Page 124 of Riot

“I won’t lose my daughter over this,” he maintains. “I’ve ignored her like a child for the last six months and for what? To keep my wife happy? Look at all she’s achieved and how happy she is. When she came into my room to see me earlier, I’ve never seen her look so joyful. So full of life. Like the weight of the world was off her shoulders the minute she saw me. I’m proud of her, and you should be too. Whatever mess this is with Myles, we’ll get to the bottom of it.”

Go Dad!

“But Rowley?—”

“Don’t ‘but Rowley’ me,” Dad warns. “You’re either with us in finding Myles, or you’re against us. What’ll it be? Because we have to find him. If he’s the man our daughter loves, then we have to get him back and standing here arguing instead of uniting like a family isn’t going to help matters.”

A sob escapes my chest and Dad turns, kissing me on top of the head. “I’m sorry, Dad,” I whimper. “I never meant to bring any of this here, to put any of you in danger.”

“Now, now,” he says. “If he’s half the man you say he is, then I believe you, and like I said, we’ll get to the bottom of it. I know everyone in this town all the way to New Orleans. Your biker friends aren’t the only ones with connections.”

I smile through my tears. “Thanks, Dad.”

He turns back to Mom. “So, what’ll it be, Gen?”

My mom’s mouth opens, then closes. “I didn’t want any of this.” She waves a hand at us. “At first, it was about Lourdes being happy and what I wanted for her because I was never given those opportunities when I was her age.” I stare at my mom being real for once. I never thought she had it in her. “I was brought up to be seen and not heard. I married you because my parents arranged it. It’s what I know. It’sallI know. But I don’t want our daughter to be estranged, I never wanted that.”

“So then you’ll agree to let her live her life?”

“Rowley.”

“Gen.”

She takes a long outward breath. “As a mother, these things are never easy. Yes, I told Ian where you were living because I thought he deserved a second chance. He came to me and was so heartfelt about losing you. I had no idea it was all a lie or what he was truly like, I couldn’t see past my own nose.”

For the first time in my life, I feel sorry for her. “It’s okay, Mom. There isn’t anything that can’t be forgiven. Even if you didtry and buy my boyfriend off. Riot isn’t like that. Please don’t ever do that again or we will have a permanent problem,” I whisper. “But I want you both to know that Riot, that’s his biker name, he isn’t a bad man. I know it seems like it because, let’s face it, he just got kidnapped in the middle of the night, but he did things to protect people, and I need you to believe that.”

“Honey, he put your life in danger,” Mom says, her words heartfelt for the first time in years.

“Not on purpose. You have to believe me when I say that whoever did this has a vendetta that isn’t warranted. The NOLA Rebels are a family, they stick together. They’re nothing like what you’re thinking.”

“And what’s that, exactly?” Mom shakes her head. “We see biker gangs all the time on the television.”

“They’re not a gang, for one; they’re a club. A brotherhood. They ride motorcycles and all have legit jobs. Cash, the Prez of the club, took Riot in when he was out of the military.” Okay, that’s a stretch but it’s not like I can tell them he was in jail once and used to be a sniper. That conversation can wait for another time. “All of the men and women of the club are like a big family. They all stick together and they don’t run away when things get rough.”

Yeah, that’s a little dig at my family, me included. I ran away when I should've faced the issues head on. The fact my mom is now kinda willing to listen gives me hope.

“We know you’d never involve yourself with somebody untoward,” Dad says. “And someone who wasn’t truly worthy of you. We brought you up to know right from wrong. We need to start respecting and trusting your decisions.”

My mom opens her mouth but closes it again swiftly. “I’m sorry,” she mutters. “No matter what I’ve done, I never wanted anyone to get hurt.”

I start to shake, remembering again the blood and Riot’s flashlight on the ground.

“Shh, it’s okay.” Dad pulls me closer into his arms. “We will find out what the hell is going on, I promise.”

I nod through my tears. The fact I’ve dragged my parents into this mess makes me even more hysterical.

A few moments later, the doorbell chimes. My phone on the floor vibrates with Star’s number. They’re here.

I’m relieved that my best friend is only moments away. I need her now. I can’t do this without her. I know I was her rock during the whole Tilly situation, and she won’t hesitate to do the same for me.

I think about my dad’s words and how much that meant to me. That we can put the past behind us if we want to and move on. I want that so much.

“I’ll get it,” Mom says. She leaves the room as Dad lets me go, holding my shoulders.

“I need you to be strong, my little Lourdes,” he says, a gleam in his eyes. I never realized how much alike we really are. “You need to pull yourself together so we can find the man you love, okay?”

I nod. “Okay, Dad. Th— thank you.”

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