Page 95 of Happenstance
Three months later:
Idrove down the dirt road, winding around a clutch of trees leading to the basement. Every day for the past three months I’d been here paying a visit to the asshole that had beaten my wife. Today was the day I was going to end it. There was something I had to do first, though. Someone else who deserved to carve a pound of flesh out of Noah Torres’s hide.
Riley was sitting on the back of her car, looking rather unamused when I pulled up.
“What am I doing here, Parker?”
I gave her a glance and headed for the middle of the clearing. “Did you tell Micha you were coming?”
He’d lose his shit if he found out about this. Lana told me what Riley did for her. How she fought multiple men to protect her. Someone should return the favor.
“No, I didn’t tell him,” she grumbled, “And what’s with all the cloak and dagger stuff?”
Instead of answering her, I stepped on a rock to my left. Riley’s eyes went wide as a slab of dirt slid out of the way, revealing a set of stone stairs.
I walked down a few steps and paused to glance back at her. “You coming?”
It was probably sheer morbid curiosity that made her follow. Either way, she came down the steps, going where I led. I made it a point to stay away from the branding room, since that was where Ryker had held her and Mase. Plus, she was unconscious when they dragged her out here. The last thing I needed to explain to Micha was why his girlfriend had watched the basement burn.
Once we got to the right door, I stopped and looked her square in the eyes.
“Before we go in here, I want you to know, that you don’t have to do anything you don’t want to.” Her brow rose as I continued, “But whatever happens in this room, will stay between you and me.”
“Alright?” she stated, with a lip curl.
I sensed she had a question, but the second I opened the door they were lost. Riley was too busy eyeing the bruised body tied to a slab.
Noah rolled his face our way and groaned, “Just kill me already.”
The dry blood coating his skin made me smile.
“Parker, what’s this?”
A way for Riley to gain her power back, that’s what this was. She’d lost it twice now. Once, when Ryker took her, and again with this prick. I couldn’t bring Ryker back from the dead, but lucky for her, this asshole was still alive.
“Revenge,” I stated, holding out a knife for her.
“What am I supposed to do with this?”
“Whatever you want.”
She eyed the blade carefully. “What if I don’t want to do anything?”
“Then don’t do anything,” I shrugged.
It didn’t matter to me what she did. The opportunity was out there if she wanted it. After a few minutes of thought, she gingerly took the weapon from my hand and walked over to Noah. He might’ve gotten away with a couple of minor slaps–the girl didn’t seem that into it–if he hadn’t opened his mouth.
“Come to thank me for the show?”
Smooth move dumbass. Never taunt a chick with a knife.
Rileylostit. She went off, slapping and punching her frustration out on his already beaten body. I let her have her fun. Let her vent her rage on him, until she slammed the knife down into his nuts. That’s when I grabbed her.
“Okay, that’s enough.”
“Let me go,” she snarled, swinging her fists back at me. “He needs to hurt.”
I grabbed her face in my hands and forced her burning glare on me. “You need to leave now, before you do something you can’t come back from.”
