Page 58 of Deliverance

"Tonight?"

I took a sip of my chocolate milkshake. "He came back to see her. They're in a room right now."

"Did Marcus turn off the cameras?"

"I … I don't think so."

Madam's heels sounded from down the hall in an angry rush. Ric and I stilled, knowing we didn't have time to escape.

"Shit," he whispered.

The clicking stopped, and I waited with bated breath. "You didn't have sex," Madam stated loud enough for us to hear as she stopped down the hall.

I couldn't hear Zell's reply as she was more than likely inside the room she had been in with Frankie. I had no idea he had left since I was engrossed in my time with Ric.

"Why not?" Madam questioned.

Zell must have confirmed they didn't have sex again, even though I still couldn't hear her.

"He what? He didn't want to?"

There was another pause. Ric and I looked at each other as we waited to hear more.

"Oh, Zell. He's an eighteen-year-old boy. Of course, he wanted to. It wasyouthat didn't."

"No!" Zell shouted. "I swear."

"Don't lie to me, girl."

"I'm not," she pleaded loud enough for us to hear. "He just wanted to kiss."

"You better hope so. If I hear otherwise from his father, there will be hell to pay."

I couldn't hear what Zell said, and several moments passed before the sound of Madam's heels clicked on the hardwood. Finally, we couldn't hear them anymore. I looked around the corner to see if Zell was coming, but I didn't hear her. Instead, the sound of Madam's heels clicked again. I darted back out of sight.

"Zell!"

"Yes, ma'am?" Zell must have been in the hallway because we could hear her reply.

"You're not going to see that boy anymore," Madam ordered.

"Why not?"

"Something fishy is going on, and I don't like it."

"I don't understand."

"I reviewed the last hour on the tape, and I'm certain something is going on."

"Fuck," Ric breathed and whispered, "I had that shit password protected. How did she see it?"

"What do you mean?" Zell questioned.

"Don't argue with me, girl. I'm your mother, and I forbid you to see him again."

"But you already let me. Twice," Zell wined.

"I know that, Zell," she snapped, "but now that I've seen what goes on behind closed doors, I don't like it. You're up to something."