Page 51 of They Will Fall

Regretful eyes peer up at me and just as Maddox opens his mouth to speak his truth, Ridge walks in the door. Maddox clears his throat and straightens his back, and I realize the moment of honesty has passed us all too soon.

But not if I have anything to say about it.

Ridge plops down on the bed on the other side of me and squeezes my thigh above the blanket.“What’s up? You look worried.”

I turn slightly toward him, while still giving Maddox my full attention. “Maddox was just about to tell me something important.”

My eyes don’t leave Maddox. He gulps before darting his gaze from me to Ridge and then back to me. “It’s nothing,” he says, and I can feel the anger rise inside me.

“No!” I blurt out. “You were going to say something. Now say it. I’m sick of all these secrets. Why the hell are you guys hiding Lev from me? What don’t you want me to know?”

Ridge slides off the bed and gets to his feet. He walks over to the window and presses his hands on either side of the frame. “No one’s hiding him from you, Angel.”

My hands fly in the air. “Then someone tell me what the fuck is going on!”

When no one says anything at all, I lose it. I jump out of bed, nearly knocking Maddox off it, shouting on my way toward the door. “If no one is going to tell me what the hell is going on, then I’ll find out myself.”

The second my footsteps are out of the room, Maddox says, “Lev didn’t kill Cade.”

I pivot around and look at him, and Ridge does the same. “Then who did?”

Maddox takes the corner of his bottom lip between his teeth, averts his gaze, and twiddles his thumbs in his lap.

“Noooo,” I drawl. “You?”

“What the fuck!” Ridge’s mouth falls open. “You killed Cade?”

I’m surprised to see Ridge is as stunned as I am. Of all people, I’d never suspect Maddox. “You murdered someone?” I huff. “No fricken way.”

“It’s true,” Maddox retorts, his eyes still set on his lap. “I’m not proud of it. I thought he assaulted you. Basically,” his head finally lifts, “I killed someone for something he didn't even do.”

“Whoa,” I trek over to him, “don't you dare do that to yourself.” I kneel in front of him, taking his hands in mine. “Cade was not a good man. Even if he didn’t assault me, we can’t forget what he and his dad did to Lev.”

“I just can’t believe you had the balls to kill someone.” Ridge draws his fingers around his mouth from the other side of the room, a look of disbelief on his face. “I guess my boy’s a man now.”

I can't help the laugh that escapes me. This is no joking matter, but what the hell is this crazy life if we can’t crack jokes about the murders of these monstrous men.

Maddox scowls at Ridge, as if he’s taken offense to what he said. “Is that what makes a man?”

“Dude, it was a joke.”

“Then tell me, are you a man now?”

Ridge’s eyebrows furrow together and his lips purse tightly. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

“You think this is fucking funny? How about we all laugh at what you’ve done. Or is that a secret you intend to take to your grave?” Maddox is nearly yelling at Ridge now.

“Hey,” I tell Maddox. “It’s okay. Ridge told me about what he did as a child.”

Maddox's gaze is pinned heavily on Ridge when he says, “That’s not the secret I’m talking about.”

My head turns slowly to Ridge. “What is he talking about? What other secrets do you have?”

Ridge scratches the top of his head in confusion. “Fuck if I know what he’s going on about.”

Maddox springs to his feet, shoulders taut. “So that’s how it’s gonna be?” He huffs as he takes slow strides toward Ridge. “You’re just gonna let her go on thinking Lev killed those other four guys and framed her for it?”

Maddox’s words seem to have struck a nerve. Ridge's eyes narrow, and slow, controlled anger spreads across his face. He clenches his fists so tightly that his knuckles turn white as he draws in a deep breath through his flared nostrils. “Shut your fucking mouth.”

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