God of Ruin (Legacy of Gods, #4)(97)

Any desire for a walk has completely disappeared. I just need to hide this stupid mark first.

We ride to my apartment in eternal silence.

I pull up Landon’s texts and type a few of my own.

Maya is just being a little shit. Never mind her. Like you and Bran, we’ve always been overprotective of each other.

You’re right. Fuck the forbidden love concept.

Also, what Rory said just now was a lie. You know that, right?

I delete each and every one of them. I sound guilty when I did nothing wrong.

Instead, I type.

About that statue you made for my birthday, I think I’m ready to see it now.

I stare at my phone for the rest of the journey, but there’s still no reply.

My shoulders drop as I exit the car and get inside the apartment, still having a glaring competition with my phone.

He hasn’t even read it.

Don’t tell me he really believed what Rory said. Worse, was Rory right and Landon loses all interest in soiled good, as he so disgustingly put it?

“Where were you?”

I startle at Maya’s uncharacteristically monotone voice. She’s been waiting by the corner, in darkness, I now realize. All the curtains and blinds are pulled.

After I slide the phone into my pocket, I hit the light switch and sign, “I just got back from class.”

She releases a shaky breath and inspects me like Mom would. “Is everything okay?”

“Yeah. You’re being weird.”

Her brows knit together as she looks at my neck. “Was that Landon?”

I shake my head. “Some other asshole who has a death wish. Speaking of Landon, why did you pretend to be me? We agreed you wouldn’t do that again after you tried to vet everyone who had an interest in me during high school.”

“Well, they clearly didn’t deserve you since they couldn’t even tell us apart.”

“But Landon did.”

She makes a face. “He’s so perceptive, it’s annoying. Apparently, we don’t have the same eyes. He figured me out from the beginning and pretended he didn’t, just to see what I was up to.”

I smile to myself. That sounds like something Landon would do. He’s such a manipulative asshole, it’s attractive at times.

Only at times, though.

“Why are you smiling like some proud girlfriend? He’s still bad news, Mia.”

“Maybe I’ve always wanted bad news,” I sign. “You know I never liked all the nice boys at school and found the bad boys too shallow. Landon is neither and maybe I like that. As long as he doesn’t hurt my family, I’m ready to see where this goes.”

“You’re…serious.”

“Yeah. I like him, Maya.”

“Ugh. Of all people it had to be him?”

“It’s because it’s him that I like him. I can tell him things and not feel judged.”

“Things like what? You…can’t possibly have told him about the kidnapping, right?”

“Well, not all of it.” But certainly more than she knows, which I feel bad about.

“You can’t possibly trust him, Mia. Besides, Niko will be pissed.”

“Niko has no right to control my love life. Landon already announced a truce that he’s been keeping despite his destructive instinct. So maybe Niko and the others should do the same.”

“You and I know that’s not how it works.” She rubs my arm. “Just…be careful, okay? You know I’m here for you, right?”

“Always.”

She nods, then retreats to her room and closes the door. I hear her talking on the phone, something about wanting to see someone, but I don’t linger around to eavesdrop.

I think she has a new relationship going on, and I have a most probable suspect, but I’ll let her be until she lets me know herself.

I go to my room and gasp when I see the large hickey on my neck.

Fucking Rory will have more than his balls brutalized the next time I see him.

I apply foundation, but the angry purple is still visible, so I put on a choker, but even that doesn’t hide it.

As a last resort, I put on a scarf that’s so against my usual fashion choices, but at least it hides the atrocity.

Again, I check my phone, but there’s still no reply from Landon.

You know what? I don’t need his permission to go and see a statue that’s supposed to be my birthday present.

I’m going back to where everything started on my own.





30





LANDON





There are times when the beast becomes so loud, I have no choice but to let him and his demon minions come out to play.

Sometimes, a mere disruption of other people’s lives is enough. Other times, that doesn’t cut it and there needs to be full-on anarchy. Perhaps arson here, destruction there, and burying seeds of chaos everywhere.

At this moment, however, my beast is not in the mood for small-time felonies. No. It’s not about satiating its urges and sending it back into hibernation.

This is about making someone pay.

In blood.

With his fucking life.

He dared to not only look in the direction of what’s fucking mine, but to also touch her. Fucking. Touch. Her.