motioned at me with the gun to move to the end of the bed, away from the dresser that I knew held my only hope of getting out of there. “Keep your hands where I can see them.”
I nodded and moved to the end of the bed as he had ordered.
“Jesus frickin’ Christ. Holy Mary…” Melissa turned her back to me, back toward the doorway.
Ryan scowled at me. “Act like you’ve seen a fucking dick before, Liss.” He waved the gun at me again. “Where are your clothes?”
I nodded toward the dresser. “Bottom two drawers.” My gun was buried at the back of the third drawer—I hadn’t wanted Jen to find it, and there weren’t many good hiding places here. None that were within my reach if I needed it, anyway. And unless they went digging for it, they weren’t going to find it.
He motioned at Melissa with his head, pointing her toward the dresser, the gun still pointed at my chest. “Liss, get him something to wear.”
I wasn’t sure when to play the one card I knew I had—that I knew he wouldn’t kill me. I could give him what he wanted—it was going to take some time, but he could have it. Especially now—especially now that I had found the brief moment of happiness that I’d shared with Jen. Fuck, she was bleeding. Melissa had said she was bleeding, and my heart began to race again with concern for her. “What happened to her head?”
Melissa grabbed a shirt and jeans from the drawers and tossed them onto the bed next to me without turning her head back to meet my gaze. “She hit it when she fell. I’m so sorry, Brandon. She hit her head after I gave her the shot. She was taking the eggs off the burner and she hit her head on the corner of the counter.”
“Shut up!” Ryan was waving the gun at me again. “Remember, Liss? Remember what I told you he did to Amanda?” He nodded at the clothes on the bed. “Get dressed. You made a promise to me, Brandon. You made a promise, and you haven’t delivered. And then I find out you brought that bitch here, even after we had our little talk after Amanda.”
I could only see the side of her face, but I could tell that Melissa’s eyes had begun to tear up. I could see she was torn—torn between wanting to please her boyfriend and the betrayal of her best friend. It didn’t make a bit of fucking difference to me—she could be collateral damage if it kept Jen safe. I just had to figure out a way to get her on my side before they were both killed.
I played the only card I thought might work with her. “I didn’t kill Amanda, Melissa. Ryan did.” I tipped my head, trying to make eye contact with the woman as I pulled on my jeans. “I came in after he did it. She was already dead. He had drugged Mason—”
“I said to shut up.” Ryan took a step forward, putting the barrel of the gun against my forehead. “Say another word. Say one more fucking word, Brandon, and I swear to God…”
“What?” I widened my eyes in fake shock—I knew he wasn’t going to kill me. The gun probably wasn’t even loaded—he couldn’t take that risk. If I died, what I knew would die with me. And we both knew it—my only real concern in this situation was for Jen’s safety, not my own.
“You’ll do what? Kill me? And let me take what you want to my grave?” I pulled the shirt Melissa had chosen over my head. “That would fucking suck for you, wouldn’t it? That you wouldn’t be able to get what you wanted after all this time. All the effort that you’ve gone to…”
“I’ll kill her. I’ll go out into the kitchen, and I’ll blow her brains out. And I’ll make you watch me do it.” He lowered the gun. “I told you to stay away from her. She’s a fucking toxin. You see what she’s done here?” He waved the gun back and forth in front of him between the two of us. “She’s come between two people who used to be best friends.”
My brow furrowed. “Really? Because what I see is that you came between two people who used to be best
I nodded and moved to the end of the bed as he had ordered.
“Jesus frickin’ Christ. Holy Mary…” Melissa turned her back to me, back toward the doorway.
Ryan scowled at me. “Act like you’ve seen a fucking dick before, Liss.” He waved the gun at me again. “Where are your clothes?”
I nodded toward the dresser. “Bottom two drawers.” My gun was buried at the back of the third drawer—I hadn’t wanted Jen to find it, and there weren’t many good hiding places here. None that were within my reach if I needed it, anyway. And unless they went digging for it, they weren’t going to find it.
He motioned at Melissa with his head, pointing her toward the dresser, the gun still pointed at my chest. “Liss, get him something to wear.”
I wasn’t sure when to play the one card I knew I had—that I knew he wouldn’t kill me. I could give him what he wanted—it was going to take some time, but he could have it. Especially now—especially now that I had found the brief moment of happiness that I’d shared with Jen. Fuck, she was bleeding. Melissa had said she was bleeding, and my heart began to race again with concern for her. “What happened to her head?”
Melissa grabbed a shirt and jeans from the drawers and tossed them onto the bed next to me without turning her head back to meet my gaze. “She hit it when she fell. I’m so sorry, Brandon. She hit her head after I gave her the shot. She was taking the eggs off the burner and she hit her head on the corner of the counter.”
“Shut up!” Ryan was waving the gun at me again. “Remember, Liss? Remember what I told you he did to Amanda?” He nodded at the clothes on the bed. “Get dressed. You made a promise to me, Brandon. You made a promise, and you haven’t delivered. And then I find out you brought that bitch here, even after we had our little talk after Amanda.”
I could only see the side of her face, but I could tell that Melissa’s eyes had begun to tear up. I could see she was torn—torn between wanting to please her boyfriend and the betrayal of her best friend. It didn’t make a bit of fucking difference to me—she could be collateral damage if it kept Jen safe. I just had to figure out a way to get her on my side before they were both killed.
I played the only card I thought might work with her. “I didn’t kill Amanda, Melissa. Ryan did.” I tipped my head, trying to make eye contact with the woman as I pulled on my jeans. “I came in after he did it. She was already dead. He had drugged Mason—”
“I said to shut up.” Ryan took a step forward, putting the barrel of the gun against my forehead. “Say another word. Say one more fucking word, Brandon, and I swear to God…”
“What?” I widened my eyes in fake shock—I knew he wasn’t going to kill me. The gun probably wasn’t even loaded—he couldn’t take that risk. If I died, what I knew would die with me. And we both knew it—my only real concern in this situation was for Jen’s safety, not my own.
“You’ll do what? Kill me? And let me take what you want to my grave?” I pulled the shirt Melissa had chosen over my head. “That would fucking suck for you, wouldn’t it? That you wouldn’t be able to get what you wanted after all this time. All the effort that you’ve gone to…”
“I’ll kill her. I’ll go out into the kitchen, and I’ll blow her brains out. And I’ll make you watch me do it.” He lowered the gun. “I told you to stay away from her. She’s a fucking toxin. You see what she’s done here?” He waved the gun back and forth in front of him between the two of us. “She’s come between two people who used to be best friends.”
My brow furrowed. “Really? Because what I see is that you came between two people who used to be best
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