Defying the Odds (27 page)

“Who the heck are we
gonna
shop for?” Wyatt snorted, pulling a face of bemusement at Melody.

Melody stopped, considering that.
“Your deputies?”

“I gave ’
em
gift cards already.” Wyatt shrugged. “They count on ’
em
to do their own Christmas shopping.”

“Your employees at the Cellar.”

Clay winced, draping his arm over Melody’s shoulder. “We give ’
em
cash.”

“Oh.” Melody glanced up at Clay and then turned to Jules and Wyatt. They appeared genuinely lost at the idea of Christmas shopping. “Don’t y’all buy things for each other at least?”

Jules gave her a look. “Why would we?”

“’Cause it’s Christmas.”
Melody laughed, having never encountered three bigger Scrooges in her entire life. “And
ya
love each other.”

“That’s exactly why we
ain’t
gotta
buy each other anything,” Jules said dismissively. “We could go to a show.”

“Pass,” Clay said quickly.

“Yeah, I think I’d rather go Christmas shopping for friends and family I
ain’t
got,” Wyatt agreed. “Shopping’s better than those flashy shows.”

“I like ’
em
,” Jules said indignantly. “Maybe
Melody’d
like one too.”

Wyatt huffed and started walking again. “Then you two go.”

“If Melody
want’s
to go, then I guess I could go,” Clay offered, giving Melody a smile. “I’m spending today with her.”

“Then what the heck am I supposed to do while y’all are gone?” Wyatt complained. “Sit in my room jerking off for five hours?”

Jules reached up, smacking the back of Wyatt’s head. “Can you pretend you’re not a pig?”

“No, I can’t,” Wyatt said blandly. “I got a headache. I feel like hell.”

“I told
ya
Conners
shouldn’t drink.” Clay grinned, pulling Melody closer and squeezing her arm. “Why don’t we try Christmas shopping? It can’t be too bad. Maybe I’ll buy you
two something
.”

“Maybe,” Jules said, casting a sideways glance at her brother. “Maybe I’ll buy y’all something too.”

“I
ain’t
buying neither of you shit,” Wyatt announced, though a smile quirked his lips. “You’ll get nothing and like it.”

“Well, fuck you, then.” Clay laughed.

Wyatt started laughing too. “Fuck you too, you cheesy bastard. I liked
ya
better ornery.”

“Yeah, this is my life,” Jules said sadly before a laugh burst out of her. “I’ve been dealing with this on a daily basis since I was in middle school. Take pity on me.”

“I do.” Melody laughed with them. “I’m definitely buying you something.”

“I’m buying you something just for taking one of ’
em
off my hands.” Jules grinned. “I just
gotta
change, and we’ll take off.”

“That works,” Clay agreed and then kicked at Wyatt’s shin, getting him to make a sound that seemed like a reluctant agreement.

Melody couldn’t remember the last time she’d felt this lighthearted. She looked down at herself to study another new dress, this one black with vibrantly colored paisleys running up the side of it. It was lower cut than she usually wore, but she was feeling a bit wild today and decided it was more than acceptable, especially with—

“Oh!” Melody turned, looking back to the direction of the restaurant. “I left my shawl at the table.”

“I’ll go back and get it,” Clay offered.

“No, I’m already dressed,” Melody said, slipping out from under Clay’s arm. “Y’all go up and get changed, and I’ll meet you at the room.”

“We could go with—”

“Don’t be silly.” Melody turned to leave before Clay insisted on following her and slowing their progress. “I’ll run.”

Melody dashed back toward the restaurant, hoping no one took her shawl. She’d be really disappointed to lose it when it was one of the few nice things she currently owned. Fortunately she wore flats today. If she rushed, she might meet them back at the elevators, because this hotel was truly huge. Walking from end to the other took forever.

“Hey, lady, forget something?”

Melody turned around, looking to her purse on her arm, wondering if something fell out. “I don’t think—” She glanced
up,
staring at the man who’d followed her around the corner from the casino, and gasped. “Justin!”

Icy-cold fear sank into her veins as she stood there staring at her ex-husband for one stunned second. He looked terrible, nothing like the handsome man she’d married. His blond hair was long and stringy, his light eyes wide and crazed. He was thinner and unshaved. He seemed to radiate a dark cruelty. His insides had finally caught up with his outsides, and it didn’t paint a pretty picture. He didn’t just appear malicious; he seemed unstable in a way he hadn’t before, as if he’d lost all hope.

She forced her lungs to suck in air and her brain to start working. She looked wildly behind her, knowing Clay was just around the corner. She gasped when Justin reached out and grabbed her arm.

“I asked if you forgot
something?
” Justin growled at her, his eyes narrowed menacingly. “’Cause it looks like you’re slumming around this hotel like a bitch in heat with that big, dumb hick when you’re supposed to be home taking care of me. You’re
my wife
. You swore you’d love, honor, and obey me. I’m here to make sure you keep that promise.”

“We’re divorced.” Melody straightened her back and glared at her ex-husband, wondering how she’d put up with this sad, pathetic man for five years. “You’ll never get me outta this hotel. I will scream my head off. Just leave before you end up spending Christmas in jail.”

“No, I don’t think I will.” Justin lifted up his shirt, forcing Melody to look down against her will. Her stomach lurched when she saw the glint of metal and the grim smile of promise on his face. “Remember saying ‘till death do us part’? One way or the other, you’re keeping those vows, Melody, and it doesn’t make a difference to me which one. I have no problem blowing your brains out and leaving you for the big bastard to find. So go ahead and scream; maybe you two can die together.”

Melody looked around the casino, feeling trapped in one of those horrible news stories. She could already see the headlines: three days before Christmas, a madman shoots up a casino in a jealous rage over his ex-wife. Didn’t those things happen all the time? Wasn’t this the very reason Melody avoided watching the news like the plague? She was tomorrow’s news, and there wasn’t a damn thing she could do about it.

She had all these thoughts as Justin pulled her away. Her feet dragged. She couldn’t willingly walk to her demise, but she didn’t fight. She couldn’t help staring at every person she passed, thinking of stray bullets and brutal headlines. She thought of Clay and what he’d do if he walked up on them. She looked wildly for a security guard or some sort of police figure who could possibly help.

“Imagine my surprise when Charlie called me up saying he saw you draped all over one of those big wrestlers on pay-per-view.” Justin growled, sounding disgusted. “I always knew you were a whore.”

“He’s not a wrestler,” Melody corrected him, her feet still dragging. She knew she looked like a very unwilling companion, and she hoped that helped. Maybe someone would call the police. “He’s a Mixed Martial Arts fighter.”

“Same difference.
It’s all
fake
.”

Feet still dragging, Melody looked behind her, hoping to the catch the eye of someone who could call for help. To distract him more than anything, she argued. “I-it’s not
fake
.”

Her teeth were chattering in fear, but she wasn’t going to let him get her into a car and somewhere private, because she had no doubt she’d end up dead if she did. The second she could run without risking others getting shot, she was going to chance it, bullet or not.

“Hey, don’t I know you?”

Melody turned from her frantic search for help and found her face literally planted in a chest easily as big as Clay’s. She tilted her head back and gawked when she realized she was staring at Romeo
Wellings
.

“Fuck off!” Justin growled.

Head tilted way back, Justin stared up at the man who’d stopped his escape. Then he threw his chest out in a false sense of bravado as his eyes narrowed at Romeo, who was truly intimidating up close and personal. He reminded Melody of one of the guys from those bloody mafia movies—only bigger.

Obviously unnerved by Romeo being completely in their faces, Justin jerked Melody’s arm so hard she stumbled. Romeo grabbed her before she could fall. His large hand wrapped around her other arm. His grip was viselike, making it obvious he didn’t plan to let go. She shook her head silently at him, thinking of the gun and how truly unstable Justin had become, but Romeo ignored her.

“No, man, no,” Romeo said, his New York accent extra thick as he shook Melody’s arm, pulling her closer to him. “I know this chick.
I
seen
her
somewheres
before. Where do I know you?”

Melody gaped at him, wondering if he was being serious. Her eyes were wide in silent warning. She was starting to believe Wyatt’s claims that Romeo wasn’t just cocky but a little bit crazy as well. He was standing so close, as if he had no respect for personal space, and she could tell it was making Justin twitchy.

“Look at her; this girl’s beautiful.” Romeo gestured to Melody, pulling her farther from Justin until she was practically tucked under his muscular arm. “How’d a bum like you get a girl like this? And look at that: she’s got a hickey. No way you gave that to her, man. I don’t fucking believe it.”

Justin looked to Melody’s neck, his light eyes narrowed in raw rage for one heartbeat. Then Melody felt the brush of air and caught a flash of color. It wasn’t until she heard the crunch of bone against fist that Melody realized Romeo had punched him with a speed and velocity that seemed almost inhuman. The blood was shocking because there was so much of it as Justin stumbled, his hands flying to his nose.

“He’s got a gun!” Melody screamed.

She was terrified Romeo was going to end up shot, but she hadn’t gotten the words out before she was falling, her knees giving way when Romeo took off running in the opposite direction, dragging Melody with him. She realized he wasn’t going to stop. He was taking her with him whether she was willing or not. She scrambled to find her feet. Her shoulder burned from the force Romeo used to pull her away before she’d known they were making a run for it.

Melody was dimly aware of the casino breaking out in chaos.
Her
and Romeo’s dash cleared an open path in front of them. People seemed to scatter and fall away like dominoes. The noise was a dull rush behind the fear. She didn’t hear anything until one heart-stopping yell, terrifying in its intensity, reached over the chaos and resonated with her.

“MEL!”

Melody looked wildly to the side, seeing Clay coming up on them. She didn’t have time to wonder if he’d decided to follow her to the restaurant or if the pandemonium had sent him after her. His eyes were wild as he reached Melody and Romeo, stopping their flight because he was the only one crazy enough to run to them instead of away.

Romeo shouted when they were pulled up short, “Run, Powers!”

“What the hell—”

“It’s Justin!”

Melody finally broke Romeo’s hold to turn around and look behind her. She managed to catch a glimpse of Justin behind them. He’d been chasing them, which explained the wide berth and the insanity. Out of the corner of her eye, Melody thought she saw men in uniform, but her eyes narrowed in on Justin, who swung the gun wildly in their direction.

“You’re
gonna
fucking die, cunt!”

A loud
pop
.

Glass exploded everywhere.

Clay shoved Melody hard enough that her legs gave out. Her knees hit the floor, the stun of pain making her eyes open wide. Her hands flattened against broken glass to keep herself from landing face-first on the tile. Her scream of fear and pain was trapped in her chest when she suddenly found herself crushed under a solid wall of muscle.