Page 102 of Riot

“You did!” Irina’s voice cracked into a scream as she swung on her. The first slap caught Allure across the cheek, sharp and raw. The next one never landed.

I moved in quick, grabbing Irina by the collar of her jacket and yanking her back so hard her feet scraped the hardwood. I slammed her against the wall and let her drop to the floor like trash. She stumbled, wide-eyed and breathless, looking up at me like I was the devil come to collect.

“Touch her again,” I growled, voice low and deadly, “and I will drag you to the fucking curb and stomp your head through the concrete. Don’t fuckin’ test me, Irina. I don’t play about her.”

Allure was behind me, still stunned, cradling the side of her face. I felt her hands graze my back, trying to pull me off that dark edge, but I wasn’t done.

“You want the truth?” I snapped, turning back to Irina. “Yeah. I handled your brother. Raz was a pervert. Just like your father. Same sick blood in his veins. Same twisted taste for young girls. I don’t regret it, and if I had to do it again, I’d do it ten times over.”

Irina collapsed onto her knees, shaking, her sobs ripping out of her chest like they were breaking free from years of denial.

“They were my family,” she cried. “I have nothing left now. Nothing. Look at me! Look at my fucking ear!”

I didn’t look. I couldn’t. Not because I didn’t care, but because I’d seen worse. I’d done worse. And sometimes justice wasn’t clean. Sometimes it came with blood and screams and broken pieces.

But I knew one thing for certain.

Allure wasn’t going to carry the guilt for Irina’s pain. Not when the real monsters were still walking free.

I stepped back and reached for Allure, pulling her into my chest, letting her hide from the mess behind me. She didn’t need to see Irina like that. Didn’t need to take on another ounce of weight that wasn’t hers to hold.

“You’re safe,” I whispered, pressing a kiss to the top of her head. “Ain’t nobody gonna touch you.”

Not Boaz. Not Avi. Not even the girl who once saved her.

Behind me, Irina’s sobs had turned to gasps. Choked, guttural things that sounded like they were trying to claw their way out her throat. I didn’t care. Not after what she did. But Rollo stepped up, his voice low and calm like a man trying to stop a fuse from sparking the dynamite.

“Yo, Riot. Chill,” he said, placing a hand on my shoulder. “Let me handle it.”

I didn’t move at first. I kept my grip on Allure, jaw clenched, body hot with the kind of rage that could take me somewhere I didn’t want her to see. But Rollo’s voice broke through.

“She’s broken right now. But we can still use her.”

I pulled back from Allure slowly, making sure she was steady before I turned to face Irina again.

She was curled up on the floor, hair a mess, face wet, her one good eye was locked on the floor. The bandage on her head was soaked through at the edges. Her hands trembled as she tried to pull herself together, but it was clear, she was on the edge of something dark and steep.

Rollo crouched beside her. “Listen to me. You want to feel better? You want to make this right? Help us. Give us what we need. You know Boaz. You know how he moves. Where he hides. Who he calls. If you give us that, we’ll take him down. And we’ll protect you. And we’ll compensate you.”

Irina looked up slowly, her lip trembling. “What? You’ll pay me to betray my own family?”

“This ain’t about money,” I cut in. “This is about survival. Your father left you out there to die. You’re not family to him anymore. You’re a liability.”

She let out a bitter laugh, half-crazed, like she was unraveling right in front of us. “He once said I was his jewel. His little princess,” she murmured, eyes glassy. “Then he had Avi slice off part of my ear and throw me in the fucking street.”

Allure flinched beside me.

I stayed quiet. There wasn’t a damn thing to say to that.

Rollo pressed. “You want to get back at him? Then help us. Otherwise, you’re out here with no money, no allies, no power.”

Irina’s whole body went stiff, then she shoved Rollo’s hand off her shoulder and stood.

“No,” she spat. “I pick me. That’s it. That’s all.”

And just like that, she stormed out. Slammed the door so hard the picture frames on the hallway wall rattled.

Rollo cursed under his breath and turned to me. “I’ll go after her. Try to calm her down.”

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