Page 131 of Riot

Priest appears. “Got most of ’em but she’s gone.”

“Bitch knows this joint like the back of her hand,” Hustler adds.

“Fuck.” Cash swipes a hand over his face. “Call Casey.”

Casey’s one of our EMTs, and Crystal's sister; she often helps out when one of us is hurt and it’ll raise too much suspicion going to the hospital.

“Gonna need to call this in.” Priest takes one look at me. “Fuck, man.”

“Jesus,” Cash mutters. “Not gonna enjoy explainin’ this.”

“We could call it a lovers tiff?” Manny suggests. I’m glad he’s still got his sense of humor, but it hurts when I laugh.

Before I know it, I’m being bundled into the back of Cash’s truck as he and Charles climb in the front. Priest and Hustler take the next car, and Manny sits next to me.

I turn to him as we start to move. “Don’t let her see me like this,” I tell him. “Please.”

Manny looks at me. “I don’t know, Riot. I don’t think a goddamn hurricane will stop that woman getting to you.”

I cough a laugh, then regret it.

Manny rests a hand on my shoulder. “Try and rest, we’ll get some pain killers for you soon.”

“How the fuck did the cook get roped into this again?” I shake my head.

“Hey, I’ve got skills.”

“You shoot a gun?”

“Been shooting targets since I was a kid, but never a real life target. I’m more of a backup plan.”

I grin. “I guess you are.”

He chuckles. “Glad to be of service.”

26

HALO

I fall to my knees,unable to really hear what they’re telling me.

Riot’s okay.

He’s alive.

They have him.

“Oh, my God!” My hands cover my mouth and I can’t breathe.

Star holds my shoulders as she drops to her knees next to me. “It was Charles,” she tells me. “He had a GPS tracker in a watch he gave Riot. Cash, Charles and Manny got to him fast.”

“Where is he?”

“Lafayette, they’re taking him to the hospital first.”

I glance up through my tear stained eyes. “Tell me the truth; he’s really going to be okay?”

She nods. “He is. I’m not gonna lie, Hustler said he was pretty beat up, but he’s gonna be alright.”

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