Page 118 of Heartless Lord
“You’re going to regret this, Killian!” Bass threw his arms over his face to block my hits. “My father will disown your ass, and you’ll be just a piece of trash like her.”
“Do you think I give a fuck anymore?” I probably would after I calmed down, but at the moment, I’d throw it all away simply because he hurt Lexi. “I’d rather get the satisfaction of breaking you into a million pieces.”
“Killian!” Lexi's voice penetrated the red cloud choking me, and my punches slowed. “He’s not worth it.”
My stepbrother gave a bloody smile. “Are you going to kill me like you did your real daddy?”
How the hell did he know about that?
Bass’s words rattled my focus, and he socked me in the face. Pain exploded across my mouth, hot blood leaking from my lip. But when his sinister gaze swiveled to Lexi, to where she was pressed against a barren tree, I forced away the spiraling thoughts and crushed my knuckles into his sternum, knocking the wind out of him.
I stood and shoved my boot into his neck, further stealing his air. “I may not have a crown, big bro, but nowmyboot hovers atyourfucking throat,” I hissed, echoing his words from the night of the masquerade party. “And Iwillkill you if you touch Lexi again.”
Once I removed my foot, he coughed and spat blood.
“You’re going to ruin your future for her?” he gritted out.
I ignored him and wrapped my arm around Lexi’s waist, tucking her into me. “Let’s get out of here.”
As we left Bass groaning on the ground, unease slithered through my gut like poison. There would be consequences for attacking my stepbrother.
And Stan would be furious that it was over Lexi, the girl I swore to never speak to again.
Lexi didn’t argue when I drove toward the Sigma Delta house instead of Davenport Dormitory, and she didn’t shove my hand off as I clamped it around her thigh in the car. A part of me was afraid she’d vanish if I didn’t touch her.
“Holy shit, what happened to you two?” Axel jumped off his bed where he was studying his playbook as soon as we walked in and he caught sight of us.
My shirt was torn, my knuckles busted and bruised, and my lip was split. “Bass,” I grumbled, shaking my head when Axel opened his mouth to probe. “Long story.”
“Got it.” Axel reached into his bedside table and passed Lexi a bar of gourmet chocolate as she sat on my bed. “This always makes me feel better.”
She gave a half-smile, still cradling her injured hand to her chest. “Thanks, Axel. Chocolatedoeshave that effect.”
He winked and then headed toward the door. “I’ll leave you two alone. Let me know if you need anything, Kill.”
I nodded, knowing Axel really meant that. He’d have my back, even against Bass.
“Let me see your hand, Red.” I placed the first-aid kit on the bed, sat across from her, and gently pulled her fingers away. A string of curses hissed through my teeth at the angry gash marring her palm. “I should’ve killed him.”
Lexi set the chocolate bar on my bedside table and ran her other hand over my arm. “I’m fine. It’s just a little cut.”
“It could have been much worse. And it’s all my fault.” I gently dabbed a damp cloth around the wound as guilt ate at my insides.
She scoffed. “You can’t control what Sebastian does.”
“I should have been there.” Since we returned from our trip, I’d distanced myself despite wanting to be near her twenty-four-seven. Falling back into her orbit scared the shit out of me, but I was an idiot to think I could stop it. It had already happened. Red had drawn me back in the moment I saw her at Stonewall University. The need to ruin her faded, eclipsed by a far more dangerous instinct: to protect her.
Lexi chewed on her bottom lip, eyes intent on me as I cleaned her palm. “What did Sebastian mean when he said you killed your real dad? He died after passing out drunk and choking, right?”
Fuck. She heard that.
“He did.” I swallowed hard, cold sweat spreading over my nape as memories of that night stabbed at my thoughts. “... Sort of.”
Her brows knit. “What do you mean?”
I sighed and tossed the bloody cloth onto my bedside table. “Lexi, I was never as sweet as you thought. I’ve always had demons, but I hid them because I was terrified of losing you.” Airbarely made it into my lungs as her heavy stare burned into me. I averted my eyes and kept my gaze trained on the navy comforter. “You were the sun, and I was this black hole that needed your warmth and kindness. And once that was gone—onceyouwere gone—only the darkness remained.”
She gripped my chin, forcing my eyes to hers. “I never would have turned my back on you.”
