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If Landon had caused my Lila any pain… if he hurt her…
I took the stairs two at a time, stumbling in my haste, but I couldn’t find myself to care. The door to her apartment was opened, so I hustled inside. Riley was pacing the length of their living room, worry etched over her face. Colton was leaning against the wall, also looking a bit pensive. That was the only time I had seen the two of them in the same room without being at each other’s throat.
“Maddox,” Riley said, looking relieved at the sight of me.
I walked past her and stood in front of Lila’s bedroom. The door was locked, like Riley said.
“Lila?” I called out, pressing my ear to the door. There was a sound of her sniffling.
She was… crying?
Fuck, no.
FUCK, NO.
My gut churned as my fist pounded on her door. “Lila, open the door.”
There was no response from her. “Open the fucking door or I’m going to break it down. Trust me, I will.”
“Go away,” she called out weakly.
My heart stuttered. “Lila,” I said, trying to keep my voice gentle. “Baby, open the door. Please.”
“Just… go away, Maddox.”
My eyes pinched close, and I rested my forehead against her door. “Don’t do this to me. Don’t shut me out. Don’t hide from me. I’m not going to walk away, and you damn well know it. Let me in, Lila.”
Whatever Landon had done to my girl, he was about to regret it for the rest of his fucking life.
“If you don’t open the door, I’m going to think the worst, and I’m going to hunt down Landon… and I might end up in prison tonight.”
I didn’t give a fuck if I was about to spend the rest of my life in jail because I was still going to hunt down Landon either way, even if she did open the door.
He made her cry–that was a death penalty.
“You’re not killing anyone,” she mumbled through the door.
“Open the door then,” I pushed.
There was some shuffling around and then she unlocked and opened the door. Lila came into view, but she kept her head casted down, her black hair covering half of her face.
I placed my finger under her chin and nudged her head up. Her eyes were red, but there was no sign of tears. “I’m not crying,” she said, begrudgingly. “I don’t cry.”
That was right.
Lila never cried, except for one day of the year. She hated being vulnerable and the only time she ever allowed herself to be, was on the date her parents died.
Her cheeks were flushed, and her eyes were red, a clear sign that she wanted to cry, but she was holding her tears in.
Lila pressed her palm over her forehead and squeezed her eyes close. “I’m just… God, he made a fool out of me.”
“What did he do?” I asked through clench teeth.
“I was his rebound,” Lila said, her voice small. She swiped at her cheeks even though there was no evidence of any tears. “And he has been cheating on me… with his ex. I guess they’re back together now, but he was a coward and didn’t tell me. I don’t understand. Why did he… why did he fuck me… if he was already back with her? I mean, he basically cheated on both of us.”
Riley let out a curse under her breath from behind me.
Colton hissed. “He’s dead meat.”
Anger simmered in my gut. The more she spoke of her situation, the angrier I became.
It consumed me, and my skin itched with the need for revenge, to hurt him, like he hurt Lila.
My Lila.
My fingers curled into fists as the fury slid through me like acid, burning inside the pit of my stomach.
Riley pushed past me and enveloped Lila into a hug. She whispered something to her, and Lila nodded. They talked quietly to each other. “I’m more angry than hurt. Embarrassed, too, because I let him touch me… we had sex… because I trusted him.”
Lila’s head came up, her gaze finding mine instantly. “Maddox–” she said, but her eyes flared, probably from seeing the look on my face. “Maddox, no.”
Lila came forward, her arms out as if to grab me, but I sidestepped her reach.
She called out after me as I stalked out of the apartment. “Maddox!”
I wasn’t listening; I was too far gone to stop now.
I charged down the stairs, faster than I knew I could and climbed into my car. The passenger’s door slammed shut, and I looked up. Colton settled in the seat.
“You’re not stopping me,” I snarled.
“No, I’m coming with you.” He cracked his knuckles, his lips splitting into a deadly grin. “He fucked with one of ours.”
After breaking every known traffic law, we were at Landon’s apartment two minutes later.
“You stay out of it,” I warned Colton. My Lila, my fight.
