Page 28 of Riot

I was in the foyer when he came in. I didn’t speak. Just waited.

He glanced at me once and rolled his eyes.

“Boaz is stable,” he said. “They’re still running tests, but the main doctor said it’s lung cancer. Advanced.”

I stared at him. “He’s not going to Europe?”

“Nah. Too sick to travel. Treatment’s gonna happen here, in the city. They're moving him to some private facility.”

He spoke calmly, but there was tension behind his eyes. I could tell he wasn’t used to seeing his father fragile. That kind of invincibility didn’t pass down through DNA—it was constructed, drilled into men like them. Seeing it undone scared him.

My mouth was dry, but I forced myself to ask, “What about the girls?”

Avi rubbed a hand over his face and shrugged. “Same plan. He said to put the pets down.”

My stomach clenched.

I couldn’t let that happen.

“Avi,” I said softly, stepping a little closer. “Maybe… maybe your father’s not thinking clearly right now. He’s sick. Probably scared. Cancer messes with the mind.”

He narrowed his eyes. “So?”

“So,” I said, carefully layering sugar into my tone, “maybe it’s best to wait. Just a little. Until he’s better. You know how much he loves them. How much joy they bring him. They keep him grounded. When he’s angry, when he’s stressed—he visits them. He watches them sleep. They… they make him feel like he still has control.”

Avi stared at me, unreadable.

I took a breath and pressed on. “Killing them now, without letting him say goodbye? What if he regrets it? What if he blames you?”

There. That was the play.

He didn’t care about the girls. But he did care about his father blaming him for anything. About being the loyal son, the protector, the executor. If Boaz survived and found out his pets were gone without his final word, Avi’s cushy position might not be so secure.

He nodded slowly, the wheels turning in his head.

“Alright,” he muttered. “We’ll hold off. For now.”

Relief washed through me—but I didn’t let it show. I knew better than to exhale too soon around men like Avi.

He looked at me then, really looked at me. And something shifted in his gaze.

Something darker.

“You know,” he said, stepping closer, “you’ve always been my favorite. Even back when I was in military school. I used to sneak back here just to see you in the gardens. You remember that?”

I shook my head, already feeling my body tense.

“You’ve gotten even prettier.” His voice dropped. “And you’re still untouched. Pure. Just the way I like ‘em.”

He stepped in, too close. His eyes scanned my body like he had every right to. Then his hand slid up the side of my robe, slow and greasy, his fingers pressing into the curve of my thigh.

I slapped his hand away. “Don’t touch me.”

He chuckled. “Come on. My father’s halfway dead. Nobody would even know.”

I stepped back, heart pounding. “Boaz would kill you.”

Avi raised an eyebrow. “That man’s insane. Butyou? You’re a dream. I can’t tell you how long I’ve been waiting to plant my flag. I’m going to be your first.”

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