42. Riley
I’m stunned.The offer isn’t what I was expecting when we were summoned here tonight. Hell, it isn’t something I would have come up with, even in my wildest dreams.
Especially because it’s clear she means me. Not the Reapers, not all of us, just me.
Unlike Maddoc, Dante, and Logan, who grew up in Halston’s criminal underground, the way things operate in this shadowy world is still new to me. I’m not sure what The Six think I can bring to the table, but one of the men—Marcus, if I remember their past introductions correctly, the one with heterochromia—clears that up right away.
“You have the resources to become a powerful player here in Halston now,” he says. “We’d like to work with you, not against you. The file the Reapers gave us proves that he had ambitions of wiping us out and taking all of the power for himself.” A sour look flashing across his face before he schools his features. “We should have seen the threat coming.”
Ayla rests her hand on his wrist in a silent show of support; a reminder to me of the relationship I’m almost sure she has with some of these men, and how it opened my eyes to the love that was possible for me to claim with mine. It may be overstepping to think so, but she feels like a kindred spirit.
Marcus subtly relaxes at her touch, giving me a warm smile. “We didn’t see it, but you and the Reapers did. That alone tells us we need someone with a fresh perspective to help us run things.”
Maddoc shifts closer to me, resting his hand on the small of my back and next to him, Logan comes to attention, standing tall with that unique stillness he gets that tells me he’s here to support me, no matter what.
On my other side, Dante’s fingertips brush against mine. “Do you need a minute, princess?” he murmurs quietly. “This is huge.”
I stifle an almost manic laugh. Huge is an understatement. I feel like I’m reeling from the sudden, unexpected turn of events, and I honestly have no idea if I should say yes or not.
I take Dante’s question to heart, and the answer is yes. I do need a minute. I have no idea what joining them would actually mean for me, or what kind of effect it would have on the Reapers.
“Riley?” Ayla prompts me, her confident presence something I’d like to aspire to.
“Can I… consider your offer?” I ask cautiously, a little in awe of the woman and not sure what the protocol here is.
“Of course,” she says instantly. “But let me ask for something too. May I have a moment to talk to you in private?”
Maddoc’s fingers flex against my back, but I don’t get the sense that he sees her as a threat to me. It’s just his natural inclination to protect me.
“Of course,” I tell her, following her into a small, comfortably furnished room off to the side.
The door stays open, and we have a clear view of the rest of The Six as they converse quietly amongst themselves. Something about the cozy space, or maybe about Ayla herself, puts me at ease. She’s poised, but addresses me with a genuine openness that says a lot about the sincerity of The Six’s offer.
“I understand your hesitations,” she says once we both take a seat. “Do you know much about how we came to power here in Halston?”
“The Six?”
When she nods, I shake my head.
“Maybe I’ll get a chance to tell you about it sometime, but for now, I’ll just say that being a part of all this isn’t something I ever expected, either. I never could have predicted that my life would take the turns it did. Falling in love with three dangerous men and ending up as part of a group that oversees and controls the city’s criminal underground is not what I ever imagined for my future, but…” She trails off, a faraway look on her face. Then she shakes it off and shoots me a small smile. “But maybe you can relate?”
I laugh, an unexpected feeling of camaraderie bubbling up in my chest. Before the Reapers, Chloe was the only person I was ever close to. I’m not used to feeling understood, or understanding where someone else is coming from so well.
“Definitely relatable,” I admit, hesitating before I add, “But I’m not sure if that means I’m cut out for The Six. I’ve spent most of my life trying to steer clear of this world.”
Ayla gives me a knowing look. “But you’re a part of it now, and forgive me, but I don’t think that’s an accident.”
My heart starts to pound. “What do you mean? Have you heard something?”
“Oh, no, nothing like that. Nothing nefarious,” she says, chuckling. “I just mean that it seems like sometimes things fall into place in ways we never could have predicted, but that turned out to be perfect. Painful sometimes, but still… perfect.”
I swallow hard, her words resonating with me more than she can possibly imagine. “I understand that.”
“Do you?” She smiles. “Because I really do believe that life leads us toward who we’re meant to be, even if we don’t see it at first. Even if we actively resist it.” She pauses, then adds, “But when we quit resisting, when we embrace it, there’s nothing more liberating than finally becoming the person we were always meant to be.”
I understand exactly what she’s saying, and it puts a lump in my throat. I remember doing everything I could to keep Chloe away from all gang activity in Halston, and now here I am, being offered a spot at the top of the criminal food chain. From one perspective, it doesn’t make any sense. But at the same time, it feels like my time with the Reapers didn’t force me down that path or shape me into something new.
It feels like it helped me discover not just who I truly am, but also the person I want to be.
I bite my lip, hesitating. I’m still not sure if that person should be part of The Six, though.
Ayla sits with me without any sign of impatience while these thoughts tumble through my head, giving me all the space I asked for to really consider things.
“I’ve fallen in love with three men too,” I finally tell her, the words coming slowly as I try to put my thoughts into order. “And after all the shit that went down with Austin…”
I swallow hard, reliving those moments of terror again, when we heard him start to torture Dante over the phone. When we arrived at his house and didn’t know if Dante was dead or alive. The soul-deep relief and joy I felt afterward, having all of my men home and safe and whole.
It’s that last one that has me hesitating. I can’t give that up. I won’t.
“We barely came through it alive. I know this world I’m a part of now is dangerous, and that loving them means accepting that. But that doesn’t mean I’m willing to invite more of it into our lives.”
“I don’t think we always have a choice about that,” Ayla says, giving me a sympathetic smile.
She’s right. I know she is. But still, “Getting even more deeply involved the way a position with The Six would require seems like I’d be inviting even more danger into our lives. I’ll be honest, I’m just not sure if I can handle constantly living under that kind of threat and uncertainty. Losing them, any one of them, isn’t something I think I’d survive. Along with my sister, those three men are my everything.”
Ayla nods. “I get that, I really do. And the truth is that you’re right. Being at the top of the food chain means there’s always a target on your back. This thing with West Point proves that in spades. But Riley, have you ever heard that saying, with great power comes great responsibility?”
“Yeah, of course.”
She smiles, and this one rivals some of Maddoc’s for sheer predatory dominance. “Well, the reverse is also true. With great responsibility comes a shitload of power. When you’re at the top of the food chain, you have the means to protect yourself. And more importantly, the people you love.”
She glances through the open door at the rest of The Six. No, at her men, Marcus, Theo, and Ryland.
The deep, open love on her face gives me a moment of understanding and a sense of sisterhood with her that goes even further than her poignant words. The two of us really are more similar than I ever would have expected, and the epiphany settles all my doubts, freeing something in my spirit.
For so long, my purpose was simply to keep Chloe safe and to give her a better life. Through all the chaos of the last months, I never stopped to ask myself what my purpose will be going forward. Now, Ayla’s just showed me that it doesn’t have to change. Instead, it can expand to include all the people I love.
I smile at her. “Yes.”
Ayla’s eyes brighten. “Yes, you’re accepting our offer?”
I sit a little straighter. “I am. I’m ready to become part of The Six. I’m ready to protect my family.”
When we rejoin the others, each of The Six gives me a genuine welcome, but thankfully, don’t seem to expect anything else from me for now. They tell me that more information will be forthcoming, then dismiss us for the evening.
I’m still in shock when we get home, but under it is a bubbling sort of excitement about the future that I’ve honestly never had before.
“I’m so fucking proud of you,” Dante says as all three of them surround me, the fine lines of strain around his eyes from being on his feet all day eclipsed by the warmth in his eyes.
He pulls me close, kissing me thoroughly, then passes me to Logan. I get equal treatment from him before he captures my throat in his hand, stroking it softly as he looks down into my eyes.
“They made a good choice,” he tells me seriously. “You’ll be an asset to this city.”
“The darker parts of it, at least,” I tease him.
His lips twitch up, his grip tightening for a moment in a shared reminder of the connection we share. “The darker parts of it,” he agrees.
“And what do you think?” I tease Maddoc when he tugs me out of Logan’s hold. I wrap my arms around his neck and sway against him. “Did you know this was happening?”
“No,” he says, gripping the back of my head and kissing me hard. When he lets me come up for air, he smirks, “But I told you that you were good at this, so I’m not surprised.”
Dante snorts. “You were totally surprised.” Then he sways a little. “Fuck, maybe I do need to lay down.”
“Is that an invitation?” I tease him.
He grins. “Always, princess. Fucking always.”