Sean doesn’t speak. He takes me in his arms and holds me against his chest, tangling his hands in my hair as he comforts me. My throat is so tight that I can’t swallow. I can’t breathe. There have already been hundreds of views and the video hasn’t even been there for a whole day. My mind is collapsing brick by brick.
When Sean speaks, his voice has a deep gentleness about it that makes me want to believe every word he says. “I’ll take care of it. That will be gone within the hour. Avery, listen. I need you to tell me everything. I’ll fix this, and make it so the guy who fucked with you will wish he’d never been born.”
CHAPTER 2
“You want me to do what?” Mel snaps at Sean with her hands plastered firmly to her curvy hips. The girl is wearing sweatpants and still looks gorgeous. It’s amazing. Come to think of it, Mel is amazing, period. She goes to class, does her work, turns in papers, has high test scores, and manages to live this double life, all without breaking a nail. The job doesn’t seem to bother her. I wonder how much of that is an act? It’s hard to jump out of the center of a raging river without any help. Most people just drown, but Mel keeps going. She’s close to the end and we both know it.
Sean’s voice has the soft, patient tone that means he’s ready to lose it and go nutso on her ass. “Drive back to the dorm and leave Avery with me. When people ask where she is, tell them that she came back with you. If someone’s keeping an eye on her, I want them watching the dorm and not looking for her here.”
Mel folds her arms over her chest while Sean speaks and then sighs dramatically. “So, what? You can mess with her head even more? I can take care of Avery, okay. I got skills.” Mel works her jaw as she stares him down.
Sean steps into Mel’s space. Her arms drop to her sides and her fingers flex, ready to throw a punch. I step forward and try to interrupt, but Sean talks over me. Glaring at her, he snaps, “Someone is trying to hurt her. There are enough people who’d want to do it that I can’t even venture a guess at who it might be, which is why they need to think she has no clue. That means we should make it look like she heads back to New York with you. Actually doing that would be the height of stupidity.”
Mel is ready to explode. “You don’t know jackshit about me. I can throw a knife—”
He cuts her off. “I don’t doubt that you can. And I don’t question your ability to defend Avery—or yourself—if you know where the attacker is and what he plans to do, but we don’t. Those variables are hidden at the moment, and having two people watching her back is better than having one. When it comes to a knife fight, my money’s on you, but this isn’t that kind of fight. Someone is manipulating her, trying to move Avery into a position that’s still unclear. If they wanted to physically hurt her, they would have done it already. That’s not what this is about.”
“You think I can’t outsmart someone?”
Sean is practically growling. If he was a dog, his hackles would be raised and he’d be flashing his fangs. “Why do you have to be so argumentative? Don’t you want to keep her safe?”
“Why do you think that you can do a better job than me?” Mel is on her toes, yell-screaming in his face. “I’ve kept her safe until now.”
Sean blinks and looks surprised. “You did?”
Mel’s jaw drops and she’s quiet for half a beat. Then she pushes a finger to the center of his chest. “Damn straight, I did. I did a bunch of stuff that you don’t have a clue about because you weren’t there, Ferro. You and your fucked up shit were somewhere else, nailing some other call girl.”
Sean’s gaze is lethal. For a moment he says nothing. A breeze moves through the trees, rustling the leaves and blowing Sean’s dark hair. He relaxes as if he’s lost the fight and then throws the killing verbal punch. “I see. Remind me again who introduced her to Miss Black in the first place?” Mel’s entire body starts shaking and her mouth opens like she wants to scream, but Sean’s voice is soft and careful, which is rare for him. It makes Mel freeze in place, like a banshee about to wail. “Two people watching out for Avery is better than one.”
Mel snaps her mouth shut and she tucks her hands into the crooks of her arms. “Fine, but I hate you.”
“As long as you take care of Avery, I respect you.”
“Awh, fuck.” Mel drops her arms to her sides like a pouty little kid. “You can’t be nice to me, Ferro. What the hell was that?”
“The truth.” Sean glances at me, like he doesn’t know what to do with me. “Avery’s friendships are questionable at best. Everyone has something on her, except you. If people find out what she does, you go down with her. I don’t extend trust often, so don’t blow it.”