Page 72 of Break Me
Twenty-Two
I followRiley down the hall to her Mom’s condo, Tess still on the couch in Riley’s unit. Benji is somewhere, and he wanted to come with us, but Riley stopped him with a look. I don’t know what’s going on between them, but I feel fairly confident they didn’t bang each other before Tess and I got there.
They’re more like brother and sister than lovers, although knowing what I know about them, that comparison doesn’t sit too well in my head either, especially not after I tried to get us all to have sex.
I shove all that aside as Riley pulls out the key to her mom’s condo and unlocks the door.
She pushes it open and I follow her.
“Hey, Mom,” Riley calls out, keeping her voice steady. It’s actually impressive, how calm she sounds, considering the man that bombarded me and Tess apparently wants to kill her.
I don’t want to think about that too long, knowing how close I was to someone who wished me harm.
“Mom?”
I follow behind Riley past the foyer, into the kitchen. It’s the same layout as the other condos, but this one is less decorative. Less like a home.
I scan my eyes around the empty living room, but it’s Riley’s sharp intake of breath that has me frozen. I swivel around to face where she’s facing.
And I see him.
The same man who was at Tess’s apartment.
My blood runs cold but I can’t move. I’m fucking rooted to the spot.
Rolland has his hand on the back of Riley’s mom’s wheelchair. And Riley’s mom, Ms. Larson, has her head flung back, tongue hanging out. She’s not awake.
She’s…hopefully asleep. Or knocked out.
She can’t be dead.
She can’t be.
She has a small, folded blanket over her lap, her hands resting atop of it, and she’s wearing soft pants and a beige sweater. But she’s not fucking moving.
Riley’s hand is over her mouth, and she seems frozen, too.
Rolland smiles at her and it sends a shudder through my body.
“Hi, darling,” he croons. I see he has a gun resting against his thigh. His fingers curl around the back of Riley’s mom’s chair. “Can you do me a favor before we get back to the reunion? Can you lock the door for me?” He raises the gun and presses it against Ms. Larson’s temple.
Riley stumbles forward, toward her mom, but Rolland shakes his head, that sick smile still on his face. “No, darling. The door first. Then you can come to me.”
She doesn’t move.
Rolland’s eyes flick to mine, and his smile falters.
“You bitch,” he says calmly. “You lied to me.”
I take a breath. And another.
Riley slowly turns around, and her gaze catches mine. But she tears her eyes away before I can understand what it is we’re fucking supposed to do. Rolland still has the gun pressed against Ms. Larson’s head.
“Hurry, darling,” he calls after her, but his eyes are on me. “I would hate for my finger to slip on this trigger.”
Riley walks faster. I hear her steps echoing down the hall. And I hear the deadbolt shift into place.
“And the latch, please, darling,” Rolland calls.
