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.”