Chapter 12
It had been two days since Porter had returned from his mission. Riley couldn’t believe how forward she’d been with him the other night. And she still blushed when she thought about telling him that she’d masturbated in his bed.
But she felt comfortable around him. Not all that shy.
Too bad things hadn’t worked out for them to enjoy anything more than short make-out sessions the day of his return.
After dinner that night, when Porter had asked Logan about leaving Gillian’s house, she’d felt like they really needed to hash things out between just the two of them.
And while they’d both protested her leaving, Riley went home.
She didn’t want to overstay her welcome.
So she’d said goodbye to Logan, and Porter had walked her to her apartment like he always did.
He declined to come inside, saying if he did, it would be a hell of a long time before he got back to Logan.
So instead, he kissed her almost desperately in her doorway and left her with a long carnal look that promised good things to come.
Porter had been in meetings throughout the next day, and then he’d told her that he’d be late coming home tonight.
He’d sounded guilty as hell about asking if she’d make sure Logan got something to eat for dinner, and she’d done her best to reassure him that she truly didn’t mind.
That she liked hanging out with his nephew.
Still, Riley was looking forward to seeing Porter again.
She wanted him. Was almost desperate for Porter to get his hands on her.
Riley had no idea how they’d manage it, but maybe instead of her going back to her apartment, they could wait until Logan was asleep and she could finally experience being in Porter’s bed at the same time as he was.
She should’ve felt guilty about wanting to have sex with Porter while Logan was there, but the boy had told her just that evening that he didn’t mind if she dated his uncle. That he would really like it, actually. It was a bit awkward that he’d brought it up, but she couldn’t deny she was grateful.
So now, she and Logan were both waiting for Porter to get home. Riley, because she wanted in his pants, and Logan because he simply enjoying being around his uncle, even if he hadn’t verbally said as much.
They were watching Wheel of Fortune when they heard a commotion in the hallway.
“Open the damn door, bitch!”
Riley tensed, recognizing that voice. Miles.
“I swear to God if you don’t open this door, I’m going to break it down, Riley! You’ve been ignoring my texts and calls long enough. This shit ends right here and now!”
By the tone of his texts, and the mean voice messages he’d left, it was obvious he was getting more and more irritated with her.
“Let me in so I can find my shit myself. You’re so fucking incompetent, I’m sure you’re just not looking in the right place!”
Riley shook her head in frustration. She truly didn’t have his stupid game. She’d searched her apartment from top to bottom and had told him it wasn’t there. But he didn’t believe her. She’d thought he’d eventually get tired of harassing her and go away. Obviously she’d been wrong.
Logan made a sound from next to her, and Riley’s guilt increased tenfold when she saw how scared he looked.
Then the little boy stood up and reached for her hand.
He pulled her to her feet urgently and dragged her around the couch.
He pointed at the small space between the wall and the sofa. “You go first!”
Riley frowned. “What?”
“Hide! There’s room. I already checked it out. If you lie kind of sideways, you’ll fit. You’re small.”
Riley wanted to cry. He’d already checked it out?
She opened her mouth to say that it wasn’t necessary for them to hide.
That they were safe inside Porter’s apartment and Miles didn’t know they were there—when her phone started to ring.
It was sitting on the kitchen counter, and it rattled and vibrated as it pealed out with the loud, old-school ringtone she’d programmed in.
“I knew it!” Miles hollered from the hallway. “I knew you were fucking your neighbor! Two-timing whore!”
Then seconds later, Miles began pounding on Porter’s door. “Open up, bitch! I know you’re in there! I can hear your phone ringing!”
“Riley!” Logan cried in a low, urgent tone.
Without thought, she moved. She didn’t think Miles could get inside, but what if he did?
She should be brave and tell Logan to hide while she faced her ex, but he sounded pissed.
And she honestly had no idea what he’d do to her if she actually opened the door or if he somehow managed to break it down.
So…hiding absolutely seemed like the right thing to do at the moment.
She lay on the floor then turned onto her side and wiggled into the small space behind the couch.
She might be slight at only five-four, but it still wasn’t exactly easy to wedge herself into the hiding spot.
The couch moved away from the wall a bit farther, but she hoped it wouldn’t be enough for Miles to notice if he did get inside.
Riley scooted all the way forward, giving Logan space to hide behind the couch as well. Her breaths sounded loud in her own ears as she panted with fear.
Miles hadn’t let up pounding on the door. Her phone continued to ring as well. It allowed five rings before the voice mail kicked in. Then Miles obviously hung up and called her back. Over and over, her phone rang as he harangued her from the hallway.
She couldn’t understand why he was so desperate to get a game back. Yeah, he was into his video games, but this was crazy excessive.
Miles called her every name in the book, and Riley felt horrible that Logan had to hear the vile things he was spewing.
At no time while they’d been dating—maybe except for that last day, when she’d had enough—had she ever thought Miles would do something like this.
He’d been verbally abusive, more so toward the end, but not physically violent.
Now, every other word out of his mouth was a threat to her well-being. He’d also started in on Porter, calling him a freak, a Neanderthal, Bigfoot. He accused her of sleeping with him while they were dating, saying she’d regret cheating on him.
Everything he said was completely ridiculous, but it was obvious Miles was on a roll and beyond irrational. Riley had no idea if he was drunk or high or what, but as bad as he’d been before, this was not the man she’d dated.
The door sounded like it was shaking on its hinges. She didn’t have a good vantage point of the door from her spot behind the couch, but she figured it would be obvious if the locks gave way.
She closed her eyes and flinched with every beat of his fist on the door. Any second now, he’d break through…and if he found her, she had no idea what he’d do.
Riley was shaking now. Her nerves getting the best of her. She felt Logan’s hand around her ankle and concentrated on that. She had to keep herself together. For him. If Miles did somehow get inside, she wouldn’t let him put one hand on the boy. No way in hell.
Then as suddenly as the commotion started—it stopped.
Riley could still hear yelling in the hall, but it was muted now, as if from a distance. And Miles was no longer beating on the door, thank God.
Before she could crawl out from behind the couch and try to figure out what was going on, and what she needed to do next, Riley heard the door to the apartment fly open.
It hit the wall in the foyer, and she froze.
She could hear someone racing into the living room.
Luckily, whoever it was kept going. She heard the person go down the hall where the bedrooms were located.
Within seconds, the person was back, and she heard him say, “Fuck!”
Porter.
He was back.
Riley wiggled forward enough so her head was sticking out from behind the couch. She saw Porter standing near the entrance to the hallway. He ran a hand through his hair in agitation and was staring at her phone on the kitchen counter.
“Porter?” she whispered as she did her best to wiggle out from behind the couch.
His head whipped around, and he was on the move the second he saw her.
“Riley!” he exclaimed. He had a hand around her biceps and was helping her stand before she’d even processed he was right there in front of her. “Where’s Logan?”
“I’m here,” Logan said as he scrambled backward to get out from behind the couch.
Porter kept his hand around her arm and towed her to the other end of the sofa to get to his nephew. He went down on his knees, taking Riley with him, and he wrapped one arm around the boy and the other around Riley. He buried his head on Logan’s shoulder and shuddered.
“Porter? We’re okay,” Riley said, trying to soothe him. The second she saw him, she realized they were safe, that he wouldn’t let Miles touch either of them.
“Give me a second,” he mumbled into Logan’s shirt.
“Logan did good,” Riley told him. “Found us a place to hide just in case Miles managed to get in. Speaking of which…where is he?”
She felt Porter take a big breath, then he lifted his head and looked at her. “One of our neighbors called the cops. They got here at the same time I did. They hauled him down the stairs, hopefully to the back of their cop car, and I came in here to check on you guys. You’re okay?”
Logan nodded.
Porter put his large hand on the side of Logan’s neck and rested his forehead against his nephew’s for a moment. Then he nodded and slowly stood, helping Riley to her feet as well.
“Right, so…apparently ignoring your ex didn’t work out so well.”
She couldn’t help it. Riley chuckled. She couldn’t believe she found anything about this situation humorous, but Porter’s words were the understatement of the year. Then she sobered. “I should talk to him.”
“No!” Porter bit out. “No way in hell. I don’t want you anywhere near that asshole.”
Riley raised her eyebrows and gestured to Logan with her head as she said, “Language.”