Page 80 of Riot's Thorn
Glancing at my phone, I see it’s seven in the morning, meaning I only got about three hours of sleep. If I didn’t have stuff to do today, I’d go back to bed, but I have meetings with Dad’s lawyers and business partners. There are papers to sign and decisions to make. Plus, I need to figure out if I’m dropping out of college or talking to my professors about getting caught up.
The weight of my to-do list is heavy but unavoidable, so I force myself out of bed and tug the covers up so I can make it pretty again. A glint in the morning sun catches my attention, and I’m suddenly aware of a weight on my finger that wasn’t there when I went to sleep.
Lifting my hand, I see Mom’s wedding ring. “What the hell?”
My mind runs through my memories, like maybe I just forgot I put it on before I left the clubhouse, but I’m certain I didn’t. Also, I know it wasn’t there last night, which means?—
I dart out of my bedroom door and into the living room with its tall ceilings, river rock hearth, and oversized furniture. Not finding anyone there, I round the corner to the kitchen.
“Oh, god. Rebel.” I cover my mouth, feeling last night’s dinner wanting to come back up.
“What’s wrong?” Rebel goes on high alert, her hand shooting to her sidearm.
“Someone broke in,” I say, fully knowing who the “someone” is.
Her brows pinch together. “I’m sorry?”
“I woke up with my mom’s ring on, and I wasn’t wearing it when I went to bed.”
She opens her mouth, but no words come out. Instead, she makes her way to my bedroom. She inspects each window and the French doors in the bathroom that lead outside. They have an interior locking mechanism that can’t be disengaged from the outside, so if he didn’t get in from there, then where?
“Let me look at the cameras, though they would’ve alerted us if they picked up any motion.” She studies her screen. “The cameras are on, and there were no alerts. We’ll have to watch the feed to make sure, but it would be next to impossible to not be detected.”
“I know exactly where I left this ring, and I can say with one hundred percent certainty I didn’t bring it here,” I say.
Rebel gets out her radio and calls for Thorne to come inside. Minutes later, I’m explaining the situation to him, but he parrots what Rebel told me. What they don’t know is that Riot is a ghost when he wants to be. His job and his life depend on it.
“Parker? Are you okay?” Thorne asks, drawing me back to the conversation.
“What? Oh, yeah. I’m fine. But I think I might know who’s behind what happened last night and now this.”
“Who?” they both ask in unison.
“Riot.” I plop down onto the bed.
“Who’s that?”
“My”—the ring I wear on my third finger grabs the sunlight, sparkling brilliantly—“fiancé.”
“You have a fiancé? Why didn’t you tell us about him?” Thorne crosses his arms over his barrel chest.
“Because I don’t know if we’re still together.”
“Breaking into your house while you’re sleeping is the definition of a red flag, Parker. Who is this guy?” Rebel asks.
I huff, but I’m smiling. “That’s one of the tamer things he’s done.”
“Can you call him and ask?” Rebel asks. “Because if it’s not him, we need to call in the cops. Honestly, even if it is him, I’d still call the cops.”
I stand. “I’m sorry I even brought it up. We’re leaving in thirty minutes, so I’d better get ready.”
“Are you sure?” Thorne asks.
“Positive. Thank you.” I close the door after them and stare out into the forest. Is he out there right now? Has he been watching me the whole time?
Then, it hits me. Bodhi was choked out close to my bathroom at the same time I was showering. If this is Riot, that makes sense. He’s overly possessive and wouldn’t want anyone else to see my body. Rubbing my forehead, I debate how to handle this.
I can’t go back to the clubhouse and tell him to stop; he’ll just lock me back up. I don’t have his phone number, but even if I did, he wouldn’t listen if I told him to back off. The only thing I can think to do is leave it alone for now. At least he’s not dragging me back, kicking and screaming. Maybe he’s giving meexactly what I wanted but in his own way. As creepy as breaking in while I’m sleeping is, I know he wouldn’t hurt me.
