Page 66 of Heirs of Havoc

But where the fuck do I go?

Dom's right. It's not safe with my father's men on the hunt for me. I can't figure out why Dom's keeping me safe, but staying here isn’t good for my mental health.

An engine revs from the garage, and when I look towards it, Lev pulls out in that muscle car.

I guess I’m going wherever Lev is. I don’t take another second before my sneakers move towards the car.

“Merlo!” Dom calls from the door. “We’re not done.”

“Mia!” Feliks calls next to him. “Wait!"

Fuck that. Lev is the lesser of four evils. So before he can leave the lot, I reach for the handle of the door and climb inside.

Lev looks in the rearview, Dom and Feliks standing at the door. Then he glances at me, my shoulders slumped in the leather seat. He lets out a breath of air. A sigh? Am I that much of a handful? I expect him to tell me to get out and deliver me to the leader of the pack. Instead, he asks, “Where to, Merlo?”

“Anywhere but here.”

Chapter Twenty-Four

“A Peanut Prayer Milkshake and two orders of fries.”

The server slides the large purple tray on the table, Bible Burger empty on a Friday night. It’s far from your run-of-the-mill burger joint. Like the church, the school and the bookstore, Bible Burger is a lavish spectacle.

Despite the red carpet out front, the security guard behind it and the modern building made of glass, this place is comforting. At least the food is. Lev’s phone vibrates for the zillionth time as I reach for the pile of fries. He sits across from me, both of our eyes moving to the screen.

Feliks.

It’s not the first time he’s called. Or the third. Or the tenth. I can’t count the number of times he texted, but I shake my head when he does and Lev ignores every single one.

Slumping in the leather chair in the Bible Burger booth, I poke at the fries. I’m hungry, but with everything spinning in my head, it’s hard to eat.

“That bad, huh?” Lev asks, his blue eyes piercing into mine across the table. He gives zero fucks about coming in here with no shirt, a red bomber jacket over his shredded muscles and ripped-up jeans snug on his legs.

Shrugging is my only response, a mix of defeat and anger spiralling inside me. I’m happy to be out of the house and off campus, but this doesn’t help my situation. I’m not sure what to do. Or where to go. Or who to trust.

“You know …” Lev takes a coriander and garlic sprinkled fry from the tray, popping it in his mouth. “Feliks means well.”

My eyes narrow. “Don’t defend him.”

He raises his arms in surrender, chewing his food. “Not defending. Stating the facts. Dude hasn’t dated a girl in some time. Also, considering what happened between you and Dom, you can’t blame him for being so confused about what to do.” Lev looks around before leaning in again. “Can’t blame him for buying something. He doens’t buy much except guitars and skateboards. To him, it’s a pretty big deal.”

“To me, it’s not. And why is everyone acting like I got Dom arrested?”

Lev cocks a brow. “Well, didn’t you?”

My chest tightens. This is the first time anyone’s asked what really happened that night. Since I can’t eat, I may as well indulge in something else. A genuine conversation. Though I never imagined it would be with Lev.

Sighing, I ignore the knot tightening in my stomach when Lev’s eyes narrow some more, like he knows I have something serious to say. “I didn’t know my dad went to the cops. I didn’t know he’d say—”

“That Dom raped you?”

Looking around the room, I ensure no one hears. “I didn’t tell the cops that. I don’t know how my dad did it, but when I got home, he showed me the proof of Dom’s arrest. And you know my dad. I couldn’t do anything.”

“Really, M&M?” His head tilts to the side.

My head tilts too, mocking him. “You honestly think I wanted Dom in jail?”

Lev chuckles. “Few people would be crazy enough to fuck Dominik Federov. Especially the daughter of Martin Merlo.”

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