Page 40 of You Will Bow

Pushing my own thoughts aside, I focus on her—the here and now. “No matter how you feel, or what inner demons you battle, I’m here for you. Always.”

She smiles broadly. “I know.”

We lie there for a few more minutes, engulfed in silence while holding each other. This moment is perfect. One I want to hold on to for eternity. There’s no doubt in my mind that I’m falling for Riley. Her arms are like home and the sound of her heart beating against mine is my new favorite sound.

CHAPTER16

RIDGE

I’ve chewedoff half of my thumbnail as I pace this fucking room, and the other half isn’t looking so well. It’s been two hours since I left Maddox with Riley and he’s still not back. Bet they’re fucking again. I know the guy just lost his virginity, but Jesus Christ, give the girl a break. The thought irks me. As long as I don’t dwell on it, I’ll be fine.Don’t go there, Ridge.

An hour and a bleeding thumb later, the door comes open. My movements freeze and my shoulders rise, but when I see that it’s Lev, they drop in defeat. “Dammit. Thought you were Maddox.” I swipe a stack of papers off the table aggressively. “What the fuck is taking him so long?”

“Where’s he at?”

“Willamette House. With Riley.”

Lev’s eyes widen in surprise. “Is that so?”

“The fuck do you care?”

“Don’t care at all. Just surprised considering…” His words trail off, and he smirks.

“Consideringwhat?” I emphasize the word.

I already know Lev and Riley have been fucking around, and his sly remark just gave me an opening to tear him to shreds over it.

Lev doesn’t fuck around with girls; he destroys them. And I don’t want his sick interest anywhere nearmyangel.

He bends down and begins restacking the papers. Since when does Lev pick shit up?

I kick them out of his hand and they scatter around on the floor. “What the fuck has gotten into you?”

The fury in his eyes intensifies. He snaps his neck to the left, then right, before standing up. “The question is,” Lev says as his hands plant on my chest and he shoves me hard, “what the fuck has gotten intoyou?”

I lunge toward him, reaching for his waist. Two arms wrap around him tightly as I drag us both to the ground.“You didn’t give her a choice, did you? There’s no way in hell Riley would suck your dick without being forced.”

“She fucking loved it.”

Rage consumes me as we grapple and roll across the floor, slamming into the legs of the table and knocking down chairs. No punches are thrown, but I won’t hesitate if he says another degrading thing about her.

“What are you hanging over her head?” I howl into the room. “Fucking tell me!”

“Nothing!” he bellows. “Not a damn thing. Don’t hate me because she’s greedy for my cock after being left unsatisfied with yours.”

“You fucking son of a bitch.” I throw the first punch, hitting him square in the eye.

“I’ll fucking kill you,” he roars, flipping me onto my back. He raises his fist, but it freezes in midair.

“Do it, pussy. Fucking hit me.”

He could. He has the advantage, and it’s Lev. He never thinks twice about this sort of shit. Yet, here he is—not acting on impulse. And what I don’t understand is how, or why.

“Eat shit,” he grumbles as his hand unravels and he climbs off of me.

I sit up, knees bent and arms dangling over them. I study him for a moment as he staggers to his dresser, pretending to rummage through shit.

What the fuck just happened?

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