Savage Little Lies (Court Legacy 2)

I still didn’t, squeezing his hand.

“Knock, knock. Anyone home?”

I let go of my brother’s hand when Ares Mallick entered the doorframe. Basically, I was surprised as fuck.

I wasn’t the only one.

Bruno’s jaw dropped, mine even lower.

Ares had brought… flowers.

He had like a huge fucking display of them, in a pot and everything. He balanced that on one hand, his hood up and all his curly hair pushing out. He laughed. “You seeing visitors, bro?”

Pure shock stiffened me as I watched my brother brighten up, then sit up. Bru attempted, but he struggled, so I elevated his bed more.

“I got it,” he growled, still trying to be strong. Bru waved Ares over. “Of course, man. Come on in, and good to see you.”

“Good to see yo

u, kid,” Ares returned. He came into the room with his plant, and my expression dropped.

The side of his face was a completely different color.

Like legit, his face had transformed. Red and purple marred his usually golden skin, and he’d healed pretty well since his run-in with my brother, and Dorian after that. Dorian had actually hit him over that haze at the lake.

And again this morning.

Dorian had hit him earlier today, but I didn’t recall Ares’s face looking like that. I definitely would have noticed.

Ares had obviously tried to hide it as he gave my brother the pot he brought. He had his hood up and his hair around his face, but there was no hiding that bruise. Ares lifted the pot. “Sorry I wasn’t around sooner. I, um…”

“Nah, you’re fine.” Bru visibly brightened. Ares looked like he didn’t know what to do with the pot, and Bru advised to place it on the table near the door. Ares had to double back to do this, and when he did, I got up.

I told Bru I’d be back, then asked Ares if we could talk out of the room for a second. He was hesitant, but he followed me out. We made it into the hallway, and I propped my hands on my hips. “I want to see it.”

“What?”

I eyed him like it was obvious, his face. His gaze caught the ceiling, and I took it upon myself to tug his hood down.

I covered my mouth. He looked like someone had assaulted him, over and over someone had kicked his ass, and growling, he tugged the hood back up.

“Who did that to you?”

His attention reached the lights again. “What’s it to you?”

It wasn’t, but this was fucked up. I shifted on my high-tops. “Was it Dorian?” They’d fought before.

Had they fought again?

The way that Ares avoided my eye contact told me this appeared to be the case, and I was floored by this. This didn’t make sense. Dorian getting all territorial and shit. He hadn’t cared about me at all.

“What’s his problem?” I gritted, trying to keep my voice down because my brother was basically behind us. We’d gone into the hall, but I hadn’t closed the door. “Why is he acting like he fucking cares?”

“Probably because he does.”

I blinked, ramrod straight in that fucking hallway. “He doesn’t. He thinks I lied to him.”

“But that obviously hasn’t stopped him from acting the way he’s acting.” He was being so candid with me, real. He braced his arms. “Why did you call me a friend, little? You did, and that fucking set him off.” He leaned in. “We’re not friends.”