Barking out a laugh, he opened the door and breezed past Mena.

She started inside, but turned back to call after him, “Goodbye to you, too.”

“Yeah, yeah,” his voice faded as he went to the elevators.

Shutting the door, she rolled her eyes. “I guess saving your life didn’t change everything. He’s still a dick to me.”

I didn’t say a word. I had a feeling there was an idiotic-looking grin on my face as I thought, Yeah, but he’s my dick now. Then I said to her, “Let’s go get our cocktails on. I haven’t been able to drink for a while, and I’m going to rectify that today.”

“Aren’t you on meds?”

“Yes, and it’s called tequila. Let’s go. Poolside, here we come.”

Mena laughed, but followed me out ten minutes later. It was after we had gotten comfortable, after we ordered our first round of drinks, that she said the words that would change everything.

Nothing could’ve prepared me for what was going to happen next.

*

MENA

I wasn’t sure if Sheldon was ready to hear the truth. I wanted to tell her. It was time. She deserved to know everything that I had done for her, for us. I wanted to, but . . . as I followed her from the elevator and to the pool, I wasn’t sure. She had a brave face, but I caught the grimaces of pain.

She looked so tired.

My heart ached for her. She had been through so much. I didn’t know. Did I tell her? Or should I just keep watching over her?

An overweight woman stepped in front of her and Sheldon had to brake suddenly. As a curse spilled from her lips, she sneered at the woman before going around her, zeroing in on our chairs.

That was good. There was some of the old Sheldon. She was a fighter. That’s what Marcus always told me. Man, thinking of him now, I couldn’t help but reminisce. I missed him. We had a good friendship in school. No one knew about us. We kept it secret, but he understood. He loved Sheldon as much as I did. The only thing we didn’t agree on was Bryce and Corrigan. They were so horrible to him, like they were to me, but I understood their heart.

They loved Sheldon. They were protecting her. Anyone who went against them had to earn their place beside her. She was their Queen. The name fitted her, what the media had dubbed her—The Queen Bee Killer.

She had ruled over school, and she would rule everywhere else in life. I had no doubt.

Sheldon was going places. She was special.

“Move it along,” she snapped at two teenage girls. They were giggling together, and Sheldon groaned in the next instant. She said to me, “They’re ogling the lifeguard. Go figure.” The girls hadn’t heard Sheldon so she placed a hand on both their shoulders and barked, “Move. Now. Or be trampled to death.”

One girl gasped. She was all bones with a red bikini on, and I knew instantly she was the popular girl at her school. Her friend glanced nervously at her, waiting to follow whatever the first one would do.

A fond smile graced my face.

The old Sheldon would’ve been these girls’ worst nightmare. She would’ve eaten them up. That’s what she did. Anyone who tried to manipulate her, use her, control her, and Sheldon snapped back—with teeth. She had a bite to follow her bark.

“You don’t have a shot with him, honey.” Sheldon pointed at the girl’s chest. “Those are A cups, if even. Stuffing them will fool ’em for one night. Once that top goes off, poof, there they go. Yep. See.” She pointed across the pool. “That girl’s got a good C cup.” Moving past them, she threw over her shoulder before heading to a lounger, “And a couple years of experience, if you get my drift. Find a guy in your grade. They’re more worth it. Trust me.”

Both girls had moved past their shocked pretentious ways. They were glancing at the guy, considering what she had said as I moved past them.

Yes, she still had that bite.

It was something I loved about her. I was proud she had that fighting spirit in her. I wished so many times I had inherited that from my father. I hadn’t. I had inherited a different way of fighting. I did the unthinkable. I did what people feared, but secretly wished they could do. I was the stalker in the night. Sheldon would give out orders, commanding people to do what she wanted, but I was the type who pulled the strings.

People were like chess pieces. I lined them up until I knew how to strike them down. Not Sheldon, though. I never would have to strike her down. That’s why I protected her. That was my job, even if I had been doing it in secret for so long. Like last year, when I snuck in to her house. Denton’s makeup artist had helped me, even though she never realized I hadn’t been going to a costume party.

I had gone to Sheldon’s house wearing Marcus’ face. I wanted to check on her and make sure she was fine. I remembered her scream. I hadn’t expected her to see me. No one usually did. I was always in the shadows, but in hindsight, I should’ve known. Of course, Sheldon would be the one to see me.

Dressing as Marcus had been my homage to him. I never thought about how it would’ve frightened her, and I was angry with myself. I should’ve thought ahead.

I hadn’t.

I needed to make it up to her, then I heard what Grace had done. She turned her back on Sheldon. She hurt her. She betrayed her.

She had earned her place in Sheldon’s inner circle and she performed the worst sin. She abandoned Sheldon.

When I heard everything, I knew how I could make things right for Sheldon again.

So I did what I had to do. Grace thought I had come to comfort her. She called me earlier that night and told me what she confessed. She was going to make things right with Sheldon, but it was too late.

She had stabbed her in the back. I wasn’t going to allow her to do it again so I poisoned her wine that night. When she started gasping for breath, she reached out for me. She wanted me to help, but I stood there and waited.

That’s when she realized what I had done, and she knew I was the protector.

That look in her eye, when she realized who I was, it had given me an adrenaline rush. I was important. I was necessary. I wouldn’t let her get close to Sheldon any more. Then there was peace.

Grace was home. I had helped her, too. I knew where she was; she was content. She was probably watching over Sheldon too, just like I was, but on the other side.

Yes.

As Sheldon ordered the first round, I knew it was time. I had to tell her.