Page 26 of Save Me

“Listen gentlemen, with all due respect—if you’re not happy in your marriages, just divorce and get it over with. Stop sneaking off to have male orgies at random motels.” Her blunt statement hangs in the air, leaving me speechless.

“What the fuck—no, darling, we aren’t here for any of that. First of all—what kind of people do you let in here because, damn. And second—one of our friends got drunk last night at his bachelor’s and it’s his wedding today. We really need to get him to his futurewife or we will all be dead meat.” Demitri says, leaning on the counter, flashing her his brightest smile.

Adrian and I exchange glances, struggling to contain our laughter. We are amazed by how skillfully Demitri can fabricate a story on the spot.

The older lady gives him a warm smile, her eyes crinkling with kindness. “Oh, no problem dear,” she says, her voice gentle and comforting. “What’s your friend’s name?” Demitri gives Zavier’s name, his voice filled with a mix of anticipation and nerves, and she tells him the room number. As we make our way to his room, the sound of our footsteps echoes through the hallway.

“That was smooth,” Adrian says to Demitri, his hand patting him on the back with a reassuring thud.

“I deserve a fucking medal for that.” He says with a chuckle. I feel my heart pounding in my chest, the adrenaline coursing through my veins. We stop in front of the door, and I can’t help but stare at it, my eyes fixated on the wooden surface. He’s in there. Finally, after all this time, I’ve got him. My palms feel slick with sweat as I reach out to knock, but before I can, Adrian beats me to it. I shoot him a glare, my eyes narrowing.

“Who is it?” Zavier’s voice echoes from inside the room, filled with fear and uncertainty. My heart skips a beat, a mix of satisfaction and anticipation coursing through me. We all exchange nervous glances, unsure of how to proceed, and how to convince him to open the door.

“The office sent me with some fresh towels, sir,” Demitri says, his voice suddenly high-pitched and absurdly accented. I can’t help but cover my mouth with my hand, trying to stifle the laughter that threatens to escape.

Suddenly, we hear the click of the lock, and the door swings open. Zavier’s eyes widen, his face draining of color as he takes in our looming figures in the doorway.

He quickly tries to slam the door shut, but I press my hand firmly against it, feeling the cold wood beneath my palm as I stop it. Forcefully, I push the door open, the hinges creaking in protest, and Zavier runs further into the room.

“Did you really think I wouldn’t find you?” I ask, venom lacing my voice as I step closer to him, my heart pounding in my chest. I’m ready to rip his pathetic face off, my fingers itching with anger. Anger spreadsthrough me like wildfire, a burning sensation coursing through my veins as I lock my eyes on the man who took my little star from me and broke her into a million pieces that I have to put back together.

Suddenly, he pulls a gun out from behind him, the metallic glint catching the light, and points it at us, the barrel trembling in his hand. “Don’t come any closer!” Adrian and Demitri freeze in their tracks, their breaths held, while I stare at him, unfazed by his threat.

Without thinking twice, I lunge at him, the adrenaline rushing through my veins. I try to grab the gun, feeling the cold metal against my skin. He falls backward on the table, the wood cracking beneath his weight, taking me with him as I grab his arm that has the gun.

Just as I hit him in the face with my elbow, a shot goes off, the deafening sound ringing in my ears. I slowly let him go, my eyes never leaving his, as I gently graze my fingers over the material covering my stomach, feeling a searing pain. Looking down at my hand, crimson covers my fingers, the metallic scent of blood filling my nostrils, and I fall to my knees, the floor hard against my skin.

I hear the sound of Demitri’s voice breaking through the pounding of my heart in my ears. “Get him to the car, Adrian!” Before my back meets the ground, hands grab onto my shoulders, their grip firm. My eyes connect with Adrian as he tries to pull me out of the room.

As he drags me towards the door, I see Demitri grab Zavier by the throat, the sound of bones crunching echoing in the room, slamming his head into the table and against the wall. It’s been years since I saw him lose his head, the anger radiating off him in waves. It’s not a pretty sight when he does.

“Demitri, stop!” I try to yell at him, the desperation in my voice evident, and he slams Zavier to the ground before Adrian lets me go and runs back in, grabbing Demitri by the shirt and pulling him back towards the door. They both lift me to my feet, each of my arms around their shoulders. “Don’t let him get away.”

“Fuck that, Argent! We’ll find him again, you need a hospital.” Adrian interjects, the urgency in his voice clear, as he opens the back door and slings me inside before getting behind the wheel. Demitri gets in besideme and we speed off, the tires screeching against the pavement.

As Demitri applies pressure to the wound on my stomach, I can’t help but let out a hiss of pain. The world around me starts to fade as black spots creep into my vision.

“Hold on,” he pleads, his voice filled with urgency. “We’re almost there... just a little longer—hold on. I can’t lose you, brother.” His voice fades as I lose grip on reality, the darkness fully taking over.

Chapter 20

STARLET

After spending twenty minutesdeciding what to watch, Chloe and I finally decided on a horror movie. She came over with snacks and drinks—bourbon, of course, when the boys all went out to ‘take care of something’, whatever that means.

“You know, Star, I’ve known Argent most of my life and I’ve never seen him in love the way he is with you.” Chloe’s words caught me off guard, causing me to choke on air.

In love.

I nervously chuckled, dismissing her observation. “Oh, um, I don’t think it’s love, I mean—he’s never said he loves me.”

Chloe smiled warmly, leaning forward to grab a bowl of popcorn. “Well, he doesn’t have to, Star. His actions speak louder than words—obviously.” It’s true. Everything he has done for me has shown what he feels, but if I’m honest—I wouldn’t mind hearing him say it.

Returning a slight smile, I direct my attention back to the screen. Before we could settle into the movie, the door suddenly burst open, startling both of us.

Adrian and Demitri stumbled in, breathless and wide-eyed. We rush over to them and I halt in my tracks as I see them covered in blood.

“What happened? Who’s blood is that?” Concern and confusion dripped from Chloe’s voice. I look past them at the door, waiting for Argent to enter—but he doesn’t.

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