Chapter 111 Red hair, Red flags.
Jason’s POV
“Melissa, come with me.”
She blinked. “What?”
“Please come with me.” I stepped forward again, my hands outstretched but not touching her, I needed her to be comfortable with me . “You aren’t safe and I want you to come with me.”
“What do you mean I’m not safe?”
I ran my hands through my hair. Once. Twice. Like I was running mad. Maybe I was. Everything about this was fucked up. I should not even be doing this because it counts as betrayal. But what can I do? I’m totally lost in her hazel eyes. I’m
A freaking lost man and I couldn’t watch her die. I just couldn’t.
“I can’t explain but I don’t want to see you hurt. You can choose me now and end all this.”
Her eyes widened. Then narrowed. “It’s the Five Families, isn’t it? Is that why Gavin has been so busy? They’re finally retaliating.”
Fuck. She was too smart for her own good.
“Melissa, you don’t know how fucked up and scary they can be.” I grabbed her shoulders. “Why do you insist on being so goddamn stubborn? Please.”
She stepped back, breaking my grip. And stood up straighter. And the look on her face…
It wasn’t fear. It was a lot more like anticipation.
“You know,” she said quietly, “I’ve been looking forward to meeting them. Let them come. I’m waiting.”
I stared at her. This girl who should have been terrified was practically inviting war.
“It’s your funeral then,” I said.
Then I walked away before I did something even more stupid than kissing her.
——-
Melissa’s POV
I stood in my room long after Jason left. My head hurts. My lips felt bruised. My heart was beating too fast.
Jason loved me. And he’d kissed me.
“Fuck,” I whispered to the empty room.
I touched my lips. They still tingled where his mouth had been. This was wrong. So completely, utterly wrong.
But Jason’s words kept echoing in my head. I loved you first.
But that didn’t matter at all . Love wasn’t about who came first. It was about who stayed. Who fought for you. Who made you feel safe and cherished and whole.
That was Gavin. Only Gavin.
I rubbed my forehead where I’d headbutted Jason. It throbbed with a dull ache.
I needed to get out of this room. Out of this penthouse. I needed air and space and anything that wasn’t these four walls.
I changed quickly, into my running shorts, my sports bra and tank top. I pulled my hair into a ponytail then I grabbed my phone and headed for the door.
The elevator took forever. I bounced on my toes, because of so much restless energy crackling under my skin. When the doors finally opened to the lobby, I practically ran outside.
The morning air hit my face. And then I started running, I didn’t forget my music. Because running wasn’t running without music.
My feet pounded against the pavement. Left, right, left, right. The rhythm usually calmed me.But not today.
Today my thoughts raced faster than my legs could carry me.
Jason loved me. The Five Families were coming. Gavin was keeping secrets. My mother was in California doing God knows what. I don’t know how but I know somethibg weird was going on.
Everything was spiraling and I couldn’t…
I stopped and bent over, with my on my knees. Gasping.
“Fuck,” I breathed out.
“Hey, are you okay?”
I looked up.
A woman stood a few feet away. She was insanely beautiful. With red hair that caught the morning light like fire. Dark red lips curved in concern.
She looked expensive. She wore designer workout clothes. Perfect makeup even though she was supposedly exercising.
“You look tired,” she said, her voice soft and really concerned for me. “Come, let’s sit for a bit.”
She gestured to a bench nearby.
“Yeah,” I said. “Okay.”
We walked to the bench. I sat down heavily. She settled beside me, graceful as a cat.
“I’m Sophia,” she said, extending her hand.
I shook it. Her skin was soft. Her well manicured nails painted the same dark red as her lips.
“Melissa.”
“Beautiful name.” She smiled. “You’re running pretty hard for this early in the morning. Training for something?”
“I just needed to clear my head.”
“Man trouble?” She asked it like she was reading my mind.
I laughed. It sounded bitter even to my own ears. “Something like that.”
“Aren’t they always trouble?” Sophia leaned back against the bench. “Tell me about it. I’m a good listener.”
And maybe it was the exhaustion. Maybe it was the emotional overload from Jason’s confession. Maybe it was just needing to talk to someone who wasn’t connected to the mess my life had become.
But I found myself talking.
Not about everything. Not about Jason kissing me or Gavin’s past or the Five Families.
Just about feeling overwhelmed. About loving someone complicated. About not knowing if I was strong enough for what was coming.
Sophia listened.
“You’re stronger than you think,” she said when I finished. “I can tell. You have that look about you.”
“What look?”
“Survivor.” She turned to face me fully. “The look of someone who’s been through hell and came out the other side. Someone who won’t break easily.”
“I don’t feel very strong right now.”
“The strongest people rarely do.” She stood. “Come on. Let’s walk. Sitting makes it worse.”
She was right. We started walking slowly along the path.
“This man you love,” Sophia said after a moment. “He’s lucky to have you.”
“I’m not sure about that.”
“I am.” She glanced at me sideways. “Any man would be lucky to be loved by someone as fierce as you clearly are.”
Something about the way she said it made my skin prickle.
“How do you know I’m fierce?”
“I can see it.” She smiled. “The way you hold yourself. The fire in your eyes even when you’re exhausted. You’re not the kind of woman who gives up easily.”
We walked in silence for a few more minutes.
Then Sophia stopped.
“I should get going,” she said. “But Melissa? Whatever you’re facing? You’re going to be fine. Trust yourself.”
“Thank you,” I said. And meant it. “Really. I needed to hear that.”
“Anytime.” She squeezed my shoulder. “Take care of yourself.”
Then she turned and walked away.I watched her go with her red hair swaying.
Something nagged at me. Something I couldn’t quite place.
But I was too tired to figure it out.
I pulled out my phone. A text from Gavin:
Where are you, piccola?
I typed back: Went for a run. Be home soon.
Okay. I love you.
I love you too.
Three blocks away, Sophia pulled out her phone.
“It’s done,” she said when the call connected.
“And?” A man’s voice. Smooth. Dangerous.
“She’s exactly as you described. Beautiful. Strong. Stubborn.” Sophia smiled. “And completely unaware.”
“Perfect. Keep watching her. I want to know everywhere she goes. Everyone she talks to.”
“What about Cross?”
“Leave him to me. You focus on the girl.”
“Understood.”
Sophia hung up.
Then she looked back in the direction Melissa had gone.
“Sorry, darling,” she whispered to the empty street. “But you’re about to learn that loving Gavin Cross comes with a price.”
And that price was about to come due