Archie's rancid stench suffocated me. It resembled rotten meat. The poor guy reminded me of a zombie with all his nasty scabs and sallow skin.

Meth was his choice of poison. Those nasty scabs he kept picking at were caused by meth mites. Archie confided in me once about the imaginary bugs burrowed beneath his skin, crawling all over him. He wanted some anti-itch relief cream for the bites, which he actually caused himself from obsessively scratching. There were no real bugs.

I pitied him. He didn't understand how deep he'd gotten himself in the drug underworld. He wasn't aware of how bad his addiction had become.

I held Archie's crumpled twenty dollar bills in my hand, wondering how exactly he got the cash. Archie didn't work. His work record was pitiful and he couldn't pass a drug test either. How could he even get a job in such a horrific condition? He barely made it through my door.

Adam put too much faith in that precious rehab center he always mentioned. It couldn't keep Archie clean forever. I hated to admit it, but he seemed worse than ever.

"Please don't call Adam." Archie sniffled, wiping a slimy trail of snot from his reddened nose.

"You haven't answered anyone's texts or calls. Adam's worried about you," I told him.

"I'm fine. He ain't gotta keep treating me like a fucking kid no more. I'm a grown ass adult. I don't need my brother trying to come to my rescue like he always does," Archie snapped. "Him and Adrian too."

"They just want to make sure you're safe," I said.

"Nah." Archie shook his head. "They wanna control me. You don't do this shit to Emmett. You don't force him into some scary ass center where they make you do weird shit. That's why I don't wanna talk to them. I ain't going back there."

"They're not trying to control you. They just want you to get better," I explained. "It's hard for them to understand what you're going through. Honestly, they probably don't get how you feel. They just hate seeing you suffer. When's the last time you've showered and had a good meal, Archie? Be real with me. You know I won't judge."

Archie looked down at his smelly, unwashed clothes. "Couple weeks, I guess. I dunno. It's fine. I'm fine."

"Adam's about to drop by to pick me up for lunch," I told him. "You should come eat with us. Or we could even bring food back here. You look like you've lost a lot of weight. That's not good."

"Don't fucking call him!" Archie slammed his fist against my desk, causing me to jump back. His angry scowl morphed into a more softened expression as he fidgeted in his chair. "I'm sorry. I-I just need the drug, okay? I'll leave you alone. Just give it to me. I got the money right there. Please, Everly. I dunno who else to turn to. I dunno who else to trust."

While Archie begged for his precious meth, I sent Adam a text. I kept my phone hidden in my lap, doing my best not to look down much as I typed. Archie couldn't see anything I did under my desk.

"What happened with your dealer?" I asked. "Why can't you get your meth from him?"

Archie trembled. "Marvin's dead. We... got involved with the wrong person."

I frowned. "What do you mean?"

Archie shook his head. "I ain't dragging you into it. Nah, they'll kill you if they know you're onto them."

"Wouldn't be the first time someone's put a hit on me," I told him.

He stared, slack-jawed, at a momentary loss for words. "Shit. I've fucked up real bad."

"Huh? What the heck's going on with you, Archie?"

"They say he goes after your loved ones first, then you." Archie stood from his chair, almost knocking it over behind him. "I'm sorry. Fuck, I'm so sorry. I gotta go. Just give me my meth so I can go. He might come here. He might kill us all."

I shrunk back in my seat, clasping my shaky hands together in my lap. "What's going on? Who do you think is after you? You're scaring me. Talk to me, Archie. Let us help you."

Archie's been known to slip away from reality many times before. I had an inkling that had happened again. Withdrawal symptoms really messed with an addict's mind. That was why they struggled to stay clean.

Archie shook his head. "I can't tell you. I can't put you in danger like that."

"Stop it with that crap. You know I can take care of myself," I told him. "Just tell me what's going on."

"Me and Marvin got hooked up dealing for the Black Vipers leader," Archie admitted. "We borrowed some money from their gang when we lost some of the supply. I-I think Marvin took extra." Archie scratched at his arm, avoiding eye contact with me.

"Yeah? Only Marvin took extra?" I asked.

Archie nodded. "That's right. I think they're looking for me now. They got to him first. I ain't showed my faced around them since I heard Marvin died in that trailer explosion."

"You think the Black Vipers blew Marvin up?" I questioned further. "It wasn't an accident?"

"Nah, they wanted payback. Marvin stole from them and they killed him for it," Archie replied. "Now they wanna come for me too. Cuz I was Marvin's partner. We dealt together most of the time, and he always gave me my fix."

A knock on my office door made me jump out of my skin. My pounding heart slowly settled into a normal beat again when Kaz stepped inside, wrinkling his nose. He wore a black hoodie, paired with some baggy blue jeans and his old converse shoes. His skin was sallow, almost as white as snow. Heavy bags clung around his bloodshot eyes.

"Adam's here," Kaz said. "Saw his truck just pull up in the parking lot."

Archie clenched his jaw, glaring at me. "Thought you weren't gonna tell him."

"I told you Adam was dropping by to take me out for lunch."

"Yeah, sure. Whatever you say, Everly."

"Is something wrong?" Kaz asked, leaning back against the door frame.

Archie coughed then spat, "Mind your damn business, fag"

That earned an eye roll from Kaz, who pushed his thick-framed glasses up the bridge of his nose. The artist shoved his hands in his pockets, grinning as he gazed down the hallway.

"Quit being an ass," I told Archie, who ignored me.

Heavy footsteps echoed before Adam made his way into my office, fuming. He'd covered for Archie more than he should've. Despite how much I pitied the guy, I knew he had a serious problem. No amount of rehab would help him until he wanted to save himself first. Nobody could magically cure addiction. Only an addict could make the choice for themselves to get better.

"Where the fuck have you been? Why haven't you answered any of our calls?" Adam hounded Archie with questions. "Are you high again? Look at me, dammit."

"I fucked up, okay? Fuck, just get off my ass for a minute," Archie snapped. "I lost my phone. I stopped paying the phone bill bout a week or so ago. That's why I haven't answered."

"Seriously? That's your defense?" Adam asked. "Why didn't you show up to our house then? I could've helped you find your phone or even get a new one. You didn't even have to come to me. You could've went to Adrian and Momma."

Archie shook his head. "I don't need y'all to keep babysitting me. I'm a grown ass man. I can handle myself."

"Oh yeah. You sure seem to be handling yourself well," Adam scoffed. "You smell like shit, Archie. You look like some kind of sewage monster. You're trying to buy drugs behind our backs from my girlfriend. What the hell is wrong with you?"

"At least I didn't knock up a drug dealer," Archie muttered.

That earned Archie a harsh slap across the face. It even made me wince. A red welt formed on Archie's cheek as tears brimmed in his eyes. He reminded me of a little kid who just got a spanking.

"Don't act like this," I told Archie. "Everyone here just wants to help you."

"What? Is this some kind of fucking intervention again?" Archie laughed. "Why do you never do this shit for Emmett, huh? You just care more about me, I guess? Am I really that fucking special?"

Adam yanked Archie's arm, forcing him up on his feet. I swore they were about to start a boxing match in my office. Taking a deep breath, Adam released his brother and groaned.

"Look man, I'm sorry. I just want to help you. I don't want to find you dead from overdosing in some sketchy ass motel," Adam said. "But if you really don't want my help, just leave. Don't pull Everly into your mess."

Lowering his head, Archie stared down at his dirty sweatpants. "It's too late for that. I really fucked up big time. I never should've got hooked up with those Black Vipers. They don't mess around."

Removing his favorite cowboy hat, Adam raked his hand through his hair. "What the hell have you done now?"

Kaz moved closer into the room near me. He folded his arms across his chest before saying, "Archie got involved with the Black Vipers. Not only did he deal for them, but he stole from them. That's why his sorry ass is here now."

The artist rarely showed attitude toward anyone, but when it came to Archie, he was always ready to lash out. With good reason too.

A couple months ago Archie came knocking on our door for a fix when I wasn't around. It was just Kaz and Charlie. Archie lied on Kaz, claiming he'd cut him short on his precious meth and kept some for himself. That wasn't true at all, and the video cameras we installed all over the place proved Kaz's innocence.

"Sometimes I want to beat the shit out of you for being so stupid," Adam told him.

"It was only a matter of time before you stole from the wrong person," Kaz said, propping himself up on the edge of my desk. "Had you not been a close friend of Emmett's, he would've knocked your teeth out. Maybe even ripped an eyeball out."

"Fuck off, Kaz." Archie growled like some kind of disturbed demon. Saliva even tricked down his bruised lip.

"Let's go." Adam tugged on his brother's arm, forcing him out into the hall. "I'm sorry, Everly. We'll have lunch together another time. I'm taking his ass down to the station."

Archie fought and cussed at his brother, but Adam didn't let up. Kaz and I followed close behind them, watching as Adam convinced Archie to get in his truck. Even Alfie got up from his post to witness the arrest.

"Sorry bout that," Alfie said. "Had I know Archie would act like that, I would've kicked his ass out."

"Nah, don't apologize. I understand how Archie gets. He needs help," I replied.

"No shit. Adam should admit him to a mental hospital this time. Did you hear him growling?" Kaz tried to hide his grin. "Like, who the hell does that?"

I shook my head. "I have no idea." Sparing a glance at the clock, I pulled my cell phone out. "Since Adam won't be taking me out to lunch, let's just order pizza. I can go pick it up for us."

"Sounds like a plan," Alfie said. "Me and Kaz can handle everyone until you get back."

Driving out to the pizza parlor didn't take long. Only fifteen minutes. When I laid the pizza box on Kaz's desk and pulled my chair in there, we dug in. Alfie got his own plate too, so he could stay up at the front desk and wait for clients to come in.

As we ate our pizza, I used Kaz's computer to search for Ms. Nelson more. I wasn't sure if I suspected her to be the one responsible for shooting me that night, but I couldn't deny that she could somehow be involved with the woman who did. Her getting that Cupid's Jizz drug from the Wallflower also made her more suspicious.

"So, I want to look more into this woman. Ms. Nelson." I showed my computer monitor to Kaz. "Her son's been snooping around my house lately. He took pictures first then showed up in the middle of the night. We followed them one day and she led us to the Wallflower, where Ms. Nelson went around back."

"Emmett deals to her then?" Kaz removed his glasses to rub at his eye.

"Yep, that's why she's in our drug clientele database. The weird thing is that she's only bought that Cupid's Jizz drug from us." I stuffed a cheesy bite of pepperoni pizza in my mouth, wiping my lips on a greasy napkin.

"Really? That's strange."

"You ever take it before?" I asked him.

His cheeks bloomed like two red roses as he sipped on his can of beer. "Yeah, it gives you a sex high. Dunno how it feels for the ladies, but I'm sure it's a similar sensation."

"I wonder why Ms. Nelson would take something like that. Unless, maybe it's for her husband? Or, maybe both of them?" I suggested. "But how would this all tie back to the witch?"

"Maybe it doesn't? Could be the witch just chose the kid randomly without the mom knowing anything," Kaz replied.

"That's possible," I admitted.

A pounding fist came at the hair salon door. I pulled up the video surveillance outside as the young man kept hitting the glass, expecting us to come running to open it. Alfie seemed to be ignoring him, and I realized why. I recognized him right away. It was that damn creep, Dylan. Emmett banned him from ever buying drugs from us again, but it seemed he'd gotten desperate.

We just waited until he finally gave up. Dylan walked back down the road, disappearing from the camera's sight. Now that he'd come crawling out of the woodwork, my suspicions only grew, Could Dylan be responsible, somehow? I told Adam before that doped up Dylan wasn't a threat to me anymore, but maybe I was wrong. Maybe he wanted to get back at me?

The day had just began, but I was ready for it to be over.