“Landon, I know I should have come to you.” I keep my eyes on him, but I can’t help but glance to check Noah’s backed down from Ivy. “I know I should have, but-”
“Locke said you came to the funeral.” He looks around me, eyes on Noah. “Then, as if by fucking magic, he brings you here now?”
“You got a fucking question that needs answering?” Noah growls.
I move sideways, making sure I'm in Landon's eyeline. “I should have come to you. I'm sorry about not doing so, but I was in shock. Scared of what Lewis might do next and so mixed up I didn’t know what to do. But I soon knew I wanted to bring Lewis to justice.”
He moves closer, suspicious eyes making sure they're aimed at nothing but me. “How do I know you’re telling the truth, Neve? What have you been doing since the funeral? Better yet, where the fuck have you been?”
“Landon, calm down,” his girlfriend cuts in.
“No, Willow. Stay out of this,” he snaps.
“I’ve been looking for Lewis. His movements, his credit cards, wanting to catch him so he can pay for what he’s done.” I stumble backwards a bit as he keeps pushing forwards, my back hitting one of the flower stands. It tumbles over,but it still doesn't stop the verbal attack Landon's launching at me.
“You’ve not been at your house. You’ve not been using your cards, so how? How have you been doing all of this on your own?” He rains his temper down on me, and I make a mistake I’m sure he’s waiting for. I instinctively look to Noah, who's circled back from Ivy and is now just behind Landon.
It’s all Landon needs – that tiny movement gives us away.
“You fucking slept with her, didn't you?” He spins and turns his anger on Noah, who just takes it as if it’s a temper tantrum from a toddler. His expression doesn’t shift, and neither do his eyes. It reminds me of when he first caught me – the dangerous man he’s so comfortable showing everyone.
“Neve, what the hell are you playing at here?” Ivy starts up again.
“This has nothing to do with Noah,” I try to defend him as panic takes over. “I needed to prove my innocence after what you saw, Ivy. I knew you’d need more than my word.”
“No, we’d have believed you, Neve.” Seffi rushes towards me in defence, but I don’t hear anything from Ivy.
“I’m going to ask you one more time, Locke.” The shove he sends at Noah causes nothing but a snarl in response as he moves a foot back. “Did you sleep with my sister?” Still no answer. No more movement either. “Do I need to remind you what's at stake here?”
Tears throb behind my eyes, and a genuine fear of what might happen sends shakes through my body. “You can’t threaten him, Landon.”
“I can do whatever I want!” he shouts, turning to me. My feet wobble under me at the hateful look in his eyes. “You, however, don't seem to be able to do a damn thing successfully short of get our father shot and fuck the staff.”
“Back off, Landon,” Noah hisses.
“Or what?”
Noah’s arm snaps out so fast none of us see it coming.
He punches Landon, hitting him square in the jaw and sending him flying back to a wall.
“Woah!”
“Locke, what the hell?”
“Landon!”
Everyone talks at once and over each other, the room scattering with bodies as they try to do something. The pretty woman who’s been sitting next to Landon jumps to his aid as I watch on, and I stay staring at my brother as he shakes his head at the force of that punch. Blake is heading in Noah’s direction, making me jump in between them before this turns disastrous.
My hand lands on his arm, ready to stop him from hitting anyone else. “Noah, what did you do?” I whisper to him.
“Fucking deserved it.” He shrugs out of my hold and stalks from the library. “Stupid.”
“Locke!” Landon bellows as he rights himself.
“Leave him, please,” I beg, trying to get to the doorway to block it.
Landon physically moves me out the way. “We aren’t done, here Neve. Ivy, make sure she doesn’t go anywhere.”
