Page 4 of They Will Fall

“That’s not what I meant.”

“But it’s what you said. No more lies, Ridge. No more secrets. It’s time everyone knows what Lev has done because I sure as hell am not going down for his crimes.”

“What exactly did Lev do?” Neo asks, suddenly piqued with interest.

“None of your fucking business,” Maddox tells him as he takes me by the hand, pulling me away from the group. He leans close, his voice a whisper in my ear. “We need to keep everything under wraps for the time being. Incriminate no one.”

“That’s bullshit.” I huff loud enough for everyone to hear. I jerk my hand away, annoyed that both Maddox and Ridge are defending Lev’s actions. “This is all Lev’s fault. Why the hell should I protect him? And why are you?”

“I’m not protecting him. I’m just…" Maddox's words trail off as Ridge steps beside us.

“We need definitive proof before we bring any of this to light.” His eyes remain pinned on Scar and her guys as he speaks. “Please, just let us handle this before you start spreading rumors.”

I clench my fists as I slam my foot to the floor, rattling an empty pop can on the scuffed kitchen table. Every muscle in my body tenses with rage. “Scar,” I bellow, as I push past Ridge and Maddox. “Can I talk to you, please?”

I grasp the bathroom handle with one hand and slowly open the door. Scar steps inside, her eyes wide at my outburst. Slamming the door shut quickly, I create an echo that reverberates off the walls of the small space.

“I have to find him,” I tell her, really hating that I’m putting her in this position of knowing what I might have to do. “I have to leave campus and find Lev.”

“Ry. Babe. I dunno. This shit you’re in is deep. I think you need to just come forward and let The Elders handle it. I mean, they’ve got a fucking Punisher assigned to you. This isn’t some little thing that’s just going to blow over.”

“I know.” I exhale a pent-up breath. “It’s a fucking mess.” Tears prick the corners of my eyes and I aggressively jab my fingertips into them because I don’t want to shed a tear over what’s going on…or over Lev.

I miss him, though. I hate the fucking bastard. But, I miss him.

“This all stemmed from Governor Saint’s death. If only I’d just stayed out of it.”

“Don’t.” Scar grabs my hands, pulling them away from my face. “Don’t you dare go there. That son of a bitch got exactly what he deserved, as far as I’m concerned, and to anyone else who knows what really happened, you’re a hero, Ry. You saved us all.”

“A hero?” I laugh dryly. “Hardly.”

“You are! And if the truth ever comes out about what happened, I’m hopeful The Elders will see it that way, too. Because if one truth is revealed, we’re going to make damn sure all truths are revealed.”

“Thank you,” I tell her, pulling her in for a hug. “You always have a way of pulling me out of the darkness. I don’t know what I’d do without you.”

“You never have to find out. I promise you that.” She takes a step back and runs her thumb under my eye because one stupid tear broke free. It was a tear of happiness, though, because moments like this prove how unbelievably blessed I am to have such amazing friends and boyfriends.

Thinking of boyfriends, and almost ex-boyfriends, or whatever Lev was to me, Scar needs to know my plan. It’s not actually a plan because it literally just popped into my head a few minutes ago, but it might be the only way I can get two steps ahead of The Elders, and The Punisher assigned to me. “Well,” I begin, “there is only one way to ensure that we will never be without each other, and it weighs heavily on Lev.”

“Whatever you’re thinking, no.” A look of displeasure washes over her face. “I love you, babe, but you’re your own worst enemy when it comes to getting yourself out of the mud you’re stuck in. Do I need to remind you of the time you got gum stuck to the bottom of your shoe?”

A smile draws on my face and an airy chuckle escapes me. “That was some sticky-ass gum, okay?”

“I only had to cut a chunk. Just saying.” My hand sweeps through the air as I spin in a circle, coming to a stop at the free-standing sink. With my palms resting against the porcelain, I heave a sigh.Looking down, I absorb what she said. Not the part about the gum, or my hair, but me being my own worst enemy. She’s right.

“I don’t know what else to do,” I tell her. “I have to find him.”

Scar inhales deeply, and while I can’t see her face from where she’s standing behind me, I imagine she’s chewing hard on her bottom lip. It’s something she does often when she’s deep in thought.

I raise my head, ripping my gaze away from the sink. Casting a sidelong look at her, I'm proven correct. Sure enough, her lip is sucked between her teeth, and her nostrils are flaring as she breathes deeply.

“I’ll be safe. I promise.”

Her eyes close momentarily before she reaches into her pocket and pulls out a phone. It’s not just any phone, though. It’s one of those old flip ones. “Take this.”

She sets the phone in my palm as I watch her with quizzical eyes. “What’s this for?”

“You’ve all had your phones turned off. I knew I’d find you here today, and I brought this so we’d have a way of keeping in touch while you’re hiding out. It’s a burner phone that can’t be traced.”

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