Page 24 of They Will Fall

“Well, he's determined to find you, so he must need that money for something big. He must not think you're guilty of anything extreme or else he would be using it against you in order to take your family's money, but he does seem desperate."

“I say we just kill ’em both and solve everyone's problems.”

“Your uncle, hell yes. But Maddox’s dad?” I shake my head. “Not sure he’d ever forgive us for that one.”

Lev smacks his thighs then jumps up. “Your car or mine?”

I don’t even have a car here, so it’s a stupid question, but that point is moot. “You’re serious? You think we’re just gonna walk out there in the light of day and kill the fucker?”

“Why the hell not? Not like you haven’t done it before.” He shrugs as he grabs his keys and heads toward the door.

“Everything I do is well thought out and never spontaneous,” I say as I get up to follow him, apparently going along with his insane plan.

“First time for everything. Grab your shit and leave no trace you were here. I’ll meet you in the car.”

Killing Lev’s uncle was the last thing on my to-do list for today, and it pisses me off that even ending him will in no way bring us closer to finding Riley and Maddox. Unless, he and his wife know more than they were letting on during their conversation with Stanley.

* * *

“I’ve missed this girl.” I pat the dash of Lev’s fucking awesome ride. “One day I’m gonna have one of these.”

It’s a dream that will never come true, but one can wish. I’ll never have the money Lev does, or even Maddox, but at least I get to relish in all their goods when I’m with them. Such as now—the window down, my hand hanging out,and the breeze in my hair. The rumble of the car vibrates through my body and I’m so fucking tired, I wouldn’t be surprised if it lulled me to sleep.

“It’s just a car.” Lev shrugs.

I mock him. “‘Just a car,’ he says. You know the things I’d do for a car like this?”

“Lose your whole family so you inherit all their money. Ten out of ten do not recommend.”

I tsk. “In case you’ve forgotten, my family is gone, too.”

“Shit.” Lev sighs. “Sorry, man. It’s just, you know how much I hate materialistic stuff.”

“Why’d you buy it then?”

He’s quiet for a minute before he glances quickly at me. “You really wanna know?”

“I’m just asking because it’s a nice fucking car for someone who hates materialistic shit.”

“I got it for Emery,” he says softly, and it’s a tone I don’t hear often from Lev. It’s also the first time he’s said his little sister’s name since she died. I don't say anything because I’m sure he’s not done talking, and because I don’t know what the helltosay. A smile creeps across his face. “She fucking loved these cars. I remember her coming into my room and flipping through my car magazines just so she could circle all the Bugattis she wanted. I told her one day I was going to buy her one.”

A minute or two passes of complete silence before I finally say, “I bet she’d love it.”

“Yeah.” He nods with a smile, eyes on the road ahead of us. “I like to think so.”

“Lev?” I say with a gentleness to my tone. His eyes widen in question, so I continue, “Who do you think did it?”

I don’t even have to explain what I’m talking about. He knows.

He rolls his neck and takes a deep breath. “That question has been heavy on my mind every day for years, and to this day, I still don't fucking know who to suspect.”

The weight of the guilt on my chest is so heavy that I fear I’m going to burst at the seams if I don’t say what I’m thinking—or what I know to be true.

“It was my fault,” I blurt out.

Lev’s eyes snap to mine and his eyebrows pinch together. “Why would you say that?”

We come to a stop about thirty yards from the closed gate on campus and Lev shifts the car into park.

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