frank, throwing his balance off, and his grip on her arms loosened. When she pulled out of his grasp, she reared back and did what she had done the night she left.

She kicked him in the balls.

Hard.

"Fuck!" Frank roared, falling to his knees. "You bitch! Is that the only move you know?"

Everly laughed bitterly before Carmen could answer. "It looks like it works, so who gives a shit?"

Carmen grabbed Everly's arm and they started toward the door, but Frank grabbed Carmen's ankle and she fell to the concrete on her knees, the stone ripping her beautiful blue ball gown at the knees. "Damnit!" she hissed, and Everly bent over to help her, but as she did, she saw two tall figures bursting through the French doors.

"What in the hell?!"

Merrik.

For a moment, she didn't feel the sting in her knees nor the hot brand of Frank's fingers around her ankle. All she felt was relief that Merrik, her Merrik had arrived.

But Frank's hand was ripped off of her when Merrik swiftly kicked him in the ribs. He wheezed, and Merrik stood over him, towering and angry.

"You will not touch Carmen ever again, do you understand me? I will fucking kill you," Merrik growled low, crushing the man's face with the sole of his Oxfords. "You will suffer for your actions tonight. No longer will you have a place in the business. All of my sellers will delete your contact, and you will be cut off. Worthless, just as you always have been."

Merrik turned his back to the man writhing on the ground and knelt before Carmen. He cupped her face and she met his eyes, full of concern.

"Are you all right?" he asked in a soft voice. Carmen nodded.

"Just get me out of here, Mer."

In a second, she was lifted up into Merrik's arms and held tightly to his chest, carried. They walked with Everly and Stellan in tow, and Everly had explained exactly what had just transpired, not leaving out any cringe-y detail.

Stellan was curious, holding Everly close to his side. "How dare he show his face here? I thought I made it clear that he wasn't the kind of person we wanted to associate with the night Carmen left with me," Stellan commented.

Everly shrugged. "He doesn't seem like a man who listens to instruction or implications."

Carmen nodded against Merrik's chest. "She's right. He won't listen to anything. And now that we've effectively beaten the shit out of him, he's going to be even angrier."

"Let him be angry. He won't hurt you again. I can promise you that, Car," Merrik murmured, pressing his lips to her forehead.

Despite everything that had just happened, Carmen felt safe in Merrik's arms. That safety was all she had ever wanted.