Page 9 of Riot

“See?” Riot fires this at me, but I don’t dare to look at him as I spear my sausage.

Seeing him hold my daughter, being kind to my brother, and worrying about whether I’m eating enough unravels what’s left of my composure.

And it makes me wish for a life I can’t have.

THREE

RIOT

“Go left!”Toby’s voice goes up an octave as he barks out the command, as if he’s really a general on a battlefield and I’m some lowly soldier following orders.

I shove the stick on the controller to the side, watching the huge TV screen in front of us.

These fuckin’ games are addictive, and the graphics are so good, it feels as if I’m in it. I never played this shit until I started sitting with Maylie’s siblings, but now?

As much as I hate to admit it, I fucking enjoy hanging out with the kid and playing this brain rot.

But it makes me miss my nephew and nieces. My sister won’t let me back into her life unless I ditch the club, which ain’t fucking happening. And Jack? Well, my brother is a self-absorbed cunt. I ain’t seen his son in months, and that fucking pisses me off.

Toby fires a volley from his gun, taking down two players on the other team. He whoops as he does, and his excitement fills some of that hollow space in my chest.

Family ain’t born. It’s built.

The round ends and the screen shifts to the menu.

“You’re getting better,” he remarks, like a teacher grading a student.

I’m mostly just mashing buttons and hoping for the best, but I take the compliment. “Thanks for the endorsement, kid.”

I glance towards the door, expecting to see Ivy standing there, rolling her eyes at us like she normally does, but the frame remains empty.

I’ve been here for over an hour already and she ain’t come out of her room. That’s not like her. Usually, she’d be out here, soaking up the chaos and the company, calling her brother names and ripping into me.

“You piss your sister off?” I keep my tone light even as my nerves coil tight beneath my ribs.

Every instinct pulls me towards her, like I’m tethered to her by an invisible thread.

She’d been weird yesterday morning. Sure, she’d bantered with me and acted normal, but beneath that front, somethin’ wasn’t right.

“Which one?” Toby asks.

I let out a huff of laughter, just enough to loosen the tension burrowing under my skin. “I know you ain’t stupid enough to piss off Maylie.”

Toby laughs.

Mace has become unhinged since his old lady got pregnant. He was protective of her before, but now? He’s trying to hold up a house of cards with one finger.

“Ivy’s…” He hesitates, his nose wrinkling. “Ivy.”

I lean forward, a protective wave surging through my chest, ready to tear into whatever he’s about to say. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

There’s more bite behind my words than I intend.

Don’t lose your shit at the kid.

Toby blows out a breath, his brows furrowing, then he shrugs. “You know, fine one minute, bitchy the next.”

That ain’t fucking true. Ivy’s been strong since Link disappeared out of her life.

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