30. Nicolette
Nicolette
I had almost dozed off in Riot’s arms when his stomach growled. He clutched it and groaned.
“Sorry, I guess you make me ravenous.”Hesmirkeddown at me. Igrabbedmy wallet out of my bag.
“I’llget us some snacks.”
Ihoppeddown from his truck in time to catch his eyeswanderingover my ass as my dress fellaround me.
At the concession stand, I ordered a large popcorn and a pack of Twizzlers and was pleasantly surprised to see they had beer in the cooler so I snagged two of those.
When I spun around, I smacked directly into Geoffrey Brown. I recoiled at his proximity.
“Miss Parker, how are we doing this fine night?” His greasy little sneer was all-knowing and my stomach turned at the smell of him. His crooked teeth were yellow, and he reeked of stale nicotine.
“Hi Geoff, lock anybody up against theirwilllately?”
“I don’t know, Miss Parker. Stick your nose somewhere it doesn’t belong lately?”Hetooka step closer to me and Iwantedto back up but wouldn’t give him the satisfaction. Istuckmy chin in the air.
He regarded me with a suspicious glance. “You know, you Godot women have a really bad habit of poking around the wrong rattlesnake bed.” My face flushed, and I opened my mouth. I’d show him who the rattlesnake was.
“Geoff!” Pastor Blackwell appeared, clapping him on the shoulder. “Not making any more trouble with the locals, I hope?” Blackwell let out a hearty laugh, shaking his friend deliberately.
“Course not, Elias. Just having a friendly chat with NancyDrew, here.”Heshotme a look, and Icaughta quick, silent glare of warning from Pastor Blackwell. Weird.
“Well, you know what they say abouttalkingduring the movies… why don’t we all head back to our respective cars, hm?”
Why was Pastor Blackwell so eager to get me away from Geoff? He was a dick, sure, but he had that same nervous glint Riot had had when he first introduced me to Brennan, like he was afraid I was going to get the wrong information out of him.
As I walked back to Riot’s truck, I stole a glance over my shoulder but the men were no longer at the concession stand. I spotted them at the edge of the ball field in a heated conversation. Blackwell looked angry and Geoff was gesturing wildly and shaking his head.
“Did you have to go out and pick the corn?” Riot grinned but hesitated when he saw my perplexed expression. “What’s up?”
“Nothing,” I shook my head, dismissing the brief exchange. “Just ran into that dick Geoffrey Brown who locked me in the basement of the records room.”
Riot’s eyes darkened and his body tensed. “What happened?”
I waved it off. Riot sat straighter, craning his neck around. “It was nothing. Pastor Blackwell pulled him away before he said anything.”
Mundane interest passed over Riot’s features.
“Good to know those two are talking again,” he muttered.
“What do you mean? Isn’t Geoff Jeremy’s godfather or something?”Riotscowledbriefly at Jeremy’s name.
“They were best friends for a long time, yeah. Geoffmovedhere from Baltimore shortly after the Blackwells did. Hefollowedthem here on purpose for a job at the church. To be honest, I think hehada thing for my mom.”
“Geoff?” I looked surprised at him. “But he’s so… gross. ”
Riot chuckled. “Yeah, but he could be a charmer when he wanted to be. The last ten years weren’t kind to his face.
” Riot looked up, considering. “Or waistline. I’d come home from school some days and he’d be sitting in our dining room, drinking tea .
I pretended I didn’t see him sneak whiskey in it.
He’d try to ask me about football and school.
Girls. He’d call me ‘son’ and I wanted to hit him but my mom seemed to be happy around him so I let it go. ”
“What happened?”
“I’mnot sure really, Iwasprettywrappedup in football my senior year and then when Itookoff for summer training, I guess he and Blackwellhadsome kind offallingout.
Brennanmentionedoverhearingan argument.
Something aboutstealingfrom the church?
I don’t know, I wouldn’tputit past Geoffrey Brown to get sticky fingers around the collection plate, though. ”
“So, your mom found out he was stealing? Did she ever tell anyone?”
Riot shrugged. “I don’t know, I wasn’t around.
But I’m assuming Elias found out because Geoff was pushed out of the church and got a job with the water authority, which made him move out of Godot proper.
He wasn’t seen around town for years.” Both our gazes fell to Geoffrey in the distance, stalking away from the ball field.
Wetriedto settle in to watch the rest of the movie but every time Riot’s bodymoved, minecameto life.
Hestrokedthe back of my hair. Iranmy palm down his thigh.
Hekissedmy ear. Iranmy tongue along his scar.
How was it possible I still hadn't had enough of him. Heat pooled between my thighs.
“Should I climb on your lap again?” I whispered, tracing his ear with my tongue. His chest rattled with a groan.
“You deserve better than a truck twice in one day. I want you in a bed. I want to lay you out and take my time with you.” His voice was all gravel and thank god the movie was over.
When we finallyheardenginesrevving, Ilookedup to see most of the cars in line to leave.
Riot’s lips trailed my neck and a delicious chill ran down my arms. I whined when he pulled away, a satisfied smile outlining his perfectly white teeth.
“I’m going to hit the head quick then we’ll head home?” His eyebrows jumped up and down and I wrapped a sweater he’d given me tighter around my shoulders, inhaling his residual musk on the cotton. Home.
“Yes, please.”
Hehoppeddown and Iwatchedhim walk away. His tight little assworethose jeans so perfectly it should be illegal.
Collectingour garbage from the truck, Ipushedthe door open andjumpeddown,spottingthe nearest garbage can a few yards away. Aftertossingit all in, Iletmy mind wonder if I could unbutton his jeans with my teeth.
“You’re going to ruin him, you know.” Katie Plainbottom’s voice cut my daydream short. My smile dropped like an anvil.
I spun around and narrowed my eyes at her, letting my distaste seethe from the sneer on my lips.
“What’s your obsession with him?” I asked. “Please don’t tell me you’re one of those prison groupies who gets off writing to inmates because they’re trapped and vulnerable.”
For a moment shelookedmildlysurprised, and IwonderedifI’dgonetoo far but then Irememberedthiswasthe woman who most likelyputa graphic video of me on a large screen projector in front of the whole goddamn town and maybe I didn’t go far enough.
I took a few strides closer to her, squaring my shoulders and standing taller. “He’s a human being, Katie, not a dress-up doll for your hero complex,” I bit off.
Shetooka deep breath,gettingready to respond, and some territorial part of mestirredto life. Shetriedto match my stature and itappearedshe might bite back with some retort but after a moment shedeflated,breakingeye contact with me.
She blew out a breath, appearing almost defeated .
“I care about him, Nicolette. And if you did too,you’dleave town andlethim be. Heisworkingfor my family and maybe one day could own the shop. He couldhavea real place in this town again and I know that doesn’t mean much to you but it does to him. More than you know.”
All Iwantedwasto buy a massive piece of land for my sweet, homemaker wife and our basic, predictably beautiful litter of children. Iwantedthat life, okay?
I shifted my weight, remembering his confession.
“Riot was almost there before you blew into town and ruined everything for him. He was earning respect back and people were starting to see him like the hometown hero they remembered instead of the man that brutally murdered his mother.” She stared daggers into my eyes and paused to let me absorb that.
Except he didn’t kill her, I wanted to scream.
“And now he’s put himself back years just for associating with you.
Let him go, Nicolette. Leave town. I’ll take him back.
If you leave right now, I’ll forgive him for choosing you but that window is closing.
If you two stay together much longer, there will be no going back for him and you know he’s mandated here for five years. ”
My chest hitched. What the fuck?
Katiesneeredat the opportunity to catch me off guard.“He didn’t mention that to you, did he?”
My brain flipped through all our conversations and I scanned my memory… had he told me that? I knew he was on probation but I didn’t know for how long.
“Yeah, the condition of his release. Probation for five years and let’s be honest…
palling around with you is definitely going to end with him violating it and then it’ll be even longer.
” She paused and tilted her head. “If you care about him, you’ll break it off and leave town.
Somewhere deep down even you know I’m right. ”
Shestartedto back up but my pride wouldn’tlether get the last word.
“He doesn’t love you,” I called after her.
Katie looked back at me and frowned, a deep sadness mapped on her face .
“I know that.”Shelookedat her feet beforemeetingmy eyes again.
“But he could learn to. And we could be happy enough. But you? You destroy people, Nicolette.”Shethrewher arms up and her wordshitmy chest like bullets.
“It’s just what you do. You ruin people and companies and towns and you leave a trail of bodies when you leave.
Don’t make Riot just another casualty of your ambition. ”
With that, she turned around and disappeared into the night. I covered my eyes with my palms with the sinking realization that Katie was right. She didn’t feel right. But her words hit a truth inside me that split my heart open.
I did ruin people. Mostly they were people who deserved to be ruined and had earned every bit of the criminal charges or public scrutiny they faced when I was done with them.
But it was also true that there were always casualties, unwilling accomplices also prosecuted, jobs lost, and relationships ruined.
Riot didn’t deserve any of that. Hedeservedbetter than that. Hedeservedbetter than me.