Wrong love

Chapter Eighteen: Don't touch her

The Ryder mansion was unusually quiet.

Too quiet.

The kind of quiet that made people uncomfortable.

Jace stepped through the front door.

Still furious.

The image of Max attacking Elara refused to leave his head.

The i***t had actually gone after her again.

And this time Orion had been there.

If Orion had wanted to kill Max, he probably could have.

Yet Max acted like none of it mattered.

Like it had all been some kind of game.

Jace entered the living room.

Immediately spotting everyone.

Cole sat in an armchair.

Mason occupied half a couch.

And at the far end of the room—

Their father.

Nathan Ryder.

Home.

Rare.

Very rare.

Nathan sat silently with a glass in his hand.

Watching.

Listening.

Saying nothing.

Which somehow felt worse than yelling.

Then Jace saw Max.

Relaxed.

Comfortable.

Smiling.

Always smiling.

That stupid smile.

Something inside Jace snapped.

"What the hell were you thinking?"

The room froze.

Max looked up.

Amused.

"Oh, we're doing this now?"

"You attacked her again."

Cole immediately looked up.

Mason groaned.

Nathan remained silent.

Max leaned back.

"Interesting."

"You went after her."

"And?"

"And?"

Jace laughed harshly.

"Do you have any idea how stupid that was?"

Max's smile widened.

"Oh."

The realization dawned on him.

"That's why you're angry."

Jace clenched his fists.

"You nearly started a war."

"No."

Max replied calmly.

"I nearly killed a vampire."

"Max."

"What?"

"Leave her alone."

The room fell silent.

Completely silent.

Even Mason stopped moving.

Max slowly tilted his head.

Like a predator spotting weakness.

"Leave her alone?"

Jace immediately realized his mistake.

Too late.

Way too late.

Max stood.

Slowly.

A dangerous grin spreading across his face.

"That's new."

Jace glared.

"Shut up."

"No."

Max took a step forward.

Eyes locked onto his younger brother.

"You care."

"I don't."

"You do."

"I don't."

"You absolutely do."

Jace's jaw tightened.

Cole looked between them.

Suddenly understanding.

Mason looked horrified.

And entertained.

Mostly entertained.

"Oh, this is bad," Mason muttered.

Nobody listened.

Max laughed.

The sound echoed through the room.

"You've fallen for your own target."

The words landed like a bomb.

Silence.

Dead silence.

Jace felt every eye in the room turn toward him.

Cole.

Mason.

Even Nathan.

Watching.

Waiting.

Jace wanted to punch Max.

Hard.

Instead he pointed toward him.

"You're insane."

Max grinned.

"Maybe."

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

"Really?"

Max took another step.

Then another.

Relentless.

"If I walked outside tonight and killed her..."

Jace moved before he even thought about it.

A growl escaped him.

Low.

Dangerous.

Instant.

The entire room froze.

Max smiled.

Because that reaction told him everything.

"There it is."

Jace realized what he'd done.

Too late.

Again.

Max looked delighted.

"You didn't growl when I threatened a vampire."

Jace's stomach dropped.

"You growled when I threatened Elara."

The room became suffocatingly quiet.

Even Nathan finally looked up.

For the first time all evening.

His eyes settling on Jace.

Studying him.

Thinking.

Max laughed softly.

Victorious.

"Oh, little brother."

His silver eyes gleamed.

"You are in so much trouble."

Jace didn't answer.

Because for the first time...

He wasn't entirely sure Max was wrong.

And that terrified him.

Far more than any vampire ever could.