Page 100 of Riordan's Revenge

We didn’t, and I gave them a little wave and a smile that only grew bigger at the mayor calling out an order to them.

Happiness spilled through me, and I twisted to press an excited kiss to the side of Riordan’s face. “You’re back. I missed ye.”

Behind us, three or four skeleton crew members jogged to keep up and to block the police from following. Then we were inside and storming the corridor towards Divide’s dance floor. Music pounded, and the DJ got the staff party started.

Grim-faced, Riordan dropped me down, pulling me behind him as he twisted to see the way we’d come. At the entranceway, Lonnie admitted the crew but barred the police, locking himself on the outside and presumably telling them what I already knew. They couldn’t have me. Riordan had made his claim.

The door opened again, and Riordan jerked back, but it was only to let in Lara and Moniqua. They skipped past us, empty trays at their sides and neither saying a word.

Riordan’s nostrils flared, and he finally looked at me. Emotion swirled in his eyes. “What the fuck were you doing outside?”

“Meeting and greeting. All those people out there were going to badmouth us. I wanted to make a better impression about female empowerment, which I’m not sure if you helped or hindered, caveman.”

“The police showed up. The goddamned mayor is out there. The man we stole from and who wants you arrested.” He shoved his fingers into his hair, messing it so perfectly.

I couldn’t resist. Moving in on him, I brushed the strands from his eyes. “Ye are so beautiful. I can’t even deal.”

“And you could’ve been taken. Again,” he roared, loud enough to combat the thudding beat from the dance floor at the end of the corridor.

I popped a hip. “I’m fast as fuck, boy. I’d like to see them try.”

Riordan muttered something to himself then again snatched me up into his arms and marched down the hall. We entered the open space, a cheer going up as others noticed. I grinned, hooked on his dark energy and more than ready to see how this played out.

A vague sense of concern hovered at the edge of my awareness, but I wouldn’t let it in. Riordan had asked me to be safe, and I had. Even if those cops had arrested me, nothing would have happened. Arran owned their boss. My family had a judge in our pocket, a long-term arrangement since they’d paid him off to get me out of foster care.

Shite. Maybe I should have told Riordan some of that.

On the far side of the room, the DJ worked her station, the music not stopping despite the attention of half the assembled group being on us. An escalating beat pulsed through the space. Pink neon lights swirled, the party set up to celebrate everything the warehouse did and stood for. Tonight was going to be lit.

Lifting my head again, I spotted Arran with Genevieve and Shade with Everly and gave them a wave.

Shade put his fist to his mouth, barely hiding a smirk. I narrowed my eyes.

At a high table, Riordan placed me down belly first, one big hand to my shoulders to keep me there. He wrestled with the button of my tight black uniform shorts, and my pulse quickened. Surely he wasn’t going to fuck me here? I mean, I was up for trying anything, but exhibitionism wasn’t his jam, was it?

He undid the shorts then yanked them down over my backside, exposing my tiny pair of black underwear and fishnet tights. One rip, and he tore straight through the tights.

With my face heating, I struggled up, needing to see his expression. Riordan pushed me right back down again. Not before I spotted something in his hand.

He pressed it to my arse cheek. “This is a fucking tracker. Seeing as I can’t trust you to stay safe.”

Awhat? My eyebrows furrowed, the words penetrating before a shock hit my skin. It barely stung, but humiliation followed fast.

He’d shot a tracker under my skin like I was his pet.

In front of everyone.

I gritted my teeth. Riordan wasn’t done. Tossing the gun-type device he’d used to the floor, he yanked my shorts back up and picked me up again.

Furious, I didn’t make eye contact with anyone we passed.

Out of the room, I smacked my fist into his lower back, forcing him to come to a halt in the centre of the corridor. On my feet again, I whirled on him.

“I can’t believe ye just did that.”

“Then let the sting in your ass remind you.”

I huffed in outrage, the patch of injured skin smarting. “I wasn’t in danger. Lonnie was in the crowd. He was instructed to stop me from leaving the warehouse area but even he agreed to us circulating drinks through the crowd. It was low risk. Dixieand Bonnie had wandered out and spent time talking to the people outside. The vibe is happy and excited.”

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