Page 67 of They Will Fall

CHAPTER23

RIDGE

“Slow down,”Riley huffs as I move quickly down the trail. It’s been almost two hours since Maddox called and there’s no saying what might have happened between then and now.It was a shitshow getting here. Cell service is sketchy as fuck. Not to mention the gates to The Academy were locked, so we had to drive around the backside of the property, and so far, we’ve walked two miles through the woods, with about a quarter mile to go.

Riley’s been in a mood. She’s pissed that Maddox snuck off and did this shit without us after we all agreed we’re in this together and there will be no more secrets. I told her that this was something he had to do for himself. I get it. I probably would've done the same thing.

Fortunately, she fell asleep halfway and was able to get a little bit of shut-eye. She’s only been sleeping for a few hours here and there and you can tell her body needs more rest. Lucky for me, it was with her head on my lap. And yes, I was in the back seat with her while Lev drove. I couldn’t let her sit back here all alone. I don’t think there’s a man on this planet who would pass up the opportunity to have this girl’s head on his lap.

The loud snap of a branch in the distance has Riley practically jumping into my arms. “What was that?” she whispers into the sleeve of my hoodie.

“It’s okay, Angel. I’ve got you. It was probably just a squirrel, or a raccoon.”

Lev takes her other hand, sticking close by. In the last twenty-four hours, something changed with the two of them. I was worried it might take Riley a bit to get past some of the shit he did, but surprisingly, she forgave him quickly. I suppose she did the same for me when she found out what I’d done. I'm just glad all four of us are on the same page now. We’re a team—a family. A fucked-up one. But family, nonetheless.

Another branch snaps, followed by the sound of crunching leaves. Lev and I share a look when we all stop walking. I click my flashlight off then nod at his, my way of silently telling him to kill the light.

“What’s going on?” Riley shivers at my side. “Is someone out there?”

“Nah. We’re good,” Lev tells her. “Just playing it safe.”

“Shhh,” I murmur, listening keenly to any and all sounds, aside from Riley’s heavy breathing.

The sound of footsteps comes closer and closer and I wrap my arm around Riley’s waist, pulling her close. “Who’s there?” I call out. “Show your fucking face, coward.” I pat the pocket of my leather jacket where my knife is, making sure it’s there if needed.

“Hey,” Lev hollers. “If you’re there, come out. Otherwise, we’ll come find you and it won't be pretty when we do.”

The sounds stop completely. We wait a minute, and still nothing.

“I think they left,” Riley whispers.

“Probably,” I grumble. “Fucking pussies.” It’s possible no one was even there, but I say it just to voice my opinion if they were.

I click my light back on and Lev does the same. Riley opted to keep hers off since she’s holding on to both me and Lev.

We take a left and I keep my wits about me, knowing that there is a good chance we’re being followed. Lev knows it, too. I can tell by the way his eyes keep darting around the woods. Every now and then, he looks at me, eyebrows raised. We don't say anything, though. It would scare the hell out of Riley and that’s the last thing either of us want.

“You guys,” Riley says softly, “there’s something you both should know.”

My eyes snap to her and I stop walking, forcing her to stop with me. “What?”

I watch intently as her throat bobs when she swallows and it causes my blood to pump faster because I know it’s something serious. All I can think of is, who am I killing next and how the fuck will I cover it up this time?

“Let’s walk and talk,” she says. “We can’t waste any time.” I nod in response and we all start moving again. “When I left Maddox in that room, I ran into some people out here.”

“What people?” I grit out. “Guys? Did they fucking touch you? Did they hurt you?”

Riley crosses her arms over her chest and her lips purse into a white line. “Can I talk, please?”

“Well, who the hell was it?”

My skin is crawling in anticipation. I swear to everything if someone laid a finger on her…

“Three guys.”

“That’s it,” I snap as I drop Riley’s hand and reach into my pocket for my notepad and pen. “They’re fucking dead. Give me names.”

“Dude,” Lev scoffs. “Let her finish. Jesus Christ.”

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