He didn’t answer. Instead, his fingers crushed the paper in his fist, crumpling it into a ball, and he dropped the pizza box onto the porch with a dull splat.
“Maddox?” I pressed, reaching for his arm, but he was already moving.
Fuck.
Just as the delivery driver began pulling away from the curb, Maddox launched directly in front of the car, completely fearless. A scream rose in my throat as I watched, the world moving in slow motion.Holy shit. He’s going to get hit.
The driver slammed on the brakes, causing the car to rock forward on its suspension before stopping inches from Maddox’s legs.
“Maddox!” I shouted, heart lurching into my throat as fear spiked through me.
He didn’t seem to hear me as he yanked the driver’s door open and grabbed the delivery guy by his shirt. Maddox dragged him out of the seat like he weighed nothing, all that football-trained muscle making it effortless. He slammed him back against the car so hard I swore he was going to knock out the skinny pizza guy.
“What the hell, man?!” the driver cried. He was young, maybe twenty, eyes wide and panicked behind wire-rimmed glasses.
“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. Areyouokay?”
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.”
