14. Riot
FOURTEEN
RIOT
It’s fucking freezing.
I tuck my hands inside my kutte, shivering as my breath steams in front of my face. I’d give anything to be in my brother’s apartment, watching some shit movie with Ivy curled up next to me.
Yesterday, after she got back from seeing her friends, Ivy had been quiet, withdrawn, even behind the smiles she painted on.
I don’t know what the fuck happened, but it made me want to scorch the fucking ground to find out.
If someone hurt her, upset her…
Riley blowing on his cold fingers brings me back to the current situation. He stands close to my side, his back to the side of the van, watching, silent.
I refocus my attention as King and Blade walk over to the low wall at the edge of the multi-storey parking garage.
I don’t know what the fuck they’re talking about—their voices don’t carry beyond muffled sounds that seem to reverberate along the low ceilings—or what they’re looking at, but I keep my stance casual, even as my skin prickles.
I don’t fucking trust Blade, but King? He’s only been in the club for a short time, maybe four years, most of which was spent in the middle of a war. He’s so hard to read that it’s impossible to know where his loyalty lies.
I curl my fingers into my palms, my teeth grinding over each other. I hate this uncertainty, the inability to trust the brothers around me and have faith in my club. And I hate being here without someone I trust to watch my back.
In the past, I didn’t care what happened to me, but now, I have something to live for, someone to go home to.
I want to go home every fucking night to my girls.
First, you have to make them yours.
Reaching under my kutte, I palm my knife, reassured by the feel of it. I hope like fuck I won’t have to use it, but I’m ready. I ain’t dying in this concrete graveyard.
“They’re late,” Riley mutters, speaking for the first time since we arrived.
“They’ll come.”
“Fuckin’ disrespectful cunts.”
The thread of irritation in Riley’s tone ain’t a surprise. In the past, before the war with Richardson’s Pioneers, this shit would never have happened. No one would have dared pull a stunt like this.
It’s another nail in the coffin, another hint at how far our club has fallen in this city.
Crank’s inability to be a harsh President is allowing these shittier, smaller gangs to think they can come at us, and that’s a dangerous position to be in.
Riley pushes his hair out of his eyes. “Your kid doin’ okay now?”
I don’t know why he’s suddenly become chatty, but his words send an internal jolt through me. I almost choke on my tongue.
Riley assuming Seren’s mine stirs something deep in my gut, a longing I didn’t know was buried there. I’ve never wanted the picket fence life, the kids and the old lady at home.
Getting someone pregnant would be a fucking disaster, and yet…
Images of Ivy with a swollen belly fill my mind, my free hand splayed over our baby. My cock twitches in my jeans.
Fuck, I want that so badly, I can taste it.
I shake myself like a damn wet dog. Get it together, prick.
“She’s not my kid.” My words are harsher than I intend.
“Sorry. I just thought…” He trails off.
“It’s fine. Kids ain’t my thing.” Liar. I love Seren like she’s my own.
“You know blood doesn’t make family, right?”
I can feel his gaze on me, but I keep mine locked on King and Blade. “You’re fuckin’ chatty tonight.”
Riley straightens, bringing me out of my thoughts, and I follow his line of sight as a vehicle appears on the up-ramp.
Showtime.
Blade and King walk over to us as the car stops close to where we’re standing.
“Let me lead this,” Blade says, stepping forward.
Every instinct inside me wants to push back, but I keep quiet. Nicky told me to watch, to be his eyes and ears, and that’s what I’ll do. Besides, it’ll look odd if I try to take control. That ain’t the role I usually play in these situations.
I glance toward Riley and catch a flicker of darkness in his eyes. It lasts barely a second, but it tells me everything. Maybe he doesn’t like Blade either, or he’s just smart enough to keep his guard up.
I hope that means he’ll have my back if things go to hell.
I hold my breath as the back doors open and two men climb out of the car. They’re in their forties and dressed casually, as if they just rolled out of the pub. The guy on the left has dark hair that’s a little too long, and the other has a shaved head that reflects the florescent lights.
The cocky swaggers and the way their gazes rove over us sets my teeth on edge. They don’t think we’re a threat. Has this shit already started? Are we so far down the road that there’s no turning back?
Blade steps forwards, a smile on his face that doesn’t reach his eyes.
He might be in Crank’s back pocket, but at least he remembers what respect looks like.
Is he offended too?
“Gentlemen,” he says, “it’s good of you to show.”
The barbed words have the two fuckers exchanging glances. “Traffic was a fuckin’ nightmare,” shaved-head guy says.
“Another few minutes and we’d have left.”
“Good thing we weren’t another few minutes then, ain’t it?” the other fucker says.
King growls a curse under his breath, and the tension is thick as shaved-head guy bounces his attention back to Blade. His glance lasts an awkwardly long moment, and I prepare to jump between him and the brother. I might not like Blade, but as long as he wears the patch, I’ll defend that and, by association, him.
“Where’s your President or VP?” shaved-head guy asks.
“Busy,” King responds with a bite.
The clear disrespect has the guy pulling his lips back into a feral smile that creates tension in the air.
“They don’t come on this kind of job,” Blade says. “Let’s get this done.”
He moves to the back of the van, his eyes meeting mine for a beat before he opens the doors.
I keep my stance casual, as if I’m not bothered by what is going on, but I see and watch every little interaction between Blade and the men.
Blade and King help them carry the two small crates of guns over to the back of their car, and when they’re done, King wanders back over.
“That shit was easy,” he says, moving to the back doors and closing them.
The shaved-head guy suddenly steps into Blade’s space, his lips pulled back into a snarl. I can’t hear the words exchanged between them, the reverberations of their voices around the space making things unclear, but I push off the van at the same time as Riley.
“You had to fuckin’ say that, didn’t you?” I groan, and when the guy grabs the front of Blade’s kutte, I move.
“Shit,” King mutters from behind me, but I’m between the prick and Blade before he catches me up.
I shove him back, defending a brother I can’t stand and who I think is betraying our club.
If I let this fucker put hands on one of our brothers, it tells the world we are not a united front, that we are not a force to be reckoned with, and that can’t happen.
His friend steps forwards as if they’re going to throw punches, but shaved-head guy waves them off. I sense King and Riley behind me, even if I can’t see them.
“Do you have a death wish?” I ask around a smirk.
I can feel the crazy rising in me, the monster who lives for this kind of chaos baring his teeth.
But this ain’t a pub or a bar with some half-cut guy who thinks he’s a big man. These fuckers are just like us—ruthless, violent, and not above killing.
“It’s fine,” Blade says. “Get out of here,” he adds to the men, who glare at him one last time before climbing into their vehicle and driving away.
“Shit.” King’s sheepish tone has me turning toward him. “I ain’t taking responsibility for that.”
He walks back towards the van, Riley shooting me a look that I can’t read before the prospect follows him.
I give Blade my attention, every spider sense inside me tingling. “What the fuck was that about?”
He shifts his shoulders. “Who fuckin’ knows?”
That answer doesn’t appease me. That guy wanted to hit him, and as much of a dick is Blade is, that guy risked a fight breaking out by attacking one of us.
Blade goes to step past me, but I thrust my arm in front of him, stopping him in his tracks. “Start talkin’.”
“I told you, I don’t fuckin’ know.”
His cagey behaviour only intensifies my suspicions. “It’s weird that he kept lookin’ at you as if he recognised you. Why would that be?”
I know for a fact Blade wasn’t at any of the meetings to arrange this deal between their gang and our club. I know that because Grub handles bringing in new business. This deal was one of his.
Blade glances away, his face pulling up into a grimace. “Fine. Yeah, I know him.”
Every cell in my body is suddenly awake. My back straightens, my hand itching to reach for my knife. Is this fucker doing what Nicky suspected? Skimming? Is that why that guy put hands on Blade? A deal turned sour?
“Know him how?”
A hundred scenarios race through my mind and none of them are good.
His gaze shoots towards the van, calculating before coming back to me. The tight line of his mouth has me on alert. “I don’t like the way you’re looking at me, Riot.”
I fold my arms over my chest, as if I don’t have a fucking care in the world, even as my body prepares for action. “And how am I lookin’ at you?”
He leans into me, his eyes blazing. “Like you don’t trust me.”
Internally, I freeze, all my warning lights flashing. “Why would I have any reason not to? We’re on the same side, right?”
The way his mouth kicks up into a lopsided grin sends a shiver through me. “Right,” he agrees.
“So, how do you know that guy, and why did he want to rearrange your face?” I press.
The edge chips away from his expression so quickly, it’s like he flipped a switch. It’s unnerving.
“Shit. I didn’t want to admit this…” My eyes want to narrow, but I keep my expression neutral. “I haven’t seen him in years, not since he caught me in bed with his wife. Ain’t proud of it. Believe me, if I could take it back, I would, but I was young and dumb. You know what it’s like, Riot. You have a skin full and a pretty woman starts talkin’ to you… next thing I know, her hand is on my dick, rubbing me like she’s tryin’ to summon a fuckin’ demon.” He blows out a breath.
“She took me back to her place. I didn’t even know her name, so I had no idea she was using me to get back at her husband. Let’s just say he was pissed when he walked in on us. He beat the fuck out of me, and I took it because I deserved it, but that should’ve been the end of it. Clearly, that fuck still holds a grudge. It’s been years since it happened. I’m pretty sure they ain’t even together anymore. I thought he didn’t recognise me at first, but…”
I search his face, looking for any lie in his words. It sounds plausible. Sometimes women see the kutte, fancy a walk on the wild side, something different from their normal day-to-day, and they don’t always care who gets hurt in the process.
I can’t read this fucker, and that frustrates me. I’ve never met a guy I couldn’t unpick.
With nothing else to go on, I back down. “I should’ve let him punch your lights out.”
He snorts. “You’re telling me all the women you’ve fucked, and you’ve never accidentally slept with a married woman?”
I’ve done that and worse, but I keep that to myself. “Next time we have to meet with them, you ain’t comin’.”
He waves this off as he walks back towards the van. “I’m not scared of that bastard. And it was years ago. He should get over it. Besides, it ain’t like everyone is lining up to volunteer to do this shit.” He squeezes my shoulder as he passes me, and my skin crawls.
I watch as he climbs into the van, sitting beside Riley, more confused than ever.
King talks nonstop on the way back to the clubhouse, but I tune him out. I don’t know who the fuck to trust anymore, but my senses are still tingling over Blade. There’s something fucking wrong with that guy.
I don’t trust him at all.
We drop the van off, and I get my bike to head over to my brother’s place. There’s no way in fuck I can stay at the clubhouse tonight.
By the time I arrive and knock on the door, I’m on edge, and when Mace opens the door, his brows draw together. He doesn’t say a word as he steps aside to let me in, and only once the door is shut behind me does he ask, “You okay?”
“No.” I tear a hand through my hair and explain everything that happened tonight.
My brother huffs out a breath. “You believe that story about the wife?”
“I don’t believe a fuckin’ word that comes out his mouth.”
Mace leans back against the wall, his eyes locking on the ceiling. “We need to move quicker. The longer Crank’s in power, the worse things are going to get.”
“I know,” I agree, “but Rav ain’t ready for us to do anything yet. And we may have an ally if Dash was talkin’ truth.”
“That would help, but I don’t like all this shit hanging over us when Maylie’s pregnant. I want to bring my kid into the world without fearing something might happen to him.”
“Him?”
Mace grimaces. “Shit. Maylie’ll kill me. Don’t fuckin’ tell her you know.”
I grin. “You’re havin’ a boy?”
He smiles, the first I’ve seen in a long fucking time that ain’t directed at his old lady. “Yeah. It’s a boy.”
I grab his shoulder, squeezing it tight before I pull him into a hug. “I’m happy for you, Mace.”
I pull back, letting him see my sincerity.
“Thanks.” He pauses. “We’re good, ain’t we?”
Maybe I should hold onto my anger, but I know my brother, know what I am to him. “Yeah, Mace, we’re good.”
“You’re always welcome here, and not ‘cause I need you.”
“I know. You can skip the heart to heart.”
“There’re blankets and shit in the usual place. I’ll see you in the morning.”
“Yeah, night.”
The living room is dark, so I flick on the light as I step inside. Seren’s playmat is unrolled on the floor as if she was having tummy time before bed, and for the first time, I feel annoyed that I’m not here to see these things, to be a part of them.
I move to the sofa, sinking onto it so I can toe my boots off. It’s then I notice a huge bunch of flowers in a vase on the end table.
I smirk. My brother has game, I’ll give him that. I push up and move to the vase, finding the card tucked inside the flowers, and my happy mood fucking vanishes.
Ivy,
I’m sorry if I crossed a line.
I read it once, then twice, my jaw so tight, my teeth ache. Every word in that statement has my anger boiling.
“I didn’t know you were so nosy.”
My head whips over my shoulder to see Ivy standing in the doorway holding Seren. They’re wearing matching pyjamas, which would have me rolling my eyes if it was anyone else, but the two of them look fucking cute—and I would tell her that, but my brain is short-circuiting over the contents of the card in my hand.
“What line was crossed?” My words are terse and unyielding.
Ivy steps into the room, shifting Seren in her arms before she snatches the card from me. “Nothing.”
Anger bubbles through me. Not at her—never at her—but at the thought someone might have done something she didn’t want.
I grab her wrist, the one holding the card, and lock my gaze to hers, trying to control my emotions. “Did someone hurt you?” Low and menacing, that’s how my words come out.
She blinks and then the smile dies on her face. Terror clutches my chest.
“Oh. No. Riot, whatever you’re thinking, no. It’s not like that.”
I close my eyes, rubbing my temple with my free hand. “You need to explain because I’m about to lose it.”
“No one hurt me,” she says quietly, pulling free of my grasp.
I don’t want to let her go, but I do, and a moment later, her fingers trail over my face. I open my eyes to meet hers, and it feels as if the air between us is charged.
“What does it mean then?”
Seren tries to grab my beard, and I give her a finger to latch onto instead, my gaze not leaving Ivy’s face.
“When I went for lunch yesterday with my friends…” She breaks off, and my stomach plummets. I knew she was upset. If they did or said something, I’ll tear them limb from limb. “Jackson was there.”
My teeth clench. “That fuckin’ kid from the park?”
“Yeah. He was a little pushy about having dinner together, and he said some things that weren’t polite. Anyway, Dayna gave him a mouthful about it when she saw him at work this morning. I guess he felt bad and sent these to apologise.”
Jealousy flares inside me, a possessiveness that I’ve never experienced. “You like him?”
Her hand drops from my face. “How did you jump to that conclusion from what I just said?”
“Ivy.” My voice rasps over her name. I need to know.
She blows out a breath. “I did, but… not anymore. Not like that. That’s kind of why it was awkward.”
“But he didn’t hurt you?” I press, needing to be sure of that fact.
“No, he didn’t. He wouldn’t. Despite his attitude yesterday, he’s a nice guy.”
Of course, he would. Nice guys are always the fucking worst.
“He gives you so much as a bad feeling, you tell me.” I will rip his fucking guts out of his throat if he won’t take her no for an answer.
Ivy laughs, stepping back from me and sitting on the couch. “You don’t have to worry. I’m fine, and nothing is going to happen between me and Jackson, which he knows now.” She settles Seren in her lap. “Since this little lady isn’t sleepy, I was going to put on a movie. Do you want to watch something with me? Unless you want to go to sleep?”
I’m suddenly wide awake. “Sure. Don’t pick something sloppy to watch. I can’t face another one of those chick flick things.”
My anger is still fresh as I sit next to her, letting Seren grab my finger again, but my gaze locks onto Ivy’s profile. The thought of anything happening to her has unsettled me more than I want to admit.
I stare at the flowers. I don’t know shit about those things, but I do know the bigger the arrangement, the more expensive, and that bunch is fucking huge. The prick dropped money on them to apologise for a ‘nothing’ incident. Yeah, he ain’t let that shit go, even if Ivy thinks he has.
“I hate it.” Saying it is easier than I thought it would be, but the way she looks at me tells me I need to clarify what I mean.
“Hate what?”
“The flowers. I don’t like boys buyin’ you that shit.”
Boy, because he’s sure as fuck not a man. A man would never make a woman feel so bad that he has to apologise for it.
“It doesn’t mean anything, Riot.”
“He shouldn’t be givin’ you that shit,” I grumble, and I can feel her smile as she stares at me.
“You can buy me flowers anytime you want. It’s not his fault you haven’t.”
I grab her chin, forcing her attention to me, and her eyes widen slightly. It’s not fear in them. If it was, I’d let her go immediately. It’s something more carnal, something dangerous that I should back away from. She’s not mine, and yet I have an overwhelming urge to find Jackson and slit his fucking throat for trying to make a move on her.
“Riot…” she whispers my name.
“I’ll buy you flowers every fuckin’ day if you want them. I’ll fuckin’ hand pick them and deliver them to you, but that cunt does not do that again.”
“I can’t control him.”
I loosen my grip, leaning in, every pump of my heart urging me to seize what I want. Her mouth begs for my attention, those plump lips pleading for me to taste them.
Fuck.
What am I doing?
There’s a line ahead of us that I’m more tempted than I’ve ever been to cross. If my mind was rational, I’d pull back, make an excuse, and leave the room, but I’m balanced on a knife’s edge, and I won’t yield room for that prick to take what I want.
“If he touches you, I’ll rip his dick off and feed it to him.” The warning isn’t a joke.
Her brow arches, and she turns, placing Seren in the cot at the side of her. “Very descriptive, but he won’t . He knows I’m not interested. You don’t have to be the protective big brother. I can handle myself.”
It feels as if she’s tossed an ice-cold bucket of water over my head. My hand slides around her nape, lightly holding her captive. She can pull away if she chooses, but she doesn’t. “Trust me, I’m not tryin’ to be your big brother.”
Her eyes widen, and the heat between us grows.
“Jackson’s not a threat,” she says quietly.
I won’t allow him to become one. I’m already plotting how to end his fucking miserable existence because the thought of Ivy with him makes me want to burn this entire city to ashes.
My fingers flex on her nape. Before I can consider the ramifications of what I’m about to do, I crush my mouth to hers.