Page 20 of Riot

She bit her lip, indecision written all over her face.Finally, she nodded.“All right.But I want you to promise me something.”

“Name it.”Hell, I’d promise -- and deliver -- the moon if she asked it!

“Don’t lie to me.Ever.Even if you think the truth will hurt me or make me pull away from you.I’ve had enough lies, deceit, and pain to last a lifetime.”

The weight of her request hit me hard.I’d never planned to lie to her, but I hadn’t planned on telling her everything either.Some truths were better left buried.But looking into those eyes, I knew I couldn’t give her anything less than complete honesty.

“I promise.”The words felt like a vow, heavy and binding.

“Good.”She stepped back, taking her hand away from where I had it trapped against my chest.I felt the loss like a physical blow, wanting to cling when it wasn’t appropriate.“I think all the bedrooms have bedding and such, but I’m sure you know how to help yourself if you need to.”Her smile was genuine, and there was a measure of relief that she wasn’t frightened and actually welcomed my presence.

As she walked away from me, my gaze might have lingered places it shouldn’t, but what struck me most about this woman was her absolute courage.She was obviously beaten down, but she’d only surrendered ground to gain the battle in the end.I had a long way to go with her, but she was giving me a chance to prove my worth.Once she saw I was useful, maybe she’d start seeing me as someone she could be with.

Or I could be kidding myself.Either way I was getting ready to have to explain myself to the pissed-off preteen from before, because Caleb clearing his throat was what pulled me out of my thoughts.And my gaze away from Violet’s ass.

“Sorry,” I muttered, shoving my hands in my pockets.Then I pulled them out and put my shoulders back.I might be a criminal, but I was still a man, Goddamnit.There was just something about having a woman’s kid catch you staring at her ass to make you feel like a naughty child.“I’m not gonna, you know… I’ll keep my hands to myself.”

“I never said anything.”Caleb might not even be a teenager yet, but he already had an intimidating stare I had no problem interpreting.

“You didn’t have to.I’m a convicted felon looking at your mom.But I don’t hurt innocents, and your mom and you, and the old ladies, are the only innocent people in this whole fucking place.And a couple of the women ain’t as innocent as either of you.”

Caleb snorted.“You’re weird.You know that?”

“Kid, you have no idea.”I rubbed the back of my neck, feeling uncomfortable but not wanting to leave the kid before he was ready.I’d been through this a lot in prison.Caleb was sizing me up.I wanted him to see exactly who I was.“You want to do a round with me?Make sure the place is secure?”

Caleb narrowed his eyes at me.“What do you mean?I thought you said the place was safe.”

“It is.But I thought you might like to see for yourself.”

He opened his mouth to say something, then shut it, shook his head, and tried again.“No.I wouldn’t know what I was looking at.”I could tell it took the kid a lot to admit that.

“Maybe not the technical stuff.I don’t either.But you could see that the windows were all shut, how they open, where the fire escape is.That kind of thing.I’m the first line of defense for your mom.You’re the last.So while I’m at the front, you’ll be getting her away from the danger.”

The young man stood up straighter, and I could see I’d said the exact right thing.“I hadn’t thought about it that way, but you’re right.That’s exactly what I’d do.”

I let out a breath I hadn’t known I’d been holding.Maybe I had a chance to at least befriend the kid.If I could win him over, maybe he’d let me stay in his and Violet’s lives.And yeah.I sounded pathetic, but this woman and her kid were rapidly becoming an obsession.I just wanted to be in her fucking presence, for Christ’s sake!

I showed him the layout of the loft apartment, letting him examine the windows and showing him the fire escape.The kid wasn’t very chatty, but he did ask a few questions, none of which were personal.

The only sections of the apartment that weren’t completely enclosed were the bedrooms.There was still an industrial feel about them, with high ceilings and tall windows along the outer walls.Each room had its own bathroom and took up half the available space on the top floor of the warehouse.So, yeah, the rooms were fucking big.I could tell Caleb didn’t want to be impressed, but he liked the place.

Then he did an odd thing.Caleb stuck his hand out for me to shake.“Thanks for helping me and Mom, Riot.I can’t protect her on my own and I can’t keep my dad away from her.Thanks for offering a safe place to stay, and for supporting my mom in court.”

I cocked my head at him.“I thought I was there to support you?”

He shrugged.“I might have suggested it would be easier for me to testify if there was someone big and scary to have my back, so Dad didn’t intimidate me.”

“OK.So… I was there for you?”

“I never said I needed it.And I never saidwhyit would be easier.”

I pinched the bridge of my nose and closed my eyes.“I feel a headache coming on.”

“Yeah.Mom has that expression sometimes.Usually when she realizes I’ve manipulated her into doing something she never intended to do.So, for the record, yeah.I was scared shitless.Not to testify, though.I’m scared of what he’ll do now that Mom left and I told the judge I wanted nothing to do with him.He’s not coming after me.He’s coming after Mom.”

“I figured.”

“I wanted to make sure she had someone with her.She’s more afraid of Dad than I am.I think he’s done more to her than she’s already told me.She admitted the other night wasn’t the first time he’d hit her, but I know it’s worse than she let on.”

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