22. Mallory #3
“Who ordered the fucking pizza?” Maddox demanded, the words ground out between clenched teeth.
“I—I don’t know! There was no name!” The guy’s hands came up defensively, palms out. “It was an anonymous call, dude!” the guy stammered, words tumbling out fast and desperate. “They gave the address and said it was already paid! That’s all I know!”
“What was the name on the credit card?” Maddox barked, his face inches from the driver’s now.
“They used a prepaid debit card! I swear!”
Maddox swore viciously under his breath.
I rushed down the driveway, my bare feet hitting damp grass, panic clawing up my throat. I had no idea what he would do next, but unless he wanted the cops here and an assault charge, I had to get him to back off. “Maddox, stop! It’s not his fault! He’s just doing his job!”
He didn’t look at me, his eyes remaining locked hard on the pizza driver. “Get the fuck out of here.” He released the guy abruptly, hands opening and stepping back in one sharp movement.
The delivery driver stumbled, catching himself against the open car door. He scrambled back into his seat without another word. The engine revved as the car shot off down the road.
“What the hell was that?” I demanded.
“You got another message. See for yourself.” He tossed me the crumbled piece of paper. “As if the knife wasn’t clear enough. Lover boy is pissed I’m here.”
I caught the note and unraveled it, and quickly read the message.
You invite Ravens.
Right to your bed.
Careful, Mallory.
Or they’ll end up dead.
—Mine
Ice slithered down my spine.
“Fucking coward!” Maddox yelled down the street at no one. “If you have something to say, say it to my face!” His voice echoed through the night, swallowed up by the gloomy clouds hanging over our heads. Slowly, he turned to me, his chest heaving. “Are you okay?”
“Maybe I should be asking you the same thing. Are you okay?”
He closed the distance between us until there was barely room to breathe. “This isn’t a joke anymore.”
“It never was,” I said, my neck craned as I glanced into his face.
“You need to get back inside,” he ordered. “He’s watching.”
“How do you know?”
He shoved a hand through his hair, his eyes scanning the street. “A hunch, and it’s not safe for you. He knows where you live.”
I wrapped my arms around myself. “Shit.” I frowned. “Should I be worried?”
“In this town, yeah, definitely, Hales.” His hand found mine, lacing our fingers as he ushered me back toward the house.
When we got to the porch, we stared at the pizza box, cheese congealing, pineapple scattered. Maddox bent and picked up the ruined pizza as I opened the door for him. Grease had seeped through the bottom, leaving dark stains on the porch. He carried it inside, following me into the kitchen.
The box went straight into the trash, but the knife twirled in Maddox’s hand.
My gaze fixed on it, unable to look away. “What are you going to do with that?”
“I’m going to find the owner,” he stated flatly.
A chill ran through me, raising goose bumps along my arms despite the warmth of the kitchen. “And then what?”
His eyes lifted to mine, pale green and deadly calm.
“I’m going to teach him what happens when you fuck with the wrong crew.
” Reaching for the paper towel roll, he tore off a sheet and wiped the cheese and sauce off the blade.
He slid the knife into the back of his waistband, tucking it against his spine beneath his shirt.
“I need to talk to my brothers,” he said, already pulling his phone from his pocket, thumb moving toward the screen.
“Now? You don’t think I should call the police first?” I had absolutely no intention of making a report to the cops, but as I hoped, I wanted it to be his idea.
He paused, his thumb hovering over the phone, eyes glimpsing up to meet mine. “You have a lot to learn about Elmwood, Hales.” His fingers tapped on his phone as he sent off a text, leaning a hip against the counter.
Suddenly, the thought of him leaving me alone made my stomach twist. “Maddox?”
“Hmm,” he muttered, attention still on his device and the messages coming in.
“I don’t want to be alone,” I admitted. “Do you think you can stay?”
His gaze snapped to mine, registering what I was asking. “Like the night?”
I nodded.
For a second, he just stared at me. “What about your mom?”
“I don’t know when she’ll be home, and when she does get home, she’ll go straight to bed.” He didn’t say anything, and I got self-conscious, thinking this was a horrible idea, asking him to stay. “I’m probably just being paranoid. It’s fine. You should go if you need to—”
“I’ll stay.”
Relief washed through me. “Are you sure?” I asked, giving him another out even though everything in me was screaming at him not to take it. Maddox had to be a safer bet than the stalker.
His mouth tilted slightly, not quite a smile but close. “As long as your mom doesn’t kill me if she finds me still here when she gets home.”
A nervous giggle escaped. He had no idea how possible the idea was, which was exactly why I’d make sure he didn’t get caught in my room.