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(I haven't slept and I'm very tired, so sorry if this is terrible, lol)

Chapter 8– Just leave that to me:

"You're not going to break my fingers again are you?" He asks with sarcasm, leaning back against his sofa, his elbows on his knees, his fingers entwined in front of his mouth.

        "You're fucking lucky I don't cut them off," I snap hatefully. Ricky rolls his eyes which further increases my anger. "Now," I say, sitting down on the coffee table in front of where he sits. I take out the gun from the waistband of my jeans and hold it on top of my knee, watching as his eyes go straight to it and widen. "I'm going to ask questions, you're going to answer. We've done this before, so I'm sure you remember the rules. Although this time I'm switching it up a little," I take the safety off my gun. "Every question you don't answer, you're getting a bullet. And trust me, I have loads of them."

        "What is this about?" He demands. "You can't just waltz into my fucking home and threaten me," he goes to stand but I kick him back down, pointing the tip of my gun at his forehead as I rise from my seated position.

        Leaning down to him, I press the muzzle harder into his skin, twisting it slightly. He grits his teeth, looking up at me through his eyelashes, but doesn't make a move. "I can do whatever the fuck I like. And right now, I want nothing more than to leave a hole right between your fucking eyes, so don't push me," I grit through my teeth. It's stupid of me to have the gun so close to his head when my mind is in a frenzy with different voices all shouting and screaming the same thing; to kill him. But I can't help myself sometimes. He just really pisses me off.

        Holding eye contact for a while longer, he finally gives in, heaving out a defeated sigh. "Fine. Fine! But I answered all your questions last time. I don't know what more I can tell you."

        I shake my head, taking a seat. "It's a different matter this time." His eyebrow furrows and he looks confused. He's either playing dumb or he's genuinely fucking stupid. "I'm not here about Dakota."

        "Then who?"

        "Lilah."

        His eyebrows furrow further and his head flinches back faintly. "Lilah? Why the fuck would you be here about her?"

I wet my bottom lip as I shake my head, annoyance seeping into my pores. I get up, walking around to pace in the empty space between the coffee table and the TV mounted to the wall, gun still in my hand. "Don't piss me off," I tell him as I continue to pace, hoping to walk out the tension in my bones. Either that or I shoot him.

"I don't know what you're talking about."

Between him talking and the voices screaming, my head spins and throbs as an ache behind my eyes starts to form. The hand that holds my gun rubs at my temple. Fucking headaches. "I think you do."

"Lets pretend that I don't," he reasons. "Explain it to me."

"Lets pretend your life actually means something and you value it enough to not fuck me off right now."

He shakes his head, his hands resting on either side of him. "I honestly don't know what you're on about. I haven't seen or spoken to Lilah in... God, I don't even know how long." He genuinely looks baffled. "Kody, I'm not lying to you."

"I don't believe you. Shut up," I snap back, coming to a stand still. "Who did you tell about what happened?"

For the first time, he looks like he has a clue. "Mac. When he found out what happened he broke two more fingers for being weak," he lets out a humourless chuckle. "But what's that got to do with Lilah?"

I ignore him. "So then how comes he believed you when you told him I was here for...?" I don't bother to finish the sentence, knowing there would be a high chance I'd turn the gun on myself if I were to say it out loud.

"Are you kidding me?" He scoffs. "I didn't tell him it was you. I said Landon and a friend. He would've done more than break my fingers if he thought a girl had done that to me."

        "Watch it, or this girl might do more than just break a few bones," I growl.

        "Look, I told him what happened because he was pissed that I turned up to a meeting looking the way I did. It was just after everything with you two psycho's happened and I was fucking angry. I told Mac without even thinking about it and after I'd calmed down, I regretted it," he explains, looking at me directly to show me he was being honest. "I know what kind of man Mac is, if you can even call him a man, and I would never have given Landon up had I not been so blinded by rage. But can you blame me? You knocked me out, stuffed me in the boot of your car, took me out into the woods, tortured me, and then almost fucking killed me."

        I tilt my head as I look at him. "Well when you put it like that, it sounds bad."

        "Uh, because it was bad!" He exclaims. I roll my eyes at his dramatics.

        "Shut up, you're getting off topic," I glower at him.

        He huffs, slumping back into the chair, his hands running down his face. "I just don't get what this has to do with Lilah," his arms slump to his side. "I didn't say anything about her. I've never even mentioned her name."

        I scoff at him bitterly. "Clearly you've never heard of retaliation. We found Lilah in the woods a few days ago, barely breathing, bruised all over and missing two fingers," I explain.

        I'm not surprised he doesn't know. If what he's saying is true and no one's told him anything, then he couldn't know. Lilah's parents done everything they could to keep the story from the papers and any social media. They didn't want word to get out about it; said it would be too much for Lilah to handle.

        Ricky suddenly looks pale, "Her fingers were..."

        "Sewn back on, don't be dramatic."

        "Holy shit," he whispers, leaning over and resting his head in his hands. "And you think Mac did that?" He looks up, hands cupped around his mouth.

        I shake my head, my hair falling around my shoulders as I do so. "No. I know people like Mac, they don't like getting their hands dirty. I guessed he got other people to do his dirty work, that's why I came to you."

        "Whoa, what? You think I would do that?"

        "Well I wouldn't put it passed you," I shrug as he glares at me. "But no, I didn't think you were involved in it physically, you're too scared of me."

        "I'm no-."

        "If I have to tell you to shut up one more time, I'm shooting your kneecaps off for the hell of it," I warn sternly. "Don't interrupt." He rolls his eyes but nods anyway. "I came here because I thought you'd know who did it. But you've proved to be useless, yet again."

        He lifts his hand up and I raise an eyebrow. "Permission to speak?" He asks with a sarcastic smile which I ignore as I give him the go ahead. "I truthfully don't know anything about what happened. All that Mac told me was that he'd handle it. After nothing happened to Landon, I thought he'd forgotten about it-- honestly. But he obviously hadn't," he mumbles the last part before standing up. "Look, I really didn't think he'd do that. Obviously I know he's capable of some fucked up shit, but the thought of him hurting anyone but Landon didn't even cross my mind. If I knew what he was planning, I wouldn't have left it happen."

        "So you would've let him hurt Landon?" I ask, a defensive hint to my tone, my anger once again returning.

        Ricky sighs as he shakes his head. "That's not what I meant. I thought Mac was just going to rough him up a little, and Landon's grown, okay? I figured he could handle it. Not for one second did I think he'd do anything so fucking insane, and especially to a fucking girl like Lilah."

        The fact that he's so sincere confuses the fuck out of me. I'm usually good at detecting lies when they're being told to me, especially straight to my face, and while Ricky may be a good liar, he's not that good. But if he's not lying, then he must be being honest, but that can't be right, either.

         He's a bad person. That's why Dakota doesn't like him; that's why he follows Mac around like a lost mutt; that's why... I'm out of points, but I'm sure there are many more reasons. The fact is he's a shit person and shit people don't do good things. They don't care about what happens to other people and they don't look out for anyone but themselves. Ricky's a bad person, I know he is.

        So why didn't Mac clue Ricky in on what he was planning if he thought he'd go along with it? Why did Ricky regret telling Mac about Landon if he wanted him to get hurt? Why did Ricky try and get me to leave and the cover for me afterwards?

        Unless Dakota isn't the only one who needs saving from Mac.

        Putting my gun back in the waistband of my jeans with the safety on, I decide I won't be shooting anyone today, unless I happen to see that little old lady on my way out. I run my hands through my hair in frustration, aware that Ricky is watching my every move.

        "Do you have any idea who could've done it?" I ask as I drop my arms to my sides. "Who does that prick normally get to do his dirty work?"

        "It changes," Ricky informs me. "And with the amount of people he knows, it could be anyone." I huff in pure frustration at his statement. I'm going to have to torture a lot of fucking people to get the answers I want, and who knows how long that will take. "But," Ricky suddenly pipes in again, drawing my attention to him as I subconsciously started to pace again. "I can find out."

        I look at him inquisitively, an interest eyebrow raised. "You can? How?"

        He waves me off, "Just leave that to me," he says cryptically. Reluctantly I agree, seeing as he's probably my best option anyway. Now that I don't have Landon's help on this, and I can't ask Jace because he would freak the fuck out if he knew what I was up to, I would be doing this alone, which would take me forever. At least having Ricky somewhat on my side could speed things along; drastically.

"Kody?" Ricky calls out and I jolt my head upwards, gesturing for him to continue. Wetting his dry lips, he hesitates. "What are you going to do when you find out who they are?"

        And it's a good question, but a question he doesn't need to know the answer to, so I simply shrug my shoulders as I turn my head to look out the window where it has started to rain.

        "Just leave that to me."

___

Author's Note

I won't make this long, I swear.

I'd just like to ask how you're all liking book 2 so far, and just to also say THANK YOU for being such amazing readers.

I'm so proud of my comment section, and not because I get a lot of comments, or praise, or anything like that, (although thank you, I do appreciate it) but because you're all so amazing. I don't think I've gotten any rude comments, or any hate so far on either books. You're all very respectful and polite to me and to each other and I love that! I've seen a few comment sections on other books and there's so many bitchy, judgemental and rude people and I'm glad my book hasn't gotten that so far. You've all been great. So if you could please keep up the positive, energetic and friendly attitude, that would be much appreciated. You're all so amazing!

Anyway, that was way too much niceness for me, so I'll stop there.

Stay happy and healthy everyone, and enjoy reading!