SWNOVELS They Will Fall: Chapter 1
I RE-READ the text that was sent hours ago as we struggle to keep warm in Lev’s old cabin.
Campus Alert: Shelter-in-place. Homicide suspect at large.
“We can’t stay here forever,” Riley says through chattering teeth. “It’s…it’s so damn cold.” She drags the words out as if each one is momentarily frozen in time. Ridge pulls her closer, holding on to her so tightly, the Jaws of Life couldn’t pry his arms away.
It’s unreal how quickly the weather changed. A couple days ago, we had clear skies and tee shirt weather. Now, fluffy white clouds cast shadows over the mountains, threatening snow. The air is cold, below freezing, and it’s only going to get worse since we’re smack in the midst of an arctic storm that’s rolling through. Fortunately, we’ve got the cabin for shelter, even if there is no heat or electricity.
I watch Ridge and Riley. Listening to their conversation while gnawing on my fingernails like they are my last meal. And they could be. It’s a great possibility because everyone knows Cade is dead. They don’t know I did it, though—that I killed him. According to my father, The Elders think it was Riley who took his life. Eventually, the truth will come out because there is no way in hell I’d ever let Riley go down for what I did. Then, my life will be over. I’ll be banished, a Punisher will be assigned to me, and any chance at having a normal life will cease to exist. Every chance encounter, he’ll be there, ready to make my life more miserable than the day before.
I killed a member of The Society.
An innocent man.
I’m screwed.
But if I go down, I’m taking Lev with me. All the time we thought it was Cade who snuck in her room, sexually assaulted her, then killed Zeke. Turns out, the real assailant was living under our thumbs the entire time.
I’m not sure where Lev is right now. No one knows. And I really don’t give a shit where he’s run off to. At least, not yet. I’ll find him when he’s useful to me.
Riley, Ridge, and I have been hiding out for nearly twelve hours. It’s now eight o’clock in the morning and we should all be heading to our morning classes, but classes were canceled for the day and the shelter-in-place rule is still in effect.
Ridge and Riley dozed off for a couple hours, but I haven’t slept at all. It’s damn near impossible when my mind is running rampant. I’ve got no fucking idea how this shit is going to come together. We’re all out of our league on this one. Should have just left well enough alone. Fuck me. Fuck all of this.
There’s one option. I could fess up. Just open my mouth and let it all come out.
‘Be a man, Maddox. You’re a Crane, and Crane’s don’t cower.’ That’s what my dad would say right now. He has this way of making me feel as if I can conquer anything. Now I’m starting to wonder if it was more of a curse than a blessing.
In this case, the wisdom of his words wouldn’t be directed at me confessing the truth. They’d be telling me to keep what I did to myself. I’m not him, though. This is my chapter—my story—and I’m writing it my damn self.
Wonder what dear ol’ Dad is going to think of me once the truth about what I did is brought to light.
“We’ve gotta get the hell out of here,” Ridge says as he emerges from beneath the blanket he’s huddled under with Riley. His bare chest is exposed because his main focus right now is keeping his angel warm. I get it. I want her warm, too. But I’d rather her be safe, and he’s been going on and on about how we need to leave the cabin. I beg to differ because leaving means the risk of getting caught, and once she’s caught, it’s game over.
With his legs still kept under the floral-printed fabric that looks like it’s hasn’t been washed since the late nineties, he runs his fingers down the side of his face. Stroking his chin, he stares off into the air. His eyes glaze over for a moment as he speaks his thoughts into existence. “We’ve got no food. There’s no fucking heat in this place. Hell, we can head back to Glendale, if needed. We’ve still got the lease on the apartment. No one will even consider looking for Riley there.”
“It’s too risky,” I tell him from my seat at the kitchen table that’s pointed in their direction. I lean forward, my elbows pressed firmly to my knees. “The campus, and surrounding areas, are swarming with The Elders right now. Everyone is looking for her and this is the last place they’d think to search.” An idea comes to mind that has me on my feet. “Lemme go get food. And more blankets. Anything we need to hole up in here a little bit longer until this is all settled and her name is cleared.”
Ridge tosses the blanket off him aggressively and gets to his knees. “And who the fuck is out there trying to clear it?” he shouts. “No one! Not a single fucking person, so it’s up to us! We’re not doing her any good here.”
“Would you guys quit it?” Riley jumps in. “Stop talking as if I’m not even here. I’m right fucking here!” She places an arm on Ridge’s shoulder, pulling him back toward her, though he resists and continues to scowl at me like I’m the enemy right now. “Ridge is right. We can’t stay here forever, but I can’t stand the thought of either of you going out there and facing repercussions for being with me.” She chokes on her words as they slip through her damp lips. Her eyes are downcast and she speaks softly. “Maybe it’s best for all of us if we part ways for a while. Just until this is over.”
My heart pangs with remorse. I get to my feet and move to sit behind her. Taking her hair in one hand, I move it to the side so I can press a warm kiss to the back of her neck. “There isn’t a chance in hell we are leaving you.”
She turns her head to look at me as I run my fingers down the sleeve of her hoodie. “It’s not safe for you guys. I don’t want your names connected to me in any way until this is over.”
Ridge scoots closer, his hand now resting on her leg overtop the blanket. “We are connected to you, Angel, and I don’t give a fuck who knows it. Consequences be damned, you are stuck with us.”
Massaging her shoulders, I speak tenderly in a way that I hope calms her nerves. “Right now, our whereabouts won’t be questioned since we’re on lockdown. Everyone assumes we’re in our dorms. We’ve got time.”
“He’s right. We’ve got some time,” Ridge reminds her. “No one will suspect we’re with you, and if they do, then fuck them. None of us are guilty. We didn’t do a damn thing wrong.”
I look at him, wondering if he truly believes the lies he’s saying. “Not a damn thing, huh?”
He scoffs. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
My shoulders rise and fall rapidly. “I just don’t think any of us are free of guilt right now, and I certainly wouldn’t want you walking around campus with a bout of confidence and wind up getting your ass in deep water.”
I’ve had my suspicions for a while, and I don’t think Ridge is as innocent has he’s letting on. Cade and Zeke aren’t the only ones who died—there are others, too. Others who I originally thought Riley killed. It could have been Lev, but I’ve put together a timeline of the events that took place, and Ridge’s whereabouts aren’t accounted for during any of the other murders. I’m not saying he’s guilty, but he’s on my list of suspects, along with Lev.
“We need to find Lev,” Riley pipes up. Her shoulders draw back and she inhales a deep breath. “Maybe we can talk some sense into him and get him to confess to what he’s done.”
A humorous chuckle bubbles up my throat. “Lev, confess? Not a chance in hell. Lev only cares about saving his own ass.”
“I agree,” Riley says solemnly. Her face pulls into a frown as she looks down at her finger that’s wrapped with the blanket threading. “Lev has no intention of helping any of us. He’s not the man I thought he was.”
“For what it’s worth, you made him want to be better,” Ridge tells her. “I saw the way he looked at you, and it was a look we haven’t seen from Lev in years.”
I hate that Ridge is sugarcoating this for her. I know he’s trying to ease the fall from the high she was on with Lev, but it’s only going to give her something to hold on to, and she needs to let go of him. Of course, Ridge and I have his back, and we’ll do everything we can to help him once he allows us to. But Lev isn’t relationship material. He needs to fix himself before he can be trusted with our girl’s heart.
Riley’s eyes lift, dancing from mine to Ridge’s and back. “If only it was enough. I just don’t get it.” She averts her gaze, staring off in thought. The corners of her mouth twitch as a smile slowly spreads on her lips. “Toward the end, Lev was gentle. Kind. Compassionate, even. It was nothing I’d ever imagined I’d ever feel from him, but everything I’d hoped for.” Her smile quickly drops. “I guess it was all for nothing.”
Ridge and I share a look of displeasure because we both knew this thing with Lev was going to end with Riley brokenhearted. Fortunately, she’ll have Ridge and me to mend the shattered pieces.
Or, at the very least, she’ll have Ridge. I might have to disappear for a while if I decide to tell my side of the story. Head to the East Coast. Change my name. Riley and the guys will be mad at me for a while, but I hope one day they’ll understand why I did what I did. It was all for her.
I was given an assignment to keep an eye on the Kappa Rho brothers—Cade being one of them. Thanks to Lev, I thought Cade assaulted Riley. In my heart, I believed I was avenging what he did to her by taking his life. But I was wrong. So fucking wrong.
“You’re right,” Riley exhales heavily. “Lev isn’t who I thought he was, and now he needs to be a man and face what he’s done.”
Be a man. As opposed to a coward who hides behind his own secrets, while others feel the wrath of his mistakes.
“There’s something you both need to know,” I fess up, ready to unleash this dreadful burden from my shoulders.
A sudden knock at the door grabs all our attention. My eyes shoot over my shoulder as Ridge and Riley jump up from the floor. I remain crouched, hands dangling over my knees.
“Fuck,” Ridge blurts. He looks left, then right. “We gotta hide.”
This is it. They’re here for her. It’s now or never.
I stand up, straightening my back before crossing the room to a trembling Riley. “You need to hear what I have to say.”
The pounding grows in intensity and Riley pulls me by the hand, lugging me into the bathroom. Standing in the doorway, she whisper-yells to Ridge, “Get in here!”
Refusing to listen, Ridge slides his back against the wall, inching slowly toward the window. The air escapes him with a heavy sigh as he passes the window and reaches the door. He stops in front of it, puts his hand on the knob, and his eyes bolt over his shoulder, while Riley and I wait impatiently for an inkling as to what he’s doing. ‘It’s fucking Scar.’ He pulls open the door.
Riley drops my hand and rushes out of the bathroom to greet her best friend, while I press the heels of my palms to the doorframe and drop my head in defeat. I tried.