Wait, did Shanda move?
“Everyone, open your eyes.” Laura’s head swung around the circle. “While the whole town of Montrose slept, the Mafia snuck into Will’s house and smothered him with a pillow. Sorry Will, you’ve been axed.”
“Darn.” Will snapped his fingers and threw his card on the coffee table.
“Who could have killed Will?” Laura eyed each of the seven people left in the group. Maybe Lenny was one of the Mafia. He wore a nervous grin, like he was trying to act all innocent.
“It was Lucy.” Shanda lunged across Bryan and jabbed her finger in my face.
“No way.” Bryan brushed her back to her spot. “She didn’t move an inch.”
“Me?” I scooted forward, arching my neck to face Shanda. “On my first game, I pulled a Mafia card. Yeah, right.”
“Likely story.” There was a gleam in Shanda’s eye.
“What does everyone else think?” Laura asked the group. No one knew what to believe. “No proof, no decision, everyone go to sleep.”
“Thanks, Bryan.” Somehow I was inches from his face. Better back up. His lips were dangerously close.
“You’re welcome.” Those lips curved at me as he closed his eyes.
I could feel Will’s stare burning a silver hole in the side of my head. I forced my eyes shut.
This time Shanda didn’t move, probably still guilty.
Everyone opened their eyes. Laura burst into her spiel. “Last night, Lucy was walking alone in a dark alley when the mafia came for her. Luckily, the doctor has saved Lucy.”
The group erupted with shouts. Julia and Bryan accused Shanda, but Kevin insisted I was part of the real Mafia trying to frame her. Precious, really.
Out of the corner of my eye, I caught Will staring. His face lit up, and he nodded at Shanda. It was all the confirmation I needed. “My money’s on Shanda as the ringleader.”
“You’re a feisty one, huh?” Kevin tsked his tongue at me.
Bryan busted out laughing. “You got that right.”
Bet he just wanted to make my cheeks burn. It worked, too.
Lenny and Shanda ganged up on Brooke, who never said a word. She only rolled her eyes. The discussion ended with uncertainty.
In the next round, Laura announced that I died. “Guess that’s what I get for talking.”
“The dead don’t speak.” Laura whispered behind her tiny hand. I zipped my mouth shut.
“Keep your eyes open. I bet you were right. You’ll get ‘em next game.” Bryan’s hand brushed mine, sending a shock wave up my arm. His touch was different from Will’s. It was electric, good enough to be scary.
Will scraped his chair closer. “The dead should stick together.” Can we say creepy?
“I guess.” His gunmetal eyes practically bored into my skull. Suddenly, I loved the arm of the couch for being my buffer between me and Will.
I scooted closer to Bryan, but Will just propped his elbow against the couch arm. That fire in his eyes suddenly reminded me of Jake, and it was too soon. The blood curdled in my veins, I was trapped. Silver on my left, and blue on my right.
Drastic times called for drastic measures. I couldn’t think of another way out, so I slipped my arm under Bryan’s.
His head spun toward me, his wide eyes narrowing as they locked with mine. At least he smiled. “What’s going on?”
I nodded toward Will and scooted next to Bryan. “Just go with it.”
“Only if I get to call you a cute nickname like Angel.” Bryan’s breath warmed my face.
“Why Angel?” I asked, lowered my voice.
“Oh, I think you know.” His mouth curved into a crescent as his arm wrapped around my side, drawing me closer.
“No problem, babe.” I said out loud and silently mouthed thank you even as my heart pounded in my ears at his nearness.
Will stood up, kicking his chair back with an ear-piercing screech on the hardwood floor. Conversations lulled as all heads in the room turned to see what he would do next. His commanding tone bellowed across the silence. “Are you engaged or something?”
“What?” I gasped so loud it bounced all around the room, probably around the world.
And then everyone’s eyes were on me.
I buried my head in Bryan’s shoulder, his jaw rested on my head. If I wasn’t mortified to the core, it might’ve been nice.
Chapter 13
“That ring’s on your engagement finger, right?” Will’s question hovered over the party like some kind of accusation, and the room buzzed with whispers. He betrayed no embarrassment at all. None.
I couldn’t believe it. In fact, all I could do was blink at him, then down at my ring. A plain silver band with intricate carvings surrounded by three sparkling purple stones. Nothing like an engagement ring.
“It was my sweet sixteen present.” When I turned to Bryan for backup, instead of the outrage I expected to see, his face scrunched into a frown.
“Hey, wait a sec, can I see that? What’s written on the inside?” Bryan’s eyes went wide as he yanked the ring off my finger.
A bolt of electricity rippled through my body as he slid the ring off my finger. Suddenly I felt as vulnerable as a deer in the headlights.
Holding my beautiful ring up to the light, he examined the inscription. “Gratiam Coram Domino.”
“What’s it to you?” I snatched the ring and slid it back to its rightful place. “It’s some verse from the Latin Vulgate. It’s a family heirloom.”
“Sorry, I was just curious.” He slumped next to me like a deflated balloon, then whispered in my ear. “It’s Genesis 6:8, isn’t it?”
“So what?” I crossed my arms and glared at him. “How would in the world do you know what it is?”
“It’s probably a chip off the Guardian Amethyst. Which is very illegal.” He hissed under his breath, glanced around at the group, and scooted away from me. “We can’t talk about this here. Later.”
“Illegal, seriously? It’s my great-grandmother’s ring. How did you even know there’d be an inscription?” I hissed back at him. “And you’re the one who’s confused?”
A sadness filled his sea-blue eyes as they roamed over my
