Page 23 of Let Me
“Look, man, if you don’t get in Riley tonight, take that ass.”
I roll my eyes and say nothing, drum my fingers on the table. “Why don’t you? And why aren’t you drinking?”
He’s been out six months, and it’s the first time I’ve thought to ask.
Benji’s face darkens. “Trust me, you don’t want me to drink.” He hooks his arms around the booth, black shirtsleeves riding up. I catch a glimpse of one of his tattoos again, on his inner forearm. Benji has always looked mean: dark hair, dark hazel eyes, usually dressed in dark clothes. He bought the best money could buy, in black or blue. Not too different from Riley in that way, although her spending money was vastly different from Benji’s.
But now, out of prison, his face still smooth shaven, but his hair a little longer, those tattoos, his muscles more defined than before, he looks downright demonic. It’s not just how he looks. It’s how he carries himself, too. He really would fuck someone up without thinking twice.
Hedidfuck someone up without thinking twice.
The waitress sets down our drinks, and looks at Benji, as if seeing him for the first time.
“You sure you don’t want a drink?” she prods.
I seize my opportunity. “Come on, Benji, take a drink for—” I turn to her, “—what’s your name, Miss?”
She flashes me a lipsticked smile. “Tia,” she answers, looking back at Benji, cocking her head.
Benji relaxes further into the booth. “Sure, Tia,” he says smoothly, meeting her gaze. “Bring me rum and Coke.”
She nods, delighted, as if it was her that convinced him, and leaves to get our drinks. She doesn’t know Benji never does anything unless he wants to.
I watch her go, enjoying the view.
I catch a glimpse of Riley as I do. For one second, I almost forgot she was here. My hands tighten around my glass, and I hear Benji chuckle darkly, and then he mutters, “Shit,”and I stand up.
Riley is leaning into some guy I’ve never seen before, and his hand is on the small of her back. He’s got tattoos all up and down his arms and a silver watch that’s nearly as big as his hands. His hand goes lower, and she leans in closer toward him, away from the bar, until her bare legs are practically in the guy’s lap.
“Who the fuck is that?” Benji asks.
I glance at him, but I can’t take my eyes off of Riley for long. “I don’t know. You don’t recognize him?” As usual, I wonder:Is it him? From the video?But I don’t dare ask that out loud. I don’t want to think about that.
“No.” Benji takes a deep breath. “But look, we can’t just go—”
“She doesn’t even know that guy,” I point out, flinging my hand in her direction. Riley is laughing and nuzzling her nose into this guy’s tight, black shirt, and he’s smiling, too smoothly, his hand now on her ass.
“We don’t know that. And it’s never stopped her before. Besides, she’s an adult, Caden,” Benji says, but he doesn’t sound like he’s really opposed to beating this guy’s ass anyhow.
I take a breath and sit back down.
He’s right.
I suddenly don’t even remember why the fuck I’m here. What the fuck am I doing? I fucking hate that girl. For what she did to Jack. For trying to do it with me, too. I keep repeating that in my head. As if saying it enough will convince me that it’s true.
I down the rest of my vodka. The waitress returns, sets the drink down in front of Benji, and he drinks it quickly. Too quickly.
Then he smiles and jerks his head.
The dance floor is being set up, couches are arranged around it, and women wearing just a little more than nothing flood the floor. The music that had been playing on autopilot stops, and the DJ across the room starts. The lights dim.
And Riley Larson drags this guy onto the dance floor, and starts grinding her ass against him, lost in the bodies writhing around her. Lost, except to me. Because I see everything.
She lifts her hands up, lost in the music, and I almost smile to see her like that. She shouldered the burden of my brother’s possessiveness for far too long. I heard far more arguments than I ever stepped in for. I wanted her to fight for herself. And she did, in her own way. But she always bowed to him. Until the very end.
Seeing her alive like this almost makes me happy for her.
But then that guy’s hands are on her bare thighs and she tilts her head back, resting against his shoulder, and he’s pressing into her ass.
