Now fr...see you after 2 weeks.😅

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Melissa "Desires, Jealousy and Choice."

Turbulence rocked the plane just as I opened my eyes. The dim cabin lights barely illuminated Dean next to her, looking far more at ease than I felt. As we approached Las Vegas, I couldn't stop replaying my decisions in my head-how had it come to this? Flying with Dean to a city of temptation, gambling, and secrets. And especially since we'd arrive just when it would be time to go looking for two half-baked tempters in the casino.

Dean looked at me and quickly smiled, his calm demeanor was in sharp contrast to the chaos brewing inside me and I was still angry that he had been silent all this time, but at least he had told the truth in time so that at the last moment I could do everything the way I wanted.

I turned away, my thoughts spiraling. Why did I even care if Roman was touching another woman? We weren't together anymore. We had a history, yes, but we'd never defined anything even when we lived together. Still, the thought of him being with someone else-especially some rich bitch-took me in a way I couldn't explain. I clenched my fists, trying to suppress the rising tide of emotion.

The plane was getting lower, revealing a neon-lit city through the tiny window. Las Vegas. It seemed like the perfect backdrop for my heart to spill. Dean had tried to talk me out of it until the very end, insisting that we didn't need more trouble, but I wasn't a coward to give up on my dreams over some stupid problem. He knew Roman would be there with Lyn the whole time, so he was lucky I was nice to him because otherwise his head would be the only one sitting next to me. I wasn't sure if Dean was trying to help or make things worse.

"Are you ready for this?" Dean's voice cut through my churning thoughts.

I turned to face him, blinking a few times to collect my thoughts. "To what exactly? To the trip? To the casino? Or to meet my husband who decided to seduce Kate?"

He leaned back in his seat and looked at me thoughtfully. "All of this. You're acting... distant and I can't figure out why because two weeks ago you were doing exactly the same thing."

Detached isn't the word. It was closer, but I didn't admit it out loud. Instead, I tried to deflect. "How do you feel about Lin being there with Roman. In Sin City?"

Dean's expression changed, his jaw tensing for a split second before he exhaled. He ran a hand through his blond hair, clearly hesitant. "Lin and I... well, we had something once. It was intense, but it didn't last. We were both chasing something that wasn't meant to last."

I raised an eyebrow, feeling the tension between us grow. "What happened? Why did it end?"

Dean's eyes softened, as if the memories were weighing heavily on him. "We realized we weren't right for each other. She wanted something different, and I wasn't willing to give her what she needed. It wasn't toxic, but it wasn't healthy either. It was like addiction to want each other."

I felt his honesty, but part of me felt guilty for even asking. I had no right to ask him about his past relationships when I was still tangled up in my own issues with Roman.

"That sounds complicated," I said, but my voice became quieter. Dean shrugged, giving me a half-smile. "Love is usually like that."

The plane landed, and moments later the hum of the engine faded as we taxied toward the gate. The weight of what lay ahead seemed to settle in the pit of my stomach. Whatever I felt for Roman, tonight would be my greatest test.

***

Las Vegas at night was a feast for the senses. The bright lights, the sounds of the slot machines, the electric atmosphere-it was overwhelming, and yet it felt right for the chaos of my heart and my life. Dean walked next to me, keeping his eyes on me as we walked toward the casino floor where Lyn and Roman were going to trap Kate.

I already put on a black dress in the apartment. It is simple but short and with black heels and with beautiful loose hair, more was not needed to show everyone my place.

"Hey." Dean broke the silence, stopping me right outside the casino doors. "I need to know. What are you really planning on doing with Roman?"

I froze, my heart pounding, feeling a rush of excitement and adrenaline. I couldn't avoid this conversation anymore because at least one person needed to know what kind of chaos I was about to cause. Taking a deep breath, I turned to him. "I'm just going to have a nice chat with him and then punch him in the balls." Or maybe I won't show my cards all the way.

Dean's face was unreadable as he listened. "So you're just jealous?" I bit my lip. "Maybe. I hate that it bothers me. I hate that it bothers me when he's with someone else. But it does."

Dean gave me a long, hard look before nodding, as if he'd been expecting this answer from me all along. Without warning, he reached for the door and held it wide open for me. "This is going to be the best Friday night show of my life."

I continued to stand there, looking calm, in the middle of the dimly lit alley, the soft neon lights from the bar next door casting streaks of color across the wet pavement. My dark eyes pierced the fog that clung to the city like a second skin. Dean began to hesitate just a few feet away from me, his arms crossed tightly over his chest, the tension in his posture unmistakable. At first I thought he thought I had changed my mind about going there, but then I noticed that he himself was no longer sure that he wanted to see what Lin was doing there.

"You can't protect her forever, Dean," I said, my voice quiet but commanding. My presence was a mixture of grace and warning, like a storm cloud gathering on the horizon. "But you have to try. She's your soulmate." Dean's brow furrowed, his blue eyes darkening under the weight of my words.

"I tried, Mel. I did everything I could. But it's like she's hiding so much that she doesn't even know what's real anymore..." He fell silent, holding back his disappointment.

Roman was the one constant threat to our lives, a shadow that never went away, always lurking, waiting to strike. Even though the poor lovelorn guy didn't know she was his sister, that's why she kept so many secrets from him.

"You know what I learned during a marriage that was always a total disappointment?" I stepped toward the door and pulled him along with me. "It's that you always have to take everything while you can. Because one day you'll wake up and realize you've lost everything."

***

Inside the casino, a haze of cigarette smoke hung over the room, making the lights above the poker table seem dimmer than they actually were. The flickering lights and constant hum of activity distracted me from how strange it was to still want to protect what was mine. The game had begun, but not the one I was expecting. My gaze slid around the room until I spotted Lin standing near the blackjack table, her sharp eyes catching Melissa and Dean's gaze.

Lin hid her surprise behind the way her face was hidden, and her lips curved into a smirk. And next to her, some black-haired handsome man was helping her, clearly breaking into her personal space. "Protect your soulmate, Dean." I said, my voice was even, but there was something darker in it. But when I turned my head, I saw that my partner had already disappeared. Clever.

I was tense that he left me alone in this stuffy place but it was understandable. I slowly walked to the bar and ordered a whiskey knowing that I needed something stronger than simple champagne.

I continued to sit at the counter, swirling my glass of whiskey in my hand and watching the scene unfold before me. My eyes scanned the room again, looking for Roman. And then I saw him. There he was, Roman, sprawled next to Kate at the poker table, his face an impenetrable mask of confidence.

Roman had that look, a kind of dangerous charm that drew people in despite their better judgment. His tall frame, dark hair, and sharp features made him someone impossible to ignore, especially when his eyes flickered over the cards in his hands, as if they held the secrets of the world.

Kate, the blonde next to him, smiled at Roman, leaning in closer as if the cards were secondary to the chemistry between them. I hated the way my heart clenched at the sight, jealousy rising in my throat like bile.

Roman had always been a master at making people feel important while simultaneously discarding them just as quickly, but there was something about the way Kate touched his arm, the way Roman didn't pull away. I hated it. I hated the way Roman could effortlessly command a room. The way he made me feel things I didn't want to feel. And I hated that I wasn't the one sitting there next to him, not because I wanted to, but because it was causing a storm inside me.

My fingers tightened around the glass, and I drained the whiskey in one swift, angry motion. That's when Dean started walking back to me, Lin following him, her expression serious. He saw my gaze immediately and tensed. It didn't matter that he'd warned me a thousand times about not ruining the plan. I was drawn to that table, to the man sitting there, like a moth to a flame. And no amount of logic could stop it.

Dean quickly crossed the room leaving Dean much larger behind, his jaw clenched as he approached me. "This is a bad idea." He said quietly, his voice full of concern.

"I don't care." My voice was sharp, stubborn and filled with something else I couldn't put into words. "You should." Lin added, standing just behind Dean when she finally got there too. Her voice was surprisingly softer, less aggressive, but no less firm. "You know what Roman is like. You've seen it yourself. Don't let jealousy lead you into something you'll regret." I turned to look at Lin, her eyes sparkling.

"Jealousy has nothing to do with it." But that was a lie, and everyone knew it. Dean glanced at Roman, who was now fully aware of their presence, though he continued his poker game as if it didn't matter. But his eyes, those dark, dangerous eyes, darted to her and lingered a split second too long.

I felt electricity in the air, tension tightening around me like a noose.

"Be calm, Mel." Dean said. Well, I was calm for exactly three seconds. It's enough. Without thinking, I walked towards them, ignoring Dean's protests behind me. I couldn't help myself. Roman laughing with Kate, the way he leaned in close-it was too much.

I quickly covered the distance and pushed the unfamiliar blonde away from Roman. "Don't even fucking dare breathe in his direction!" I hissed. "Who are you?" "I am his wife and you will now become a corpse for daring to stand so close to him." "But I was already leaving, krasavica..." "I don't care, Roman!" "Mel!" Dean shouted, pulling me away. "Get your hands off her or I'll kill you." My husband calmly said his warning.

When I pulled away from Dean's arms and finally made it back to the table, my voice came out sharper than I'd intended. "Having fun?"

His smile faded, replaced by something harder, more dangerous. Kate looked from one to the other, clearly feeling the tension as she stood awkwardly.

"Melissa," Roman said quietly. "Now is not the time."

But I didn't care. I was beyond rationality, driven by pain and anger I'd been trying to suppress for too long. "So you just go from woman to woman now? Is that it?"

Roman's expression darkened, his jaw clenched. Before I could say another word, he stood up, grabbed my wrist, and pulled me toward him.

"You're making a scene." He hissed. But I didn't back down. "Maybe I should do this." I said sharply. "Maybe I should show everyone what kind of person you really are."

Roman's eyes flashed with anger, and in one swift movement he lifted me onto his shoulder, like this, and began to carry her out of the casino. Melissa resisted, her protests falling on deaf ears.

The sudden contact sent shock through my entire body, and before I could react, Roman did it in one smooth motion, as if I weighed nothing. "Roman!" I gasped, struggling in his grip, but it was no use. Roman was stronger, he seemed to be, and his grip was iron. He led us both out of the bar, to the surprised looks of everyone around him, pushing through the doors as if the scene inside didn't matter, as if I didn't matter, and it made my blood boil even more. "Let me go!" I screamed, punching him in the back, but Roman ignored me and my efforts. He carried me outside, into the alley behind the bar, where the night air was cool and thick with tension, hitting me like a slap.

Finally Roman lowered me to the ground, but continued to press me against the brick wall, which of course was again behind me, his body was only a few inches from me, his dark eyes burned into me with such force that my heart began to beat faster.

It wasn't supposed to be like this, but in that moment, nothing else mattered. Hate, love, jealousy - all of it mixed into one explosive moment that neither of them could control.

"What the hell are you doing?" I spat, pushing at his chest. Roman didn't move, his lips curled into a smirk. "I could ask you the same thing." He said in his low, irritating voice. "Jealousy doesn't suit you."

I clenched my teeth, the fire in my chest growing stronger with each passing second. "I'm not jealous." Roman raised an eyebrow, his expression mocking. "Liar." The word hung between them like a spark, igniting the rage inside me. I pushed him hard again, my palms slamming into his chest, but Roman didn't flinch.

Instead, he moved closer, so close that she could feel the heat radiating off him, the scent of leather and smoke clinging to his skin. "You think I can't see it?" Roman asked, his voice dropping to a dangerous whisper. "The way you look at me when you think no one is watching? The way you burn with jealousy when I'm with someone else?" Her heart sank in her chest, her breath coming in short, angry gasps. "You're so smug."

Roman leaned down, his lips brushing my ear. "Maybe. But you still want me." His words sent shock through me, and before I could stop myself, I grabbed the back of his shirt and pulled him toward me, our lips colliding in a kiss that was equal parts fury and desire.

It was like a dam bursting, all the emotions I had been holding in came pouring out in that explosive moment. I kissed him with a fire that matched his, our lips fighting for control, neither of us willing to back down.

Roman's hands slid down my arms, pinning my wrists to the brick wall as he deepened the kiss, his body pressed against mine in a way that made my head spin. I hated him, and yet I couldn't pull away. Not now. Not when the flames between us had finally flared into something real. Something else.

When we finally pulled away from each other, we were both breathing heavily, our eyes met, and the look was more eloquent than any words. "Confess." Roman whispered, pressing his forehead against mine. "You want me." I closed my eyes, my chest heaving, the truth tearing at me like a wound I couldn't hide. "I hate you." I whispered back. But Roman just smiled, running his thumb over my bottom lip. "Not enough to leave." He grabbed my ass again like a caveman and threw it over his shoulder. "Got this for one night in the Sin City, baby."