Page 23 of Riot's Thorn
“Don’t apologize. I’d feel the same way if my relatives were caught doing the vile things yours were.”
Her words don’t make me feel any better, but I don’t think they were meant to. This woman isn’t warm and fuzzy. She seems like the kind of person who speaks the truth, regardless of the consequences.
“I didn’t know.”
“No, you didn’t. If you did, you’d be in the morgue with your dad.”
My lip quivers. “Why do you do what you do? Why not leave it to the cops?”
“Have you met the police chief?” she asks.
“Yeah, he attends a lot of the same functions my dad used to drag me to.” When Killer pins me with a look, I realize why she asked in the first place. “He would’ve covered it up, huh?”
“Yep, but when we go in and make a big mess like we did, it’s harder to keep quiet. I’m waiting to see just how deep the corruption goes because the story they’re spinning now is that it was a home invasion gone wrong. If it stays that way, I have a lot more work to do.”
Or maybe the reason is that she’s wrong and Dad wasn’t doing what she thought. “I see.”
“I didn’t come in here to make you feel bad; I just wanted to make sure Riot wasn’t. . . being Riot. But I can tell by those nasty bruises he has been.”
“He almost killed me,” I say, testing to see if she’ll release me.
“Shit.” She blows out a breath. “I don’t know what happened to Riot to make him this way, but I know from passing comments that it has to do with his mom. She was abusive. I’m not sure in what way, but for a guy who probably wasn’t good at human interaction in the first place, I’m pretty sure it fucked him up. I also know, deep down, he’s a good person. He wouldn’t have volunteered to keep me safe each time I go hunting if heweren’t. He and I have become sort of friends, and I probably know him the best, though that’s not saying much.”
“Good people don’t try and strangle innocent women they’ve abducted.”
“Maybe in that cushy life you once led, but sweetheart, you’re far from it now. You’ve been hurled into the harsh realm of reality, where nothing is simply black or white.” She shrugs. “I might not look it now, but I was you once. My biggest worry was whether my shoes matched my new dress. When I broke free, I was hit hard by the brutal truth of the world’s suffering and pain that had been hidden from me my whole life. Yet, it was all worth it because out here, you find people who are truly in your corner, not the ones ready to plunge a knife into your back."
“That’s not me,” I say, even though itisme. I went to the college Dad wanted me to, and I’m studying business so I can one day take over the family business. He never asked me if that’s what I wanted; it was just implied.
“Sure, babe.” She pats my knee. “Keep telling yourself that.”
I’m not even ready to admit to myself everything I’ve done to please Dad, so I’m sure as hell not about to admit it to her. This isn’t a conversation I want to have with a stranger, so I simply ask, “You’re not here to rescue me, are you?”
“Not a chance.” She stands, clasping her hands in front of herself. “Give the guy a break, would ya? He won’t always do the right thing, but most of the time, I don’t think he knows what that even is.”
CHAPTER EIGHT
RIOT
Istare into my glass, watching the way the bubbles from my beer float to the surface while I think. I brought her sushi, something I know she likes because it was on her sign, so why won’t she eat it? I didn’t even get the chance to present her with the backpack of all her stuff. Maybe if I had, that would’ve changed her attitude?
“You good, brother?” Dutch, an enforcer for the club, asks, obviously noticing my mood. On a good day, I’m an asshole. On a bad day, I’m insufferable, which is why my brothers ignore me. So why have I had to push away three people already?
I couldn’t stay in that cabin, though. I had to get out of there before I did or said something she wouldn’t forgive me for. That’s curious in itself because I don’t typically care about sparing anyone’s feelings. I can always be trusted to tell it like it is, no matter the consequences, because you’re an idiot if you get upset over facts. Being upset doesn’t make them any less true, but I don’t want Parker to hate me, which is why I’m sitting at the bar and not finishing my conversation with her.
“Fine.”
“Yeah, you look it.” He sits on the stool next to me. “What’s going on?”
“I kidnapped a girl from the last job Killer and I went on and have her holed up in my cabin. If I let her go, she’ll likely tell the cops I killed her dad, and then Bart Banks would kill her, something I should’ve done in the first place. But I can’t make myself do it, and I don’t know why,” I say, hoping maybe he has some advice for me.
He bellows with laughter, gaining the attention of everyone in here. There isn’t a party going on, but Sugar just got done serving dinner, so more than a few people are loitering around. I don’t laugh. Not only because this isn’t funny, but also because I just don’t laugh in general.
When he sees not even a hint of amusement on my face, he must remember I don’t joke, and his laughter dies. “Holy fuck. Dead ass?” When I look at him in confusion, he clarifies. “You’re serious, aren’t you?”
“I said it, didn’t I?”
“Does Cy know about this?”
