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“You forget,” she whispered, turning her head away. “I was there with them—with Quincy, with Father. I know their plans.” She took several deep breaths. “You said you have Rylan back already?”
“Tony has him,” I said. “He’s just stepped out for a moment. But what—”
“He must be the weaker of the two, then. They only needed one.”
“Needed one for what?”
“Call my son,” she hissed. “Ryder isn’t in Las Vegas. And if Xander is chasing after Melony, he’s walking right into a trap.”
Chapter23
Xander
She’d changed her hair.
The blonde waves Melony had once sported proudly like a lion’s mane were gone. All that remained of the gold was the lightness at her roots. The rest was messy and tangled, matted in some places. Even in the dim lights and the pink of the neon, I could tell the color was ruddy brown.
Felicity’s color. As close to it as cheap box dye could get.
“I’ve missed you so much, baby,” Melony professed, leaning in.
Bile crept up my throat..
She pouted as the silence stretched between us. “Did you miss me too?”
I swallowed hard.
“Of course,” I choked out. You’re doing this for Felicity, I reminded myself.For Ryder. Don’t blow it now. “I… I wanted to… see you.”
Technically, it wasn’t a lie.
She beamed, bouncing slightly on the balls of her feet. “I’ve been wanting to see you, too. When I found out that you were here and looking for me…” She sighed, her eyes sparkling. “I’ve waited so long for this, Xander. I can’t believe it’s finally real.”
Because it’s not, you nutty narcissist, I wanted to say, but I suspected that would spoil the mood and my half-baked ruse.
“Melony, can we go somewhere else?” I asked, glancing toward the bathrooms. Where was Denny? I wanted to get this over with as quickly as possible, but I didn’t want to risk texting him while Melony was around.
I just needed him to see where I was headed so he could follow.
“Somewhere more private, you mean?” Melony placed a hand on my chest, smiling saucily. “You’re so frisky. I love that about you.”
As she thrummed her fingers against my pec, I decided I’d be burning this shirt as soon as I was away from her.
“Uh. Right,” I said when I realized she was waiting for me to say something. “Hey, Melony?”
Her lashes fluttered. “Yes, my love?”
“Where’s Ry—” I stopped myself, remembering that she’d renamed Rylan. “Where’s my son?”
“Ourson,” she corrected me with a smile. “Little Grayson is napping right now. Do you want to see him?”
There it was again. Grayson. She hadn’t even bothered to give them two separate names.
“I really do.” Finally, I could tell her something that wasn’t a lie. “Can you take me to him? I’ve missed him.” She continued to stare at me like she was waiting for more. I bit back my pride and added, “I’ve missed you both.”
“Of course you have.” Her shoulders sagged as she let out a contented sigh. “You’re such a good father, Xander. I knew you’d never leave us all alone.” She forced her hand into mine, shoving my fingers apart so she could fit her fingers into the spaces between them. “Come on. I’ll show you. I’m sure he’s missed you, too.”
As she pulled me toward the exit, I craned my neck, hoping to spot Denny. A wave of relief crashed over me when Denny emerged from the bathroom. He caught my eye, then glanced at Melony. When it clicked, he nodded.
