Page 61 of Savage Secrets (Vigilante Kings)

“You treated me like I was nothing for two years, and now that we’ve been forced to deal with each other, you’ve been insulting me and putting me down every chance you can get. Over what? The fact that we hooked up two years ago and you regret that? Guess what, you were there too. I didn’t force you to do anything, and frankly, you seemed pretty fucking enthusiastic at the time. I gave you two years of space to get over whatever your issue with me is and you still act like I somehow ruined your life.”

I was vaguely aware of Slade watching me with a mix of awe and shock, of my voice carrying through the library, but I couldn’t bring myself to give a shit. It felt like too much of a relief to finally unleash all of this hurt and frustration.

“You talked like you were annoyed that I wanted anything from you, even just an explanation,” I went on. “Like it’s some awful thing that I have any feelings at all to do with you. But as soon as I’m focused on some other guy, you barge in and tear into me over that too? I obviously just can’t win with you. Everything I do is wrong.”

“Maddie,” Slade said softly, and the tapping of footsteps reached my ears. I only pushed myself onward. I wasn’t done yet.

I stepped forward, prodding my finger right against Logan’s chest. “Guess what. You’re getting your wish. We found everything I lost; you can shove me right back out of your life again. But you’re not stopping me from seeing Slade, who I happen to like very much and who’s been better to me in the past week than you’ve been in years. So you’ll just have to get over that fact. Because the only person who’s a problem right now isyou, not me. And you’re never going to convince me of the opposite again.”

As my last words faded into the air, the librarian bustled into view, her eyes wide. “What on earth is going on over here?”

I dragged in a breath, jerking my gaze from Logan to her. “Nothing,” I said. “Sorry for causing a commotion.”

She tutted her tongue. “You can’t be disturbing the other students, who are actually working here. If you need to have an argument, take it out of the building.”

I dipped my head apologetically. “It’s fine. I was leaving anyway. Again, I’m sorry.”

The woman pursed her lips as I brushed past her, but I thought I caught a flicker of worry in her eyes. I had no idea how I looked after unloading all of my anger on Logan. I hurried to the front doors before she could ask if I was okay, before Logan could say anything that would only enrage me more.

As I pushed past the door, cool damp air washed over me. It didn’t do much to douse the angry heat still pulsing through my body.

That’d been such an amazing moment with Slade. Risky, yes, but thrilling and sexy… I couldn’t remember when I’d last felt that good. And now Logan had ruined it, spewed his resentment and hostility all over what should have been a giddy memory.

Why couldn’t he let me have even one piece of happiness? How could he rant at me about being hung up on him and then attack me for moving on?

What had I done to make him hate me so much?

I gritted my teeth against the pang that came with that last thought. I hadn’t done anything. The Logan I’d used to know had clearly changed into someone I barely recognized, someone I didn’t even want to know. And that was fine.

We were done. None of that mattered.Logandidn’t matter.

I strode on through the lengthening shadows toward my dorm building, looking forward to curling up on my bed and letting out a few final tears before I put all those churned-up emotions aside and focused on the future. Other than getting together with Slade again, I never needed to have anything to do with the Vigil guys again. I had my car back, and Dad’s box—

My feet stalled in mid-step with a lurch of my heart.

The box. Dexter had been examining it in the Vigil office. I’d gotten so upset at Logan that I’d forgotten it when I’d stormed out of the library.

Shit.

I stood there for a moment, debating whether I really wanted to make the ten-minute trek across campus back to the law library immediately. Right when the other students still around would stare and Logan would glower at me and maybe have a few choice words.

But if I didn’t go now, I had no idea what I’d face when I did go back. I just wanted this whole situation to be over with. Better to rip off that final bandaid than to draw things out.

Logan had gotten a little time to cool off after our argument. Maybe he’d even have headed out too, and I’d only have to deal with Slade and Dexter, who I had nothing against.

I could hope for that, but my body tensed in anticipation as I hurried along the campus paths. I would at least stay calm. No more yelling in the library. I couldn’t regret what I’d said to him, but I didn’t like pissing off the staff or disturbing the other students.

When I slipped back into the library, I found the main space empty. It was only fifteen minutes before closing now, and it looked like the remaining stragglers had cleared out. Even the check-out desk was abandoned, although I heard shuffling from the room behind it that suggested the librarian was sorting out some paperwork.

I hustled past, not wanting her to notice me and either send me off again or ask what was the matter. All I had to do was grab the box and get out of here again.

No one was standing around outside the Vigil office where I’d left Logan and Slade. I marched right up to the door and tried the handle. When it turned, I assumed someone was inside.

I tugged it open and found myself staring at a vacant room. No one sat at the table or the desk. They’d all cleared out.

But they’d left the door unlocked. That was strange. Maybe they’d been distracted by the argument?

Or by something else. My box was sitting on the table where Dexter must have left it. But it looked… odd. Because a tiny drawer, so shallow it couldn’t have held anything much thicker than a business card, had been popped open on the side.

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