Page 42 of Tag

“I’m not entertaining your delusions. One is temporary. The other’s a weird-ass hanger-on.”

He thought Layla was weird? What the hell had I missed?

“Don’t do that, Rye.” I sighed, raking a hand through my hair. “It’s not like I planned on keeping it from you.”

“You did, though. You didn’t tell me someone was watching you or that you were scared.”

“I was going to tell you! I haven’t even told anyone about yesterday or last night yet. Only you and Layla know about that part. Cloe knows some of it.”

He let out a low, humorless laugh, eyes still fixed on the road. “That makes it worse.”

“Why?”

“You didn’t exactly tell me, Sanjana. I was on the phone when it happened.”

My full name sounded wrong coming from him when he was like this.

Now it was his turn to exhale, jaw working as he tried to rein himself in. “I’m sorry, Sass. I can barely think straight, knowing you were scared. Knowing some poser fuck was hiding behind a mask, watching you. I want to drag him by his throat and pin his fucking intestines to a tree so the next asshole gets the message.”

Okay, so I didn’t hate hearing that.

He sounded so matter-of-fact. Cold and certain. That was the real danger. Not the things he said, but how I responded to them. What he made me feel, even when I knew I shouldn’t. I studied his profile, the rigid line of his jaw, the slight furrow between his brows, the way his fingers clenched and unclenched on the steering wheel as if holding back a tempest of violence and irreversibility.

What was I going to do with him? My beautiful boy, sculpted from loyalty and sharpened on the edge of his own wrath. Someone who would move the heavens for me or burn the world to ash if I asked him to. I had the overwhelming urge to reach over, thread my fingers through his hair, and feel the softness I adored. I smothered that desire swiftly by conjuring the image of Brooke touching him.

"Then you’d be taken away and locked up. What would I do without you?"

“You’d be fine, apparently.”

I bit the inside of my cheek to suppress a smile. “We both know that isn’t true. Stop sulking.”

He gave a short, humorless laugh. “You think this is me sulking?” We reached a stop sign, and he finally turned his head, those stormy eyes locking onto mine with a fierce, quiet intensity that pierced right through me. “I’m not sulking. I’m pissed you confided in someone who can’t have your back like I do. And I was being sarcastic, I’m aware we would both unravel without each other.” He turned his attention back to the road and accelerated, leaving me to sit with that. “Do you have any idea who was driving the car back there?”

“An asshole?” I answered dryly, then let out a breath. “But no, I’d like to. Do you think it was my Huntsman trying to declare me Marked? I’m not really sure how this all works, but using a front bumper to deliver the message can’t be standard protocol.”

“You don’t have a Huntsman,” he countered, clipped and absolute.

“Rye, we both know there’s a high chance I do. After that and yesterday, it’s almost undeniable.”

“Let me clarify. What you have is someone who’s about to regret every single fucking decision that led them to today.”

I didn’t say a word.

Even if Ihadknown who was behind the wheel, I wouldn’t have told him. Not right away. He’d just finished professing he wanted to pin someone to a tree by their intestines. While Ryder wouldn’t seriously kill anyone, he could make a person wish he had, and that didn’t remove violence from the equation. He’d always taken the slightest affront to me personally. The second he knew who that driver was, he’d ruin them, piece by calculated piece.

Reputation. Sanity. Free-will.

He’d make sure the only thing left was regret, and the others wouldn’t hesitate to help with their own methods. I honestly hoped this person would ditch the car, toss the mask, and the guys never found out who they were, but that was wishful thinking.

“Why didn’t you call me for a ride home?”

“My house is only twenty minutes away, if that, on foot. Besides, since I cancelled our study session, I figured you might be with Brooke or—”

“Don’t. You know nothing would keep me from you. When you need me, don’t ever hesitate to call me.”

Funny, I’d almost said that same thing to Layla.

“Is that really fair of me to expect from you? You’ve got a life too.”

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