Save Riley(38)

Fifteen minutes after that, I was irritably running my hands through my hair, when Riley and Purple finally stood up. Purple nodded enthusiastically to what was being said, and Riley walked away with a wave. She came back to the car excitedly and jumped in with a red flush on her face.

“Done!” she said cheerfully.

“What in the bloody hell took so long?” I asked in disbelief.

She laughed as she pulled her seat belt across herself and secured it into place. “I don’t have a dick, Jax. I can’t just go slinging it around and having girls fall in love with me. Girls have to bond and we can do it quickly with the right kind of conversation.”

I stared at her. With as beautiful and bubbly as she was how did it take a conversation to convince Purple to meet her at the damn pub?

“And?” I asked pulling my seat belt on and turning on the car.

“She’ll be there,” Riley replied with a sly smile.

I shook my head and checked the mirror before I pulled away from the curb. “We’re going to have to do something about how long it takes you to engage a captive. You can’t stay out too long because when they go ‘missing’, people will start to remember the last person they saw them with. In this case, it will be you and I can’t have that. So tonight you stay home Riley. I’ll go to the pub and I’ll get the whore and bring her back. I won’t touch her in any way other than to bring her back to you.”

She sighed heavily and her shoulders slumped. It was obvious that she wasn’t pleased with what I proposed, but there was no other way now. I didn’t care if any of these whores were traced back to me; it would never stick. Riley was too new to this and if she were questioned she would crack under pressure.

And we can’t have the girl that loves us in jeopardy, can we?

“No we can’t,” I whispered to myself.

I drove home and punched open the codes to let us in. I had three hours to get ready and to convince Riley that nothing would happen without her. Something told me that part of her disappointment was jealousy.





Twenty Two


“I’ll be back in no less than two hours,” I called out as I walked toward the door. I sighed when Riley didn’t respond. She had spent the rest of the day moping on the living room couch and refused to come out.

I walked into the living room and she turned slightly so she could look up at me. “You look nice.”

“Only for you,” I replied with a smile. Where the fuck did that come from? “Ahem, like I said I’ll be back in no less than two hours, not that it’s ever taken me that long before.”

She nodded and turned herself so that she would be flat on the couch again. I stood there for a moment and jingled my car keys in my hand, but she refused to look at me again. I went over to the couch and leaned over it just enough to obstruct her view of the telly. When Riley looked up at me questioningly I made a face and she gave me a small smile. She reached up and pushed my hair out of my face before she crossed her eyes and stuck her tongue out.

I laughed and straightened myself up. I knew that I would never be able to get Purple back here thinking that Riley was upset with me. I needed a clear mind and I would do what I could to leave with one.

She turned over onto her stomach and pushed herself up onto her knees. She placed her hands on her thighs and stared at me curiously, “Do you think she’s prettier than me?”

“No.”

Riley smiled and nodded as she climbed off of the couch and came over to me. I backed up a little unaware of what she wanted when she sat on the arm of the couch where I normally sat.

“Good. Okay, well. See you later,” she said awkwardly.

I nodded but didn’t move. I wanted to take Riley into my arms and tell her that she would never have to worry about anyone else replacing her. I wanted to tell her that she was my favorite of all and that I – It doesn’t matter. She’ll eventually try to leave like all the others, I thought miserably.

I sighed and looked away for a moment. I had been honestly wondering all day if she and Purple had been setting a trap for me and if that was the case, I couldn’t leave without saying something.

“You know if this was another time or place, I think that this could work,” I said softly.

“What could work?” she asked in confusion.

“Us.”

“I thought we were working and that Purple is my test,” she said curiously.

I smiled. She didn’t understand what I was saying and I wasn’t going to let her. I had to get back to being myself or I would fuck up this entire thing.

“We are and this is. Forgive me, I have no idea what shit I was trying to spew just now,” I replied with a chuckle.