Page 56 of When Kings Fall

“Colt’s working on finishing that song he started up here, the one he’s really excited about. Mason is on the phone with one of his Hex lieutenants. Apparently there’s been an attempted insurrection of some sort since we’ve been gone, our absence being used as a window to take advantage where they’d never normally have the balls to do so.”

“Wow, that’s the last thing we need.”

“Don’t worry, he’s got it handled.”

“You’re sure? Because I can help.”

“Believe me, I know you can. But, yeah, Mason’s got this one.”

“Ok. And thank you, Levi. You didn’t say anything about Vixen until I was ready to reveal it.”

“Of course. I never would. The fact I know every little thing about you was borne from my majorly invasive—what you’d call stalkerish—methods, so it wouldn’t be fair to reveal what I’d learned for myself to others. It’s always up to you to be ready where that’s concerned. Not my call.”

“And you like being the one who knows me inside out?”

“Maybe a little. But I’m also happy we have our foursome functioning so well, that we’ve grown really close, and that you’re putting your trust in my brothers too now.”

“Yeah, I am too.”

A familiar buzzing on the nightstand beside me cut through our heartfelt moment. I reached over and snatched up my phone to find a text there from a surprising sender.

Tommy: How’s sophomore year at Stonewell U going, B?

I frowned.

“What is it?” Levi asked, reading the mixture of surprise and suspicion in my expression.

“I’m not sure.”

Brianna: Long time, no talk. Randomly on your mind, was I?

Tommy: Saw an interesting set of photos the other day.

Brianna: That was weeks ago. Also, you don’t have social media, so how did you come to see anything before it was all then pulled?

When there was no immediate response, I shook my head. “Unbelievable.”

I settled against Levi and held my phone between us so he could see.

“Bastard’s watching you, baby. Or your father is.”

“With the laser-focus you had on me, how would you have missed that?”

“They could be doing it through a constant on campus, like a professor. They could have gotten to a student in one of your classes and had them report back.”

“Jeez. I’d hoped my father had let go of that overbearing type of watch. You’d think for a man all about loyalty and honor, the promise he’d made me to do so would actually mean something.” I shook my head to myself. “Then again, I’m not really surprised. Wishful thinking makes fools out of us all.”

“No, baby. Not always. It’s vital to have hope.” He stroked my head. “To wish, to dream.”

I smiled up at him.

Unfortunately, another text came in, cutting through our moment once again.

Tommy: I know you’re fucking Roman Knight’s heir.

Levi growled low in his throat. “Did he talk to you like that when you were together?”

“No. He’s pissed about something. More than me being with somebody else. He should’ve got over that two years ago when we parted ways.”

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