A flicker of movement catches my eye when one of the curtains across from us stirs. I lift my gaze and see Jonathan standing there in the shadows, watching. Our eyes meet and I mentally beg him to leave Sean for the moment. I can’t stand to see him hurting any more right now, because it doesn’t matter what Jonathan thinks—Sean cares about him. The man would do anything for his brothers, I’m certain of it.

The anger melts off of Jonathan’s face and he stands there a beat longer than he should, almost shocked. His lips part slightly and his hands, which were fisted, unclench and linger at his sides. Has he never seen his brother hurting before? Sean the invincible is weakened at the moment, no doubt reliving the hellish night his wife took her life.

Maybe the embrace, and the way he hangs his head, makes Sean seem more human, I don’t know, but whatever the reason, Jonathan shrinks back into the shadows and disappears without a sound. No one else comes looking for us either. We stay like that for a long time, and don’t break apart until we’re ready to face whatever comes next, even though I don’t think I’ll ever be ready.

CHAPTER 11

Mel. This whole goddamn mess stems back to her and I need to find out what happened. I’d assumed she wasn’t in the room after I found out that it wasn’t her dead body under the sheet. There was no blood on her clothes and no indication that she’d done anything wrong. It seemed like Mel left the hotel when she found out what happened, the same way I did. If one of us gets caught and it gets back to Black, we’re all screwed.

I don’t want to believe that my best friend killed someone, but this is Mel we’re talking about. I’ve seen her threaten people with knives and so it’s no shock she used one on somebody. Actually, I was under the impression that she’d cut someone up in the past for messing with her, but that was a past life, way before I met her.

The question that’s swirling in the back of my mind is why didn’t she run? Even after stabbing the woman, she stayed and slit her throat. Why kill her? Self-defense is understandable and forgivable—this isn’t. Mel’s ruined her life, everything that she was running away from has come back in full force. She’ll never finish college or have a career. She threw away her entire future and I don’t understand why.

Sean agrees to find the bar and give me and Mel some space. I walk through the worn curtain and wander toward the stairs that lead off the stage. Mel is awake and talking to Trystan who seems to be a night owl. Does anyone sleep anymore? I feel like a zombie. I’ve been running on fumes for hours and I’m pretty sure I’ll trip and smear my face on the floor in the next hour.

Mel is sitting in a chair across from Trystan. She glances up and beams at me, before lifting a finger toward Trystan. “It’s really him.”

I can’t help it, I laugh. “I know. He caught me outside. I pretty much fell on him.”

“You did fall on me, not that I minded.” Trystan sits up slightly and glances around. I’m sure he’s looking for Sean.

I roll my eyes as I fold my arms over my chest, and throw my hip out. It’s a naughty look that my mother gave me too many times. “Are you picking fights, Trystan Scott?”

“Psh, no.” He grins broadly, which contradicts his words.

I drop my arms and walk towards his seat. Trystan leans back and looks up at me when I sit on the arm of his chair. “Listen, Sean will skin you if you mess with him tonight. Do me a favor and leave him alone.” I wouldn’t have said it, but I don’t think Trystan’s a jackass. I’m guessing the disdain for the guy is coming from Sean, because I’m not feeling it the same way from Trystan. It’s more like Trystan is reacting to something. It’s hard to like someone when they hate you. I need to ask Sean what he has against the rock star, because he seems fine to me.

Trystan doesn’t promise anything, but his gaze meets mine and his smile changes. The corners of his mouth lose that teasing grin and his gaze softens to something that resembles understanding, and maybe even empathy.

Without warning, he glances at Mel and slaps his hands down on his knees. “So, I’m guessing you two want to talk.” Trystan jabs his thumb at Mel. “She’s had a rough night. Go easy on her.” Then he’s gone.

I slip into his velvety seat and look at Mel. She looks picture perfect as always. Silence stretches between us and for the longest time neither of us speaks. When I can’t stand it anymore, I blurt it out. “What happened? Are you all right? How can you just sit there and pretend—”

Mel points a manicured nail at me and her expression flashes from pleasant to furious. “Don’t you dare act like you have a fucking clue about anything!”

I lean forward and my hands start flying while I speak, begging for an explanation. “Then tell me!”

“Don’t pretend you care about me. If this didn’t happen in your room, you wouldn’t have even spoken to me tonight.”

That’s it. She pressed my psycho-bitch button. I fly out of my chair and I’m on my feet, screaming in her face. “Bullshit! That’s total crap and you know it! You know what I thought when I went back to the room? I thought you were under that fucking sheet! I saw your hand laying there, limp and pale and I thought I lost you. I thought you were dead! So don’t sit there and act like I don’t give a shit about you!”

Mel is in my face with her lips smashed together, ready to verbally decapitate me when a deep voice cuts through the room.

“Sit down.” It’s Sean. We both glance over at him. He looks more disheveled than I’ve ever seen him. The tension that lines his face is etching deep groves into his beautiful skin. Sean has a drink in his hand and is walking toward us.

When neither of us moves, he growls again, “Sit.” Mel and I comply, and avert our eyes.

Mel lets out a huff of air as Sean steps between us. He glares at Mel. “You have no idea how much shit I went through tonight for you. Avery’s your friend, so stop acting like a child. You killed someone and we need to know why.”

Mel is grinding her teeth and stiffens in her chair. She doesn’t look at either of us and I know she doesn’t want to talk. Her nostrils flare as she breathes and her nails bite into the arms of her chair. She finally looks up at Sean. “I have trouble believing that you’d stick your neck out for me.”

Sean seems agitated. He rolls his eyes and knocks back the rest of his drink before slamming the glass down on the table next to Mel. She flinches when he does it. Sean is at eye level with her. His voice is deep and menacing. “I didn’t do it for you, I did it for Avery. You’ve been watching her back, so I’ve been watching yours.”

Mel doesn’t like that answer. “You’ve been trailing me?”

“I’ve been watching. I watch everything, especially when it comes to her.” Sean points at me. “I know things she hasn’t said and I know things you haven’t admitted. Tell her what happened tonight or I will, and I guarantee you that it would be better coming from you.” Sean straightens and backs away, before taking a seat to the side.

Mel swallows hard and glances at me again. I lose my patience. “Oh, for the love of God, just say it. I liked you before, when I knew you messed with people. You’ve threatened Naked Guy on more than one occasion. I know you aren’t Mother Teresa and never have been, so just tell me!”

Mel glances at Sean out of the corner of her eye, almost pleading with him. “This is a bad idea.”

“Tell her,” Sean demands in a tone that makes me shiver. One of Sean’s brows lifts as he folds his arms over his chest and his icy eyes narrow at her.

Mel doesn’t like being told what to do. Her eyes shift from side to side and she leans back and cracks her neck. After taking a huge breath, she dives into a story that I wish I never heard.

CHAPTER 12

My body tenses as Mel speaks. I’m afraid for her even though I know she survived. After Sean and I left the room, things spun out of control. Mel ordered her dinner and when there was a knock on the door half an hour later, she thought nothing of it. Mel yanked the door open without looking, and there stood a woman with her complexion and caramel eyes.

Mel explains, “She looked like a fucking twin. It was creepy. The chick was about the same height and weight, and—get this—wearing the same dress.”

“That’s weird.” My face scrunches up because I don’t like where this is going.

“No shit. So I’m like, ‘What do you want?’ She laughs and manages to get into the room, but I don’t let her in very far. It was like she was looking for something.” Mel shakes her head and bites her lower lip, thinking before adding, “So, she can’t get past me. The woman thinks there are other people in the room. I left the TV on in the bathroom and the tub was filling. I planned on vegging and watching TV, eating dinner while I soaked. Anyways, the girl steps up to me and smiles this creepy, toothy grin and I feel a barrel press into my belly. The bitch had a gun. She’s not two steps inside the room and she pulls a fucking gun on me. After that, things get blurry.”

“Mel,” Sean scolds.

“I’m telling the truth, white boy.” Mel huffs and deep frown lines cross her face. “Avery, everything happened so fast. I went from having the gun in my guts, to ripping her hair out and rolling around on the floor. The bitch pulled my bracelet off, so I crushed the stone thinking Black would send her ninjas, but they never showed. So, I realize I’m on my own and use my knife on the bitch. She had me pinned.”

“You had a knife on you?” I sound stupid for asking, but where the hell was it?

Mel nods once. The normal smile that’s on her lips is gone and her head hangs between her shoulders as she buries her face in her hands. “I always have it strapped to my thigh. When I’m doing it, I hide the blade, but it’s still in reach—under the pillow or shoved into the side of the mattress. I take care of me. I always have.” Mel glances up and doesn’t blink. Her eyes are cold and hard, like she’s emotionally shut down in order to tell me the rest of the story. “Before the bitch knows what happened, I stabbed her in the side. She starts muttering about something that makes no sense, after cursing me out.”