63 The bitch fight

63 The best treasure
Date = 14 February
Place = San Francisco (different places)

POV - Melaena

I rush through the door of his house with my 3 followers to see Luke’s face lighting up from the exact sofa where the experiment took place.

He jumps up and down excitedly before literally throwing me the next clue. Damn, will I ever get used to the Grimm boys and their wild ways? All 3 of them are over-energetic cocky bouncing blobs of sexy cuteness. I wonder how poor Haley manages sometimes. Does she ever get tired?

I know for a fact that Luke got called into the principal’s office twice this week alone, and his brother was no better when he was in school. And as far as I understand from Alejandro’s stories, he too was the same.

But right now the littlest devil’s naughty hazel eyes are waiting anxiously for me to open the envelope.

I know you're hungry – go grab some food at the place where I declared my love openly for you in a song – and where you called my name.

“Let me guess — we’re going to have lunch at Inferno?” Kiara smirks, strutting from the kitchen.

“Yeah, I’m frickin starving.” Luke jumps from the couch and runs through the door.

The limo is getting rather crowded now, but nobody wants to miss a thing. Luke puts on the song I was hoping to hear Damion sing again, this time I know it’s for me, no doubts.

In case you didn't know – Brett Young.

The words say it all – even when I couldn't. Hopefully this time you'll get it.

‘In case you didn’t know, baby I’m crazy bout you … and I would be lying if I said that I could live this life without you …’

“Ug, he’s pussy whipped for sure, or maybe his dick is turning into one,” Jackson snorts and then blushes when Luke giggles openly next to him, finding his words funny. I’m guessing to find Enrique at the club, and I was not wrong.

My brother is waiting with a spread of finger food on the bar for us to eat. My tummy rumbles and I stuff myself so full, that I want to puke. Then he hands me the next message.

Go to where I took some nasty bullets for you. The start of #Damena.

I want this to be a fairytale. I want to be your Prince Charming. I want to kill every dragon for you. But most of all I want this to be real.

“Okay, the paintball place.” He’s shattering my calmness … or at least the calmness I’m trying to hold onto. These memories… they crumble down the final walls around my heart. He’s totally claiming every last piece of it — front, back, and center.

But for some reason, it doesn’t scare me anymore. I love him with all my heart. And he loves me. I’m now sure of that.

I know what song is going to play even before Enrique connects the Bluetooth to the radio and hands me the song card.

Fairytale – Culture Code

I'm better with than without you.

His voice is husky and sad. And just that single line is enough to fill my heart until it overflows.

Axel stands in the middle of a heart of black paint splatters, holding a huge pink cotton candy and another envelope.

You know me – my guilt ... my demons ... my scars ... but as long as you stand next to me, they seem not so scary.

I'm not a perfect prince on a white horse - I'm a devil on a black bike - but I'm real and I'm yours forever.

My broken San Francisco boy. He may not be perfect, but he’s mine. He’s all I want.

“Are you okay?” Alejandro asks the question in everyone’s eyes. They are probably trying to figure out if I’m not getting ready to drop down or something. I suppose I can’t blame them, I almost died. But I survived.

“I’m fine,” I snap, “Just give me the freaking clue will you?” Axel smiles but doesn’t hand over the envelope, instead, he pulls out the card and reads it to me.

We slipped out one night, secretly, to break in and watch some turtles doing it. I wanted you to know how I felt but was not brave enough to tell you. You're like a drug that's killing me – I get so high ...
And I can smell your scent for miles.

“Fuck, I almost lost it that day when I saw you sitting squashed against his back on that bike.”

“Um yeah, I would say you lost it. You both ended up with black eyes and bloody noses.”

“How long have you two been going on behind our backs?” Enrique tries to sound mad, but I don’t fall for that act.

Yes, Damion took gullible me out TWO times while we were at school, and he left me hurting and hating him. But now I understand what I was too young to realize back then.

“The zoo, we’ve slipped into the zoo one night,” I laugh.

“We almost got caught by a fat security guard, so we hid in the turtle enclosure,” I tell them, “Only after one bit him on his leg did we realize they were snapping turtles.”

“My brother is still afraid of turtles,” Luke says with big eyes.

“Maybe we should get him one as his next package,” Ilkay teases. I have no idea what that means.

“Fuck, yeah!” Jackson agrees. Now I need to know.

“Package?” I ask, wondering if they will tell me. Boys don’t always want girls to know about their little ‘things’. I’ve learned that long ago.

“Yeah, I’m a little lost too,” Alejandro pouts and it gives me hope of an explanation.

Ilkay stares at me for a beat and then he moves his eyes to D-boy. “We have this ongoing thing —” I was right. “Where each week one unlucky guy gets a package with a challenge … something he needs to do or wear or eat … whatever it tells him to do.” Ilkay shrugs.

“Yeah, and we need photographic proof of him doing the dare sent to our group chat,” Axel explains further. Of course … the group chat which does not include any girls … or the maternal part of the family.

“Else the guy will face a dare … and trust me … you don’t want to face those dares,” Jackson continues.

“And of course, from now on, you’re included in this little thing. This coming week is Jackson’s turn. We move from oldest to youngest … which means you’re the week after him,” Ilkay again.

“Seems like fun,” Alejandro nods. Ug, boys. They just never grow up.

“Can I play too?” Luke asks.

“Eh … we’ll see …” Ilkay mumbles and Luke’s little face gleams with hope.

Axel puts on the song and I take the card.

Animals – Maroon 5.

Baby, don't deny the animal that comes alive when I'm inside you – I love doing it with you. And from now on you will be the only one for me - in my bed, in my heart, and in my life.

A dirty naughty smile creeps on my face. Tonight the animals are going to come out and play.

“Fucking wimp got his balls back,” Jackson sneers as he reads the card out loud over my shoulder.

“Yuck!” All the boys shout out almost in unison while Luke wants to know if ‘doing it’ means having sex.

“It means they fucking mate like rabbits,” Jackson tells him straightforwardly and gets a whack to the back of his head from Alejandro. They eye each other, two devils on a throne. Jackson doesn’t retaliate. Maybe there’s still hope for him after all.

The limo stops as close to the gates as it can. We all get out and this time Luke takes my hand, hopping and skipping beside me while we walk to the turtle enclosure.

Logan sits on the side, his finger popped in his mouth, his face in pain. He looks up when he sees us, pulling his finger with a POP from his mouth.

“The little suckers bit me.” He points toward the snapping turtles with his bleeding finger and gives them a savage glare.

“Moron,” Luke giggles and picks up the envelope, which must have fallen to the ground during Logan’s epic battle with the reptiles, and opens it. I let him read it out this time and his shining eyes tell me that he’s enjoying this just as much as me.

Angel, I'm waiting at the place where fate brought me back to you, where I completely lost my heart, soul, and mind – forever.

“The school … he’s at the school,” I shout out overexcited and overwhelmed, my heart so full of love it’s bursting at the seams. Alejandro throws me onto his back and piggy-rides me to the car. I don’t mind cause I must admit that I’m a little tired after the whole hunting escapade and I can’t wait to see my devil, the BEAST smirk on his face, and that thing he does with his eyes that drives me insane. He’s the one, the only boy for me.

Logan gives me what must be the last song card and sends the song from his phone to the radio.

I lost control – Alan Walker.

I lose control when I'm around you, but you are the one who can bring me back from the chaos - my light, my angel. And this time I'm gonna get it right.

‘So I walk into the dead of night … where my monsters like to hide’

Now my heart is not just full, it’s overflowing with rapid speed, flooding my body with the tingly feelings of love only Damion can create.

I have a permanent smile plastered on my face when we walk through my old school doors and down the hall.

I gasp at the beauty of him standing next to my old locker in all his glory … in his team jacket and sexy jeans. I focus on putting one foot in front of the other without stumbling, and I hear the song starting to play softly on the intercom system.

‘You don’t need to be Prince Charming to me, I just need this to be real, I don’t need no fairy tale’

And as I stare into those green eyes I know … this is real! He is real! My devil on a black bike … he is my fairy tale.

“Hello,” he greets me the same way as years back — the word that ripped out my heart unexpectedly and dropped it solidly at his feet.

And without me knowing it — he picked it up and kept it all these years.

I’m desperate to touch him, hug him, feel him, oh boy I want to run into his arms and kiss him brutally unconscious!

But instead, I gape at MY badboy whom I love with every little piece of my heart, his hands stuck deep in the pockets of his jeans, the sun filtering through the windows forming a halo around his head, leaving his eyes black.

I can’t decide if he’s my demonic angel or my angelic devil … but it doesn’t matter — heaven or hell — I love him.

“How was your hunt?” He moves closer, and I bite my lip to keep myself from falling into his arms.

“Unbelievable.” He moves even closer, a misleading smile on his face. His eyes back to those dark orbs — the devilish emotions in there are overpowering, leaving me breathless and my mouth dry.

“Mel,” he gets down on one knee, forces down a swallow, and takes my hand. “I hope by now you understand how I feel about you. This is as real as it gets …” He combs his fingers through his hair.

“So will you, THE GIRL … do THIS GUY the honor and marry him?”

He holds a dainty ring out at me — a harlequin black Opal encircled by smaller Alexandrites — both our birthstones combined. A surge of emotions floods my body, my hand moving over my mouth, as I stare at the ring with huge eyes. He knows me so well. It’s perfect … everything about it forms my dream ring. The world around me becomes a blur, but somebody is holding me up. I can’t speak or form words, and I’m sure my body went into shock.

“Mel, I’m dying here …” His hand is shaking slightly, showing me that he’s nervous. It makes me smile, my cocky bastard is scared I might reject him — sweet. I find my voice.

“I have a few demands.” Everybody suddenly freezes, waiting to hear my next words.

“Firstly, you’ll never do anything to break my heart.” He nods without hesitation.

“Secondly, you’ll get rid of your guilt — it’s what your demons feed on.” My devil doesn’t say a word, but a tear rolls over his cheek.

“And lastly, your racing … " I see fear in his eyes. I know racing is his life. But I also know he would give it up for me.

A few of the witnesses standing in a circle around us gasp and pull in their breaths. I notice the worried look deepen in my racer’s eyes, and I can’t help but smile seductively.

“You have to promise to be careful when you brake late and slide into corners. I mean, if you lose a limb I might just have to get myself a new husband.”

“Husband,” he frowns. “Does that mean you’re saying ‘yes’?”

I bite my lip on purpose.

“Yes, you dumb dipshit.” He moves so fast, grabbing me in his arms, his lips claiming mine with force.

“Fuck, I love you,” he says, looking into my eyes, his one hand moving protectively over the very tiny bump under my shirt, “Both of you.”



Book 2 - The Actor’s Contract (Enrique Blackburn) starts on 18 March - approximately a month after this treasure hunt