Page 44 of Riot

“I got you,” I said.

She blinked. “Really?”

“Yeah. But we should leave soon while your girl is having a good time. Go to the bathroom. I’ll meet you there. There’s a side exit by the fire stairs. Irina’s too lit to notice anything right now. We move quick, we’re out before anybody notices.”

“Why are you doing this for me? This puts a target on your head.”

She was a target on my heart. That shit is so corny. I can’t believe I just thought some corny ass shit like that.

“Don’t worry about my why. Just do what I say. Go. Now.” I demanded.

She nodded and disappeared into the club.

I stayed at the railing, and sat the glass down, heart thudding like a warning.

Boaz wasn’t just rich. He was protected.

Helping her could open a war I didn’t have time for.

But I didn’t care.

Because if this girl wanted out?

I was gonna be the one to make it happen.

Even if it cost me everything.

Chapter 13

ALLURE

I couldn’t believe it.

He said he’d help me. Just like that. No hesitation. No questions.

Riot King—a man I barely knew, a man I should probably be afraid of—looked me dead in my face and said, “I got you.” And I believed him. That scared me more than anything.

Why would he risk it all for me?

He didn’t owe me shit. He didn’t even knew me. But the look in his eyes when I told him about Boaz... that wasn’t pity. That was rage. That was a man who’d seen darkness up close and didn’t flinch.

And I liked it.

I liked the weight of him—his presence, his stature. The bold confidence that wrapped around him like armor. The way his tattoos curved over dark muscle, like his skin was telling its own story. The way that grill flashed when he talked—cocky and smooth. And that voice? Deep. Commanding. The kind of voice you obey without thinking.

I hated that he called me “The Virgin.” But I couldn’t lie—I liked how he said it. I liked how he pulled me back when I tried to walk away, how he didn’t let me run from him like I did everyone else. It made me feel seen in a way that was dangerous.

This was my chance.

My one shot to escape and never look back. I felt it in my bones. Like freedom was reaching for me. Like I could finally stop being someone else’s property.

But just when I thought the stars were finally aligning, she came stumbling out of nowhere.

“Allure!”

I froze.

There was Irina right behind me. Her heels clicked awkwardly against the tile, her curls frizzed from dancing, and her mascara was smudged in a way only a good time could cause. Her smile was crooked with too much tequila.

---