A smirk plays on her lips and it leaves me with an unsettling feeling in my stomach. ''Let me tell you a story.''

''I'm listening.''

​​

''Before you came into the picture, Bob and I had our differences. As I said, he was the head of the Siddeno's and he was horrible to me.''

I got that already.

''I cheated on him,'' I got that already. ''Looking back I wish I hadn't,'' her eyes are full of regret and what I assume is unshed tears.

''He killed the love of my life.''

My jaw is again on the floor.

''Bob killed the love of your life?''

''He did,'' she confirms. ''His name was Diego Acosta. He was a hitman for the Floretini Mafia. He was everything to me and he killed him on my twenty-first birthday.''

Bob-Daniel-said that Patricia cheated on him with a co-worker. I had no idea it was with a member of ta rival mafia. Another thing he lied about.

''I'm sorry,'' I say sympathetically. It's still mind boggling to think that Bob was actually a murderer. I guess it's really true that you never know the devil in the disguise. When I think of a murderer, I don't see Bob's face. He looked like he couldn't hurt a fly, except from that time at the Lakedale shootout. Now, that situation was scary.

''You don't need to apologize for a sadist.''

''Did you report to the police?''

''And tell them what,'' she chuckles bitterly. ''Diego and I were the modern day Romeo and Juliet and shit got so real to the extent that my boyfriend killed my lover with a single gunshot wound to the head in my apartment and his blood was soaked on my pajamas and I watched him bleed to death like a fucking cow?''

Yikes.

That conversation would have been spectacular, right Melody?''

She looks at me and the smirk is still playing on her lips as she wipes a stray tear with her candy-coated fingers. ''Besides, he would have gotten away it. If I were to say anything, I would have been dead.''

Double Yikes.

I take in a deep breath and play with the phone in my hands. To an extent, I feel bad for her. She wasn't happy with Daniel and she ended up cheating. I know cheating has no justification, but still, she wasn't happy. Did she deserve to have the man she loved killed in front of her? Definitely not, but every action has a consequence.

Her consequence is rather unfortunate.

''But it's okay now,'' her back is straightened. ''It has been years now.''

My phone buzzes and I look down at my lap. She watches me but I pay her no mind. It's a message from Theo. Actually, there are several from him. I tap on the icon.

Mel, where did you put your phone

If you're at the restaurant, get out of there

Jason called

Patricia is headed your way

She did it

She killed Bob

Run

She's after you

''Holy shit,'' I whisper.

''Is anything the matter, Melody?''

My body stills as hard as a rock at the sound of her voice. I can't move. I can't breathe. I can't speak. Hell, I can't even meet her eyes right now.

I'm in danger.

She killed him.

She killed Bob

If she killed him, then that means-

''Melody?''

I finally meet her eyes and I give her the biggest smile I can muster when I'm almost shitting my pants. I need to get the fuck out of here. ''Yea, I'm fine. I was just checking something.''

''You look like you've seen a ghost.''

More like I'm talking to a murderer.

''No ghost. Hey, I need to use the bathroom. I had a little too much OJ.''

The smirk on her lips is still prominent. ''Go ahead.''

I fly out of my seat faster than a bird, my heart thumping as my feet pad the checkered tiles. Instead of going to the back where the toilets are, I run towards the double doors. As I grip the double doors, I notice that it's locked.

Who locked the doors?

''Open for fucks sake.'' As I try to rock the doors open, an object is pressed at the back of my head. ''Step away from the door, Melody. Don't be stupid.''

Shit, it's a gun.

I take a step back and raise my hands in surrender. It's Patricia and she has me hostage. She no doubt locked the doors when I was in the bathroom.

I take two steps back. ''Good, '' she says. I imagine her still smirking. ''Get down on your knees and hand me your phone.''

She grabs the phone from my hand and smashes it to the ground, the glass shattering echoes throughout the diner.

There goes my recording.

''Move to the corner,'' she instructs. ''We don't want anyone else joining the party, now would we?''

I walk away from the glass doors under her watchful gaze and move to the corner next to the vending machine-a new instalment to the bakery. There are no windows facing the area so no one can see what's going on.

I'm fucking screwed.

I swallow the lump in my throat. Fear grips me land for a moment, I'm not in my own body. Instead, I'm being transferred to my past, the past where I was in a similar but different situation with Khalil.

''If I have to tell you to get down again, you'd bleed on the floor,'' she yells. Her boots make contact with the back of my right knee and that makes me drop to the ground in pain.

Those boots are harder than concrete.

I wince in pain and swallow the tears threatening to spill from my eyes. I don't want her to see me cry. She will not see me cry. ''Why the fuck are you doing this?'' I question calmly.

''Shut up,'' she yells. ''I don't have to answer to you.''

The gun leaves my head and I'm almost scared to look back. ''Hands behind your back.''

''No,'' I say defiantly. ''Let me go, Patricia. I won't speak to anyone about this. I promise.''

A sharp tug at my braids, nearly pulling my roots from my scalp, sends a sharp message to me that I'm in no position to be making promises. Her right hand holds the gun to my forehead. Her full face finally comes into view and I'm seeing now that this woman is actually bat shit crazy. She has a rope in her hands and my eyes widen.

I can't believe I was sympathizing with her minutes ago.

Her lips are still curled into a wicked grin and her face holds no remorse. ''You're in no position to be making promises.''

She tugs my hair down tighter and I scream loudly, the tears involuntarily falling from my eyes and rolling down my cheeks. ''When I say I want your hands behind your back, I fucking mean it.''

She really prepared for this, didn't she?

She circles me and secures the rope around my hands, rolling them tighter till they actually hurt and I know that it'll leave a bruise. ''Did you really think you could escape? No doubt my brother alerted you that I was out to get you.''

It wasn't him.

''Or maybe that cop of yours, or should I say your ''step-brother,'' she air quotes.

She knows Theo is a cop?

''How did you know?'' I croak.

''Because you're both stupid.''

The gun is still in her hand as she examines her hand work: me, on my knees, on the checkered floor, with a rope tying both hands and mascara stained cheeks. I feel like a cow that's about to be slaughtered.

''You know, I've dreamed about this day, Melody.'' She stops circling and appears in front of me. Her back bends and she smiles at my misery. She actually fucking smiles. If I wasn't at a disadvantage, I would've have spit in her face. ''I've dreamed of the day when I finally exert my revenge. Everything was carefully prepared and planned. This is the grand finale.''

How wonderful.

''Your grand finale, of course,'' She leans in to touch my face but I turn to the side. Her nails dig into my jaw and she sharply makes me look her, nearly breaking my jaw. ''Even in your position, you still resist. I like your spirit. It's resilient.''

I give her a blank look as she takes a step back. ''You know, I was quite irritated when Dave didn't do his job properly.''

Dave?

Dave Shaw?!

They were working together.

''He should have finished you both last year but Daniel allowed you escape,'' she chuckles bitterly. ''Too bad for him because he paid for that with his life.''

I open and close my mouth like a fish. ''Oh, don't look so surprised. I told you what he did to me, In fact, you should be thanking me. I got him out of the way so you could be with my brother.''

This woman is disgusting.

''He kept going on and on about how he loved you and how he'd lay down his life for you and all that bullshit.'' Her eyes slant slightly. ''He exchanged his life for yours; said that I should kill him instead of you so I did. We came to an agreement: I'd leave you alone and kill him.''

She really did kill him.

''Obviously, I lied because look at you now.''

I don't even hide the tears this time. They fall faster than a waterfall. How could she do that? I suffered for months because I had no idea what was going on in my life. I had no idea whether he was alive or dead. I had nightmares. I was hospitalized.

And she did all this for something as silly as revenge.

My tears turn to pure rage as I give her the evil eye. ''He really did love you, I'd give him that,'' Patricia continues. ''The last word he breathed in the forest before Dave shot him on my command was your name.''

He laid down his life for me. Daniel laid down his life to protect me.

''Come to think of it, why are the men in my life smitten with you? My brother threatened to kill me because of you and the other laid down his life for you. What makes you so fucking special?''

I'm not a vengeful witch.

''You know, I had so many opportunities to kill you, and your family but I thought it wouldn't be fun that way. I knew everything about you, from your house address to your social security but it wouldn't be fun if I put a single bullet to your head. It'd be boring to watch you and your family bleed.'' She plays with the gun in her hand. ''I thought about how I'd make my revenge fun since you escaped. Too bad Daniel wasn't so lucky.''

She continues. ''It was fun messing with you. The skunk. The tyres.It was all me and I loved it.''

So it was her all along. She sent me the skunk, she slashed my tyres.

''But why?'' I whisper. ''What did I ever to you?''

For fucks sake, she hated Daniel. What has that got to do with me?

''You were with Daniel. I don't need any other reason than that. He killed the love of my life, don't you think it's fair I pay in kind?''

Un-fucking-believable.

''Besides,'' she says. ''My brother threatened me because of you. Imagine that. He'd threaten his family for a church rat from Cranedale. You're not even up to our standards and social standing. Did you really think we'd like you? Did you really think Jason liked you? Heather may like you but my dad and I sure as hell don't.''

Her words are stabbing me like a knife. She's literally slapping my insecurities in my face and she's loving every second of it. I can't believe I ever thought she was nice.

Bitches aren't only based in high school.

''Fuck you, Patricia,'' I spit, mustering up the courage to speak loudly. ''You'd rot in hell.''

''No, Melody. Fuck you and the only place I'm rotting in is the tanning salon. You however, well let's just say that your clock is ticking.''

She cocks the gun and points it at me, her fingers poised on the trigger. ''Any last words? Make it quick, I have a hair appointment.''