Page 77 of Boys Who Taint (Spine Ridge University #5)

Wow. I’ve never heard him say please before.

I look at the guys, who all nod, and then back at Levi. After a quick kiss to the forehead, he whispers, “Go. Mend things with your family. I’ll still be here when you get back.”

Reluctantly, I release him and squeeze hands with Grey and Apollo before I leave the room.

We walk to a hallway and into a waiting room just beyond, and I park myself against the doorjamb while he sits down on the seat in the corner.

“Talk,” I say.

“I don’t like doing this, but whatever. I just wanted to tell you that I don’t hate you or anything.”

That was it?

“Wow, thanks.” I roll my eyes.

“No, wait,” he says when I try to walk off.

I pause. “Get to the point.”

He takes in a deep breath. “Honest to God, I wanted to kill him. I thought he just killed her for the fun of it. And when I had him pinned down in that chair, he told me he fucked you, and I flipped out.” He runs his fingers through his white and black hair.

“Not just one but two of my sisters… I couldn’t fucking handle it. ”

I nod a few times. “Okay. Understandable. And?”

He looks away. “I wanted to … apologize.”

My jaw slowly drops.

Silas? Apologizing? Since when?

“For hurting you.”

I take a step closer. “You mean that?”

“I don’t say shit I don’t mean.”

I smirk and fold my arms. “You also said you were gonna kill Levi, which you didn’t.”

He narrows his eyes. “Yet.”

“Oh fuck off.” I laugh.

He clears his throat. “So we good?”

I take in a deep breath too. “I appreciate you were just trying to protect me. And I can understand you were upset about Mavis.”

“That’s an understatement,” he mutters under his breath.

“You weren’t alone,” I say. “I lost someone too. I felt angry and betrayed.”

Finally, he looks at me like we’re on the same level.

“But taking it out on Levi won’t bring her back. It won’t solve anything.”

His nostrils flare. “I can’t say I’ll ever forgive him.”

“But can you let him live? Will you let him love me?”

He takes a few seconds to respond. “I don’t want to.” He swallows. “But I don’t want to lose more fucking family either, and that includes you.”

So he knows what’s on the line. Good.

I smile. “Thank you.”

He shakes his head and walks off. “Whatever.”

“Nu-uh, you don’t get to run away like that, get back here,” I say, dragging him out of the hallway by his goddam shirt and back into Levi’s room. “Tell him the same thing you told me.”

Levi stares him down just as harshly as Silas stares him down.

I shove him forward. “Say it.”

“I’m sorry I tried to kill you,” he says through gritted teeth. “But I’m glad it fucking hurt.”

Levi narrows his eyes at him. “Is that supposed to be an apology?”

“That’s all you’re gonna get. My sister is still dead.”

“And I’m sorry,” Levi growls back.

“You should be,” Silas rebukes.

“He didn’t kill her,” I say.

“But if he hadn’t made that dumb pact with her, she’d still be alive!” he shouts.

“She was the one who suggested it,” Levi retorts.

“If you’d just confessed your fucking feelings to my sister, she would’ve never suggested it!”

Wow. They sound like a married couple.

“Touché …” Apollo says, and Levi throws him a glare.

A wickedly proud smile slowly forms on Levi’s face. “You’re just mad I’m fucking your sister.”

Silas’s pupils dilate, his muscles tightening instantly. “You—”

Apollo flexes his muscles at Silas, who glances between him and Levi, then settles for a mad grumble.

I roll my eyes.

Men.

“You can’t be serious,” Silas says, looking at me now. “These three? With those faces?” He plants his hands on my shoulders. “I can get you a dozen other guys better than them.”

“Ouch, now that hurt,” Apollo mutters.

I tilt my head. “You know I’m not going to change my mind right?”

Silas closes his eyes and sucks in a deep breath, visibly annoyed. “Goddammit.”

Grey hides a chuckle in the corner.

“You just had to go and fall for these three boneheads …” Silas groans.

“And you’re just going to have to accept it. Just like I have with you, Ivy, Heath, and Max.”

His face turns stone-cold, like he got caught red-handed. “Really? You’re gonna throw them under the bus?”

“You know I’m right.” I wink.

He grumbles again. “Fine. Do what you want. I’m not stopping you.”

Before he can leave, I drag him in for a forced hug. He doesn’t protest even though I know he hates them.

“Thank you.”

“For what?”

“For trusting me.”

Finally, he releases all the pent-up rage and just gives in to the love, as his hand settles on the small of my back and a short breath escapes his mouth.

“Be careful,” he says with a soft voice, probably so the others won’t hear. “I don’t want to lose you too.”

I smile. “I know.”

He pulls back and points at the guys. “And if any of you ever even cause so much as a scratch on her skin I will fucking skin you alive and hang you on the Skull and Serpent Society walls like a goddamn tapestry.”

“Jesus, that’s morbid,” Grey mutters.

“I’m more of a Shibari fan, but that’ll work for me,” Apollo says, snorting.

Levi punches his arm, then focuses on Silas. “I was willing to die for her. You bet your ass I’ll protect her with my life.”

Silas’s face scrunches, like he’s actually contemplating the words. “Good. Just know I’m keeping my eyes on you.” He holds two fingers in front of his eyes then toward my guys and back to his eyes again.

I snort. “All right, sheriff, that’s enough.” I push him out of the room.

But before he leaves, he grips the doorpost and says, “I forgot to tell you, Mom and Dad wanna have a chat with Levi and his parents.”

Oh God.

Silas sticks up both his middle fingers to the guys. “Bring some tape for when they’re done ripping your asses so you can tape it back together. See ya.”