Page 66 of Ink & Ambition

“Yeah, I just…fuck,” he pockets his phone again and looks down at me, his expression completely distraught. “I’m so sorry, sunshine, but I have to go.”

With a sigh, he pulls himself up off the bed and grabs his shirt off the floor.

“What’s going on?” I ask from the bed, still laying down in shock of the sudden change of emotion.

“I’m not sure. Something I need to handle at the frat house.” His expression is guarded, and I know he’s keeping something from me but it won’t do me any good to ask him to elaborate. Grabbing the door handle, he turns it and I feel a sudden empty feeling take over my entire body.

Until he turns around and rushes back toward the bed, grabbing my face in both hands, he kisses me like there was never an interruption at all. Like he isn’t about to leave my apartment and go ‘take care’ of some mystery problem.

Breaking the kiss, he rests his forehead against mine. “Don’t overthink it. This is a good thing.” I know he’s talking about what transpired between us. And the fact that he knows my brain is immediately going to jetpack into overthinking mode the minute he leaves.

“Sunshine,” he calls, bringing my eyes to his. “Promise me you won’t overthink it.”

“I promise,” I whisper.

Alex smiles and kisses me again. “Liar.” With a kiss on my forehead, Alex leaves my room, leaves my apartment, and leaves me alone with an ever pounding heart.

Chapter Twenty-Seven

Alex

“Oneofyoubetterbe fucking dying, Devon.”

Devon’s heavy breathing on the other side of the phone causes me to pause in Margot’s hallway. “Just about, man. Keith got roughed up tonight.”

I start running. “I’ll be right there.”

Within four minutes, I’m sprinting up the stairs of our house, pushing past busybodies surrounding the living room couch.

Keith’s laying there, his right eye already black, bruises forming on his jaw. I’m not sure what other damage has been caused but he stirs awake as I kneel down next to him.

“Hey, bro. What happened?”

“Couple Deltas,” he groans out, “surprised me while I was walking home.”

“What the fuck,” Kai’s voice is loud behind me. He’s standing over my shoulder, looking down at his broken brother’s body with his arms crossed and steam pouring out of his ears. “Fuck this,” he says, grabbing his keys from the mantle and making toward the door.

I jump into action, grabbing his arm before he can open the front door. “Hold on, Kai. We should get him to a hospital.”

Kai whips his arm out of my grasp. “Take him then. I need to take care of this.” He moves toward the door again but I stop him with a hand on the hardwood.

“Kai, think for a second.” I try to reason with him but I know he’s only seeing red.

“This is my fucking brother. I’m going to handle this.”

“We don’t even know who it was that did this to him. You going to fuck up the entire DE house?”

Kai scoffs in my face, “I will if I fucking have to.”

Devon comes up beside us. “Keith said it was a couple guys led by Ryan.”

“Motherfucker,” I whisper. “Motherfucker!” I scream, pounding on the door.

“So this is your fault,” Kai turns to me, venom in his stare. “You and your fucking girlfriend did this to my brother.”

I know Kai is connecting dots that don't necessarily connect, but he’s probably not that far off. Ryan was pissed as hell when he left Margot’s apartment. Clearly he was upset, but I didn’t think he’d take it this far. Physical altercations are the absolute last resort and should be avoided at all costs. It’s also a low fucking blow to go after one of my brothers when his real issue is with me.

“Kai, wait—”

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