Page 113 of Fighting a Riot

Yak shifted so he was next to me and facing Evan. We watched Evan climb the stairs to the porch. “Good. I’m gonna do whatever it takes to keep her happy and safe.”

Evan looked at me and back to Yak. “Even from yourself?”

I gasped, but Evan held up a hand to silence me… I made a mental note to have words about that later.

Yak held Evan’s gaze but kept quiet a long while. He sighed. “I’m not gonna let her go.”

From the ghost of a smile tugging at Evan’s lips, I knew all was forgiven. “Be careful. You’re damn close to Rick-rolling me. That shit isn’t done, man.”

I shook my head. “Let’s go inside. I should have put on clothes before coming down here—”

Yak chuckled. “Not if you ask me, babe. It’s the only thing that might have gotten the point across to ol’ Destin.”

I led Evan into the kitchen and set out three mugs for coffee.

“Leave mine empty, babe. I’m gonna shower,” Yak said.

Evan grabbed the coffee pot and poured two cups. “You want creamer?”

“I’ll get it. I’m sure you don’t want any, Mr. Military Man.”

He shrugged a shoulder. “Today, I think I’ll live a little.”

I doctored both cups and Evan took them out to the living room.

He held his cup close to his lips and stared at the huge, ornate, oak fireplace mantle. “Are you on board with his attitude? Never letting you go and all that?”

I took a deep breath and sipped my coffee while memories rolled through my mind of Yak ‘stealing’ the moon for me. I recalled how strong and immediate my feelings were for him. None of that had changed… if anything they’d only become stronger. Especially after watching him handle Destin–no matter how little that said about me.

After swallowing my java, I locked eyes with my twin. “I’m on board, all right.”

His lips pursed a touch. “That fast. Really?”

I shook my head. “It isn’t really that fast, Ev. It’s been almost five months.”

The faintest creak of the stairs could be heard, but my brother homed in on any strange noises and went quiet. Yak came downstairs after what had to have been a five-minute shower –a feat I never managed. I blamed the three-in-one mens products. He went into the kitchen and got his coffee.

After Yak settled himself next to me, Evan eyed him for a moment. “I don’t understand how that asshole got in with your club or why he’d want to.”

Yak sighed. “Turns out, his sister was with Iggy, a member of the Devil Lancers. She took Prime around him –he would have been seventeen or so at the time. He idolized Iggy. But, Iggy went missing a few years back and the cops couldn’t make heads or tails of it.”

A shrewd look crossed Evan’s face. “But the Devil Lancers blamed you?”

“No, they never said that to us or the cops,” Yak said, shaking his head. His baffled expression would have fooled most people, I was on to his tone and expressions, though. The Riot had everything to do with Iggy disappearing.

If Evan suspected, he kept quiet about it. “But why take Nora and Suzy?”

Yak swallowed some coffee. “From what we found, the Devil Lancers planned to hit Platinum’s that night. Assumed we’d be short-staffed and shit because Turk and I would both would be searching for our women.”

Evan nodded. “So, the cops kept that from happening.”

Yak’s patient smile probably seemed genuine to Evan. I had said something similar afterward, and Yak made it clear that was the civilian in me speaking. The Riot brothers would have prevented it regardless.

“Yeah, guess so,” Yak muttered.

Evan took his coffee cup to the kitchen sink. “I’d stick around, but I got shit to do. Nora, you need help with your radiation appointments, call me.” His eyes slid to Yak. “This guy needs to sleep during the day.”

Chapter 17