Page 5 of You Will Bow

I’ve always tried to be understanding of Lev’s situation, and his state of mind, knowing he’s got a lot going on that he’s working through. But that doesn’t give him the right to tread into my territory like the lion he claims to be. We might be best friends, but he knows this girl is different. Some might see me as a golden retriever, but all dogs have the ability to bite, and I will fucking bite if Lev thinks he’s going to touchmygirl.

The more I think about him touching her and intimidating her this way, the quicker all the blood in my body rushes to my head.

I spring to my feet and my chair goes flying back, bumping into the table behind us. All eyes in the class are on me as I smack the table and look at both Riley and Lev. “Do we have a problem, Lev?”

“Mr. Crane,” Professor Atkins calls out from the front of the room. “Return to your seat.”

Scoffing, I do as I’m asked, but not without shooting Lev a look of warning.

He doesn’t even acknowledge me as he taps his pencil on the table repeatedly, his mouth curled upward. “We don’t.”

I draw in a deep breath, eyebrows knitted as I slump in my chair.

Professor Atkins’s lecture proceeds to slip through my empty ears. All I can think about is getting the hell out of here and talking to Riley, so she can tell me what the hell’s going on.

There’s only five minutes left of class when Lev stretches his arm out around Riley’s shoulders, again. He pulls her in, and I watch intently, waiting for her to defend herself before I have to step in, but she doesn’t. When his mouth ghosts her ear and he whispers into it, she allows it.

I grab her arm, pulling her toward me, expecting some sort of compliance, but she pulls back and listens to whatever he’s saying.

“What’s he saying to you?”

It’s as if I don’t exist when she nods in response to whatever he’s saying. There’s a muffled, “Okay,” before she returns to her position in her chair.

His arm drops and she straightens her back, her unease restored.

I lean in and whisper in her other ear, hell-bent on getting answers. “What did he say to you?”

She shakes her head. “Nothing.”

“Bullshit!” The word comes out louder and harsher than planned. I lower my voice, knowing I won’t get anywhere if I don’t calm myself down. “Tell me what’s going on. Why is he bothering you?”

Still, she says nothing. Her silence only fuels the fire inside me. I’m ready to fucking explode. Jealousy isn’t the issue here. If it were any other guy, maybe. But this is Lev. He doesn’t feel emotions or have the emotional capacity to swoon a girl.

No. This isn’t a matter of jealousy. Lev is up to something. Chills skate down my spine at the possibility of what that something could be.

Lev is many things, but if I had to choose a word that best describes him, it would be heartless.

CHAPTER3

RILEY

Maddox ishot on my trail as I walk down the hall, attempting to put as much space between that room—specifically Lev—and us, as I can.

“You need to tell me what’s going on, right now.”

I keep walking, still not confident we’re far enough away. My fingers grip the strap of my messenger bag so tightly, my knuckles turn white.

Turning down another hall, Maddox keeps on pressing. “Riley! Would you stop walking and tell me what’s going on?”

I steal a glance over my shoulder to make sure Lev isn’t following, and when I’m sure he’s not, I stop.

“'About damn time,” Maddox grumbles, dropping his bag to the floor and letting his head fall back. His fingers run through his dusky brunet hair and I can tell he’s worked up. When he looks at me, I gulp, prepared to feed him whatever he wants to hear because the truth won’t suffice. “Please don’t tell me you’ve got yourself tangled in Lev’s web. Please just fucking tell me that.”

My lips roll together. Shoulders tight as I lean against the wall. The chilled brick cools my legs and actually feels sort of nice. “I’m not.” It’s a lie. Possibly the biggest one I’ve ever told, but I can’t tell him what’s really going on. I can’t tell anyone. Lev made me a deal, his lips are sealed if mine are—and that includes telling Maddox and Ridge.

The truth is scratching like nails inside my head.

The sound drowns out the lies I shouldn’t have said.

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