Say Goodbye to Melody

By Velvet Vaughn

When Melody Franklin was a young girl, she developed a facial cream that works wonders. Over the years, she’s perfected the formula and now she's ready to launch it to the mainstream public. Someone will stop at nothing to make sure that doesn't happen.

After a chance encounter months ago, former Navy SEAL and current COBRA Securities Agent, Grant Colton has thought about Melody often. When he learns she's been threatened, he’ll stop at nothing to protect her. The danger brings them closer together and love blossoms. But a killer is determined to rip them apart—permanently.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Velvet Vaughn
• Release date: Jul 4, 2018
• ISBN: 9780999201114

Velvet Vaughn

Velvet Vaughn was born in Indiana and spent fifteen years in communications, public relations, marketing and executive management in amateur sports. Articles she has written have been published in several magazines and reprinted in most major newspapers across the country. She served as editor, writer and designer for five sport magazines including one that was distributed to over 140 countries around the world, and one that was displayed in the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, NY. To learn more about Velvet or sign up for her newsletter, visit her at http://www.velvetvaughn.com or http://www.facebook.com/authorvelvetvaughn.

Book preview

Copyright © 2018 VELVET VAUGHN LLC

ISBN: 978-0-9992011-1-4

This eBook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This eBook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each person.

This 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.

Visit Velvet’s website at www.velvetvaughn.com and her Facebook Fanpage at www.facebook.com/authorvelvetvaughn.

Dedication

This book is dedicated to all my readers. Thank you for the kind messages, feedback, and support!

Acknowledgments

I would like to sincerely thank the members of my Velvet Vaughn Street Team who help spread the word: Cindi R., Debbie M., Gary A., Karen D., Karen J., Lisa B., Tammy T., Lisa B., Sharon W., Paulyn A, and Shelley C. I’m so thankful for all of you and truly appreciate your support. I would also like to thank my social media guru, Kristy O.

I want to thank Jesi Cunningham for entering and winning the character naming contest on my Facebook Fanpage. I love the name Raine Vickers!

And as always, a huge thank you to my mom. I couldn’t do this without you!

Table of Contents

Copyright

Dedication

Prologue

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

Chapter Ten

Chapter Eleven

Chapter Twelve

Chapter Thirteen

Chapter Fourteen

Chapter Fifteen

Chapter Sixteen

Chapter Seventeen

Chapter Eighteen

Chapter Nineteen

Chapter Twenty

Chapter Twenty-One

Chapter Twenty-Two

Chapter Twenty-Three

Chapter Twenty-Four

Chapter Twenty-Five

Chapter Twenty-Six

Epilogue

Notes

About the Author

Prologue

"Loaded with antioxidants, botanicals found in nature, and SPF thirty to protect your face from the sun’s harmful rays, Harmony! hydrates the skin while keeping it nourished for a younger-looking, healthier complexion. Combined with the mild cleanser that removes impurities and makeup without eliminating vital oils, your face will positively glow all day. I call it a miracle in a bottle."

Melody Franklin held her breath until Jade Bradley—also known as Oscar-winning actress Juliet LaRue—flashed her million-dollar smile and looked directly into the camera. "Thank you all for watching, and remember, quantities are limited, so be sure to order your supply of Harmony! today."

Cut. That’s a wrap, Kendall Demarchis called out, and the studio erupted in cheers. Olivia Larrson rushed over and hugged Melody tightly. Meanwhile, Melody concentrated on not passing out. All these people were here for her. They were filming an infomercial to launch her new beauty line, Harmony!, to the mainstream public.

The changes her life had undergone in the last few weeks were astounding, not to mention completely overwhelming. She had to pinch herself every morning to make sure she wasn’t dreaming. Having her own line of beauty products was her lifelong dream, and it was coming to fruition.

Melody had her older brother Maxwell to thank for her success. Max had been taking care of her all her life. Their parents were in their mid-forties when they had first Max and then Melody. As soon as she was born, he took his big brother’s job seriously and doted on her. She adored him and wanted to do everything he did. He never complained about his annoying younger sister following him like a puppy. Their father passed away when she was thirteen from a heart attack, and their mother five years later from cancer. Max had seamlessly stepped into the role of parent and saw to all her needs.

He’d introduced her to Luke and Layla Colton—though it’d been Layla Brooks at the time. Luke needed someone to tutor Layla’s half-siblings, Sean and Tiffany, who were in hiding and unable to attend school. Max had bragged to his old friend Luke about his younger sister going back to college for a teaching degree. He did that often—bragged about her to friends and strangers alike. Luke asked Max if she would be interested in a temporary job. She’d jumped at the chance. Her life had been a non-stop whirlwind ever since.

If not for Luke asking her to watch over the twins, she never would’ve met Jade or Kendall or Olivia or Taylor Costa, or any of the women who were now her close friends. And her investors! When the women approached her with the idea of investing in Harmony!, Melody had been touched by their generosity, but she tried to refuse their money. They insisted, and she was woefully outnumbered. They wanted in on the ground floor because they thought Harmony! would be an enormous hit. Their enthusiasm bolstered her confidence.

A few short weeks ago, Melody had been finishing up her degree in Education after switching her career path to become a professor. She’d tried to put her chemistry and physics degrees to use by accepting a job out of college at Chem-Co, one of the most reputable pharmaceutical companies in the country. That they were headquartered in her hometown was a tremendous bonus. She wanted to stay near her brother Max, who headed a thriving law practice in town.

After two years at Chem-Co, Melody grew tired of the monotonous work. She was a glorified beaker cleaner. She knew she had to earn her stripes, put in her time, but her situation hadn’t improved in months. The work she was doing was menial and, frankly, insulting. She’d started college at sixteen. It’d been hard being the youngest in all her classes, but she’d persevered and flourished. At twenty-one, she graduated at the top of her class with dual master’s degrees, had been honored with several prestigious awards, and interned at two significant companies during her studies. Still, her bosses at Chem-Co refused to allow Melody to spread her wings. Several people within the company were doing important work. She just wasn’t one of them.

When Melody was twelve, she’d developed a moisturizing facial cream, experimenting with her chemistry kit and supplies she’d purchased on the internet. She’d tweaked it over the years, but she’d used it religiously, and unlike the other girls in school, she’d never had so much as a pimple. Her skin was smooth and wrinkle-free. Being a science nerd more interested in Bunsen burners than boys, she didn’t have many friends, so she’d asked no one else to try it. Still, she gathered her courage and approached her boss, Burton Kline, with a proposal to develop a line of facial products.

Along with her moisturizing face cream, she envisioned a cleanser, as well as shampoo and conditioner, shower gel, and even bath salts. Eventually, they could graduate to toners and serums, peels and scrubs, masks, eye cream, body butter…the list was endless. If it could be used on the body, she wanted to produce it. She even had a basic design for a men’s line featuring shaving cream and gel. Her pie in the sky was a designer line for dogs too.

Though she hated doing so, she added preservatives required by the Food and Drug Administration. She made sure to use all-natural ones like rosemary oil and Vitamin E, both natural antioxidants. Melody also included antimicrobials such as coconut oil and grapefruit extract. She adhered to the FDA guidelines religiously: spotlessly clean equipment that she regularly sanitized, distilled water, and packaging that effectively protected the formula. Melody had worked with a designer to develop a stylized pump jar with an airless dispenser bottle to minimize contamination by the user. Instead of sticking their germ-laden fingers in a pot, they pumped the product out. The bottles’ design was trendy and artistic, keys to the demographic she would seek. She’d done the research and used the findings to produce the jars made of recycled glass. She even thought of establishing a program where users could return their empty bottles for a discount, ensuring they could be recycled. It would also offer an enticing incentive for repeat customers.

A graphic designer had come up with a beautiful logo, and it was silk-screened onto the bottles for a professional look. The bottles were packaged in a clear bag to show off the design. The extra steps were costly, but she was marketing to a high-profile crowd who would expect the luxurious details. Melody contracted with various distributors to purchase wholesale quantities of ingredients and supplies. She took hyper-vigilance to the next level by storing her products in a dark cabinet in a cool, dry, windowless room to avoid direct sunlight and UV rays. She also minimized heat, oxygen, and moisture, all of which could breed bacteria.

Before she approached her boss at Chem-Co, she went through a checklist of stability testing to assess everything from temperature variations to mechanical shock testing to determine if shipping would damage the product. She monitored for even the slightest changes from color to odor to viscosity and pH value. She’d started the tests in college when she realized a line of cosmetic products was what she wanted to do with her degree. Many people thought you could just whip some ingredients together and slap a label on it to sell. But there was a ton of testing and regulations she had to follow. She adhered religiously to the Fair Packaging and Labeling Act, which authorized the FDA to require ingredient labeling. Melody also joined the Voluntary Cosmetic Registration Program, which protected consumers and provided valuable information and support to manufacturers. The FDA didn’t require premarket approval to sell the product. Still, she followed the Consumer Commitment Code guidelines, the Personal Care Products Council, and the Cosmetic Ingredient Review. Her responsibility was to ensure that her product and the ingredients were safe and labeled appropriately, in full compliance with the law.

Though Melody listed what was in her products, she didn’t have to tell anyone how much of each ingredient was added, and that was the secret formula she would not share. She added a few drops of an extract only found in Hawaii and one from the Amazon rainforest. If someone saw the ingredients and tried to recreate her formula, they would add too much or too little, which would destabilize the cream—a lesson she’d learned the hard way. Her ingredients were precisely measured and tested.

Before she approached Burton Kline with her proposal, she told Max her plan. Being a successful lawyer, he insisted on drawing up a legal document giving Chem-Co the first right of refusal, especially since Chem-Co employee contracts included a clause that stated anything developed by employees during their tenure belonged to the company. However, Melody had established the cream years ago and had the documentation to prove it. Chem-Co had no claim on her product.

Melody had been so nervous before her meeting, she’d almost passed out. On the upside, it was the impetus for her to create plans for a deodorant to add to her expanding line of body products. She needn’t have expended the energy to worry. Burton Kline had listened to approximately three minutes of her pitch and shot her down point-blank. Melody tried to reason with him, but he refused to listen, checking his watch as if he had better places to be than sitting in his office with her. She’d asked his secretary, Margo, a certified notary public, to come into the office to witness him signing the document Max had drawn up and then notarize it. She gathered the papers with statistics and data she’d spent months painstakingly researching, tapped them together on his desk, inserted them in her leather handbag, and pulled out a resignation letter. He barely glanced at it before turning his concentration to something else. She’d been dismissed.

Margo gave her a look of commiseration as she left Kline’s office. She’d planned on giving two weeks’ notice, but she had no pressing projects—or any, really. A monkey could do the menial tasks she’d been assigned. She wouldn’t be missed.

It was then that Melody questioned her choice of a career. She loved science. Lived and breathed it. If her product wasn’t good enough to even garner a response from one of the country’s largest chemical companies, she was wasting her time. Maybe she wasn’t cut out to be a scientist. Still, she couldn’t give it up altogether. With her knowledge and love of the subject, she could inspire the next generation. That’s when she went for her degree in teaching, intending to become a professor.

Though she’d given up on her dream of a science career, she kept dabbling and had developed a cleanser to use before the facial cream. She now had two products she could market.

Then came the fateful day she had stumbled into the great room of Luke Colton’s home, where Layla and several women had gathered. Melody had tried to beat a hasty retreat, having felt like an intruder, but they’d invited her to join them. Intimidated didn’t even begin to describe how she’d felt sitting with an Academy Award-winning actress, a pop music icon, two award-winning television journalists, and a best-selling author. She was a failed scientist, current student slash tutor. Still, the women had treated her as an equal. She’d noticed them staring at her, and she was about to give in to the urge to flee when one remarked on her skin and how it was smooth and flawless. They’d asked her what she used, and when she admitted it was a cream she developed, they had begged her to share. She did. Now the women were her die-hard champions and dear friends.

What had started as a hobby had turned into a career. It was the dream Melody was afraid to imagine. She’d rented a storefront in downtown Bloomington and set up shop. Soon, it was apparent she wouldn’t be able to handle business by herself. She convinced two of her coworkers from Chem-Co to work for her: Raine Vickers, a fellow scientist, and Deanna Prescott, assistant to the company’s president, Elliot Kingman. Raine would help her expand the line of products, while Deanna was an organizational wonder and a people person. She would take charge of orders and the office. If the company grew, they would hire people to staff the storefront and work in the new facility she was designing.

Her father had left her and her brother a plot of land located north of town in an unpopulated area but within proximity to a major interstate. It would be perfect for a manufacturing facility. It had been her brother’s idea to use the land for the production plant, and he’d even signed over his share to her. She’d had the land surveyed and then worked with Reed Steele, the fiancé of COBRA Securities agent Hillary Billings and a highly sought-after architect, to design the building. Reed was a former major league baseball player and currently hosted a renovation show on television. After a knee injury ended his baseball career, he’d used his degree in architecture to host the popular show Home Run Homes, now produced by TKO Productions—Kendall, Olivia, and Taylor Costa’s company.

Taylor rushed over and hugged her tightly, bringing Melody’s thoughts back to the present.

I’m so proud of you, Melody. The show was fantastic. You are going to be a tremendous success.

Melody reached down and pinched her leg. This had to be a dream.

Chapter One

Grant Colton leaned against the wall and watched as Quinn Billings put the young Belgian Malinois through his paces. Camo was a beauty, mahogany with a black mask and ears. He responded to Quinn’s commands and didn’t so much as blink as he passed two other dogs evaluating his performance with critical eyes. He was laser-focused on his task.

Quinn, brother of fellow COBRA Securities agent Hillary, was an expert dog trainer, a skill he picked up in the military. He now operated his own business within the compound, training dogs for police and fire departments and other companies that requested them. He could tailor the training to specifics from bomb and explosives detection to drug-sniffing. They could also learn accelerant detection used for arson investigations, tracking humans for search and rescue, or body recovery for things like earthquakes or natural disasters.

Quinn was also a trained field agent, and he could go out on a case if necessary, especially if a specialized dog was required. With Luke and Logan’s approval, he’d hired three former MWDs, or military working dog handlers, to assist with his operation. Sabrina Bradford, Morgana Irving, and Justin Atwell had also passed Dante Costa’s intense training regimen and could help with cases as needed.

Quinn worked strictly with German Shepherds and Belgian Malinois. They were beautiful dogs, and Grant coveted one. A Malinois had been his SEAL teammate for the last couple of years. Blackhawk. Damn, he missed that dog. Smart as a whip and fearless. He was seriously considering getting one from Quinn, but he lived in one of the apartments within the compound right now. It was comparable to staying in a luxury hotel, but it wasn’t the place to keep a dog. When his brother Luke and his partner Logan Bradley founded COBRA Securities and purchased the land to build the compound, Luke had deeded him and his brother and sister a plot of land on the lake. Logan had done the same for his brother, Dan. They all had their houses built and professionally landscaped, but there was an open space between Luke and Ben’s place, waiting for Grant. The plot Luke deeded to Kaitlyn was sold to Sawyer Oldham since Kait married Dan and built their house on his acreage.

Grant decided it was time to start construction on his forever home. Whenever he came home during deployment, he crashed at Luke’s. That was now out since his oldest brother was a newlywed, with two ten-year-old children running around. Luke and Layla had adopted Sean and Tiffany, Layla’s half-siblings, after the twins’ father murdered their mother. A United States Senator, Eugene Mullins almost got away with the crime. But thanks to a joint operation between COBRA Securities and the FBI, he was caught and arrested before taking the coward’s way out and killing himself in prison.

Grant’s brother’s family welcomed him with open arms, and he loved visiting, but he didn’t want to interfere. Same with younger brother Ben and his ready-to-pop-at-any-minute wife, Rachel. And no way in hell would he live with newlyweds Kaitlyn and Dan. He loved them both dearly, but they’d drive him to drink. So temp housing was his best option.

Grant didn’t see himself marrying anytime soon, so there was no sense in waiting to build. He’d seen too much in the world, done too much to live a happily ever after. He’d save that for his siblings. War was harsh. He’d lived through it, but not without a boatload of scars, both physical and mental. Grant had witnessed three of his teammates—brothers—killed in front of his eyes. When DeAndre, Hector, and John died, so did Grant’s desire to continue as a member of the United States Naval Special Warfare Development Group, or DEVGRU, formally known as SEAL Team Six.

Life was short, something he was intimately familiar with since he’d lost both of his parents when he was a teenager. Luke had given up a football scholarship and a lock as a National Football League pro to come home and take care of Grant, Ben, and Kaitlyn to keep them from being separated. Wanting to help take care of his siblings was the impetus for Grant to join the Navy. But he’d been away from his family for too long, and he missed them dearly. Coming home had been an easy decision.

A small body plopped beside him and mirrored his stance with arms crossed and one bent leg anchored against the wall. He’s my favorite.

Grant glanced down at Kai Costa as the kid stared out at the arena. Yeah? Which one? There were several dogs in the vicinity: Delta, Echo, Foxtrot.

Kai shrugged. All of them.

Grant smiled. Kai was a huge dog lover and even volunteered to help with Quinn’s operation, though it was mainly in the pooper scooper milieu. What would Midas say to that? Kai had his own golden Labrador Retriever, and usually, the two were inseparable.

Kai’s eyes widened dramatically, and he glanced around. Shh, don’t tell him. He gets jealous when I come home smelling of other dogs.

Grant chuckled as Quinn brought Camo over to stand in front of them. The dog was in full work mode until Quinn gave him a command, and he turned into a big puppy, attacking his buddy Kai until the two were wrestling on the ground, laughing.

Grant and Quinn smiled at their antics. Currently, Camo had Kai pinned to the ground by lying his body atop the boy’s, and he was attempting to wash Kai’s face with his tongue.

I heard it was pretty intense in Coslos.

Grant nodded, thinking back to his last assignment. A country ravaged by drugs and war, the innocent citizens caught in the crossfire. It was like being back on the Teams, he said, referring to his SEAL squad. It had triggered nightmares of his last deadly mission. Thankfully, they’d located and rescued Harlow Duquesne, granddaughter of the President of the United States. In the process,