Melissa "What the hell happened yesterday?"

I stirred, caught between the end of the dream and the dim, early morning light filtering into the room. My dream was soft, filled with warmth, as if I had never experienced the pain of a broken heart. A dream in which love was simple and healing came naturally, erasing every scar left behind.

I floated in that sensation for a few blissful moments until reality began to pull me back. The softness and hardness beneath my cheek was no longer imaginary; it was warm and steady, rising and falling rhythmically.

But my body felt like it had been run over by a train. It's weird. I didn't do anything to make it hurt like that.

My eyes flew open, squinting in the unfamiliar light. I was sprawled across a bare chest. A very male, very familiar chest. I was lying on Roman. Damn. Kirillov.

The peace was broken.

My breath caught in my throat, my heart pounding in my ribcage as I sat up straight, trying not to move too quickly. My head was pounding in dull pulses, and my mouth was dry, the taste of last night's whiskey still lingering on my tongue. I groaned inwardly. I couldn't handle alcohol-I never could.

Every time I drank it, I might not feel sober, but my memory would fade until the haze cleared hours later, leaving only questions and regrets. Usually the next morning. If I drank the night before. Hell. This is why I don't drink alcohol at all. Almost.

Now, as I surveyed the scene, fear churned in my stomach. I was naked. Not only that, Roman was naked, too. His dark hair fell untidily across his forehead, his face peaceful in sleep. But it didn't matter-all that mattered were the tangled sheets, the sharp scent of sweat and lust in the air, and the clear implication of what had happened.

Fuck my life. I...drank whiskey...I remember this because I watched this asshole calmly let himself be touched. And now...what now? I needed liquid courage to watch this and not ruin the mission and then kill Roman. But...ahem...it seems like something went wrong right?

I climbed out of bed slowly, every movement deliberate, as if I was trying to pick up the pieces of last night. My dress, the one I'd been wearing when I'd walked into the casino with Dean, was nowhere to be seen. Panic clawed at my chest until I saw it crumpled on the floor at the foot of the bed. Torn. Completely ripped apart at the sides. I suppressed a gasp of horror. That bastard.

Not wanting to dwell on what might have happened-or how aggressively it had happened-I spotted my panties nearby, grabbed them, and quickly pulled them on. At least they were intact. My next target: Roman's shirt, discarded on the floor next to the bed. I pulled it over my head, letting it fall freely until it was long enough to cover me to my knees. That would have to be enough.

I glanced at Roman, still sound asleep, and made a silent decision. I wasn't going to stick around to answer questions I didn't even know the answers to and didn't want to know. Not from him. I wasn't even going to wake him up to face him. Not yet. Preferably never. I felt my dignity shrinking at being in the same room, in the same bed, with him after what seemed to have happened.

I crept up to the door, wrapping my hand around it carefully. Just as I was about to turn it, a loud creak echoed through the room and my body froze. The last thing I needed was for Roman to wake up and start a conversation I was completely unprepared for. I stepped back, looking around for another exit.

My gaze fell on the sliding glass door that led out onto the balcony. A crazy idea popped into my head. Was it possible? Was I seriously considering escaping ten stories up a cliff? My heart pounded harder, this time more from the madness of the plan than from any remaining anxiety. But I was desperate, and the alternative seemed even worse.

With quiet, calculated steps, I moved toward the balcony door, opening it just enough to slip through. The warm morning air hit me in the face, and I sighed as I stepped outside and closed the door behind me. Now came the risky part. I looked down at the narrow gap between Roman's balcony and the terrace of the next room. It wasn't wide-maybe a little over a foot-but it was still a ten-story drop.

"You're crazy." I whispered to myself and walked up to the railing. My gaze dropped and I swallowed. How did I get here? So strong and independent, aren't you, Melissa, huh? And now you're running away like a little mouse. But today is okay. I don't remember anything.

But then I was climbing over the railing, gripping it tightly and swinging my legs over the gap. The wind whipped my hair around, and I forced myself to look straight ahead, ignoring the dizzying sight below. One foot found purchase, then the other. Before I knew it, I was standing on the adjacent balcony. I let out a shaky breath, not believing I'd actually done it.

And so.... The bones are intact, I survived and now I was on an unfamiliar balcony because I was running away from my almost ex-husband with whom it seems I clearly had sex. When I dreamed that my life was not so boring, it seemed to me that I did not really want Santa Barbara. But there was no way out. Either go out into the corridor through someone else's room or go back to Roman and he will definitely remind me of what happened yesterday. No way. I definitely do not want to know this from this.... well, you get the idea.

I knocked on the glass door, silently praying that at least the stranger would be a little more understanding. And normal, because I couldn't forget that I was only wearing panties and a shirt. The door slid open, and I almost fell over in sudden relief when Lin's face appeared, eyes wide and surprised.

"Melissa? What the hell are you doing here?" She yelled her question too loudly. I covered her mouth with my hand, pushing her body inside so I could pass through myself.

I didn't answer right away either. I didn't see the point anyway... when I see a goal, I achieve it. I walked in, grateful for the warm air of the room because of my bare legs, and when I did, I pulled my hand away from Lin who had burned an angry hole in me, my gaze immediately fell on Dean, sprawled on the floor. His head jerked at the sound of my footsteps, and a crooked grin spread across his face when he saw my disheveled state and the clearly indecent amount of clothing on me.

"Well, good morning." He teased as I walked deeper into the room. "What happened to you?"

I ignored the question again, sinking down onto the couch. "Please, just-tell me what I was like yesterday. What did I do?"

Lin exchanged a glance with Dean as he slowly stood up and they found themselves shoulder to shoulder, her brows furrowed in confusion. "Don't you remember anything?" "No." I shook my head and rolled my eyes. "I can't drink alcohol. It'll give me some kind of amnesia."

Both of them stared at me as if I had grown a third head and I would throw up my hands. "Well, yes. My body is as strange as its owner. So please stop staring at me and tell me what happened yesterday? I only remember the moment when I was sitting at the bar and drank whiskey and saw Roman with Kate."

"Then why were you drinking at all?" Dean now ignored my question. "If you know you have such a reaction to alcohol, little killer?" "Because...I needed liquid courage to watch Roman and not screw up the plan." "Oh yeah, because you were jealous." Lyn laughed and nudged Dean with her shoulder. "She was good at containing herself, remember, Dean?" I definitely didn't like the sarcasm in her voice.

"I wasn't jealous." I said sharply as Dean opened his mouth to answer Lin. "Now tell me what happened last night already." My elbows rested on my knees and I lowered my head, my fingers clinging to my hair. Too hard. Too harsh. As if that would help me remember last night.

"Well, you and Dean came to the casino when absolutely no one invited you." Lin muttered. "Hey, I know you missed me too." Dean chirped cheerfully. God. "Maybe... but I never hid how sexy you are when you're not being obedient." I raised my head sharply. The two of them were already sitting on the bed, clearly ignoring me. As if I wasn't there. "Hey, Hey, Hey!" I snapped my fingers in the air, getting their attention and said as their heads turned to me. "Don't you dare undress each other with your eyes now and God, you can already tell me what happened yesterday!"

Lin opened her mouth in a sarcastic manner but I raised a finger. "No, darling. You better shut up because you're no good so let Dean do the talking. I like him a lot more than you." "I knew that a week with me had already made us friends." He smiled at me, moving away from Lin, who was furious but knew it was better to keep quiet. "Shut up!" "Got it." He cleared his throat and crossed his legs at the ankles, stretching out his long legs. "Anyway, you only lasted about two minutes looking at them, then you walked over to them."

I did what? Okay... I went up to them but how did I end up in bed? Naked? With him? I wanted to tear this Kate apart so badly for touching him that I took my clothes off myself? Very impractical and not your style, Mel.

I groaned, pressing my index fingers to my temples. "No."

He just laughed. "Oh yeah." "And then what?" I looked up at both of them. "And then what?" "We don't know." They both said, shrugging. "He just threw you over his shoulder like a caveman and walked away." Oh, how like him. "I must admit, I tried to stop you." "You didn't do very well, if you hadn't noticed." My shoulders relaxed against the back of the couch.

"Can you really blame Dean for this?" Now Lin sounded defensive, as if she was defending Dean. Or maybe she was. "You ruined the plan out of jealousy and then you had hot sex with Roman."

I bit my lip, shaking my head in disbelief. "It's not certain yet." "Well, yes, of course." It was, Dean. You're in his shirt. You climbed over the balcony to us, and as Lin told me, this is his room. And why are you only in his shirts?" He asked rhetorically. "Because my dress is torn." I clenched my jaw, looking at the ceiling of the room as if it was the most amazing painting on this planet. Dean whistled softly, clapping his hands. "This looks like a hell of a night."

That's not the word. It's more like my own hell. On the other hand, he's still my legal husband and I have the right to have sex with him. My head hurt too much for some reason, along with my pussy, when a memory from a thousand fragments came together into one.

"So tell me... does my wife want me to touch her? "Fuck you." She hisses as my fingers tug so deliciously at her hair. "Do you?" I smirked as she. "I'll just take what's mine, Roman. You think you can do everything yourself?" She growled, pressing herself against me, her nails scratching my chest. "You think you don't need me?"

I shuddered and went limp. My God, this is worse than just sex. This is sex where I practically order him to fuck me. Great. Sign me up for AA. It's too obvious that I should have been there a long time ago. It's been at least 12 hours.

Before I could collect my thoughts and get up and get out of here and ask Dean where my phone was because only now could I remember the most important thing, a sharp knock on the door made my blood run cold. No, not just a knock. A crazy knock, as if the door was about to fly off its hinges. My heart sank into my stomach, panic rose in my throat again. Damn, I started to panic too often. Only one person could be knocking at this hour. And like that. On this door.

"Roman," I whispered, sitting up abruptly.

Lin stood up, but I jumped to my feet, waving her off. "No, no, don't answer, don't you dare. Not now."

Dean stood up, also alarmed. "Melissa, wait, you don't know that it is him pr..."

But I wasn't listening anymore. My gaze darted around the room before landing on the closet in the corner. I quickly rushed over and pulled the closet door open, even though I could hear Dean and Lin's voice. "Crap." "Why didn't you stop her?"

I didn't understand what was happening, but I froze when I saw what was going on.

Kate was bound, upside down, and blindfolded. Her hands were tied with what looked like a hotel robe belt. She was gagged, but clearly alive, her muffled sounds of protest a mixture of frustration and confusion.

"What the hell happened yesterday?" I blurted out, my voice shaking with disbelief as I turned to Dean and Lin, who looked down guiltily, clearly trying to figure out how to explain this any better. If that was even possible.

Kate mumbled something unintelligible as we all stared at the scene again, equally silent, my eyes darting back and forth and my headache suddenly stopping from how weird it all was. Just when I wanted to say anything else, the door flew off its hinges. Damn. I think for the first time in my life I felt regret. Regret that I didn't fall off that balcony that was on the tenth floor. Because dying was clearly easier than understanding why all this shit was happening to me?