Page 63 of Riot

“Riot!” Maylie’s voice pulls his attention to her, and the moment our gazes break, the air floods my lungs again. “There’s nothing in the fridge, if that’s why you’re here.”

“I don’t just come to eat,” he complains. “But why is the fridge empty?”

Every part of me is acutely aware of him as he sinks into the armchair closest to where I’m sitting.

He leans forwards and runs his fingers over Seren’s head, so close I can smell his aftershave and the leather of his kutte.

“Because there’s no such thing as grocery fairies.”

She smiles sweetly as she delivers the sarcastic blow, and I snort under my breath.

“I don’t know why you spend so much time here,” Toby murmurs. “You could have a whole harem of women underneath you, and yet you choose to hang out here.”

Those words are like an ice bucket of water over my head.

My head whips in his direction like it’s on a rope.

“Kid,” Riot snaps, but I scan his face.

He’s been staying here since Seren got home, but he’s a free man. I don’t have any say over whether he’s sleeping around.

My stomach twists, churning like a stormy ocean. The thought of someone else touching him makes me want to puke.

“Like it ain’t true,” Toby says, but his ears are pink.

“It ain’t.”

“Where on earth did you learn about harems?” Maylie demands then shakes her head. “You know what? Nevermind, I don’t want to know. Riot does not have lines of women ready to do his bidding, and it’s not very polite to talk about somebody’ssexlife.” Her voice drops low when she says the word ‘sex’, like it’s a dirty word.

Toby pauses his game, giving his attention to our sister. “If I wasn’t polite, I would tell you that you’re not as quiet as you think you are when you’re with Mace.”

He smirks as our sister’s cheeks flush red, and despite that tug in my chest, I bark out a laugh.

“You wanna make it to eighteen?” Mace’s voice from the doorway yanks Toby’s eyes towards him.

I can feel Riot watching me, but I don’t look at him. I can’t.

“I’m notloud.” Maylie’s cheeks are still bright red. “I… I’m not. Am I?”

Mace sits next to her, pulling her against him and kissing her temple. “You’re fuckin’ perfect.”

I decide to be kind and save my sister from dying of embarrassment. “Maylie and I have far worst stories about you, so please, continue down this path.”

Toby gives the TV his attention. “I’m shuttin’ my mouth,” he mumbles.

“I don’t have a harem.” It takes my brain a second to realise Riot’s talking to me.

I lock on to his piercing eyes. That half-smile he seems to always wear makes my knees weak and the back of my neck hot.

“Right.”

His fingers twitch, as if he wants to touch me, but instead, he trails them over Seren’s chubby cheek. “I don’t.”

The way he’s studying me has me shifting in my seat. Bands of steel stretch around my lungs. The air in the room is suddenly wisp thin, and I can’t breathe.

“I’m going to make a coffee. Does anybody want anything?”

I don’t hear anyone’s reply before I fly out the room like the devil is chasing on my heels—a devil in leather and denim, covered in tattoos.

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