Page 7 of Fighting a Riot

The idea of letting her go rankled in the worst way.

A new prospect brought two sandwiches up to Yak’s room. Once the door closed, he said, “Sorry about all that.”

Nora held the electric-blue ice pack to her head. “It was an accident. I’m just happy his fist didn’t hit you.”

He froze, unsure if he was honored or pissed. He split the difference and went with annoyed. “I’ll gladly take a man’s fist every time, not you.”

She shook her head, lowering the ice pack. “I don’t mean that, but I’d hate to see you with a bloody lip. Though that hurt more than I expected. He would have broken your jaw.”

He ground his teeth. “Sure as shit, I should have clocked him—”

“Yak, stop it. I’ve never been hit before. I’ll survive and he didn’t mean to hit me. In fact, I need to go let him know it’s all right.”

“It fucking is not,” he snapped. With a long blink, he blew out a breath. “Sorry to snap. Do you know where you’re going? Do you need help getting your stuff from the moron’s place?”

She held her sandwich aloft and frowned. “Not quite yet. Once I finish this sandwich, I’m calling Mia about my purse.”

“What the hell does Mia do?”

Her forehead wrinkled in question. “You sound angry.”

A humorless chuckle escaped him. “She left you behind. You were the whole reason for being at Platinum’s, and that bitch left with your purse… but not you. So, yeah, I’m angry. If I hit women, she’d earn a fist.”

“Yak,” she gasped.

“What? Are you gonna justify it? You haven’t said word one about that shit.”

She shook her head. “I haven’t given it a lot of thought - seeing as I’ve been too busy getting over being embarrassed for passing out in that room only to wake up and get my first-ever motorcycle ride.”

His chest locked and it felt like a warm weight took root in his body. He loved that he’d given Nora her first ride on a bike.

He nodded. “Yeah, well, there’s no denying the fact that somebody should have verified your whereabouts.”

She shook her head. “Everyone drove separately for some stupid reason when the limo fell through. Mia was the only one still at the club by the time Destin called me.”

After a long blink he gazed back into her green eyes. “That’s his fuckin’ name? Like the city? Destin?”

She nodded and bit into her sandwich.

He gave a low growling sigh, but kept his smart-ass comment to himself. “Eat up. I’ll take you to get your shit. I don’t have my car here, so I gotta see if someone has a vehicle I can borrow. I’m guessing you’ll have more stuff than my saddlebags can handle.”

He carried his plate down to the kitchen. At the sound of shuffling footsteps behind him, he turned to find Roll sauntering into the cramped kitchen –Trixie right behind him.

“Liar said you got a woman upstairs who needs a place to stay.”

“It won’t be with that damned neighbor of his,” Yak muttered.

Roll nodded. “Got a place I can’t seem to fill—”

Yak sighed. “Doubt she can pay the rent, man. She’s got cancer. I don’t know what she does for a living, but forking over a deposit and all that shit…” he shrugged. “I don’t see it happening.

Roll stroked a hand down his goatee. “Not like that place is making me any money right now, so I’m willing to waive the deposit, if she can swing the rent. Let her know about it. She can talk to me.”

Trixie glared at Roll. “You’re really gonna charge that woman rent? I heard she got jilted, too.”

Roll sighed and shook his head. “Woman—”

Trixie put a hand on her hip. “Oh, no. Don’t you ‘woman’ me. I know the sound of that one.”

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