Page 6 of They Will Fall

It’s a gamble to venture out, considering it’s a fucking ghost town back on campus with everyone still sheltering in place. Everyone but The Elders, who are lurking around. Jagger mentioned that there’s at least a dozen and said they’ve been having countless meetings—all about Riley. He was helpful and told me a route they’ve been taking on a back trail to get to and from the places they need to be, so I was grateful for that bit of information. Crew, Jagger, and especially Neo can be real assholes, but so can we, so I don’t judge them too harshly.

Lost in his gaze, Maddox smiles unknowingly as he watches her. “How’d we get so fucking lucky?”

“Luck has nothing to do with it. We create our own destiny.”

And in my case, I created a future with Riley in it because when I want something, I take it. I’ve never wanted anyone or anything, the way I want her, and even as I have her, I want more and more of her. I will never stop wanting her.

I snap out of the memories of everything I did to get to where I’m at today with my angel. If I think too much about those days, I raise walls to protect myself and my secrets, and my only quest right now is protecting Riley.

“I’m out. Don’t,” I emphasize, “fuck this up.”

I pull open the door slowly, taking care to silence the creak so I don't distract Riley from her writing. It’s the first time she’s opened her notebook in days and I’m happy to see she’s releasing some of the aggressive thoughts running rampant in her mind through her poetry.

Maddox gives me a sailor salute, then shuts the door behind me. There’s an itch inside me I can’t scratch. This uneasy feeling that Riley is up to something. Maybe it’s because I know her so well, inside and out. I swear to all that is holy if Maddox doesn't keep her within arm’s reach, he will become my prey. Best friend or not.

* * *

Instead of rushing this trip, I take my time. I absorb the chill of the fresh evening air, run my fingers over the crisp leaves, scooping up a bead of frost, and most importantly, I think about my next move.

Right now, Maddox and Riley are convinced Lev killed the men I took care of. They think he did it just to set Riley up. Her being set up was news to me because Maddox never once mentioned it, and now that I think about it, I still need to tear into him for that.

How dare he forget to tell me such pertinent information? If I had to guess, it was his dad’s doing. Maddox has always been his dad’s little puppet. Lev and I watched for years as he did everything he could to gain his father's approval, coming up short every time. His father always made him feel like a failure when, in reality, he never failed at all. He just didn't measure up to his father's impossibly high expectations. It still pisses me off that Maddox thinks he needs to.

Before I realize it, my thoughts have distracted me and I’ve only got about five more minutes before I reach the back of the campus. I need to think.Fuck. I need a plan.

Obviously, I won’t let Lev go down for what I did, but I sure as hell don’t plan to go down either. There are so many speculations circulating around us. Lev killing Cade and Zeke. Me killing the men who threatened Riley’s future. Then, of course, there’s Riley killing the governor.The scary thing is, they aren’t just speculations—they’re the truth.

I’m actually proud to admit that we're all a big mess of flawed and complex fuckery. Wouldn’t have it any other way either. It’s proof that there is no limit to how far we will go to protect those we care about.

Riley’s happiness is my top priority.I’d take on the whole world if it means keeping her happy and safe.

I tiptoe toward the backside of the main building on campus, my boots crunching lightly on the mixture of dried leaves and gravel. Voices in the distance hit my ears and I rush behind it and flatten my body against the stone-cold structure, daring myself not to breathe.

The voices grow louder, but thankfully, no one has spotted me yet. My hearing is sharp and clear, so I pick out each one's voice in stark clarity.

One is most certainly Maddox's dad, Stanley Crane. The second is, without a doubt, Lev's uncle—Cade's dad. The third is a female and I can't quite figure out her identity, yet.

“We all have our own motives here, so don’t play the holier-than-thou game with me, Marta,”

Marta. That’s Lev’s aunt.

I suppose it makes sense, considering Lev’s uncle is here, but it’s not often wives accompany their husbands when they’re doing The Society’s work.Then again, they did just lose their son.

I creep forward, careful not to make a sound, and peer around the corner of the building. I spot Lev's uncle in a black tee shirt that hugs his biceps. His arms wave in animated conversation as he speaks to the others who are out of view.

“Guess we’re just not understanding why you’re so hell-bent on blaming someone for Sebastian Saint’s death. It was ruled a suicide. Let that be enough, Stanley.”

He’s referring to the governor, and for once, I agree with him. I wish everyone just let it be enough. Then my angel would be safe.

“Austin’s right,” Marta says. “It was an open-and-shut case that was handled with the same care as any other member. Governor or not, he was no better than us.”

“Where was that logic during your brother’s murder?” Stanley asks. “You sure as hell didn't allow that case to be open and shut so quickly.”

My jaw drops as the conversation shifts to a heavy one. It’s been years since I’ve heard anyone talk about Lev’s parents, who were brutally murdered in their home, along with Lev’s two little sisters.

“As if I had a choice,” Austin snaps. “Everyone knows that fucking rotten governor closed that case before anyone could even look at it.”

I’ve always known the killer was never caught, but I had no idea it was because Governor Saint ended the investigation. The question is, why?

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